Tatiana de Rosnay is bilingual and has published books in both French and English. Flowers of Darkness, like some of her more well-known books (Sarah's Key and A Secret Kept), is set in one of the neighborhoods of Paris. Clarissa Katsef, the main character, presents two parallel threads of story.

One of these threads is the backstory of how Clarissa came to apply for and live in C.A.S.A., a special artists' apartment retreat entry to which requires a thorough and very personal interview. Clarissa's backstory, which she comes back to time and time again, is that of a successful and perhaps world-renowned writer, who discovers quite unexpectedly that her husband of twenty five years is having an affair. As Clarissa comes to turns with this betrayal, she plays detective and finds the secret love shack and eventually steels up the nerve to confront the vile adulteress who tore her world apart. Clarissa immediately walked out on her husband and decided to start life anew, leaving the wreak of her old life behind. It is a haunting, dreamlike story and Clarissa's bold decision to leave her life set her adrift and closed her off from her old world.

The second thread of the story is all about C.A.S.A., a gorgeous penthouse artist's retreat in a modern building where the occupants' every need is catered to by a virtual assistant extraordinaire, named Mrs. Dalloway. Move over Siri. Step aside Alexa. And this perhaps is where things get strange. The virtual assistant is quite personal and there are cameras everywhere. And mysterious feelings that someone is always watching. At times, it is so creepy that it feels more like a B.F. Skinner experiment than a modern apartment. And that's where perhaps we are in modern life with Google and Facebook and the ubiquitous cameras that are everywhere always watching, always knowing, always analyzing. What kind of strange mind control experiment has she gotten herself into?

Both threads of the story have a closed-off feeling, a sense of being caged up, separated, and corralled. It is a slow story, not filled with wild action, but there is a sense of a build up, of expectations rising, of a master reveal like when the curtain is lifted to reveal the wizard in the Emerald City throne room. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain! For me, the ending was more a whimper than a bang and the build up of the expectations that were never fully realized, leaving the read oddly dissatisfying. I expected more at the end.

Hmmmmm... I finished reading this book yesterday (I read it in one sitting) but I wanted to wait 24 hours before leaving a review as I’m not sure how I feel about it. It wasn’t what I was expecting - the Artificial Intelligence/robots/cameras etc jarred with the narrative of the bilingual, elderly protagonist (I’m not sure if this was intentional?!)

I did however, love the relationships between mother, daughter and granddaughter. I also didn’t guess the twist about the protagonist’s husband’s infidelity!

Overall, some beautiful prose, some lovely relationships but something just didn’t gel for me.

Wait a minute... this book is about artificial intelligence, love and sex? And it's a sci-fi-thriller set in Paris?

GIVE IT TO ME NOW.

What can I say, this premise along with the futuristic/artsy cover made me drop my tbr pile to read this instead. And it certainly was a strange and unique a book as expected. The plot follows Clarissa, a recent divorcee who decided to move into a new, unique artist residency in Paris called CASA. Clarissa did not only lose her husband, but also her child. Now, although she is haunted by the dark memories, she wants to start fresh at the highly selective CASA program. On the surface, the residency is set in an ultra modern apartment with the creme de la creme of aspiring artists.

...But the reality is much weirder than it seems. Clarissa hears odd sounds and feels that she's being watched. Her subconscious knows something is very wrong, but it's difficult to explain - is she just paranoid? Big Brother seems to be watching, though is that even okay, given what the residents get in return?

Read this book if you like dystopian thrillers and sci-fi novels. Read it if you've ever wondered what role artificial intelligence will play in our private lives.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am forever grateful to #netgalley and #saintmartinspress for the ability to read and review this novel before it publishes on February 23, 2021. I’m ready to just pretend it’s 2021 already. Is that okay with y’all?

…
I’ve been a fan of Tatiana de Rosnay since Sarah’s Key, so when I spotted this new release, I knew I had to read it.
The themes of this new novel are ones we can all relate to (see description below), but the author so subtly takes you there that the act of reading seems like hypnosis (protagonist Clarissa happens to be a fan).

Reading this was like gliding on a kayak with your best girlfriend for several hours on a perfectly clear, sunny day, while leisurely eating a peach, and letting your guard down only to be pleasantly surprised by some rapids that aren’t terrifying — just entertaining and interesting — and then turning to your friend and saying, “well now! That wasn’t what I was expecting! Let’s do it again.”


Please check out this book when it is available and also get your hands on her backlist!






Description
New York Times bestselling author Tatiana de Rosnay's Flowers of Darkness explores how artificial intelligence tampers with love, sex, and the basis of artistic creation in a new future Paris.

CASA is a brand new artist residency in an ultra-modern apartment, with a view of all of Paris. A dream for any novelist in search of tranquility. But is this residency a dream or a nightmare? Since moving in, Clarissa Katsef has had ominous discomfort, the feeling of being watched. Who is behind CASA? Is Clarissa right to be wary or does she too easily give in to paranoia, falling victim to an overly fertile imagination? Meanwhile, Clarissa is still haunted by the betrayal that led her to divorce.

Staying true to her favorite themes—the imprint of the place, the weight of secrets—de Rosnay weaves an intrigue of thrilling suspense to explore the threats hanging over a precious asset: our privacy.




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This novel is told from the perspective of Clarissa, a bilingual English/French writer who is enamored of Virginia Wolfe and Romain Gary. She is currently in the midst of a separation and divorce during the post-Brexit era. Clarissa is searching for a place of her own, and finds an artist's retreat in Paris called CASA. This home becomes aless than nurturing place due to the constant monitoring by CASA founders- somewhat like Big Brother in 1984.
I found deMornay's writing rather stilted and forced in this book, much unlike her wonderful book Sarah's Key.

I was so excited by the premise of this book. However, it just could not capture my attention. From the start, the reader is enveloped by ominousness — which I loved — but there was nothing compelling me to keep reading. I was hoping there would be more tension or action early on. It's possible my expectations were off, and hopefully other readers find this to be a better fit for what they want.

Sarah’s Key is one of my top book choices, so I was thrilled to receive this advance reader copy from Netgalley. The author, and the setting of Paris is where this book is like Sarah’s key. They rest is a departure. That being said, this book is so thought provoking and flows at an excellent pace. Set in the future, but not hard to see how today’s event could lead there. Imagine how our phones and computers are keeping an eye on us. How unnerving would it be if you knew how much information they were collecting. If you’ve ever read 1984, pick up this updated edition. I think it would be an excellent book club discussion and can’t wait for its release.

de Rosnay's newest is set in Paris - in the future. A future that is sad, frightening in its possibilities, and delicious. I loved it. It kept me on the edge of my seat end I read it straight through in one sitting. Wow.

It’s THE place to be for an artist. CASA is housed in a sleek modern Paris apartment building and writer Clarissa Katsef feels blessed to be there. At least at first, then she begins to feel she’s being watched, but how can that be. Surely it’s just her imagination. Still, Clarissa can’t get over the feeling something is wrong. Is she still suffering from the fallout of a painful divorce, or is something more sinister going on. de Rosnay’s legion of fans will enjoy her newest, most original story