Garden Spells (Waverley Family, #1) in Around the World in 80 Books

Sep 29, 2007 Sarah rated it it was ok

Shelves: owned, book-club, magic-sci-fi-fantasy

I don't always find magical realism hokey. Sometimes I quite like it. But in order for me to completely buy into the magical or mystical qualities of a book, the author has got to obey their own rules. Contradictions ruin it for me. In order for me to believe in the world the author creates, they've got to stay true to the parameters and specifications of that world. Sarah Addison Allen does not do this.

The story is about a couple of sisters who are brought back together again after years of est I don't always find magical realism hokey. Sometimes I quite like it. But in order for me to completely buy into the magical or mystical qualities of a book, the author has got to obey their own rules. Contradictions ruin it for me. In order for me to believe in the world the author creates, they've got to stay true to the parameters and specifications of that world. Sarah Addison Allen does not do this.

The story is about a couple of sisters who are brought back together again after years of estrangement. The family home has a garden with a magic apple tree (one bite from the apple will show you the biggest event in your life). Claire has a magic ability to bring about certain emotions in people who eat food she cooks from the plants in the garden. Cousin Evanelle has an overwhelming urge to give people things even before it's clear why they'll be needed (she might give you a quarter a week before you have to make a call from a payphone). Five-year-old Bay has an uncanny sense of where things belong. And Sydney... well, Sydney has magical hair-styling abilities. Seriously. She goes through half the book all emo about how she's the only Waverly without a magical gift, and then she gets a job in a salon and that's her gift. It isn't really clear how this is a magical gift, though, but it's definitely said that this is her gift. I mean, I know a couple of people who are crazy good at doing hair. But this chick, she's magically good at it. But, actually, this isn't really her only gift. She has the ability to see auras, but no one ever mentions that that might be something special and unique to her. So, her gift isn't seeing auras, apparently. It's styling hair. And everyone in town thinks the Waverly women are strange because of their unsettling abilities (although that doesn't stop people from hiring Claire as a caterer, accepting gifts from Evanelle, or getting their hair cut by Sydney). Because having someone in your small, ordinary town with extraordinary supernatural abilities is weird, right?

Except it isn't. Because the Waverly women really aren't the only people with abilities. The Clark women are REALLY GOOD at sex. I mean, like, really good. And the Hopkins men, who all always marry older women, can set trees ablaze with the heat of their desire. (This is another theme in this book: that "all Clark women" do this and "all Hopkins men" do that, as if it were in their DNA rather than just family tradition.) But then, Claire also burns things when she's really turned on, so I'm not sure where that comes from. And the tree. The tree's apples aren't the only magical part of the tree. When Claire and Tyler fool around in the garden, the next morning the tree writes "thank you" on the ground. Which is weird.

Also, Claire's next door neighbor and love interest, Tyler, is inexplicably immune to Claire's powers. Her recipes have no effect on him. But the apple tree does affect him.

The big conflict (Sydney's ex, Bay's father, is an abuser and tracks them down) lasts for about two pages. Other than serving as Sydney's motivation to return to the family home, it added nothing to the story. There's another story line involving Fred, the gay grocer, and his breakup with his longtime partner that also seemed to serve no purpose. Many parts of this story seemed disjointed and not fully fleshed out.

And the prose. I could go on and on about the prose. But let this gem about the September heat suffice: "Summer was a lady who didn't give up her spotlight easily."

Don't let the description on the book's jacket fool you: this book is not about the relationship between the two sisters. It's not even about the magic garden. It's a romance novel, plain and simple. Skip this one. Read Like Water for Chocolate instead if you want a good magical realism story about food and love. ...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Sera rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, library, fantasy-magical-realism-fairytales

I really enjoy Allen's books. This book is the second one that I've read by her, and I just fall in love with the worlds that she creates. Plus her writing is so charming that I find myself driving around with this silly grin on my face, because Allen's stories make me very happy.

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May 02, 2012 Rachel Shields Ebersole rated it really liked it

A story about family & community in small southern mountain town in a world where the main character has the slightly magical power to create moods & with the herbs she adds to her cooking--this is definitely my kind of comfort novel! Loved it.

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May 03, 2009 Gina rated it really liked it

It was a fun read. I would recommend it.

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Feb 19, 2012 Jessica rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, southern, magical-realism

Definitely lightweight, but Allen's affection for Southern settings and the social/cultural aspects of those areas really comes through nicely. A pleasant and swift diversion. ...more

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Jan 15, 2011 Erin (NY) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, read-in-2011

I enjoyed this book a lot! The story is very cute with just the right amount of magical realism in it. The relationship between Claire and Sydney was also nice, because you saw it develop and understand better through the book. I like the style, and I am sure I will be reading other books by this author.

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Dec 09, 2018 Erica rated it it was ok

I liked the creativity of the family's apple tree garden and the potions made with flowers, and the characters were likable. The execution was just not to my taste--just very mass-market. ...more

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Nov 27, 2021 Julie rated it really liked it

Shelves: to-read-own

What a lovely, quiet, calming mug of warm tea sort of a book. I enjoyed every minute of it and understand why it is so beloved by so many. Happy I finally got around to reading this one!

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