A thrilling, dark, futuristic, realistic (I know - contradictory!) read. This is unlike de Rosnay's other historical fiction novels and she excels here - I hope to see more books like this from her. I was really impressed how she blended a dystopian future with a very grounded present. Clarissa the main character was someone I immediately felt attached. There was a lot of content to cover in this book - AI, robots, art, climate change, relationships. I do wish there wish the book closed the loop on Jim and Adelka (the neighbors) a little better, and even Andy, though this is a minor wish. I was completed enthralled with this book and will definitely highly recommend.

I enjoyed this story, but it was definitely a slow burn.

I very much enjoyed the interactions between Clarissa and her very complex modern family. The way her daughter & granddaughter interact with their Father/Grandfather despite him being divorced from Clarissa, as well as the way they interact with Clarissa’s second husband were complicated but courteous while still being realistic. I’m sure many readers wish their family was that functional.

I also really liked the alternations between Clarissa’s present struggles and her notebook of writings concerning the devolution of her relationship with Francois, though I found the conclusion of Francois’ storyline very bizarre and unrealistic. I believe the author was going for an illustration of how AI could effect all facets of one’s life, and I realize such things do exist already, but I still found it to be incredibly far fetched.

The only thing I did not like about this book was the fact that the CASA storyline seemed to be building to a culmination that never really came. When she abandons the place (and her cat!) and then just abruptly closes the door on it without much resolution I was left looking for more. I understand the revelation that CASA was using artists in an attempt to teach robots creativity, but what about Jim, who disappeared? What about Mia White? What about the meltdown? The powder that came down into her tea? For much of the book it seemed that Clarissa was going to uncover a nefarious plot behind CASA but then she just runs away and we’re left without many answers.

A brief epilogue of Clarissa, months of years later reading the fate of CASA, or a letter from the resident she left her cat with, or a Jim obituary would have given the reader some closure.

Thank you for allowing me a preview of this title. Sadly, this is the first de Rosnay book that I did not finish. I just could not connect with the story and finally put it down around the 25% mark. Best wishes and much success.

I was intrigued by the description provided for "Flowers of Darkness" by Tatiana de Rosnay. And the actual novel was just as intriguing! Throughout the story you were left to speculate on why she left her husband, and at the end you finally find the truth. And the mystery behind the CASA project made you feel the same suspicions as the main character, Clarissa. The suspense and mystery held for the length of the story. And makes the book hard to put down.

A futuristic novel that will completely engross you and hold you spellbound until the very end.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#FlowersOfDarkness #NetGalley

Special thanks to NetGalley and St.Martin press for providing me with ARC.
This is the first novel to me by Tatiana de Rosnay but to be honest i tried so hard to continue it and pushed myself many times but i am sorry, i can't.

I have mixed feelings on this one. I loved the artificial intelligence aspects, but felt in the end they were unfinished and left me feeling - meh. I wanted to understand what the purpose of the apartments were, how she was chosen, why, and what they were doing with the results of all the AI in the building and never got the answers.
While I appreciated the tie ins to Virginia Woolf, and Clarissa's writing inspirations, I was left lacking there too. So many tangents about Woolf left me feeling disconnected from the juicy main parts of the plot.
Then we have the ex husband, daughter, grand daughter relationships, along with the ex boyfriend who had a whole different experience with AI - kept things interesting for sure - but it still felt like so many loose ends for me. I loved Sarah's Key, and this one left me disappointed.

Thankful for the ARC!

This book was super good. It was super original and I flew through it. It didn't feel like anything I've read in the past. Can't wait to read more from the author!! This book was unputdownable.

Different then the authors other novels.A unique blend of fiction and sci-fi makes for a very unique read.I was drawn in by the writing the characters .A book that kept me turning the pages.#netgalley#st.martinsbooks.

