As Nove Plantas Do Desejo (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
I would give this book half a star if I could. Oh boy, I don't even know where to begin... well, I'll start from the beginning...)))The beginning wasn't so bad, actually, right up to the point where Lila stumbled upon a laundry-slash-tropical-plants-green-house... This is where I thought - wow, that is weird! But I kept reading, hoping that the author was going somewhere with the story... and in fact she went.. all the way to Mexico in search for "super rare" nine plants, half of which are so common in the real world. Apparently, the author spent all her life in a bubble where chicory is an exotic plant... On the bright side though (because we always have to look for the bright side), the whole idea of the story was pretty interesting - overworked and heartbroken city girl embarks on an exotic adventure to find her true self. But all the details of the story and the writing style were so horrific that I would not attempt to read any books of this author ever again! As a matter of fact, dealing with this book stopped me from reading all together for like a month as I struggled to get myself to finish it. Till the last moment though I had it at two stars, and what really killed it or me is the ending - a lame attempt to build the suspense for the part two, which only feels like the book wasn't finished, like a page has been ripped out.So here it is, my final recommendation - if you enjoy good literature don't even look at this one! I know, I know - the name is promising, but there's nothing of that sort in there either;-) Lila Nova is your average New Yorker working hard as an ad exec and ignoring her personal life. One day, she wanders through the garden market and meets handsome David Exley, who sells her a bird-of-paradise and awakens her to the mystical world of plants, as well as other things. Later, when a special plant in the window catches her eye, she stumbles upon a unique laundramat brimming with plants and meets Armand, the establishment’s owner. Armand gives her a Colombian fire fern cutting and tells her to bring it back once it takes root. He also tells her about the legend of the Nine Plants of Desire, which represent all human desires, and that whoever is in possession of all nine plants will see all their wishes come true. Lila likes talking with Armand, but she doesn’t take his stories seriously, so she inadvertently becomes responsible for a break-in at the laundramat wherein Armand’s Nine Plants are stolen. Wanting to make amends, Lila agrees to accompany Armand to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico to find all nine plants and start a new collection. Even though Armand takes off without her, Lila decides to join him, and then her adventure truly begins. Her car is stolen and she wanders through the jungle for two days, but manages to find several of the Nine Plants on her journey, as well as meeting Diego, who she is sure will be the love of her life. Her quest is not without danger, though, as there are some who will do anything to get their hands on the Nine Plants, and Lila herself can often be her own worst enemy.This is a fun read for those who don’t require a strong tether to reality. There’s a great deal of mysticism, but the story is mostly about Lila’s growth as a person. She can be annoyingly self-serving and shallow at times, but she’s learning as she goes and she is surrounded by an interesting cast of characters. The plant lore in this novel was very interesting; just ask the guy sitting behind me on the bus when I was reading about the creation of sensimilla! In all, this was a nice, lighthearted way to pass a few hours, and though adventure fans may be a little disappointed, I recommend it to lovers of women’s fiction and chick lit.
What do You think about As Nove Plantas Do Desejo (2010)?
is there a ZERO star? ugh. just AWFUL. i skimmed through the last 2/3 just to "finish" it.
—Karen
Very Good book seems a little amateurish but not a bad way!
—marvin802
