Title: Garden Spells

Author: Sarah Addison Allen

Publisher: Bantam 2008

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 290

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Witches and Witchcraft; New Author; TBR Pile; 52 Books - Week 8

How I Got It: I own it!

The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers. Generations of Waverleys tended this garden. Their history was in the soil. But so were their futures.A successful caterer, Claire Waverley prepares dishes made with her mystical plants—from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets and the pansies that make children thoughtful, to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Meanwhile, her elderly cousin, Evanelle, is known for distributing unexpected gifts whose uses become uncannily clear. They are the last of the Waverleys—except for Claire’s rebellious sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had years before.

I am including this book in my witches and witchcraft challenge, but it's a bit of a stretch.  The Waverleys are witch-like.  They know things and have very specific gifts, but they don't do spells or have unlimited powers.  I see them more as natural witches, in tune with nature and the rhythms of the earth.  That said, I absolutely loved this book.  It's a great story of two sisters finding their places in the world.  It reminded me a lot of Practical Magic, but a much better version.  I felt very connected to Sydney on an emotional level.  I desperately wanted her to find her way in the world and be content.  And Evanelle is a hoot!  Such a great character.  The only thing I didn't love: the quick ending.  You know someone is going to appear before the end of the book, but the appearance and then wrap-up seems a bit too convenient.  I would have liked a bit longer for the conclusion.  But overall, I adored this book.  I want to get to Allen's other books...