Hidden garden

Pub date: 2/18/25
Page count: 304
Sci-fi, Fantasy, Fiction

In a “Snowglobe” of a garden, secluded and well hidden lay fruitful lands, cautiously cultivated and curated by elderly but not frail sisters, Evelyn and Lily. As far as they know, they are what remains of humanity. With unknown time passing by, with only each other as company and no means nor will to know what is beyond their garden walls, the two pass their time busy tending to their chores and their beloved garden, careful to stick to and abide by Momma’s rules. One day, things don't seem to be as they were last left, and now it seems that they are not just a pair of sisters, but an unknown guest has arrived. With that, a crack to their small world, and possibly their relationship.

Things I loved about this story

-The slow world building
-The relationship with the sisters
-The way that we go back and forth to now and then
-The mystery of what happened, the mystery of what's currently happening

Just so much intrigue, thrill, and a great story that I couldn't put down.

I want to thank NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam and Nick Newman for the opportunity to read this e-book ARC.

Closed off from the world, Evelyn and Lily are two elderly sisters who grew up inside a walled garden that includes a stately home and outbuildings. With both parents gone they must work daily in the decaying garden for survival. For decades, they obeyed the rules their mother set for them in a handwritten almanac. They must not break the rules. They must not venture outside the garden or enter the main house their mother boarded up decades ago. The decaying house contains secrets. Their mother told them that there were things that would harm them, which left the sisters contained in the kitchen and the garden with its outbuildings.

They thrive on routine for their existence and survival, and while each sister is attending to their appointed chores, Evelyn notices a bee box has been moved. This concerns her greatly and she wonders who could have done it? Her sister is afraid of bees and wouldn’t go near the hive. Then other things happen, and they soon discover a boy with no name hiding in their boarded house. Why is he here, who is he and what does he want? This new development disrupts the sister’s lives in more ways than one, and everything they thought they knew about their existence starts to unravel and secrets about their parents are revealed in the most shocking way. Will their haven world they built end as they know it?
There is a slow build-up throughout the story, and I felt it was needed. You get a realistic sense of the sisters’ relationship, dire situation and the world they live in. I was mesmerized by the sister’s lives, the garden house and their reliance on each other.

I was a bit taken back about how the story came to an abrupt ending. At first, I thought I must have accidentally skipped a couple pages or so-but I didn’t, but I was disappointed. I guess I will just have to imagine my own ending to the story. There are a few unanswered questions I have, especially about the boy with no name. This leaves me wondering if he was real or not.

I was truly immersed in this uniquely woven story and the sister’s lives. Despite being elderly, they maintained their childish innocence in so many ways. Particularly, Lily since she is the youngest and Evelyn’s need to protect her from the little details she knew about their lives.

With eerie dystopian elements, “The Garden” is evocative and beautifully written. A must read!

I recently finished this book and enjoyed it. This novel is haunting, following Evelyn and Lily, two sisters who live in a decaying garden in a post apocalyptic word. The arrival of a mysterious boy forces them to confront their memories and reality. This writing really captures the loneliness of the sisters, who have very contrasting approaches to life. Evelyn follows her mother's rules while Lily is more curious. This is a slow paced novel but it works well with the emotional weight of the story. I do wish there was more backstory to the mysterious boy, but that's a small complaint.

The Garden is story of two elderly sisters living in their dilapidated garden in the throes of the apocalypse. The simple lives and reality they once knew are obliterated by the mysterious arrival of a boy.

I enjoyed the snippets we're given of the "apocalypse" and how the world got there. The perception of this event from the eyes of a child (in a flashback) gives uncertainty to the narrative, so the reader is never quite sure what is truth and what is biased childhood illusion. The story, the writing itself, the sisterly bond between Evelyn and Lily, is all done very beautifully. Newman is fantastic at creating a stifling and melancholic atmosphere.

The sisters, Evelyn especially, are very well defined characters. Relatably real. So much so that, while I had a feeling I knew where things were inevitably headed, it still bruised the heart when I finally made there. The sisters' loneliness was absolutely palpable and suffocating. I would have liked to maybe learn a little more about the boy, but it was also fascinating how mysterious he was‐‐that he was more a concept or symbol than an actual person.

Pacing is somewhat slow, but I think it works for the story here. The ending seems to conclude very suddenly, but somehow managed to be devastating in too many ways.

I've seen another commenter mention a map of the house and gardens, and I definitely agree.

