For reference 3 stars is a good rating for me. (See Below)
I loved the premise of this book. It was an interesting concept and well thought out. However, I’m not a big fan of our protagonist, Syrah. She spent the entire book bouncing between fear, pitting herself or bordering on rage. I never could find myself caring for her. The rest of the characters were much more engaging although we really never got to know much about any of them. Glad I read this and will probably give the next book a try to see if the characters evolve.

My ranking rules:
5-star (*****) EXCEPTIONAL: Faultless; awe-inspiring; humbling; a good ambassador for the genre, deserving broad readership; potentially a classic of the genre.
4-star (****) EXCELLENT: Highly recommended; difficult to fault; completely satisfying.
3-star (***) GOOD: A really good read and thoroughly enjoyable; time well spent; minor and few misgivings.
2-star (**) OK: Unly to inspire or to offend; ultimately doesn't measure up to the broader body of work in the genre, and therefore may disappoint.
1-star (*) POOR: Life-shortening, ineffective, rife with error and a waste of ink (whether on physical- or e-paper).
14 s Rach323 1 follower

This was an interesting piece of work. I loved how the author introduced the concept of the protectors of the Giants and the forest. The tension between them and the 'topsiders' was felt throughout the story. Unfortunately, the slow pacing in the beginning made it hard to get into. It did have elements I loved, nature and the main characters' drive to protect the forest. However, something was missing from the characters' interactions with each other. Even though their dialogue represented a real-world problem, it came off bland instead of sparking the needed outrage and passion that it was supposed to. The author had a good idea and potential in her book as she did a great job with the worldbuilding. The only thing that would have taken it to the next level would be her characters being more fleshed out and someone the reader could connect with.

Note: A big thank you to NetGalley for giving me a digital copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.fantasy-magical-realism netgalley-arc12 s2 comments Rachel97 6

A thought-provoking story about the effects humans have on nature.

I do wish the characters were more substantial so I could connect to them more, and the writing style took a while to get used to. The ‘romance’ was a bit random. She fell in love on sight without having a conversation with a man, had minimal dialogue with him, and we never found out what happened to his character—he was kind of forgotten about?

The main part I didn’t was when the MC discovered a potential war happening between the Keepers of the Forest and humans. Smack bang in the middle of this, for whatever reason, she spends five chapters on a journey of self-discovery? Basically faffing around with a very long internal monologue without actually doing anything about this so-called war.

I really did learn a lot about trees though, and it is a very introspective story with an important message about respecting nature and the effects humans can have on the environment. Something we all need to be reminded of. The story itself was pretty emotional in places. I just needed something….more?8 s1 comment WhiteOwl81 3

Blew my mind…suspense with a storyline I’ve never entertained before! The creativity around a whole population of beings underground protecting the giant sequoias (other trees, root systems, etc)- was very impressive. Plus there are ‘humans’ topside with their perceptions to be explored too. Unexpected twists throughout!4 s Miss Bookworm59 3

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc copy of this book.

It was quite an emotional read. It took a bit to adjust to the style of writing. The changes were unique and pleasant. The themes are intense and quite moving.
I'm not entirely sure how to rate the book. Would I read it again? Probably not. But would I recommend it. Sure, if you thought provoking reads.3 s Martha409 3

From the synopsis on Amazon: What happens when nature will no longer stand by and accept its destruction? A female fire chief discovers an ancient world rooted with secrets that can save?or destroy?in the newest fantasy by Veronica G. Henry, author of Bacchanal.

Beneath the forest floor, they watch…

Syrah Carthan doesn’t know why she accepted a job as the first female fire chief at Sequoia National Park, where, decades earlier, a forest fire killed her parents. That day, her brother, Romelo, disappeared, as if pulled into the scorched earth itself. Syrah has always had an uncanny affinity for the natural wonders of the park she protects, but after she sanctions a prescribed burn that goes terribly wrong, she quits her position in disgrace.

However, when another devastating wildfire breaks out, Syrah, reluctantly pulled back into action, discovers an unknown world that has existed underground since the beginning of time. This secret society, built around the forest’s complex root system, is now divided into two factions. One is ruled by the Keeper, the giant sequoias’ benevolent caretaker. The other by a mysterious undoer, who’s determined to wage war on humanity. Through him, nature can retaliate and wipe out the earth’s careless ravagers for good.

Torn between human loyalty and preserving the delicate balance of nature, Syrah must make a choice?one that will change both her destiny and that of the world above and below forever.

