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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Read as an ARC from NetGalley
It's rare to find a book that really captures how teens experience the internet and ways activism manifests. Smith brings forth such a strong friendship in Leila and Sarika. They were so fun to read about, very supportive, and balanced each other out wonderfully.
I enjoyed how low-key the magical element was, given that it showed up so late. The way Leila's passion for nature had been grounded in the familiar was really well done. It made her relatable but also helped the audience care about the things she cared about. She was headstrong, but compassionate. I especially loved the way she related to her parents, particularly Jon. He bumbled a bit, but ultimately, he cared about her. Lisabeth could have had some more page-time, but the moments she was present were great.
The weakest element for me was the antagonist. It felt like some character development was missing because she was so one-dimensional. I thought establishing the real villains—those wanting to destroy the grove—was handled much better. It would have been nice to get some foreshadowing there in the beginning.
Overall, a great read about fighting for what you love and so many good family feels.
It's rare to find a book that really captures how teens experience the internet and ways activism manifests. Smith brings forth such a strong friendship in Leila and Sarika. They were so fun to read about, very supportive, and balanced each other out wonderfully.
I enjoyed how low-key the magical element was, given that it showed up so late. The way Leila's passion for nature had been grounded in the familiar was really well done. It made her relatable but also helped the audience care about the things she cared about. She was headstrong, but compassionate. I especially loved the way she related to her parents, particularly Jon. He bumbled a bit, but ultimately, he cared about her. Lisabeth could have had some more page-time, but the moments she was present were great.
The weakest element for me was the antagonist. It felt like some character development was missing because she was so one-dimensional. I thought establishing the real villains—those wanting to destroy the grove—was handled much better. It would have been nice to get some foreshadowing there in the beginning.
Overall, a great read about fighting for what you love and so many good family feels.
Well, this was disappointing.
2.25 stars.
The Girl and the Grove brings a new, interesting perspective to the contemporary fantasy genre, focusing on themes of environmentalism and family instead of the romance or the magical creatures, although those two elements are still present and relevant.
I loved the premise of this book; my problem was the execution.
I didn't like the writing at all. It was often awkward, almost amateurish at times, and with this premise - magical groves in the park! - there was so much potential, but there was almost no atmosphere. There are so many scenes set in the wood and you basically don't describe the wood? Why?
The dialogues weren't terrible, but sometimes it was clear that this book was written by someone who has never been a teenage girl.
I liked Leila. We do not often see characters who really care about the environment and fight to preserve it. I also really liked how her arc focused on both the romance and the family - she has been adopted recently, and she is still coming to terms with it. Her seasonal affective disorder doesn't help.
I didn't like the other characters as much. While Leila's family was great and it was nice to see a strong female friendship between Leila and Sarika, there was also the very stereotypical, really evil blonde mean girl who didn't get any development. All we know about her is that her dad is rich, she wears make up and she is evil. She's so evil she's worse than a caricature.
I thought we had left this kind of character in 2012 YA books.
I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
2.25 stars.
The Girl and the Grove brings a new, interesting perspective to the contemporary fantasy genre, focusing on themes of environmentalism and family instead of the romance or the magical creatures, although those two elements are still present and relevant.
I loved the premise of this book; my problem was the execution.
I didn't like the writing at all. It was often awkward, almost amateurish at times, and with this premise - magical groves in the park! - there was so much potential, but there was almost no atmosphere. There are so many scenes set in the wood and you basically don't describe the wood? Why?
The dialogues weren't terrible, but sometimes it was clear that this book was written by someone who has never been a teenage girl.
I liked Leila. We do not often see characters who really care about the environment and fight to preserve it. I also really liked how her arc focused on both the romance and the family - she has been adopted recently, and she is still coming to terms with it. Her seasonal affective disorder doesn't help.
I didn't like the other characters as much. While Leila's family was great and it was nice to see a strong female friendship between Leila and Sarika, there was also the very stereotypical, really evil blonde mean girl who didn't get any development. All we know about her is that her dad is rich, she wears make up and she is evil. She's so evil she's worse than a caricature.
I thought we had left this kind of character in 2012 YA books.
I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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!