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This Poison Heart

Darkness blooms in bestselling author Kalynn Bayron's new contemporary fantasy about a girl with a unique and deadly power.

Briseis has a gift: with a single touch she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms.

When Briseis's aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents hope that surrounded by plants and flowers, she will finally learn to control her gift. But their new home is sinister in ways they never expected-it comes with a mysterious set of instructions, a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world, and generations of secrets. There is more to Bri's sudden inheritance than she could have imagined, and she is determined to uncover it.

From the bestselling author of Cinderella Is Dead comes an enchanting story about a young woman with the power to conquer the dark forces descending around her.

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384 pages

Average rating: 7.93

83 RATINGS

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15 REVIEWS

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Community Reviews

blewballoon
Nov 21, 2024
8/10 stars
4 for the first half and more like 3 for the second half.
I had more fun at the beginning of this book than towards the end. Things got a little too goofy and the characters made some questionable choices as the story went on. I do think it's clear the author had a blast writing this and throwing in everything they wanted to, and I'm happy for them. I like media where I can tell the creators had a good time. If you've also read You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by this author, it might help you figure out one of the twists in this book. That was the case for me. I didn't love the twist there, and I liked it less here. I think that's because I'm more of a "power of friendship" type person who likes to see platonic relationships shine. I also didn't really like the love interest, Marie. Apart from being really pretty and nice to Briseis, she's kind of rude to everyone else and I didn't get a sense of her personality besides that. There's a scene with poison ivy that is completely implausible and inaccurate to how poison ivy works, which took me out for a bit and I had to complain about it to my boyfriend. For positives: I loved the two completely supportive and loving moms, they bring a lot of comedic relief to the story as well. I liked the plant magic and descriptions. I liked exploring a big old house with lots of secrets. There's a lot of fun stuff here, for sure. The writing is not bogged down by overly detailed descriptions or internal thoughts, so it reads quickly. This is definitely YA due to the age of the main character, but very readable and engaging for me as an adult reader as well. I did not realize this was a duology, I think it kind of works as a standalone even with the somewhat cliffhanger/open ending. I am not sure if I will read the 2nd book or not.
MsFirstEdition
Oct 03, 2024
3/10 stars
I liked the book but ngl I felt it was a little rushed at the end and the story became whimsical and cheesy
BamJam n' Glitter
Aug 30, 2024
9/10 stars
Being a plant lover I really enjoyed this book. This was the best of both worlds for me fantasy fiction and education. Love.Love. Love
Shahna
Jul 18, 2024
8/10 stars
Loved this. Gimmie more.
I want a poison garden. So neat.
Loved these characters and the mystery and the big ol house.
I want to live in a haunted house.
LMahoney
Jan 26, 2024
10/10 stars
Fun story! Loved the pacing of it.

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