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nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This is the type of book that keeps you guessing as far as what’s really going on. At First, it feels like a contemporary novel that deals with the issues of adoption, loss, and a sense of not belonging. I think that any teen will be able to relate to those issues, even if they haven’t experienced this type of loss. Of course, like most contemps, there’s a romance—though the path to that romance isn’t as straight and narrow as we’re used to seeing. There are also hints of mental illness … or is it? About halfway through, the book takes a major jump into magical realism territory, which blends into fantasy for a brief spell… but then we stay firmly in what I’d call magical realism. I think some people were thrown by all of this, but I mostly enjoyed figuring out where things were going. And I liked the overall magical realism, though I do wish it had been introduced a little earlier in the book.
I liked Leila, and I felt for her in her struggle for identity. I also connected to the romance in the book, and I loved the sense of environmental activism. The mean-girl character was a little over-the-top, but I think younger teen readers especially will enjoy this one. And the adoption themes alone make it a unique and interesting read.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
This is the type of book that keeps you guessing as far as what’s really going on. At First, it feels like a contemporary novel that deals with the issues of adoption, loss, and a sense of not belonging. I think that any teen will be able to relate to those issues, even if they haven’t experienced this type of loss. Of course, like most contemps, there’s a romance—though the path to that romance isn’t as straight and narrow as we’re used to seeing. There are also hints of mental illness … or is it? About halfway through, the book takes a major jump into magical realism territory, which blends into fantasy for a brief spell… but then we stay firmly in what I’d call magical realism. I think some people were thrown by all of this, but I mostly enjoyed figuring out where things were going. And I liked the overall magical realism, though I do wish it had been introduced a little earlier in the book.
I liked Leila, and I felt for her in her struggle for identity. I also connected to the romance in the book, and I loved the sense of environmental activism. The mean-girl character was a little over-the-top, but I think younger teen readers especially will enjoy this one. And the adoption themes alone make it a unique and interesting read.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
shannonxo's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this! It was quirky and heartfelt. Although I'm disappointed it wasn't a portal fantasy (that's definitely the vibe I got from description) and this at times read more like a contemporary, I wasn't disappointed by the story itself. I love anything that touches on saving the environment, and this was a great YA Urban Fantasy to tackle the topic. The adoption angle was the most profound part, simply because you know that is an #ownvoices aspect. I've followed Eric Smith for a few years now and I can see how much family is part of his life. Same goes for Leila here. There were a lot of sweet, heart-warming (or wrenching) moments. This also held a great note of humour. Leila's father, John, in particular really made me giggle. The dynamic between them, and the growth in their relationship was really sweet.
leeza_robertson_writes's review against another edition
4.0
Let me start by saying, this is a very special book for both obvious and not so obvious reasons. First the obvious, this book deals adoption or more to the point, the bridge between being adopted and feeling like you belong to a family. We meet Leila, our main character when she has found herself in a new adopted family. Her anxiety is palatable, you can seriously taste the acrid raw emotions of her past and present experiences as they ooze out of her. The story takes into consideration all the normal adoptive themes; family, identity, place and belonging. This is the obvious part of the story and an important one.
The not so obvious part, the bit that for me is the real WOW factor is the way Leila's energy comes through the pages. How we feel her tight, constrained, contracted life force slowly but surely unwind throughout the cause of the book. This is not always easy to do but Eric does an amazing job. If you pay close attention you can physically feel when Leila lets go, allows the control to slip from her fingers and slips into the space of the unknown.
This book will end up becoming a must-read for adoptees. But I also really encourage those who just struggle with place and purpose to pick this book up and find their own point of understanding in the magic of the Grove.
The not so obvious part, the bit that for me is the real WOW factor is the way Leila's energy comes through the pages. How we feel her tight, constrained, contracted life force slowly but surely unwind throughout the cause of the book. This is not always easy to do but Eric does an amazing job. If you pay close attention you can physically feel when Leila lets go, allows the control to slip from her fingers and slips into the space of the unknown.
This book will end up becoming a must-read for adoptees. But I also really encourage those who just struggle with place and purpose to pick this book up and find their own point of understanding in the magic of the Grove.
alyram4's review against another edition
3.0
3.25/5
There were a lot of things I liked, but the things I didn't seriously irritated me. Pacing was a bit all over the place, and I couldn't stand the mean girl character. I loved the romance though, and our MC was someone I stood behind the entire time!
There were a lot of things I liked, but the things I didn't seriously irritated me. Pacing was a bit all over the place, and I couldn't stand the mean girl character. I loved the romance though, and our MC was someone I stood behind the entire time!
girlreading's review against another edition
4.0
3.75* A lovely exploration of identity and mental health with a touch of magic wrapped in a brilliantly unique story.