There is nothing I less than being preached at in a book I picked up for 'entertainment'. There's a lot of good stuff here, some of it really informative and exciting. But, and this is a really big 'but' for me, she devotes whole sections to a character slamming humans and basically deciding we ought to be wiped off the face of the earth.

I enjoyed the scenes with Syrah and Uncle Dane; I enjoyed the fire-fighting scenes. I didn't enjoy dwelling on the attitude of the firefighters toward having a black woman as Chief quite so much and she really seemed to stress the problems. Really don't know why the Forest Service would have dropped her into an all-male unit that already had a guy with the experience needed and make her Chief. They should have realized there'd be some resentment no matter how good she was or how much experience at other parks she had. Why couldn't they have assigned her as 2nd in command instead?

The scenes underground in Rizah and the society there are really good. Interesting the way even there they can't always agree on how to do anything. Supposedly, there'll be a second book out shortly. Not sure I'll bother reading it, though.environment science-fiction2 s Ariel144 4

Really slow pacing. Took too long to read because I kept getting bored of the story. Had an interesting set up and world system, but left too much unanswered.2 s Dara387 3

I loved this! The setting in Sequoia National Park and a character who is a park ranger and another who is a firefighter, both working to preserve the park and fighting wildfires, was interesting in itself. But then the backstory and the bits of fantasy were a perfect addition. I enjoyed the idea that trees communicate. I read the same thing in The Overstory and found it intriguing. The underworld felt it could almost be real. The only thing I didn’t care for were parts of the ending, particularly in regard to Syrah’s family. But I look forward to Part 2. I wish it was available now!
(First Reads February ‘24)kindle-prime-first-reads2 s Kendall Carroll37 2

I loved the concept of this book. The idea of a hidden tree society that is now fighting back against human carelessness is really cool, but unfortunately it wasn't executed as well as it could have been.

The start of the book was captivating. I d seeing Syrah at her firefighter job, and we hopped between time and place in a way that I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, as the book went on, the writing lost some of his charm. Syrah's narration became repetitive and circular, where she would go over the same points and realizations constantly without any real catalyst moving us forward. It almost felt the author was forgetting the stuff that had been written previously, which made a lot of the plot unclear.

None of the characters were as dynamic as they should have been. Their motivations and desires weren't explored that deeply, despite having fascinating concepts. Particularly Syrah and the leaders of the Canopy Keepers. I wish the author would've played around with their different perspectives on more than just a surface level. Everything just was, which is a shame in a book that is so deeply entangled in a lot of engaging ethical questions.

My biggest issue with the book was the way the nature topics were debated amongst the characters. The villain was incredibly short-sided, and I believe that was intentional (we love an anti-hero), but Syrah never really brought forth a more logical stance. I don't want to spoil it, but in a book that forces us to reckon with humanity's crimes against the planet, pretty much the entire ethical debate boils down to "murder is bad." I kept wishing we'd dig more into the issue and acknowledge some of the nuances involved in each character's arguments, but we never did.

I suppose that was the book's biggest flaw. For as interested as I was in the story, we never explored anything beyond its most basic form. Nobody put forth an argument that was new or particularly compelling beyond its inherent stakes. I really just wanted more.

As far as the writing itself, I go back and forth. I praised the book a lot at the beginning for its unique metaphors and illustrative prose, but by the end it started to feel somewhat gimmicky. Individual passages were beautiful, but as a whole it was too flowery (pun intended).

This book was not bad. I wanted to keep reading, and the roots (hehe) of the story were good. I just wish the execution had matched up to my expectations. However, I still enjoyed my time reading.2 s Molly590 29

An interesting and creative story—original and thought-provoking, but ultimately unsatisfying in multiple ways. Protagonist is unable. Conclusion is vague. Dialogue is stilted. Explanation of dynamics/mechanics is incomplete. 2 s Joy Liberatore58

I loved the premise of this book: A National Park is the gateway to a magic world and a park firefighter is caught between the real and fantastical. The first 20% or so of the book had clear direction, and intriguing narrative with the time jumps and changes in present and past tense speech/writing.
However, once Syrah discovered the Rhiza and started working with them, I felt that the narrative began to meander. Character motives were no longer clear to me as they had been in the beginning. The “evil plot” came together so quickly that there wasn’t any time for a build-up of tension. Where the beginning of the book had felt so strong, by the end I felt that I was being told what characters were thinking and feeling rather than being shown.
A+ concept and setup; absolutely loved that part. Motives just needed to be fleshed out more for the narrative to feel truly cohesive and complete for me.fantasy fiction1 Ilana Costello (patel)159 2

