Grade: B+

Last week I finished reading Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen, an addictively delicious read that I won in a giveaway at Serendipty’s blog. This book tells the story of the Waverly family, particularly sisters Claire and Sydney, whose infamous garden in Bascom, North Carolina grows edible flowers that seem to have a magical effect on the people who eat them, never mind their precocious apple tree with powers of its own. The Waverly family has always been tied to this magical garden and each member seems to be equally blessed with a touch of magic. But like anyone, they are also afflicted with the same kinds of misfortunes, hang ups and romantic entanglements that effect us all. The characters are very relatable and the way in which each of their stories weaves together is fascinating.

So, on the one hand, I adored this light romantic read with a fantasy twist – I rooted for the main characters and looked forward to seeing how everything would play out – but a large part of me can’t quite seem to shake the similarities to the movie Practical Magic. I’m not sure if this is a coincidence but it made it hard for me not to compare the two stories which have many similarities – although it certainly didn’t keep me from devouring the book within a week, which for me lately is very fast. Also, given that the book and the movie are so similar, I’d wager that if you liked one, you will like the other.