I felt that Lori and Chris were completely platonic but that the feelings they had were kind of forced just to add to the story line. I think I would've liked this better if there was no added romance.

We have a surprising number of books about the death of an important adult being a catalyst for learning about lie and forgiveness, especially via some quest. In this case, the journey to complete her grandmother's last wishes forces our protagonist to come to terms with the way she views and treats adults in her life. The plot points out some important aspects of consent, privacy, and the ways we use each other. It's not mid blowing but is solidly written and worth a read.

Lori's life is upended after her beloved grandmother, a Dorothy Parker enthusiast, passes away. Fulfilling her grandmother's final wish, Lori embarks on a road trip with her uncle and longtime friend/crush scattering ashes in cherished gardens. Other secrets are uncovered and shenanigans ensue, some funny and heartwarming, others devastating. Overall a worthwhile exploration of finding purpose in grief with characters that feel fleshed out.

It was a quirky and quick read
The writing was heartwarming and funny
The romance was very strange

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to read this early. Review has been posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

I don't have strong negative feelings about this one; I just didn't love the characters. I do enjoy seeing the importance of family relationships explored in YA, especially those that aren't just parents/siblings. Grief is a tough subject to tackle, and I think some readers will find solace in this story.

This is my first experience reading Goldstein's work, and I rather enjoyed her style. This was a book about honoring last wishes, death, and grief, yet it was quite amusing. Authors who have the competence to seamlessly blend humor with heavier topics are ones I love to read. The ability to make me laugh and make me cry is one I truly appreciate, and Goldstein did an incredible job man-handling my emotions.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book had an amazing plot, but I felt the characters were a bit hard to connect to.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

An enjoyable, young adult novel about death, relationships, and things that grow.
While this book was quite slow, I did enjoy the events that took place. I found the characters relatable and very realistic.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy of this book.

Lori’s Grandma Sheryl just died. She asked that her body be cremated and her remains be scattered among four gardens. Lori travels with her Uncle Seth, mother, and best friend Chris to visit these amazing gardens. Along the way, she struggles with her grief and her feelings for Chris.

I really enjoyed the characters (especially the members of the Garden Girls) and the overall plot. Each garden they visited sounded amazing. I loved that they were able to honor Sheryl’s wishes in a way she would have wanted. It had a little too much drama in it for me and I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about the book when I finished it. It has some language and implies intimate relationships. I would recommend this book to HS readers that enjoy an emotional read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Such a great book! I enjoyed reading this one so much! I highly recommend this book. Side note: the cover!!!!

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I think unfortunately I wasn't the right audience for me. It took me ages to pick it up and when I finally did, it was ok, but nothing groundbreaking.

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

I just felt like this book didn't handle grief well. Maybe there is a reason for this. I know everyone can have a different view on grief. But our main character goes with her family to spread her grandmas ashes. Also, the romance didn't seem like there is chemistry.

I don’t think this is for me unfortunately. I don’t often read in this genre so there is no fault of the book or the author. But this isnt where my reading interest lies. I’m interested in the exploration of grief and that’s was initially drew me to this story. I’m sure this will be loved by many others.

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

Things That Grow by Meredith Goldstein allows readers to reminisce about lost loved ones and to traverse the path of healing while coping with grief and loss, and while also taking some time to shed a few tears and a little bit of laughter in the process. I was first drawn toward Things That Grow because of its premise and the beautiful cover, both of which immediately reminded me of my grandma (my mom’s mom) who passed away about four years ago. She was an avid gardener with a deep love and passion for sunflowers. However, little did I know that in the process of reading Things That Grow that I would have to take a moment to pause, due to the passing of my grandma (my dad’s mom). Both of my grandmas played important roles in my life and helped me be the person that I am today.

The main character and protagonist, Lori, and her own relationship with her grandma reminded me of the many memories of my past, as a child, teen, and adult, with my own grandparents. While I was a bit confused at first with some of the different family dynamics, especially Lori’s mom and uncle, it also reminded me that dysfunction does exist within every family, and that through grief, healing might be found, if that is desired. I fell in love with the majority of the side characters, but I have to be honest… There absolutely did not need to be any romance between Lori and her best friend, Chris. Lori and Chris had a beautiful friendship and it felt forced (by Lori and the author) for them to have a romantic connection. I really wish that more novels, especially young-adult novels, would focus on friendships, rather than romance. Not every high school student dates and/or finds their high school sweetheart. Otherwise, Things That Grow was a heartfelt story (minus the unnecessary romance) about a girl’s road trip(s) to visit her grandma’s favorite gardens with her loved ones, to mourn the passing of her grandma, and to celebrate her grandma’s legacy.

This is such a beautiful story, I keep saying that a lot lately but there have been so many good books out. Things That Grow is a story about family and grief, filled with both optimism and dark humour.
I really liked the characters and the way Meredith describes the gardens, you could feel yourself in them. The only criticism I would have is that it’s a little slow at times, but it does pick up. This is a truly wonderful novel for loss and grief

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I requested this book because I'm a keen gardener and I was curious to read how the gardens were part of a story of path to heal grief.
I loved what I read and loved the descriptions of the garden.
This story made me laugh and moved. I rooted for the fleshed out characters and felt for them.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine