Review of: GARDEN SPELLS by Sarah Addison Allen
From: Barbara Lechner
4/28/2013
Well, I've gone through an analytical thought process in
order to supposedly write an intelligent and compelling review of GARDEN
SPELLS. Is it a modern Garden of Eden lesson with the apples? Are Claire and
Sydney Adam & Eve paying for bad decisions – including those of their
mother? Is Evanelle the Holy Spirit who redeems? Hmmm... I find that what I'd mostly like to
say is that this was just pure reading pleasure – forget the analysis.
This book had a little of everything: broken family,
misguided mother, wounded children, rebelling teen, domestic violence, mystical
powers, sex, family love and comfort,
and ultimately adult love, love of children, resolution, and the comeuppance of
the villain. Throw in some gardening and
cooking tips and … WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE?
The sections about domestic violence were particularly hard
to take and you just want Sydney to run, run, run...which she does find the
courage to do with the help of the woman in the park. Bless that woman. You can
begin to see the mystical talents of the Waverly family being genetically
passed to Bay, her child. I felt that her early trauma to be Bay's coping
mechanism while growing up under her father's tyrannical horror-story he calls
fatherhood.
I really want to be Evanelle, though. What an interesting
talent with her inexplicable “gifts” that ultimately were helpful to the
receiver even though sometimes it was hard to figure what the result would be
for them. We'll never really be able to recognize how in our own lives little
things have influenced our decisions. We
all have had many Evanelles.
It was just sheer fun to have Claire fall in love with the
gorgeous and wonderful Tyler. Let's make more of those kinds of guys.
If you haven't read this book, I hope I haven't given too
much away...ENJOY!
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