The Wicked Garden (The Wicked Garden, #1) by Lenora Henson

The Wicked Garden (The Wicked Garden, #1) Reviews

• 
  Jessica Jernigan

  Full disclosure: I worked with Lenora Henson to edit The Wicked Garden. It was her first novel and my first fiction-editing gig. So, I'm biased. Obviously. But, still: Reading this book in its final, finished form was a thrill. The story felt utterly new and totally compelling.
  
  The Wicked Garden deals with so many themes that I find fascinating: witchcraft, myth, the way the past haunts the present. This is why I was eager to work with Lenora. But I really fell in love with her characters. Gretchel isn't always a tremendously sympathetic character, but she's real. Ame's a wonder. And Eli... Oh, Eli. I have a huge crush on Eli.
  
  I'm so proud to have been a part of this series, and I can't wait to see where Lenora takes us.
• 
  OddModicum Rachel

  Wow... what a glorious, magical, tumultuous read! I can't quite believe this is a first novel. Lenora Henson seems to have an intrinsic understanding of angst and personal demons that resounds again and again in The Wicked Garden. So frequently, I found myself alternating between wanting to embrace and wanting to bitch-slap the main character, Gretchel, but somehow, through all the turmoil, it's clear that her past and her ghosts are so damaging that her resultant instability and search for redemption is the only thing keeping her upright. Really engrossing, and I cannot wait to see what the other books in the series bring for these characters... clearly, The Wicked Garden was a setup for much bigger doings to come. SO worth the read... especially if you're constantly on the lookout for 'deeper' paranormal books with adult relationships and emotion. I'm officially a huge fan of Lenorna Henson.
• 
  Sage

  I got drawn right in. I found the story so compelling. I read it all in one setting. I have also read it a few more times since. It a wonderful mixture of myth, magic, human nature, and mystery.
• 
  Julissa

  
  
  Mixed feelings... I really liked it but it left me wanting more, and not in the good sense. I know it's the first book of a series and we can't get all the answers but it gives us NONE. It's like a cycle and the end of the book is the beginning. I kept waiting for Miss Poni or the other members of Gretchel's family to reveal the dark past haunting those gardens, but I think I'll have to wait to the second book to know that.
  
  What I liked so much:
  1. The witchy stuff: I really like this! It reminded me of the kind of witch I always believed in... wild, free and with the love and knowledge of nature and sensitive of the stuff other people aren't.
  2. Fate and other demons: haha I think it comes in the package, if you believe in magic you also believe in fate, and the past and all the ghosts that comes with it... that haunt you when you don't care to overcome it.
  3. The story itself: Although some people may hate Gretchel I think I understood where she's coming from and why she hate herself so much, it's not excuse, but that is the reason she stayed in an abusive environment and she is not the first women in the world who doesn't love herself and doesn't think she's worth something. And it's really devastating and shocking and unnerving and sometimes you just want to enter the pages in the book, grab her and shake her so hard she wakes up. But that's the thing about people who doesn't have self respect or a decent self-esteem, you can't make them love themselves, and you can't help them, no matter how hard you try. You just have to be there when the time comes when they own their own, wake up and seek help.
  
  What I didn't like so much:
  I didn't feel the growth of the characters, the story is set 20 years apart (sometimes in the past and sometimes in the present, that wasn't confusing) the confusing part was that they felt like they were still teenagers with kids rather than grown ups.
  
  I want to keep reading the series, to see the development of this shattered characters as they begin to heal but also to unravel the secrets and mysteries of the wicked garden, because I think the best is yet to come.
  
  ^^
• 
  Imbunche

  I read this in hopes for finding a light read about witches, what I got was was a rather irritating story with the main character whose behavior is completely illogical and no real resolution. Gratchel as the main character doesn't work for me at all, her decisions aren't understandable in the slightest and she is basically just waiting around for someone to save her while she's completely destroying her life. And why is everyone high all the time in this book? I feel like there isn't a single chapter in this book without someone being high.
• 
  Michael Holle

  In my mind this book was "okay" at best. This story had such potential but for me it was mostly a letdown. My biggest complaint was that there was so much ‘fluff’ in the story with only a few slivers of “story meat” streaked through it. Except for a few pages here or there, and the occasional chapter, I easily could have put the book down at any time. In fact, I actually did after the first few chapters and had to make myself come back to it to finish reading it.
  
  The story started off good enough, but it was as if the author started writing, got to some point in the story and decided to make it a series. This is when the details began to be sparsely doled out.
  
  The only character that wasn’t two-dimensional was Gretchel, the main protagonist. Eli, the second important character, was mostly developed, but still mostly flat to me. Miss Poni, Ame and the remaining characters zipped across the stage leaving little impression if any. This was a shame. I felt that Miss Poni had so much to offer tying the story together.
  
  To be fair to the author she may fully develop the story in her second book on the Wicked Garden, but I was left unsatisfied. When I finished this book I had no desire to get the second book. I simply was not compelled.
  
  This is the first book I’ve read by Lenora Henson. Her writing is good...maybe I’ll pick up another Wicked Garden and see what happens.
• 
  Wendy

  I stayed up way too late finishing this book last night and now I can't wait to get the other books in the series. The story is so vivid, complex, and emotional and the characters are so easy to connect with. Though there are several story threads weaving together here, it doesn't get confusing at all, it just blends beautifully. The emotional impact was intense, Gretchel especially made me kind of bleed for her as she fights for happiness while dealing with her past. Overall I thought this book would be a fun read, and it was so much more.
  
  This story is magical, edgy, romantic, emotionally wrought, multi-generational, mysterious, wild, and enchanting.
• 
  Starla Immak

  This book is a very predictable Cinderella story with a pagan twist. If you were expecting a strong female character, you are looking in the wrong place. Structurally this book is an awkward read. It jumps back and forth through time with a story first told through Gretchel's eyes and then Eli's. Predictably Eli is the hero.
• 
  Alissa

  Great book. I definetly did not expect this kind of depth from a story, I thought, about fairies and Hollywood witches. I couldn't be more wrong. It talks about the sacred feminine, makes references to Clarissa Pinkola's book sometimes and works the mother-daughter relationship wonderfully. I'm making my way through the second book now. Thank you for writing this.
• 
  Jeci

  This was a poorly written book. The character interactions were stilted and the writing style was immature. With better editing it may have been improved, because the abuse story could have been deeply emotional if it had been conveyed in a more skillful way. Probably my largest complaint that impacted my ability to finish this was that this book strayed far from the "show, don't tell" rule. We were explicitly told how characters were feeling rather than being able to discern their mindset for ourselves. This made the entire story seem forced. I want to infer for myself what the characters are feeling through imagery, facial expressions, and hidden meaning behind words. Not from the author telling me exactly what I should be getting from the novel. I would not recommend this book at all. There are far better magical realism authors out there. My best suggestions if you like that genre would be to check out Sarah Addison Allen or Alice Hoffman.
• 
  Christoph Fischer

  “The Wicked Garden” by Lenora Henson is a complex story that spans several centuries. It took me a while to understand the connection between the opening narrative and the present day story but once I did I enjoyed the story very much.
  Gretchel lives with an abusive husband, Troy Shea, but seems unable to tear herself free. Her love life and her familial heritage play a decisive part when lost love Eli comes back into her life.
  I came to expect a simple witch story when I got this book and found a much more complex and involved tale of all kinds of magic with great characters and depth.
  The book is a cleverly told strong set up for a very promising series. Very enjoyable.
  
• 
  Amalie Jahn

  Fantastic story! Ms Henson's characters immediately drew me into the story. I was captivated by Gretchel, her family at Snyder Farms, and the path she was destined for. I wasn't expecting a love story and was pleasantly surprised to find The Wicked Garden is one, as Gretchel learns to love again after escaping an abusive marriage with help from the power of her ancestors. Henson seamlessly connects multiple characters from multiple story lines into one cohesive masterpiece. Recommend to anyone looking for a complex read that will have you spellbound from beginning to end.
• 
  Sara N.

  Not for me.
  
  I did not enjoy this book. There was nothing in it to really get me wanting more. I especially disliked Gretchel. There are no redeeming qualities about her that will make me want to know what happens to her. If only any of the other characters had some substance to them, but they were all flat. I will not be reading the next books in this series.
• 
  Amy Bucelewicz

  I loved this book. I love that the main character is well rounded and has flaws that drive me crazy! It makes her so real and makes me feel invested in what she is going through. I love the use of archetypes and the cool structure of going back and forth between time periods and locations. The story is compelling and I can't wait to read the next one!
• 
  Cindy

  I don't remember which friend recommended this but I love it! I grew up in that part of the US and it's great to read a fantasy set in a familiar area.
  
  Love these - and if she's ever doing an event when I'm visiting family I'll try to meet her. It's great to know there are pagans near my hometown!!!
• 
  Stohelit

  This one just wasn't for me... I liked the Wicca elements, but overall it felt more like a romance/drama/abuse story than a novel about magic or witchcraft. I couldn't connect to the characters and didn't understand their motives and actions most of the time.
• 
  Blair

  Amazing series!! I love Lenora and her writing style.
• 
  Kathy Floyd

  Absolutely awesome!
  
  This is a great at book and I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Soon, very soon, indeed.
• 
  Aisling Van Dam LaBauve

  I loved this book. The characters were well developed, the story moved at a pace that kept me interested, and I thought that the witchy aspect was handled well.
• 
  Kimmie

  I loved this one! Can't wait to start book 2 in this series!
• 
  Amanda

  Loved it!
• 
  Joanna Gorman

  Love these strong, strong women :)
• 
  Judith Pratt

  Too many questions
  
  I loved the book until the end, when it became clear that none of the questions would be answered unless I read four more books. Robin McKinley doesn't write sequels, and I honor her for that.
• 
  Erin Hunt

  I did like this book and I am looking forward to reading book #2, The Witches of Snyder Farms. I think that Lenora Henson gave us just enough in this first book to leave us wanting more. I can’t wait to see where this story takes us in the next book.
• 
  Nawafinity

  It has A very interesting plot, but e suspense element was met with somehow ... Disappointment...
  
  There is no closure ... A lot of things were left unexplained ...
  
  
• 
  Jamie Welch

  3.75