Published: 2023
Series: N/A
Author: Catherine Bakewell
Illustrator: N/A
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Cozy Fantasy, Magic, Cozy, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Romantasy
Audience (Grade Levels): Grades 7-8, 9-10
Number of Stars: ⭐⭐
Goodreads Link: Flowerheart
Triggers / Content Warnings: Manipulative and unhealthy relationship dynamics, life-threatening familial illness.
Review By: Gina Iorio
Publisher’s Summary:
Clara’s magic has always been wild. But it’s never been dangerous. Then a simple touch causes poisonous flowers to bloom in her father’s chest.
The only way to heal him is to cast an extremely difficult spell that requires perfect control. And the only person willing to help is her former best friend, Xavier, who’s grown from a sweet, shy child into someone distant and mysterious.
Xavier asks a terrible price in return, knowing Clara will give anything to save her father. As she struggles to reconcile the new Xavier with the boy she once loved, she discovers how many secrets he’s hiding. And as she hunts for the truth, she instead finds the root of a terrible darkness that’s taken hold in the queendom—a darkness only Clara’s magic is powerful enough to stop.
Review:
Clara’s story lacked development in Flowerheart. The author did not give enough attention to developing Clara’s magical journey of controlling her powers. One moment she had no control, her father was going to die and then within a few chapters, all was well. I understand what the author was trying to do, linking Clara’s powers to her self doubt, but it seemed so heavy-handed. The story had no plot twists. Overall, it was a bland fantasy novel with very little to keep the reader engaged.
I did not like Xavier as a character. He used Clara to get what he wanted, and I cannot understand why she would be interested in a young man that would treat her so badly. The way I read it, Clara was in an abusive relationship.
I enjoyed the nods to the Victorian era and their language of flowers, but who else will understand those references except a history nerd like myself?
The novel is more suitable for middle schoolers than it is for teenagers because the story is so simplistic.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- ELA (English Language Arts): Can be used to evaluate pacing and character arc structures. Advanced students can rewrite a scene to provide a more earned progression of Clara’s magical control, or analyze the heavy-handed nature of the self-doubt metaphor.
- Social Studies / History: The text provides a clear pathway to exploring the Victorian Era, specifically the historical context of floriography (the language of flowers) and how secret communication systems developed in past societies.
- SEL (Social-Emotional Learning): Serves as a cautionary case study for identifying unhealthy or toxic traits in interpersonal relationships and recognizing emotional manipulation from peers.
- Extension Activity / Library Application: Librarians can facilitate a “Language of Flowers” Research Workshop. Using the book’s Victorian themes as a springboard, have students choose a real flower, research its historical meaning, and create a mini-encyclopedia entry describing a fictional spell or character matching that flower’s trait.
- Diversity & Representation: The book attempts to highlight internal psychological struggles by linking magical stability directly to a protagonist’s self-esteem and self-doubt. However, because it normalizes and excuses a deeply unbalanced, unsupportive relationship dynamic between the two leads, it misses the opportunity to model healthy, inclusive, and mutually respectful partnerships for young teens.
