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ribbonquest's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Flowerheart gets the "cozy fantasy" label from some readers, but I don't entirely agree. Much of the story is magical metaphors for mental health struggles. Clara's magic sometimes speaks to her as negative self talk. Most of the supporting cast have hidden motivations, so it's hard to tell who to trust. It can be very stressful.
Content warning: Plant-based body horror
Graphic: Body horror, Mental illness, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Classism
druzyquartz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Grief, and Abandonment
yessicookie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I will issue a content/trigger warning for those with a fear of plants growing under their skin that is a recurring theme throughout the entire book.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Mental illness
Moderate: Body horror and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
dexkit10's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Body horror and Emotional abuse
blacksphinx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book has a strong "fanfic author's first original fic" vibe. There is very little world building in this novel, and things you might think warrant an explanation (like the magic system) are glossed over, like we're already supposed to know. It's partially centered around a variation on a fanfic trope - hanahaki disease - and there's a small scene lifted directly from Ghibli's Howl's Moving Castle movie. In fact, our protagonist's two-syllable name, her light blue and light green dresses, her long hair plaited into a braid, and our wizard love interest's black hair kept me wondering... If this started life as a HMC's fanfic I would not be surprised.
Overall, this is a book that comfortably fits in the YA section and would probably be a delight in most middle school or high school libraries. (This book also needs an LGBT+ tag on here, it's a queernormative setting.)
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Medical content
Moderate: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Grief, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Mental illness and Fire/Fire injury
I want to list a brief content warning for an emotionally abusive relationship betweenjinjaritia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gaslighting
blewballoon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Body horror and Abandonment
Minor: Emotional abuse and Mental illness
a_ab's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I don't think I could have suffered through the abuse of the main character's internal "magic" voice for all those 15 chapters. It was revolting and infuriating to me, but it would be extremely triggering for anyone who ever had to live through even a fraction of that kind of emotional abuse.
In that vein, I found the ending rather questionable in the proposed "happiness" of it. And there's no way I am going to revisit the chapters I skipped, - as far as I am concerned, nothing is worth putting up with the abusive BS, however internalized it is: get therapy or whatever it takes to weed it out until nothing but a detached clinical memory of it remains, and even that memory is there only so that it could be quickly recognized and weedkilled on sight if it ever sprouts again.
Graphic: Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Blood, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
wishbea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Bullying and Emotional abuse
clarabooksit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Violence