I was initially intrigued by the plot: Clarissa Katsef Finds a new home in a seemingly posh location within an artist commune. Fleeing her past relationship after discovering her partner’s infidelity, the commune promises to take care of her every need through AI and automation. She settles in with her cat Chablis, and sets up her assistant, Mrs. Dalloway, expecting to work diligently on her next book. Throughout chapters Clarissa’s notebook entries in first person share glimpses from her past, while her third person narrative documents the present, including the ravages of climate change on Paris and the aftermath of terrorism on the world. Suspense builds as Clarissa begins to feel like she’s being spied on and monitored, possibly even drugged. However, this suspense leads nowhere and there wasn’t a satisfying ending for me. I enjoyed reading through about 50% and after that felt like the book was both dragging and also couldn’t believe the end was nearing by page count with where the storyline was going.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: February 23, 2021
After her husband’s infidelity drove Clarissa out of the family home, she finds herself being accepted into CASA, an exclusive community of artists. Initially overwhelmed by her luck, Clarissa is excited to begin writing again, and is finally feeling positive about starting over. However, after just a few days, Clarissa starts to feel that something is off about CASA. Her cat hisses and growls at nothing, and like Clarissa herself, struggles with bouts of sleeplessness. Clarissa is exhausted all the time, feeling older and more sluggish by the day. Determined to find out the secret of CASA, Clarissa begins to ask questions- but even her own daughter begins to think she’s simply “losing it” and suffering from a “depressive episode” after the dissolution of her marriage. Is Clarissa having a mental breakdown, as her daughter suggests, or is there something more sinister behind CASA?
Tatiana DeRosnay’s beautiful “Flowers of Darkness” is creative, powerful and futuristic. Set sometime in the near future, society is completely tech-driven, all of their demands are met by highly-functioning robots, and books and culture have become a thing of the past. Clarissa’s CASA residence is designed and catered specifically to her needs and wants, and is completely interactive. But, like all seemingly good things, there is a brutal dark side.
Clarissa is spunky, eccentric and intelligent, and she is a character you root for right from the page one. Starting over in a funky artist commune in Paris is perfectly appropriate for Clarissa, and her daughter, Jordan and granddaughter, Andy, are also completely adorable and likable. In fact, there isn’t an unlikable character in the bunch <i> (with the exception of the minds behind CASA, and perhaps Clarissa’s ex Francois, although he is not completely detestable) </i>.
Obviously, DeRosnay’s writing is poetic and beautiful, highlighting Clarissa’s love of literature and languages alongside the science-fiction aspects of the novel. I wanted to know more about CASA, the creation and the development, its purpose, and its future. I did not get enough of the tech-savvy community and its developers, and I wish DeRosnay had focused on this more than Clarissa’s past as a budding writer.
That being said, this novel is enjoyable, creative, beautifully written and charming. Like “Sarah’s Key” and “The Rain Watcher”, DeRosnay does not disappoint and provides pages of eloquent, pretty words with a meaningful plot.

Instead of the thriller I expected, this was more a science fiction novel. It was a bit out of my comfort zone. I like Tatiana de Rosnay's writing, but this book didn't interest me as much as the previous books I have read by this author. There were some unexpected twists which I liked, but the ending felt rushed.

This enthralling, beautiful, and ominous book drew me in from the very first page. Set in a futuristic and slightly dystopic Paris, Flowers of Darkness follows Clarissa, a writer who moves into an upscale community of artists in the wake of a horrific discovery about her husband. The story touches on various themes, including grief, healing, artificial intelligence, and paranoia in an incredibly poignant and thought-provoking manner. The poetic writing style and sense of suspense left me emotionally engrossed and on edge as I flew through the pages. My only wish is that there had been more of a pay off when the story ended, especially after the intense build up. Even still, I highly recommend this unsettling yet touching read.

This book had some wild twists and turns, and although it wasn’t the usual type of book I enjoy from Tatiana de Rosnay, it was interesting and a compelling read. 3.5 stars.

This book had lots of potential but it did not deliver in the end.