This wasn’t at all what I was expecting but it was such a pleasant surprise. I was very much here for having a cast of characters so passionate about the environment and absolutely loved seeing SAD represented, as it’s something I’ve not seen discussed in fiction before.
I instantly warmed to the characters and the multiple relationships explored but I’m not sure I totally got on with the writing style. There were a few spelling mistakes and oddly structured sentences here and there, which did pull me out of the story at times but overall, this was a heartwarming, original, easy and thoroughly enjoyable read.
This wasn’t at all what I was expecting but it was such a pleasant surprise. I was very much here for having a cast of characters so passionate about the environment and absolutely loved seeing SAD represented, as it’s something I’ve not seen discussed in fiction before.
I instantly warmed to the characters and the multiple relationships explored but I’m not sure I totally got on with the writing style. There were a few spelling mistakes and oddly structured sentences here and there, which did pull me out of the story at times but overall, this was a heartwarming, original, easy and thoroughly enjoyable read.
xokristim's review against another edition
4.0
I have to start by saying this book was unlike anything I’ve read before. I feel like it’s best not knowing much about it before you jump in, because a lot could spoil key points to the story. While there was significant character development, I would consider this one more plot driven.
Leila and Sarika were such fun characters, I loved their interactions and how genuine they seemed. Their banter back and forth made me laugh, as much as their sweet personal moments made my heart swell. I would absolutely want a best friend like Sarika in my life. The fact that they overcame so much was admirable and just made me love them even more. Leila’s adoptive parents were wonderful, I loved all the scenes where they interacted.
If you are looking for a different type of contemporary read, with gorgeous writing, look no further. I have to mention the fantasy parts of the books aren’t super prominent (maybe because I’m an avid fantasy reader), but there is some element of fantasy. The only slight issue I had with it was that the story seemed to unfold extremely fast, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the pace.
Leila and Sarika were such fun characters, I loved their interactions and how genuine they seemed. Their banter back and forth made me laugh, as much as their sweet personal moments made my heart swell. I would absolutely want a best friend like Sarika in my life. The fact that they overcame so much was admirable and just made me love them even more. Leila’s adoptive parents were wonderful, I loved all the scenes where they interacted.
If you are looking for a different type of contemporary read, with gorgeous writing, look no further. I have to mention the fantasy parts of the books aren’t super prominent (maybe because I’m an avid fantasy reader), but there is some element of fantasy. The only slight issue I had with it was that the story seemed to unfold extremely fast, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the pace.
leahkarge's review against another edition
4.0
The Girl and the Grove is a fresh take on a popular fantasy narrative--The Chosen One--while also depicting everyday contemporary life in such a way as has rarely been seen in Young Adult up to this point.
Read the full review on my blog!
Read the full review on my blog!
emmehuffman's review against another edition
5.0
This is such a delightful book! Smith makes good use of social media in the narrative, and the characters are compelling and fit with each other. Also, if you're looking for a good YA that talks about environmentalism, you should read this!
samantha_randolph's review against another edition
4.0
My top 4 favorite things about THE GIRL AND THE GROVE:
-The activism- So many teens are engaging on all sorts of social issues, especially climate change, and I love the passion Leila has.
-The representation of adoption- While MG and YA have historically featured so many orphan characters or characters otherwise separated from their parents, it's much less common to see representation of healthy, realistic adoption.
-The writing- The writing style is so smooth and uses incredible imagery, particularly in the scenes with Fairmount Park.
-The relationships- I already mentioned the realistic adoption relationship between Leila and her family, but there's also really fun friend and romantic relationships. The romance took unexpected turns and had me in full grins.
-The activism- So many teens are engaging on all sorts of social issues, especially climate change, and I love the passion Leila has.
-The representation of adoption- While MG and YA have historically featured so many orphan characters or characters otherwise separated from their parents, it's much less common to see representation of healthy, realistic adoption.
-The writing- The writing style is so smooth and uses incredible imagery, particularly in the scenes with Fairmount Park.
-The relationships- I already mentioned the realistic adoption relationship between Leila and her family, but there's also really fun friend and romantic relationships. The romance took unexpected turns and had me in full grins.
wordwoonders's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
*I received a copy of this book from the Publisher through Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review*
Full review originally posted on my blog: Word Wonders
CW: Blood, anxiety, panic attacks.
I’ve been following Eric Smith on Twitter for a while now, and he’s not only a sweetheart but also a champion for diversity, so I naturally ran to add his book to my TBR the moment I heard about it coming out, and ran harder to request it on Netgalley when I realised it was available to me. Especially since it has an adopted MC and books with that kind of narrative are far and few so I was excited to read it and it did not disappoint! I really enjoyed reading The Girl and the grove and the whole bunch of topics it managed to discuss with great nuance.
