The Gardener - SA BodeenPages: 232 (ARC)
Publisher: Feiwell and Friends
Release Date: 25th May 2010
Other Titles by this Author: The Compound
Be careful what you wish for…
Mason has never known his father, but longs to. All he has of him is a DVD of a man whose face is never seen, reading a children’s book. One day, on a whim, he plays the DVD for a group of comatose teens at the nursing home where his mother works. One of them, a beautiful girl, responds. She is part of a horrible experiment intended to render teenagers into genetically engineered, self-sustaining life-forms who don’t need food or water to survive. And before he knows it, Mason is on the run with the girl, and wanted, dead or alive, by the mysterious mastermind of this evil plan, who is simply called the Gardener.
Will Mason be forced to destroy the thing he’s longed for most?
The Gardener blew me away. It’s shocking, horrifying, involving and unbelievably clever.
Mason may just be the most un-hero-like hero I’ve come across in YA for a long time. And I like him a lot. He’s well over six foot, built like the Incredible Hulk and his face is marred by a disfiguring scar. And yet he’s quiet, kind and clever - a gentle giant with a hero complex. Mason acts on whim and instinct throughout The Gardener leaving himself as perplexed at his actions as I was. His mix of emotions for the girl - confusion, attraction, fear, a protective urge - made his journey so believable.
And it had to be because the storyline of turning humans autotrophic (being able to sustain themselves using sunlight, like plants) is out of this world. I knew vaguely what was going on from the book’s blurb, but the mysteries of TroDyn, Mason’s dad, the clinical trial and the girl kept me furiously turning the pages. I kept promising myself that I would only read one more chapter and then go to sleep, but I couldn’t. I read it very quickly, but for a book of just over 200 pages, it didn’t feel rushed or lacking in plot in the slightest.
The unveiling of all of the mysteries left me reeling. It was morbidly, horrifically, disgustingly fascinating and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the page. And what made it worse was my paranoid line of though that someone like that could be going on under out noses and we’d have absolutely no idea it was happening. Then I started to think about the chemical research lab that’s across from my school and offers summer programs like TroDyn does. I really freaked myself out!
I loved The Gardener to bits and if I enjoy SA Bodeen’s first novel, The Compound, anywhere near as much, she could easily become one of my favourite authors.
For my 2010 100+ Reading Challenge
Sophie
Fab review- I love the authors first book so I'm really looking forward to this one. I can understand what you mean about it being horryfying, the author does seem to ahve a crazy streak.
ReplyDelete"A gentle giant with a hero complex." I love it already!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so good! I can't wait to read it now :D
ReplyDeleteI just read this one too, Loved your review - it's so true...he is a gentle giant...beautiful - this book really left me a ball of thinking!
ReplyDeleteAt last, I finally understand what this book is about. I have to say it sounds like a fascinating idea and one that would start me asking questions. That is the exact sort of book that I go for. Okay, I am so going to have to get this when it comes out.
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I have this arc waiting patiently on my shelf and now I really can't wait to get to it!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy to hear you liked this. I loved the book The Compound by the same author.
ReplyDeleteI have been looking forward to this book, and you definitely piqued my interest even more!
ReplyDeleteI'm currently reading this and agree with everything you said XD this is a awesome book!!!
ReplyDeleteI just read bits and pieces of your review, Sophie. I don't want to read to much about it since I have a copy of my own, I'm so afraid of spoilers LOL
ReplyDeleteBut I'm so glad you liked it! I hope I'll love it as much as you did :)
I really shouldn't have read your review, since I'm just about to read this one, but I just couldn't resist. (Thanks for not dropping any major spoilers!) It sounds every bit as awesome as I was hoping for. I definitely recommend The Compound too, it's an amazing book.
ReplyDeletei actually hated this book.. it sucks
ReplyDeleteDo you know what the confict and the theme/message of this book is ? I'm an English teacher and I want to teach the right thing......Thanks for all your help. :)
ReplyDeletePersonally I think the theme of this book is about our food running out due to the ever growing population. The author was clever enough to but this theme into a very exciting story. And the conflict would be Mason disagreeing with TroDyn's work, taking away the lives of the teens. Hope this helps ! :)
ReplyDeleteloved the book but can someone post what the saying is that woke up Liala (the girl that mason tries to protect).
ReplyDeletehello, im a 16 year old girl & i loved this book. of course i flipped out the way it ended but it was unbelievably amazing. does anyone know if there is a sequel to this book ?
ReplyDeletetehehe
ReplyDeletee Gardener - SA Bodeen
ReplyDeletePages: 232 (ARC)
Publisher: Feiwell and Friends
Release Date: 25th May 2010
Other Titles by this Author: The Compound
Be careful what you wish for…
Mason has never known his father, but longs to. All he has of him is a DVD of a man whose face is never seen, reading a children’s book. One day, on a whim, he plays the DVD for a group of comatose teens at the nursing home where his mother works. One of them, a beautiful girl, responds. She is part of a horrible experiment intended to render teenagers into genetically engineered, self-sustaining life-forms who don’t need food or water to survive. And before he knows it, Mason is on the run with the girl, and wanted, dead or alive, by the mysterious mastermind of this evil plan, who is simply called the Gardener.