I think the subject matter was fascinating and the writing was good. The story had suspense and mystery but the ending was rushed and did not answer any of the questions I had. What happened to Clarissa? Did she manage to "get out"? What about her neighbour Jim? It ended so abruptly and left me totally unsatisfied.

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of this book.

This book was disappointing. It follows a writer for a short period of time while she lives in an apartment building that is filled with creepy A.I. The writing itself sounded as if it were written by a robot, stiff and unemotional. It was an interesting concept, but could have been written better. It had a very abrupt ending that went nowhere and was disappointing.

3.5 stars

I'd heard good things about Sarah's Key, and while it's still on my TBR, I was thrilled to be approved for Tatiana de Rosnay's Flowers of Darkness. The cover is ethereal and captures the title beautifully.

Set in a futuristic Paris, Clarissa is still reeling from her husband's infidelity when she decides to apply for an artist residency at CASA, a modern building that houses artists in exchange for portions of their royalty payments. It's high-tech, personalized, and streamlined, but Clarissa can't shake the feeling that she's being watched. As odd events add up, she begins to question what's really going on behind the scenes at CASA.

This book was a mixed experience for me. Some parts--I LOVED. Clarissa's notebook entries reflecting on the discovery of her husband's affair were superb. Top-notch storytelling, eerie, unsettling--these sections were completely engrossing, and I wish there had been more of them. The CASA building itself is an interesting focus with layers of suspicious intrigue. I wanted Clarissa to venture out into the building more, get a sense of what the rest of it was like without Ben the maintenance man intervening or the doctor showing up (expectantly) unannounced. I also enjoyed the futuristic look at a Paris where climate change is becoming a real problem and the topography has dramatically changed. It feels prescient, like not set in some far-off future, but the future next door, a plausible, horrifying possibility that added to the suspense.

This may be because my reading list has been on the higher-action end lately, but it took me a few chapters to sink my teeth into this. As a matter of personal preference, I am not a fan of Virginia Woolf. I studied her in undergrad, read all the works de Rosnay alludes to, and for that reason, the parallels between Clarissa and Dalloway's Clarissa were fun in that I recognized them, but I also didn't love them. The correlation between buildings and identity was such an interesting idea, and I thought that could've been fleshed out much more with CASA and Clarissa.

I think the thing that I wrestled with the most was figuring out what this book wanted to be. A sci-fi mystery where AI try to dominate humans, down to their last creative drop? A mature woman's journey into depression as her life changes? A commentary on people and how we relate to our surroundings? Maybe it was trying to be all those things, and that's why I never fully got a grip on it--and why the conclusion was beautiful but left me wanting more. Ambiguity is great in my book, but this raised more questions and never really answered any that it posed in the first place. That's not to say the story isn't well told or the voice is lacking--de Rosnay's writing is elegant and I enjoyed Clarissa's character. Overall, though, Flowers of Darkness floats between genres and relies on analysis and imagination rather than providing clear-cut paradigms to sift through.

Thank you to St. Martin's and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

I loved “Sarah’s Key” and “The Rain Watcher” is one of my favorite books, so I was primed to love this book too. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I felt like there was too much development done on the building itself and not enough on the characters and the book was not at all what I was expecting. On top of that, the ending seemed a bit rushed and jumbled and didn’t really answer the questions proposed along the way. Because I like this author, I gave it three stars for the writing style, but I could not give it any more because of the content and the ending. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance read copy.

This is a really great book. It's what I hoped Mexican Gothic would be. It combines futuristic AI with a very human story, & includes a creepy condo that's "watching & listening" to the protagonist. It reads like a very modern Gothic novel.

Very interesting read. After reading The Rain Watcher, I was curious as to what direction Tatiana would go with Flowers of darkness. We see the story weave each element together with a strong development of characters. The artificial intelligence piece is quite interesting. This is one you must read and see for yourself. Thanks NetGalley!.