The writing is absolutely beautiful, Smith’s prose flows smoothly and is very soothing to read. If you look at it closely, it’s nothing overly complicated, but the way he weaves words together make for sentences, paragraphs and pages that are very pleasant to read. The only real problem I had with it is some of the dialogue, not all of it, just the one with a certain character (not gonna say who because hello spoilers), it felt forced and awkward. I know it was meant to make the character come across as ancient and removed from today’s society but it still didn’t fit quite right in my opinion. The book also mixes formats, between regular chapters, Tumblr posts, forum posts, text messages, etc… It all made the reading experience all the more wholesome.
The book is written from Leila‘s POV, and she’s such a fierce passionate character and following her journey was an absolute delight. She has seasonal affective disorder which is something I’ve never come across in a book stated so clearly and it was absolutely refreshing. She’s also adopted and that was discussed and threaded into the narrative with such care that only an ownvoices author can achieve, all her thoughts, struggles, fears, hopes and dreams were raw and came across cristal clear, the way she was wary of her adoptive parents and then her opening up to them little by little was beautiful and it warmed my heart like nothing else.
Her parents were absolute sweethearts, especially with how careful and respectful of her boundaries they were, showing her their love while making sure they don’t overwhelm her and considering how that was their first parenting experience, they sometime had no clue what they were doing. Her dad is such a goofball, making her laugh any chance he gets to try and get her to relax around them and her mom just wants to wrap her in a blanket of love and protect her from every bad thing in the world. What I loved most is that they supported her, all of her, never making her feel bad about something she is or cares about.
Environmental activism is the center piece of the book and a huge part of Leila’s life, she cares about nature and making sure we preserve it, playing her individual part as best as she can. This is something I’ve never seen discussed in YA books and although it took me a little while to get into at first, once I did, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and couldn’t wait to get back to the book.
Something else I couldn’t really get into is the romance, it felt underdevelopped and superfluous. I could have done without it in the book and if that relationship was kept as a friendship because the romantic feelings weren’t developped properly.
This is honestly such an important read, in the marginalisations it represents, in the the themes it discusses and the way it does all that. I’d really recommend picking it up when it’s out!
*I received a copy of this book from the Publisher through Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review*
Full review originally posted on my blog: Word Wonders
CW: Blood, anxiety, panic attacks.
I’ve been following Eric Smith on Twitter for a while now, and he’s not only a sweetheart but also a champion for diversity, so I naturally ran to add his book to my TBR the moment I heard about it coming out, and ran harder to request it on Netgalley when I realised it was available to me. Especially since it has an adopted MC and books with that kind of narrative are far and few so I was excited to read it and it did not disappoint! I really enjoyed reading The Girl and the grove and the whole bunch of topics it managed to discuss with great nuance.
The writing is absolutely beautiful, Smith’s prose flows smoothly and is very soothing to read. If you look at it closely, it’s nothing overly complicated, but the way he weaves words together make for sentences, paragraphs and pages that are very pleasant to read. The only real problem I had with it is some of the dialogue, not all of it, just the one with a certain character (not gonna say who because hello spoilers), it felt forced and awkward. I know it was meant to make the character come across as ancient and removed from today’s society but it still didn’t fit quite right in my opinion. The book also mixes formats, between regular chapters, Tumblr posts, forum posts, text messages, etc… It all made the reading experience all the more wholesome.
The book is written from Leila‘s POV, and she’s such a fierce passionate character and following her journey was an absolute delight. She has seasonal affective disorder which is something I’ve never come across in a book stated so clearly and it was absolutely refreshing. She’s also adopted and that was discussed and threaded into the narrative with such care that only an ownvoices author can achieve, all her thoughts, struggles, fears, hopes and dreams were raw and came across cristal clear, the way she was wary of her adoptive parents and then her opening up to them little by little was beautiful and it warmed my heart like nothing else.
Her parents were absolute sweethearts, especially with how careful and respectful of her boundaries they were, showing her their love while making sure they don’t overwhelm her and considering how that was their first parenting experience, they sometime had no clue what they were doing. Her dad is such a goofball, making her laugh any chance he gets to try and get her to relax around them and her mom just wants to wrap her in a blanket of love and protect her from every bad thing in the world. What I loved most is that they supported her, all of her, never making her feel bad about something she is or cares about.
Environmental activism is the center piece of the book and a huge part of Leila’s life, she cares about nature and making sure we preserve it, playing her individual part as best as she can. This is something I’ve never seen discussed in YA books and although it took me a little while to get into at first, once I did, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and couldn’t wait to get back to the book.
Something else I couldn’t really get into is the romance, it felt underdevelopped and superfluous. I could have done without it in the book and if that relationship was kept as a friendship because the romantic feelings weren’t developped properly.
This is honestly such an important read, in the marginalisations it represents, in the the themes it discusses and the way it does all that. I’d really recommend picking it up when it’s out!