Quill wants nothing more than to live a normal life, but even though he’s the first male dryad in existence, he doesn’t have even a hint of magic and his mother insists that he’s not ready to enter the world, keeping him restricted to their home indefinitely. But when a new neighbor moves into their building, Quill finds himself inexplicably drawn to Liam. Soon, he gets his first taste of the outside world at Liam’s side...and he wants more. But there is something lurking that could turn his entire world upside down, risking everything and everyone he's ever loved.
While I legitimately do not remember any of the plot, I do remember that THE SECRET GARDEN was one of my favorite books as a kid. So when a new book comes along and is described as a reimagining of this story that my heart tells me I loved, I immediately hopped on board. (Don't worry, I will be re-reading THE SECRET GARDEN this year to reacquaint myself with it.)
There is a lot to love about this story—the characters are fleshed out, the fairytale feel of the plot draws you in, and the mystery at the center of it all is intriguing. I found myself relating a lot to Quill and his feelings of being stifled under his mom’s overprotectiveness. His experience of a first crush, a first love, and that overwhelming teenage impulse that you’d do anything to keep them drives the story towards its climax masterfully.
I was absolutely hooked from the beginning! The blossoming relationship between Quill and Liam really dug its hooks into me and I happily sat back and enjoyed the ride. But as the mystery at the center of the plot starts to unravel, the story takes a bit of a turn that felt kind of out of left field. It all comes back together in the end, wrapping up the story in a nice satisfying little bow, but I did kind of get taken out of my groove for a little bit there.
Overall, I found this book to be a beautiful debut featuring a unique story that still felt incredibly relatable. If this is the kind of book to expect from Devin Greenlee, I’m happy to add him to my list of authors to watch.
EVERGREEN by Devin Greenlee is available now and you can grab a copy for yourself here.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review. If you purchase a copy using my Bookshop affiliate link above, not only will I receive a small commission (which will fuel my coffee and tea addiction and help to keep me up all night reading more books to recommend to you), but you will be supporting indie bookstores as well! If you prefer Amazon, visit my Amazon storefront and click on the list titled "2024 Book Recommendations."
