 |
Reviewed by: Heather Maneiro, High School Librarian Title: Evergeen Author: Devin Greenlee Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Year: 2024 Good for Grades: 9-12 Genre/Type of Book: Fantasy
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: LGBTQIA+ Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: Cybils Speculative Fiction Reviews If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: What would you choose - your first love, or your family's legacy?
|
Review:
Quill is the first of his kind – a male dryad. Being in such an unusual situation, the first of his kind, neither he nor his mom know what will happen, or when his powers will be revealed. To protect Quinn, his mother keeps him at home and home-schools him. Quinn tries to keep busy in the family flower-shop, but at 17 he wishes he could go to school, just to make some friends.
Then Liam moves into the apartment next door. Suddenly Quinn has a friend and things to do. Quinn starts sneaking out with Liam to simply go to the movies and the grocery store. But when they break into the pool, things go horribly wrong and Quinn’s mother has to know where he has been in order to heal him (obviously pool chemicals would be deadly to a dryad!) Quinn’s mother tries to crack down, but Quinn is falling in love. Then things start going wrong in the flower shop and the garden. Quinn knows the magic must be protected at all costs, but how can he reveal who he truly is to Liam without revealing a bit of the magic. But in the end, what is more important, first love, or his family legacy?
This is such a refreshing perspective on the complexities of first love. Quinn is not only discovering who he is as a dryad, but also what possibilities romance may have for him. A definite recommend from me.
Number of party hats:
For more information about this book, see the Publishers Website