I loved the concept of this book, but the actual writing just didn't do it for me. I think it may have more impact for younger readers, but it just didn't cut it for me. I'm mainly writing this as a reminder for future me.1 Tammy241 6

A unique concept unfolds in this story. It does not feel something I’ve read dozens of times in the past, which is a nice change from the more common storylines within fiction. 1 Beatrice Followill1,394 35

Amazing

Amazing storyline, fantasy, look into what could be real on the other side , trees have life . I d the story, look forward to more from this author.1 Jasminegalsreadinglog 359 8

The Canopy Keepers by Veronica G. Henry is a realistic fantasy fiction. Set in the future where Earth's green cover is depleting and the forests are disappearing, the trees are looking after each other with the help of the keepers in this book.

Syrah and Romelo are siblings, but in a tragic event, they are separated. Years later, Syrah comes to the same place as a fire chief. She starts experiencing something completely unbelievable and gets pulled into that other world of trees, the Keepers, and a power she is unaware of. But she needs to save the humans as well.

The premise and the message of this book are something that everyone needs to hear, read, and act on. I d the book. However, I needed more in the story. I needed the backstories of the characters with more stories. I felt a disconnect that I could not explain while reading this book.

Thank you, 47North and Netgalley, for this book.1 Puddin’ B. 25

It was such an interesting concept, but it just fell a bit flat. The dialogue was bland, the descriptions of the other world and its inhabitants were wildly vague considering it’s a whole new species.

One of the most vividly written scenes was about the meth addict.

And I wish she wouldn’t have used the different passage of time trope if she wasn’t going to be consistent with it. At some points, an hour below was equal to a day above. But then she spends an entire day below and a little more than a day passes above.

Also, SUPREMELY shitty of the character to abandon the only people above that cared about her. Leaving her dad on read after a major stroke and heart complications?? BooooooooooooThis entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review1 Paul50

The spoiler in this review is that the story line of The Canopy Keepers is spoiled all on its own with an unrealistic setting, slow pace, and with misleading inaccuracies and inconsistencies. My guess is that the author is heavily banking on people praising this book because the environmental message is something you "should" support. However, the message is delivered so poorly the author has to make up environmental issues for impact. Isn't there enough environmental damage caused by people already that the author should not have to make things up about it? To a great degree, it makes her message a false narrative. That's just one reason why this book deserves only 2 stars.
The first book in a series, it is not captivating enough to want to invest any more time in the future offerings. The story is juvenile. If you are sixteen (no offense meant to teenagers) you may the book. If you are older than that, probably not. The author admits taking liberties with the information presented. She did do research with experts, and then in the Acknowledgments mentions she may not even use it. "Any omissions or extravagances are craft decisions and not reflective of their expertise." Sure. Let's make it even more difficult for people to separate fact from fiction. It explains why she chose to say the Castle fire in Sequoia National Park was caused by a couple of cigarettes instead of what the National Park Service reported: lightening strikes. Arson forensics is sophisticated enough that you can trust what the NPS has to say. Again, there is enough environmental damage caused by us that the author should not have to make things up about it.
The setting is primarily in Sequoia National Park. This is a place where over a million people a year traipse around. Here lies the undetected underworld of the Canopy Keepers hidden by the "veil". The Keepers come out at night and tend to the dirt and trees. For some reason no one ever notices any of the work they do. The Mother Tree and the root system of the trees is too reminiscent of Eywa in Avatar, but nowhere near as enchanting. One of those made up "extravagances" of the author is, "Aside from what remained in the Sequoia Forest, there were no Giants left in the country." The implication is that humans are responsible for this. The Sequoia fill a specific ecological niche and only grow in a certain stretch in California and lower Oregon. They may have been more widespread, but retreated in the last Ice Age, and not because of any human agency. The line following indicates the author researched enough to know better. "But whispers along the lattice suggesting that some may exist elsewhere. One day he would push his reach across the ocean floor and find out." There are indeed Sequoias and Redwoods across the ocean in England. Are they naturally occurring? No. They are there because in the 1800s they were planted by the British who found them fascinating. Not quite an ecological disaster when the other stand of Giants in the world owes its existence to humans.
The time is in 2042. Not sure what the point of that is other than to make up more environmental issues, which are not even made apparent until two-thirds the way into the book. In 2042 plastic was, "...outlawed a decade ago." This was revealed in a confrontation with a couple of hikers. One of the women was a "plastic hoarder" who had a plastic water bottle, OMG, and of course was an aggressive jerk. As a matter of fact it seems most of the park visitors in 2042 are jerks with no respect for the environment. You'd think we'd be more aware given the state of things then. In 2042, "The Western way of thinking has shrunk two of the countries three coastlines (the Gulf of Mexico made it out OK?). Herding them in cattle (just how far did the coastlines shrink?). Wildfires have killed as many people as mass murders (according to Statista, in the past 30 years in the US the average is less than 20 people per year). They shifted to plant-based diets only because one disease after another had decimated their other food sources." After a prodded bear attack on two individuals, the anti-hero sends an email to a single Ranger with demands for global change that include, "Convert to community farming and eliminate the consumption of meat". Snap. I though Westerners shifted to a plant-based diet. It goes on with "Convert to electric and nuclear power" and "...never cut down another tree again-ever". Better wise up. Those bears attacked two people. There's more where that came from! Simply juvenile. In a fight scene, the heroine notes "...his right arm hangs useless at his side." Soon afterward he has both hands around her throat. Later, after dropping her weapon, "Syrah digs in her heels, the staff out of reach. She presses it against his chest, right leg out behind her, trying to stabilize, but she's losing ground." Is it on the ground or in her hands? Another baffling image that comes up more than once is the idea that the Sequoias are responsible for cleaning all the air on the planet. "And without the Giants, the rest of the park, the forest, will shrivel up and die. Who will be left to clean the air, to sustain the flora and fauna that support life on this planet?" In another place, "Talk to them about the Giants and how they single-handedly clean our air." So much for every other green plant on the face of the earth. Juvenile and misleading.3 s Jasper68

Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

DNF at 16%

I really wanted to this book, because it seemed right up my alley. I love nature, mysteries and fantasy; so a book about an unknown world of an ancient forest should appeal to me. Unfortunately, I found myself struggling to stay focused. I constantly slipped into skimming pages in hopes of finally getting to a chapter that would catch my interest, but it never happened.
I really tried to this book. I kept losing interest, but came back to it in the hopes that it would finally catch me, but it's been sitting in my NetGalley library for over a month and I haven't been able to read more than 50 pages, so I had to DNF it.

The book starts out with a pretty good hook, but we move on pretty quickly to chapters that seem so far removed from what I was reading the book for. Following Syrah's every day life is no-doubt something important to show, but it took up such a big part of the book and it just wasn't very engaging.
The constant switching between the flashbacks to Syrah's childhood, her present-day life as a firefighter (without ever seeing her in action during an actual fire, by the way), an errant chapter from her brother's POV and occasional interludes from the Mother Tree constantly pulled me out of immersion and left me confused on what I was supposed to focus on. I read 7 chapters, and every single one had a switch in POV or time, told either in 2042 or 2014. It was so frustrating, especially considering that the majority of the flashback chapters could have been summarised in a few sentences. Still giving insight on Syrah's childhood while managing to stay on track of a more concisely told, engaging narrative.

Unfortunately, The Canopy Keepers ended up feeling a slog to read due to there being almost no sign of the central conflict mentioned in the blurb, despite it showing a lot of potential.arcs1 claudia reads it all276 9

Well this was disappointing. A brilliant premise let down by uninteresting characters and a meandering plot.

Syrah and her brother are out exploring in the Sequoia national forest in the middle of the night, having left their camping tent against their parents' instructions, when a tragedy occurs and Syrah is left alone in the world.

Years later, she is a Fire Chief in that same forest, pulled back by a desire to protect the land she so loves. Little does she know that there is another world born of the ancient trees' roots where two sides battle for the future of the forest.

I dove into this book ready to find a compelling main character, a rich fantasy world, and a narrative of nature v. man. Unfortunately, I didn't much care for Syrah. That's not bad in itself, there are plenty of characters whom I didn't but still wanted to follow their story, but this was not the case.

When you build a fantasy world on top of a real one, the real one still has to make sense, and this one didn't. An entire hidden world that is not so hidden, because they work their wonders within our world, which goes by completely unnoticed in one of the most popular national parks in the country.

