Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell

 

FLOWERHEART made it to my TBR ever since I heard that it was cottagecore fantasy. And while it is that, it's a little bit darker than the blurb or the cover would have you believe (and I think it helps to know that going in, just in case you're not in the mood for heavy content). Thanks to Heather for reading this with me so I can finally check this one off my list.

Clara's magic makes flowers grow; but it's always been wild and out of control, and it whispers sinister, wicked things to her. When it harms someone close to her, she's forced to turn to her childhood friend, Xavier Morwyn, to save her father from dying at her hands. But his help does not come for free, and he has secrets of his own. If they fail, both of them might be stricken from their magic for good.

I don't want to say too much because less is more going in, however I read this book thinking that magic was almost an allegory for mental health and the arts; being neurodivergent can cause you to see the world in an interesting, unique way, but if the symptoms of a psychiatric affliction are left unchecked, it can consume you, and cause you to act in ways that can harm you and those around you. Art should never come at the cost of your health, but a very real fear of neurodivergent creators is that seeking help can cause them to lose their art because their psychological state makes them see the world in a specific way, which generates that art. I felt like the loss of magic in this book felt like a very real parallel to that, so it was surprisingly bittersweet and satisfying to see a character who lost their magic cope and be ok with that.

This book is pretty slow-paced. I was actually a little saddened by some of the reviews saying that the heroine is unlikable, because her negative self-talk so closely mirrors my own when I'm experiencing an anxiety spike, but I understand how people can have a kind of knee-jerk reaction to that. It's hard to listen to someone who is that negative all the time and it can definitely bog you down. I actually liked Clara a lot and I liked that she was impulsive and emotional; it's nice to see heroines who are allowed to be imperfect, to exist while not being neurotypical. They might not be your cup of tea, but if you happen to be that tea, it's really nice to see yourself being represented that way. I personally liked her a lot.

I was less fond of the love interest, even though I liked the is he/isn't he the bad guy angle, and the nod to Bluebeard in the beginning of the book. For a beta hero in a YA book, I thought the author did a good job making him seem awkward and bashful without being too precious. But I also didn't really feel the chemistry between him and the heroine. I also felt like the thing with her mom didn't go as far as it should have; it felt very anticlimactic. The ending was also rushed and felt too neat, because the author had seemingly forgotten about some of the potential plot points she set up. Maybe there's going to be a sequel or a companion book? Either way, the pacing felt kind of weird.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys unusual heroines and beta love interests and casual queer rep (one of the side-characters is non-binary and they're great; and I think it's implied that the heroine might be bi, because she mentions having a crush on an "Ada") and a Hayao Miyazaki vibe that takes cottagecore in a slightly darker, body-horror-ridden direction. Is it a perfect book? No. Is it charming? Yes. If you enjoy reading Charlie Holmberg's books, you'll love this.

3.5 to 4 out of 5 stars