Monday, July 12, 2010

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen


This book was a wonderful easy read, full of love and magic. It follows Claire Waverly, a very down-to-earth woman who has some real issues with letting people in because of her tumultuous childhood and not so great mother. Then her younger sister Sydney blows back into her life after 10 years away and following the nomad lifestyle of their mother. She has a daughter, Bay, to whom she is fiercely devoted to and committed to never abandoning her like Sydney's mother did to her and Claire. She is fleeing some really bad decisions in her life, and decides to return home to start again and provide a safe home for Bay for the first time.

Meanwhile, Claire's life is turned upside-down with learning to be a sister again and slowly learning to let love in-something she has never done in her sheltered life. And then there is her next door neighbor, Tyler, who is way more interested in Claire than she finds comfortable. He may be the one to help Claire with that little issue of hers. But don't eat the apples in the magical garden, you may see things you wish you hadn't.

I found this to be an enchanting novel, and a really fast read. I felt pulled into this little North Carolina town, and wished I knew the characters personally. I look forward to reading more by this fabulous author.

About the author:
Sarah Addison Allen is an American author who was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, a place Rolling Stone magazine once called "America’s New Freak Capital." Garden Spells is her first novel, and she didn't intend it to be magical, but it ended up that way. She can't turn away stray cats and she wanted to be a garbage truck driver when she was little.

Other books to consider:
Jewels of the Sun by Nora Roberts, Stardust by Neil Gaiman, Tam Lin by Pamela Dean, Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede

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