First Frost (Waverley Family, #2) in Pick-a-Shelf

May 01, 2015 D.G. rated it liked it

Shelves: magical-realism

First posted at Badass Book Reviews

I've been a fan of Sarah Addison Allen ever since I read her debut novel, Garden Spells. It was clear to me that she really got Magical Realism (unlike Lisa Kleypas, who made a muddle of it in her Friday Harbor series.) First Frost is a sequel to Garden Spells and my first real disappointment by this author. Not because it was bad but because nothing really happened. This sequel shouldn't have been written.

The events of First Frost happen 10 years after Garden First posted at Badass Book Reviews

I've been a fan of Sarah Addison Allen ever since I read her debut novel, Garden Spells. It was clear to me that she really got Magical Realism (unlike Lisa Kleypas, who made a muddle of it in her Friday Harbor series.) First Frost is a sequel to Garden Spells and my first real disappointment by this author. Not because it was bad but because nothing really happened. This sequel shouldn't have been written.

The events of First Frost happen 10 years after Garden Spells. As stated in the description, Claire started a new business who is taking all her time and energy; Sydney wants a baby and Bay is now a teenager, who has become the laughingstock at school because she fell for the most popular boy in school and he doesn't want anything to do with her. To compound their problems, this is the time before first frost, a time in which the apple tree is dormant and a time of upheaval for the women in their family:

"They always got restless before first frost, giving away their hearts too easily, wanting things they couldn't have, getting distracted and clumsy and too easily influenced by the opinions of others."

Not much happens in the book. One of the most interesting "characters" in the series - the apple tree - is dormant so we're not treated to its antics. Worse, the issue with the mysterious man alluded in the description was solved in less than a chapter. I think the author was being very careful not to disturb the "Happily Ever After" because even the situation with Sidney, which seemed ripe for marital disharmony, caused nary a ripple. And the way that was solved was very unsatisfactory, something with the potential to cause a lot of heartache in the future. None of the characters were at the precipice of something terrible, their issues were just day to day problems that didn't seem interesting enough to write a whole book about. There's a even an old lady at the brink of death and she doesn't even die! There's an attempt to make this book about what makes family, family - the old nature vs. nurture debate...is it blood or the bonds of affection? - but it came so late in the story as to be insignificant. It seemed that for most of the book, we were waiting for something to happen and then it just ended.

I'm rating it 3 stars because although there wasn't much excitement, the writing was pleasant and it was nice to see how everybody in this world was doing. The author has a talent for this genre - she knows how to transform the common into magic. For anybody looking to try this genre, I completely recommend Garden Spells. You should read First Frost only if you are crazy about the first book and want to see how everybody is faring. Otherwise, I say skip it. ...more

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Sep 22, 2014 Christa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ebook-arc

Another wonderful book about the Waverley women! We are brought into the world of Claire, Sydney, and Bay, and what a charming and wonderful one it is! I loved the story of these women!

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Sep 10, 2014 Joanna rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi, audiobooks, 2015-read, rws-2015-fall

I listened to this book while cooking Thanksgiving dinner. It was the perfect seasonal and subject matter companion to this activity, and probably made me enjoy the book more than I otherwise would have. I find Sarah Addison Allen's books light and fuzzy, but good-hearted and warm as well. They aren't to be questioned deeply, the magic in the books is cute rather than thoughtfully constructed, but still, I come back to these when I need a cooking companion. The idea that cooking has magical powe ...more

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Apr 05, 2015 Rachel N. rated it really liked it

Set ten years after Garden Spells, First frost concentrates on the Waverley sisters and Sydney's daughter Bay. Bay's gift is to know where things belong and she knows that she belongs with Josh Matteson, if only he could realize it. Claire has started a candy making business but it is taking a lot of her time and taking her away from her family. Sydney longs for another child. I loved catching up with the characters and seeing where they had ended up. A sweet story. ...more

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Oct 15, 2014 Lorna rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary-women-fiction

Thanks to Netgalley.com and St. Martins Press for access to this title.

Ten years have past for the Waverlys. At first I thought, "where is the magic and the charm that the 1st book had?" And I wanted more of Evanelle. So it was kind of a slow start. But halfway through I became pretty interested in the story. It had some nice sentiments and I liked the conclusion. ...more

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