fandomsandfiction's reviews
576 reviews

books, food, and a small town found family of women who solve a mystery? this is exactly MY kinda book! 🥺❤️ 

what to expect:
- enemies-to-friends
- epistolary elements
- generations of found family
- a heartwarming cast of characters
- the healing properties of gardening and nature
- studio ghibli, but with more diversity (iykyk)

If I could describe this book in 3 words it would be: charming, comforting and warm <3

Following the dual stories of Winston and Bernice in the present, as well as the bygone days of Maya, this is a testimony to gardening, community, and family - both the ones of blood and the ones of choice. It's told in multiple povs AND multiple timelines, yet it's not confusing at all. The flow is seamless. It feels completely natural to be spending one moment in 1980 and the next moment in 2019! The different narratives envelop you, like a loving hug, and take you on the warmest, cosiest ride! The story is split into the 4 seasons and each season begins with a letter written by Maya in the present (since the narratives follow her past). I loved how all the stories connected and I loved how even the grumpy and neurotic characters found their way into my heart!

Despite its comforting presence, this book does not shy away from difficult topics. Issues of death, grief, racism, xenophobia, relationship difficulties, women's rights, and inequalities in the workplace are all explored, but in a gentle (and still nuanced!!) way that leaves you with the message: the world is tough, but we still find reasons to live (isn't this a ghibli quote???) 

pip and ravi will always have my heart <3

I have such complicated thoughts about this book. While I can understand the appeal - it has all the things the fantasy book girlies love - I did not enjoy it as much. It seemed too "formulaic" for me. If you took every popular trope and fantasy plot point, put it through an algorithm, and printed out the results: you would get this book. It's a culmination of every high fantasy world and tortured character that's big on the internet these days. I'll give credit where it's due and commend the GREAT enemies-to-lovers (tension build-up, angst and REAL HATRED 😳). I did not care much for the main characters, but I was partial towards Aidon, the second lead (I'm afraid it's this second-lead syndrome I'm cursed with). Cliché lines and generic characters aside, this story does have potential. It's not ALL bad. Things will be going good and I'll be getting real invested and then BAM! I read something that makes me want to throw the book against a wall. There are a few *very specific* things that REALLY annoyed me. I'm not going to list them all. Feel free to read this book and discover them yourself. You might actually enjoy it.

Well, that was delightfully entertaining! If the Netflix TV show is half as good as the book then I understand why everyone was so distraught by it being cancelled. I must watch it for myself because I'd love to see how they adapted this story for screen.

warmed my heart, made me chuckle, and sent a waterfall of tears running down my face :')
(i need a hug after listening to this book)