Thursday, December 28, 2017

The Girls In The Garden

The Girls in the Garden

The Girls in the Garden starts out with a party and a girl in a coma. Pip and Grace are brought to the Victoria Park development to live after their father goes into a hospital for his mental illness. Their mother is a bit distracted and they make friends with the other kids in the complex- there's a mix of upscale and more modest homes and they all back onto a communal garden area, complete with a rose garden and paths and even an enclosed "secret" garden. It sounds like a wonderful place for kids to hang out- but one night after a summer party in the park Grace is found unconscious- and there are signs of an assault.

The story is told from the point of view of Pip, her mother Clare, and Adele who lives across the park. Clare deals with being a single mom while Adele has a beautiful home, three daughters that she homeschools, and a husband who is popular with the kids- perhaps too popular with some of them. Grace is hospitalized after the incident and while Clare and Pip try to hold it together, and figure out what happened, it's Adele who starts digging into the secrets and lies that permeate the community, even as the police are doing the same thing. I loved switching from Pip's perspective to Adele's- both had fascinating personalities and such a different perspective on things, and both were equally compelling.

This story explores the question of how well do you really know someone- your kids, a husband or wife, family? Adele realizes over time that in some ways she doesn't know her kids at all- even though they live together, the kids have their own world in the park and it's a little scary to realize that in real life there's a lot of things we don't know about the people closest to us. To me that was the message of the book- how much do you really know? And does it matter? Here it clearly matters as we slowly learn more about what happened that summer night.

There are some chilling moments towards the end where we discover things that tie everything together, and I enjoyed trying to figure out what happened. Each revelation was a peek into a society centered around the park, where kids grow up too fast and parents don't realize it, where clues and links to past events provide a context to what happened. The only real complaint I have is the explanation at the end seemed a little bit contrived, perhaps a smidgen unrealistic considering how young the kids are, but overall this was a fantastic read that explores family and kids and what happens when it all goes wrong. One of my favorite reads of the year. 

29 comments:

  1. Great review, Greg. I've been reading Lisa Jewell for many years but somehow have not got to this one yet. Probably because it was the first of her books to kind of stray from her previous genre (more romance-based women's fiction). Even with the issue of the slightly unbelievable explanation at the end, I really like the sound of this one. And the question of how well do we really know those around us... I'd guess much less than we think we do. People tend to show what they want us to see.

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    1. Thanks Tanya! This was the first Lisa Jewell book I read (I've since read I Found You) and I loved it! The theme of how well you know someone- even kids- was very powerful. A really good book.

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  2. oh great! I saw this one around but I haven't tried it though now I'm quite curious because it looks really well done and interesting!

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    1. This is my favorite Lisa Jewell book so far.

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  3. Glad the different point of views were handled well and were interesting and engaging. Sounds like a great mystery!

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    1. It really was. I loved the differet POV's!

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  4. First off I love the house on the cover of this book. I want to live there! The story sounds intriguing. Not sure I like the sound of that contrived ending but it still sounds worth a read.

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    1. I know? I want it too. And that whole garden thing... and you know the ending wasn't that bad, it just made me wonder a bit.

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  5. A mysterious story featuring a community of people living around a secret garden-type place? Um, heck yes! I also like the sound of Pip and Adele's POVs, since it seems like they'd be very distinct thanks to their different situations. This may be my first non-SFF read of 2018!

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    1. I know! I loved the setting! And Pip and Adele were SO different- I really liked Adele because she was so independent, and even though her kids were perhaps suspects she was driven to find the truth. Loved that! And yay- I hope you like it!

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  6. I had told myself I was going to read more thrillers this year but I only read one. So maybe 2018??

    For What It's Worth

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  7. This is another author I have been meaning to read. This sounds like a book I would enjoy, because like you, I love collecting all the pieces and trying to figure out how they fit together. Great review!

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  8. I didn't love this one. It definitely had its moments. I am excited for more from her though.

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  9. Oooh this does sound intriguing! I think it's kind of a frightening concept, because it really IS true that you don't know for sure that you know someone. I like the idea of the hidden away garden, too. Sounds like a good backdrop for a mysterious story! I feel like it might be hard to read though, based on the age of the victim? That has to be extra tough. And it's sad the ending was a bit of a letdown, it sounds good overall! Great review :D

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  10. I have an arc of this book that I haven't had the chance to read yet. I do like the sound of this book and hope to get it read in 2018. I am so glad you enjoyed it!

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  11. I always like these type of books that are a little dark and keep me guessing until the end. Hugs...RO

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  12. I've seen this around, but I don't think I realized it has a darker edge to it. Now I'm more interested.

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    1. It does have a bit of a dark edge! I liked it a lot...

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  13. This sounds wonderful! The cover immediately made me think of The Secret Garden, but this seems to be a little darker. I love trying to figure books out, and I'm glad this one was able to keep you guessing for a bit. It's always a bummer when the ending isn't as fantastic as you want it to be.

    Do You Dog-ear?

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    1. I love the cover, and it totally captures the feel of the book for me. Plus there's a little map inside that gives a feel for the gardens, and that adds to the story as well.

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  14. It does sound like an interesting story even with the slightly disappointing ending. I read I Found You by Lisa Jewell earlier this year and really liked the story. I hope Grace ended up okay by the end. Great review, Greg! :)

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    1. I read that one too! And yes I liked this one a lot- it was a little disturbing how it ended only because there was a little bit of ambiguity in how it resolved. Very thought provoking!

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  15. I've read a few mixed reviews on this one, but reading your review, I could see myself enjoying this read too.

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    1. I think it's quite good, and the setting and the various characters really made it for me.

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  16. Oo this sounds great and I love the whole how well do you really know someone thing. Awesome review!

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    1. Thanx!! I really liked that element too- the whole what's really going on with these kids thing!

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  17. I do like a good mystery/thriller. I have never read one of Lisa Jewell's books. I am glad you found one of your favorite reads of the year at the end of the year. Nice to end 2017 on a high note.

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  18. This sounds really good, and you are right... I always worried about parents as much as friends when Baz was younger.

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  19. I really want to read something by Lisa Jewell in 2018. This sounds good and like a premise that any parent can connect all to easily with. I don't mind a contrived explanation if the enjoyment balances it out and that sounds like the case here.

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