Clarissa Katsef, finds herself in a bind. She has left her second husband after a horrible betrayal and needs a place to live inexpensively, in Paris, which is almost impossible to find. However, she is lucky to stumble upon a building entirely for artists, and as a writer, she is able to apply. There is stiff competion to live there, and many people are turned away, but Clarissa is immediately accepted and she signs off on the contract to live there, which will allow her to live rent free, and only requires 1/3 of the royalties on the book she is writing. The building is "ultra modern" and is overseen by security robots, cameras in every room and an AI personal assistant that only responds to her voice. Initially, Clarissa is trilled with all of it, but in short order she begins to question things that are happening there. Is she being watched? Why is the cat so spooked? What is really going on?

In addition to the story of Clarissa, the book tackles a variety of themes. She adresses the potential perils of AI. She discused their roles in healthcare, security and even sex. There are themes of robots taking over. In one part of the book, Clarissa fears that AI will eventually take over and there will no longer be writing done by humans and we will never again have the "surprise" that comes from human authors. Key's also touches on climate change a bit, as Paris is hit by an incredible heatwave that is so bad, they even shut down businesses for the day. There is some lament about the destruction of nature and a variety of natural disasters that plague the earth. In addition, the book discusses how people "don't read books anymore," I finds this to be a tad odd, as this was discussed in a book, that I was reading! Not sure if this was commentary on what is presently happening, or if De Rosnay was putting out a concern for the future as this novel takes place in a future Paris... but not too distantly in the future. Is this because there are so many e-books vs. print books being purchased? This was not clear to me.

There were a variety of storylines thrown into the book, but many of them lead nowhere, and some mysteries were left unsolved. I will leave it at that, as I do not want there to be spoilers in this review. The ending of the novel left me wondering what they heck actually happened in the book. I much prefer when things are tied up well, and I don't have so many unanswered questions in the end.

I loved Sarah's Key, so I was thrilled to read Flowers of Darkness. But this book fell flat for me. I could not get into the characters.They were not well developed and hard to get into. This made for a slow read for me. To me, Clarissa was unnecessarily whiny and jumped into things without really paying attention to what she was doing. Her behavior at times seems extreme and at other times does not appear extreme enough. I wanted to shake her a bit and tell her to wake up. We were given her story mostly in present day, with some traveling into the past to explain how she got to this point. I am sure the big reveal about her husband's betrayal was supposed to be shocking but this too, fell flat for me.

The writing in the book also felt choppy and rigid at times. Another reviewer likened it to the book being written by a robot, which is a fairly accurate description of what it was like. While I believe de Rosnay to be an excellent writer, it simply did not come through as well in this novel.

Overall, the book was not my cup of tea. However, so many people disagree with me, so you should make your own assessment, and not take it from me.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This book is difficult to categorize and takes place in Paris in the future. While I enjoyed the relationship between Clarissa and her granddaughter, the unclear time period and genre left me confused. The futuristic apartment and its technology were intriguing, but the ending lacked closure. Overall, the book was different from what I expected.

This book moved at a slow pace but it was interesting. The writing is lyrical. Thanks for the review copy.

This is a unique and interesting story of loneliness and sorrow, love and courage. The writing is beautiful and inviting. There is a little mystery and intrigue as well. Although I enjoyed Sarah's Key more, I still really liked this book.

This thriller by the author of Sarah’s Key will interest anyone with an imagination and who is interested in one person’s version of what the future could look like. The character in the book moves to Paris to work on her writer’s block, but the apartment she moves to has a story of its own. While I enjoyed the premise of the story and the imaginative future, I wasn’t expecting this book to move to the dystopian realm. I did have a hard time with this, but would nevertheless recommend this book as long as the reader does not expect this to be another Sarah’s Key.
Thank you NetGalley for a ARC.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This book got increasingly bizarre toward the end -- though not necessarily in a bad way. The writing is excellent, though this story wasn't personally for me.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and NetGalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review.. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Ms. de Rosnay's writing is always strong with well developed characters and plot. Flowers of Darkness did not disappoint at all.

An excellent read. Highly recommended.

4 out of 5 stars.

I've been a fan of de Rosnay's for a long time, and this title didn't disappoint. Her characters are always well developed and the plots draw you in. Always look forward to her books.

I listened to this on audiobook. While the book was super intriguing, a great dystopian and mystery genre, the book turned really weird in the last 30 minutes. The bizarre story line at the end made the book flop, in my opinion. I'd give this 2.5 stars. Thank you for allowing me to read this book.

What was up with the last part of the book?? The writing in this book was flat, and the last part of the book was just...weird. This was a strange book.

Sarah's Key is one of my all time favorites, but this Tatiana de Rosnay did not sit well with me. The near future aspect made me uncomfortable and it was a little too disjointed for me. I couldn't feel much for the two main characters and was put off by the topic. A disappointing read for me.

Tatiana de Rosnay’s Flowers of Darkness provides very interesting insight into our relationship with artificial intelligence, and what our future could be like as it becomes more integrated into our daily lives. The novel also explores how our homes and the architecture surrounding us creates ties that bind us to places and memories. The story revolves around Clarissa, a 50ish writer, who has just left her second husband and is in search of somewhere to live. She is excited to be accepted by CASA, a brand new artist residency in an ultra-modern apartment, with a fabulous view of Paris. In her new apartment, Clarissa has a virtual personal assistant to take care of her and the promised peacefulness to write her new book. However, she starts to feel that something is not right in the apartment as she starts hearing strange noises and feeling that she is constantly being watched. Mixed with Clarissa's plan to find out what is actually going on in the apartment, there are two other main things in her life that she comes to realize: the story of how Clarissa's husband betrayed her and her beautiful relationship with her daughter, Jordan and her 15 year old grand-daughter, Andy. This is a beautifully written novel where the story evolves very slowly. The main character is well-defined and I felt all of the pain and sadness that she felt after leaving her husband. However, the main theme of the novel is artificial intelligence and how it can/will change our lives in the future, and also the affect it will have some day on our privacy. I love the writing in this book!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance read copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

I usually love Tatiana’s book and while this one was well written, it felt uncomfortable. It felt preachy on what our future holds if we aren’t careful. Personally, I read books to escape reality and seeing a very viable glimpse to the future was not comforting. But, like all great writers, making the reader feel all warm and fuzzy is not the only reason to write a book. Tatiana de Rosnay is a talented writer who used her skills to paint a picture that people today should really heed. As a novice gardener, I see the reasons to plant pollinator attracting plants and will go out of my way to plant even more in my flower beds in the future.

It’s a good book, well written, but too uncomfortable for my current frame of mind.

Flowers of Darkness by Tatiana de Rosnay
Rating 3/ 5 Stars
Published By St Martin’s Press
Published On 23 February 2021

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and of course, Tatiana de Rosnay, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is an interesting book for me to review. I have loved Tatiana’s books in the past and I figured I would enjoy this one as well considering the description etc. To a point - that did stay true - but I found by the end of the book to be over how unrealistic and bizarre the plot became. We follow Clarissa and her new virtual assistant - Mrs. Dalloway - a nod to her love for Virginia Woolfe. The first third of this book gives us the vibe that Clarissa is being watched. Her picture-perfect penthouse has cameras in every room but the bathroom - so it could make sense if they were hacked. This is unsettling for Clarissa - but is she just paranoid?

Honestly, I was kind of exhausted with this book towards the end. I found it to be a bit too much in the far fetch style, but I did also enjoy it. It was a hard rating for me, but I think 3 is a solid number.

This story is told largely from the perspective of the protagonist, Clarissa Katsef, a woman in her sixties who is facing a turning point in her life when her second husband leaves her for another lover. The story is set in Paris some years after a devastating terrorist attack. I was immediately drawn to her strength and self-assuredness as she interviewed in an apparently very competitive process to live in a condo complex for artists. Before long, it became apparent that Clarissa was either unraveling, or the only sane person in the room.

De Rosnay’s latest has an element of believable near-futuristic science fiction. The real estate industry uses artificial intelligence to sell their product to older people and artists, who are so dazzled by convenience that they trade their privacy. Technology makes life simpler for everyone, especially men who don’t want the trouble of a wife who goes through mood swings, sometimes gets sick, and may not always serve their every need - in other words, a human.

Clarissa’s primary ally during this confused time is her fearless niece, who loves her grand mere without conditions. De Rosnay is a master at portraying family dynamics in all their complexity, and this novel is no exception. This is a book that will make you think, which is what Clarissa would have wanted.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found much to enjoy here - I enjoyed the slow pace, and as I’ve been on many writer/artist residencies I was fascinated by that element (it’s interesting that a lot of writers go on residencies, but few books are set there). However, I found the protagonist’s obsession with being bilingual strange - sure, it’s unusual in the UK where we’re generally lazy and smug about language, but in the rest of Europe being bilingual doesn’t seem unusual. I also found the dialogue really stiff and odd. A mixed bag overall, but there’s plenty to enjoy.

Tatiana de Rosnay's novel are usually historical fiction however Flowers of Darkness is a cli-fi novel set in the near future. The story revolves around writer Clarissa who leaves her husband and gets a place in a new artist housing building but it comes with some requirements. Over the course of several weeks Clarissa becomes suspicious of the group running the housing but with all of the turmoil in her life recently will anyone believe her or just think she is losing it.

While I was not expecting a future cli-fi novel from de Rosnay I will say that I enjoyed it greatly. It is a blend of cli-fi, thriller, mystery, Paris-based fiction. It has something for everyone and is familiar enough while having some scary events that shape the world Clarissa lives in.

The premise of the book is quite interesting, where an author is living in a world that is slowly revealed to be quite dystopian. It is quite a slow-moving book initially (but it does pick up a lot of pace afterwards) which a lot of people might enjoy.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

I was greatly disappointed in Flowers of Darkness. I've read other books by Tatiana de Rosnay and found this one to be quite different from others I've enjoyed in the past. I couldn't figure out where the narrative was going and didn't really connect with the characters. After picking up and putting the book down several times, I finally slogged my way to the end only to be left with loose ends. Very disappointing.