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jasminewolfe's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is a very challenging read since it touches on some very traumatic themes and actions. I found that they way the author unfolds the story and utilizes the unique voice of the main character to be an admirable way to speak on such difficult things.
It's easy for me to be turned off from any story which involves female pain because so often it is done for shock factor or as a means to push forth a man's storyline or character development. However, the reality is that women experience a myriad of trauma due to their gender, and to avoid ever writing about wouldn't serve us either.
Dot Hutchison does a wonderful job of creating complex characters who are flawed and beautiful, and through their eyes we are able to digest the horrors of this book alongside the triumphs. So, while the plot might be one hindering on the suffering of girls, the lesson we learn is about love, family and sisterhood.
I loved this book.
It's easy for me to be turned off from any story which involves female pain because so often it is done for shock factor or as a means to push forth a man's storyline or character development. However, the reality is that women experience a myriad of trauma due to their gender, and to avoid ever writing about wouldn't serve us either.
Dot Hutchison does a wonderful job of creating complex characters who are flawed and beautiful, and through their eyes we are able to digest the horrors of this book alongside the triumphs. So, while the plot might be one hindering on the suffering of girls, the lesson we learn is about love, family and sisterhood.
I loved this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, and Murder
ericaburns1's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Kept me hooked with so many new pieces of the puzzle being revealed page by page. Complicated narrator (Maya) that you learn to like. The twist of Sophia being the escaped butterfly feels so last minute and not necessary. Also to drop the fact one of Sophia’s daughter’s biological father is the gardener and then end the book, with the sequels covering totally different cases, felt unfinished.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Panic attacks/disorders
prachidayal's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
- Medium read (6 hours)
- I don't know what to say because I can't figure out what Hutchison's goal was in writing this book. It's so graphic and reads as trauma porn. While it is written well, the shocking descriptions are what carry the book, not the writing. It feels like a YA novel with a desperate attempt to tell a dark story. There are a lot of plot holes (further diminishing the book's structure) with an anticlimactic ending. Why could the 20-something girls not overpower the old man? Why did Sirvat do what she did? Why did Elenor never look up and see Maya, and how was the Gardener willing to take that risk?
Also, why are we expected to sympathize with Sophia? She stood by while the Gardner kidnapped girls for a decade because she thought she would lose her child to a man who would be in prison (or on death row). Lastly, Maya's age on her license was 19 and she was there for 3.5 years which just doesn't add up. I also worry that while some of the book's audience is deeply repulsed by the plot, there might be an audience filled with creeps that enjoy this book for all the wrong reasons. The characters were poorly developed because they just had one dimension (Bliss is the exception.) Maya is supposed to be smart and nonchalant, Avery is just aggressive, and Desmond was written like someone we are supposed to root for despite being so complacent. Also, I get the plan to seduce him into helping them escape, but it seemed like Maya actually likes him, and the other butterflies saw it too. How were they not furious with her? Also, how was Desmond okay with having sex with the same person as his dad and brother? The dialogue also felt forced. One of the major mysteries throughout the book is supposed to be that Maya is hiding something, and the conclusion to that fell flat. Also, she was extremely open to telling her story, so I don't know why the officers were being so pushy. Finally, not only did the book read like it was written by a man, but it also read like a book authored by someone who has a fetish for people of color. It was nauseating to read sentences like "her orange wings contrasted her ebony skin," "her caramel skin," or my favorite, "she was an exquisite creature of Japanese descent." - I liked Bliss, and the writing (excluding the dialogue) was pretty good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
afroheaux's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? No
4.0
This is an intense and gripping thriller with each detail more shocking than the last. The switching of perspectives can get a little confusing sometimes and the timeline isn’t always clear, but the MC’s perseverance is incredible. What I didn’t like was the author’s tendency to describe her expression as anything but a smile. It got tedious after a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
elkiebear's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, and Gun violence
nouriareads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
FBI Agents Vic Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are interrogating one of the survivors of The Garden, a place in which a man (the Gardener) kidnapped and abused several girls. The Gardener tattooed butterflies on the backs of the victims to turn them into his personal collection.
I enjoyed how Vic pushed the survivor to tell her story and how he cared for her during her recount of the events. Even though there was an underlying sense of urgency for Vic to get her story, he still nudges her in a gentle way. I usually don’t like slow-paced books (with a few exceptions) but here it made sense and helped me get a sense of how much time has passed since her capture and the events that led to the Garden’s discovery.
However, I could not wrap my head around how the Garden was hidden in plain sight and sometimes struggled with the space’s descriptions. The twist was pretty convoluted and unnecessary in my opinion. I think learning more about the Gardener and his position in society would have been more interesting. I would have also liked for his motivations to be more explored, the reason given for how he started collecting his “butterflies” did not give much away.
I still gave it a high rating because of Vic, the survivor and the fact that I had a great time reading it. It was quite the page-turner.
Please check the content/trigger warnings before reading!
I enjoyed how Vic pushed the survivor to tell her story and how he cared for her during her recount of the events. Even though there was an underlying sense of urgency for Vic to get her story, he still nudges her in a gentle way. I usually don’t like slow-paced books (with a few exceptions) but here it made sense and helped me get a sense of how much time has passed since her capture and the events that led to the Garden’s discovery.
However, I could not wrap my head around how the Garden was hidden in plain sight and sometimes struggled with the space’s descriptions. The twist was pretty convoluted and unnecessary in my opinion. I think learning more about the Gardener and his position in society would have been more interesting. I would have also liked for his motivations to be more explored, the reason given for how he started collecting his “butterflies” did not give much away.
I still gave it a high rating because of Vic, the survivor and the fact that I had a great time reading it. It was quite the page-turner.
Please check the content/trigger warnings before reading!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping
Minor: Child abuse and Suicide
kristenjiannotti's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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? No
5.0
Wow. Just Wow. I'm glad I went into this without any expectations. I was horrified by what I read here, but it was absolutely incredible at the same time. The emotion within these pages was incredibly raw.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder
chookie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping
sol84's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, and Murder
hiyageorgie1's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I feel the same way about this book as a disgruntled parent feels about their child – I love it to pieces, but I can't bring myself to rant and rave about how good it is, knowing all its flaws.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Violence and Vomit