Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

                   I read Garden Spells for the first time years ago.  In fact, I liked it so much I read it twice.  That is why I was so excited when I came across this book in one of the neighborhood Free Little Libraries.  I took the book home, able to read it again without any concern of a due date and it needing to go back to the library.  Now I have read it three times.  Any book I have read that many times is one I definitely want others to know about.

                It has been years since Sydney Waverly has been to her hometown of Bascom, North Carolina.  Growing up, she always felt different and out of place there because of her Waverly heritage.  It’s why she escaped from town as soon as she could.  Now it’s where she needs to go to protect her young daughter, Bay, from the abusive relationship she is in.  Bascom is the only place she can think of to go.  It’s where her grandmother’s house is, a home where she and Bay can be safe.       

                The thing is, Sydney’s grandmother died while she was away.  The house is now in the care of Sydney’s sister, Claire.  Sydney and Claire have never gotten along, with their animosity stemming from how differently they were treated by their mother early in life.  It is this difference in treatment that made the two sisters complete opposites.  Claire is happy to keep things as they are and works with the notoriety her family’s name has.  Sydney grew up wanting to escape everything her name entailed.

                In Bascom, the name Waverly makes you automatically different.  It even possibly makes you magical.  Their backyard contains a tree that if you eat one of the apples you will see the biggest event of your life.  It could be positive or negative.  Either way, what you will see is a dangerous thing to know.

                That is just the tree.  The Waverly women have special powers as well.  Claire has a special touch with gardens.  She is able to make food with flowers, instigating the eater to have certain feelings depending on what flowers they have consumed.  Evanelle, a distant, elderly cousin, frequently feels the need to give people things.  The item can be something odd like a ball of yarn or a mango splitter.  Evanelle doesn’t know why the person will need the item, but she knows they will at some point, and they always do.

                Bay, even at her young age, is exhibiting signs of having a power too.  She somehow always knows where things belong.  It is a power Sydney doesn’t want Claire to encourage.  She remembers how these powers made her feel so out of place growing up and doesn’t want the same for Bay.  It probably didn’t help that Sydney herself did not have a power; despite her claims she was fine with that.  Or at least she didn’t think she had one, until she discovers her power comes forward when cutting hair.

                While it does take some work, Sydney and Claire’s relationship does start to mend, and Sydney begins to feel more settled in the town.  Things were definitely rocky at first with people thinking she came to reclaim her now married ex-boyfriend.  It’s when she starts cutting hair and hanging out with her old friend, Henry, that Sydney becomes more comfortable with living in Bascom.

                Adjusting to the changes Sydney has brought is much harder for Claire to do than her sister.  She is happy their relationship is improving, but she doesn’t know how to accept the help Sydney offers for jobs around the house or with her business.  Claire also doesn’t know what to do with the man next door.  Tyler is very interested in Claire, and everything she does to make him stop being interested doesn’t work.  This forces her to deal with her developing feelings for the man, something she does not want happening at all.

                I really understand Claire in this book.  It is not easy to let people in, especially when it feels as though every time you do something goes wrong.  For Claire, everyone would leave her after she let them in.  Then, when she would try with people to be more open and social, she always felt like she had said the wrong thing.  The two situations together can really lead to a person sticking to themselves.

                That’s why it was so great that for so many years Claire had Evanelle around to be her family and friend.  Evanelle is a little quirky, but she seems like a really fun lady.  I hope she stays around for a long time.

                The reason I say this is because I recently found out there is a sequel to Garden Spells.  I don’t know what happens in it, but I hope Evanelle is in it throughout.  Also, I’m really curious as to where the Waverly story is going to go next.  This book ended on such a positive note, I hope the second book does too.