Thank you to NetGally and Putnam Books for thus arc in exchange fir an honest review

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putman for this ARC of The Garden.
I've grown a bit weary of dystopian stories lately, since most of them are YA/romance focused. This book was a breath of fresh air to the scifi-dystopian-post apocolyptic-global warming genre.
It follows two elderly women living on an estate after the world has seemingly ended. They tend the gardens, cook, sleep, and repeat. Their repetitive and simple lives are interrupted by the discovery of a boy who has snuck in over the walls of their home. His arrival sparks tension between the sister, and raises questions about the outside world that they have hidden from for so long.
This was such a compelling novel about each sister's view of themselves, their responsibilities, and how they should survive.

Five stars!

"The Garden" by Nick Newman is an absolute masterpiece! I wish I could give this book more than five stars!

The two main protagonists are Evelyn and Lily, two elderly sisters living alone and secluded in a walled garden their parents left to them many years ago. They’ve survived an apocalyptic sandstorm before that they believe has ended the world, and they must adhere to their mother’s detailed almanac for survival.

There are so many secrets in the garden, so many dangers in the outside world, and even more within their boarded-up childhood home, which they haven’t entered since they were very young. Life changes dramatically for the sisters, and secrets and jealous tendencies are exposed when a young boy is suddenly found on their property and mentions another world out there beyond the wall.

The characters are so well-developed that I felt like I knew them personally and could understand their behaviors and choices. The plot is gripping and full of unexpected twists that keep the pages turning. I also enjoyed the tiny hints dropped here and there that provided insight to the time period of the story.

Newman's writing style and world-building are poetic and evocative, yet also eerie and suspenseful. It made the pages come alive in my mind while keeping me on my toes and, at times, feeling a little tense. The descriptions of the gardens, flowers, and bees were an enchanting contrast. **(A map of the grounds and the house would be an excellent addition to the book!) The emotional depth of the story is profound, and I found myself deeply moved by the characters' journeys throughout the story.

Thank you, #NetGalley, #NickNewman, and #PenguinGroupPutnam, for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for my honest review. #TheGarden #AdultDystopian

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

We follow a pair of aging sisters who've managed to survive an apocalyptic event by tending to their garden and beehives. Evelyn and Lily's lives consist of their titular garden, each other, and their mother's handwritten almanac. Convinced they're the only people left in the world, they're thrown for a loop when a young boy suddenly appears on the grounds and turns their understanding of reality on its head.

If they're not the only survivors left, then what else have they believed that's false? How will they cope with changes to their almost life-long routines? Just what exists outside their garden walls? Perhaps, most terrifying of all, were the sudden influx of long-forgotten and suppressed memories.

The comparison to <i>Piranesi</i> was incredibly apt, in both style and the haunting ache of loneliness oozing from the pages. At times quite odd, the lyrical prose and forays into whimsical descriptions won't be for everyone, yet I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this story. Whereas Piranesi delighted in the unknown, the sisters were filled with dread... and eventually in Lily's case excitement.

It may be jarring for some readers to follow women in their 50s still following their mother's commands to the letter without asking why such acts were necessary. Additionally, <i>the boy</i> was never named on page, so if that sort of thing will bother you fair warning. This story takes a look at what would happen when you vaguely recall the outside world while not being able to see it for about 40 years.

Whereas in other horror stories we tend to shout out 'don't go through the door' or 'stop', here the hope was that the sisters would be brave enough to widen their horizons. A stifling, and at times slow, tale nothing felt all that unbelievable. Of course Lily was curious of the unknown but frightened to act, while her big sister Evelyn clung to past patterns with an iron fist... both lived through the tentative end of the world at age 12.

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel! It was eerie and beautiful and quite fascinating. It’s labeled as Sci-Fi and fantasy, but is definitely also psychological fiction. I was captivated throughout the whole story! I can’t wait to read more from Nick Newman. This is my honest opinion and I’m leaving my review voluntarily.

“The Garden” follows two elderly sisters living a strange, isolated existence that is shaken up by the arrival of a stranger. The world-building and learning about each sister was slow, however, the unique premise kept me going. Each sister is different, and faces this odd life their living in their own way. When the stranger does arrive, i genuinely felt the tension as their world shifted.

This is an interesting addition in the adult dystopian genre and, although slow in parts, a worthwhile read. It would make for excellent discussion as a book club pick.

Thank you for the opportunity to read in advance!

This book had sort of post-apocalyptic vibes but was eerie and slow, which added to the atmosphere. There was quite a bit of suspense and I enjoyed Evelyn's character the most.