The problem might have been that the scope was too big for this book. Is this a fantasy book? A mystery to discover what happened to Syrah's brother? A race to save the land from the evils of plastic-hoarding people? A character finding herself beyond a single purpose? In the end, the book doesn't fulfill any of these and was a letdown.2024 Hannah981 8

Canopy Keepers is a book that I think everyone should read, but probably wont. This book addresses issues that humans must face now, but are still never going to face until it is too late. The giant trees in California are only one of the forests that could have been used for this book and yet it speaks volumes since Americans are one of the worst groups of people who cause so much damage to this world. There are parts of this story that I think are done really well, and others that really need work. The cover is what brought me to take a look at this book, but the description got me. The idea behind the book is fantastic. Two siblings separated as kids during a fire, only to be raised apart; one by a secret group of beings who live beneath the giant trees taking care of them and the other raised with humans and brought up to be a fire chief in the same park only to be reunited and be at odds in how to protect the giant trees form the humans.

I don't see this as a book that everyone will love. but I do really it and think it should be read by everyone just to help raise awareness of how humans are hurting our world.

A big thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the prepub in exchange for an honest review. adult black-or-african-american clean-read ...more Jo Anne844 8

Syrah is four when she loses her family to a forest fire. She grows up to be a firefighter but during her first controlled burn, she ignores advice and causes a massive fire in the woods. She quits her job and settles into a deep depression until one day she is walking in the woods, is captured and taken to an underground world where "humanoid" people protect the trees. (Actually the flora and fauna.)
I don't want to give much away. This book was just wonderful. Well written with an inspiring story which will (hopefully) make the reader think about what we are doing to this planet; many without a care that this is currently the only home we have.
While underground, Syrah meets Romelo, a young man who has turned radical and plans to use the animals to kill all the humans so that the Earth can heal. Syrah finds she agrees with much of what Romelo says about the carelessness of humans, but can't agree that killing them is the answer.
This book won't be for everyone, since the author is hardcore in her beliefs that we are destroying the planet. I have a confession--I am quite gleeful when lions eat poachers, and I do think there could be less people in the world. But it's just fiction, right?
Jessica Patzer335

So, I quite d the premise of The Canopy Keepers. A hidden world existing alongside ours always gets me. However, I don’t really feel it lived up to its promise. I felt The Canopy Keepers was just alright.

The pacing is really weird. The plot is also unfocused, swapping between Syrah’s goals without really reconciling them between swaps, just kind of letting the goals hang, unfinished. Getting repeats of Romelo’s goals, as well, a few times too many. We get it, you’re angry at the humans.

The “romance” between Syrah and Ochai is barely that. Seems silly, really. Also throws a wrench in Syrah’s convictions, I think. I mean, I’m glad she got to see some bad about Rhiza because of Ochai and not just Romelo and his little band of miscreants.

There was definitely a strong pro-environment message here. That’s hammered home a lot. Not overly annoyed about it or anything, but it’s there, existing.

The Canopy Keepers just tries to do a bit too much with not a good amount of time to do it in. I feel it could have benefited from a good dose of world-building in addition to what there is. Probably would have made things a lot more clear. As it is, it rushes toward the ending and then spends forever actually ending. Not a big fan.owned-digital Kate14 1 follower

Thank you to 47North for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars

*Possible spoilers below*

This book was an incredible read with a critical message all should listen to. The book does an excellent job of creating a society that exists beneath our own. The Rhiza way of life had me hooked from the beginning. Henry's worldbuilding pulls you in and doesn't let you leave. I enjoyed how she modeled the Rhiza society after humans, giving them conflict and struggles instead of making them a perfect group with all the answers. Romelo was the perfect anti-hero, and his familial bond with Syrah was well-written.

I LOVE Henry's focus on familial relationships instead of romantic ones in this book. Syrah and Dane, Romelo, and her adoptive parents. Taron and Romelo. All these relationships were complex and heartbreaking at times.

I had some complaints about pacing. The beginning of the book felt very slow and then rapidly increased in pace towards the middle/end. I thought that the beginning could be condensed more.

This book is incredible, and I will be checking out more of Henry's work.
2023 arcs Sarah226 7

The year is 2042, & the trees are ready to fight back against an invasive species: humans.

Back in 2014 Syrah was a little girl who lost her family in a forest fire; fast-forward to 2042, & her adoptive parents aren’t exactly thrilled with her new job as fire chief of Sequoia National Park. They don’t understand why Syrah’s passion for safeguarding the forest means choosing a dangerous job, but taking that job is exactly what leads Syrah to her destiny…

The beginning of this book where Syrah is fire chief reminds me a bit of the CBS show Fire Country (which I really enjoy), & as the story progresses & we meet the Rhiza living belowground in harmony with nature (& doing their best to protect it) I started seeing elements that evoked Tolkien’s trees & some components of James Cameron’s Avatar. The way that these all came together in a cohesive narrative was impressive, & though I would’ve d a bit more detail in a few areas I really enjoyed this beautiful cautionary tale about the dangers of treating our natural environment as if it’s an infinite resource.

Thank you to NetGalley & 47North for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 s Ashley126 8

This book has a great concept, and I loved that it focuses on the giant redwoods. I have wanted to see them since I was a little girl, so the descriptions in the book gave me a sense of being there.

I definitely had a lot of emotional reactions to what happens in the story…(1) the way humans continue to show no respect for nature, (2) Syrah’s relationship with her adoptive mom, (3) how the Rhiza treat one another and the humans they invite to see beyond the veil, (4) Syrah’s ultimate reunion with brother and how it plays out.

Things I d:
*Magical Realism
*The existence of humanoids that care for the forest
*Adult characters (a nice break from teenage MFC)
*Taron (she was my favorite character)
*Avatar feels

Things I disd:
*Three mentions of Syrah having to use the bathroom (3 times…why?)
*I felt the books pacing dragged in some areas, and I feel those parts could have been shortened, to make this a stand alone book instead of a series
*I felt the later story line of what happens with Syrah’s dad wasn’t necessary to what was happening in the story Aubrey188

Interesting

Took me three tries to read this book. Once I was approx 125-150 pages in, the book wasn't all that hard to continue reading. As the storyline continued it was interesting. Two young children lose their parents due to a fire at a campground in the Sequoia National Park and then they lose one another. The oldest child falls to the ground injured and is found by what is known as the keeper. The youngest Syrah is adopted by a nice, caring and loving family child grows up to be a firefighter. As her daily life goes on she holds onto the blame for losing her brother not knowing he's alive. After a fire at the park Syrah stumbles onto an underground life of people who are "trying to save the trees" from the topsiders (people who live out in the world above ground). The story bounces between 2014 and 2042. For me this isn't a book I'd say is great but it isn't bad. If you're into fantasy you might this. If you're into characters that whine a lot and can't make their minds up this might be a book for you. Joni Graybill172 1 follower

I didn't want to give this one 1 star, but it was such a torturous slog to get through that I just couldn't justify anything else. Lawd, this is just awful. It was one of those books that makes the act of reading feel such a chore that you question whether or not you actually books at all.

Sequoia National Park is my favorite of all the parks I have visited. The Giants are truly the most awe-inspiring life form I've ever encountered and being in their presence is a life changing experience. How could a book set in such a place about such trees possibly be bad?

A meandering, incoherent plot, paper thin characters - including a main character who I actually hated by the end, wince-inducing writing, plot points that are never resolved - biggest standout being Syrah's odd, instant forever love just being... forgotten? I don't know. What a mess. I think the IDEA here is excellent, but an editor and/or ghost writer were badly needed.

I'm glad I got this one for free from Amazon.1 comment Ashley Kanazawich 58 1 follower

I love being thrown into a magical fantasy land that feels almost realistic enough to be possible.

The trees are tired of the decades of abuse leashed on them by careless humans, and the secret species of tree people, who dedicate their entire existence to caretaking the trees, are fed up.

Woah, talk about a great plot!!

There were times when the storyline moved too slowly for me, and for a "peaceful people," I found there to be a touch too much violence outside of their justified battles. The way Syrah's adoptive parents spoke to her sometimes gave me the ick, but unfortunately, that is a realistic depiction of some relationships.

Overall, the book drew me in. The characters and their hearts were so compelling, I honestly struggled with who to root for half the time! (Root.... pun...)

If you connect with nature, have empathy for the changes going on in the world, and wish for a better future for our environment, I definitely suggest giving this book a read! James Lamb48

I wanted to this book. I kept trying. I made it all the way to 70% before I realized it just wasn't going to get better. I really d the premise and the concept, but it was a painful slog. My wife is working on a few books she hopes to publish and I've learned a few things about her process, including beta readers and an apparently very important person called a Developmental Editor. They shred your work, make you cry, and then give you advice on how to put it all back together in a stronger, more cohesive manner. I feel this book would have benefited from someone who could see the author's vision and then help draw it out of them in a much more compelling story. Instead, it plodded, it was confusing, it was slow to reveal. As someone who has written and published zero books, I hate being critical of someone else who has, but this was a swing and a miss. (I think I got this book free from Amazon.)abandoned Erika100 12

Autor del comentario:
=================================