From Publishers Weekly
A mystical spiral garden that is also a gateway to another world blooms at the center of Snyder's (The Innamorati) tightly woven fantasy, a potent blend of faery and family conflicts. Cassiopeia Emma Brittman, 17, and Anne, who's more like a sister than a mom, haven't visited her grandfather, Daniel Brittman, in over two years, due to his serious illness. When the hospital calls to let them know the famous artist's condition has worsened, they rush to his side, accompanied by Anne's new boyfriend. They are shocked to find Poppie not only seriously ill but possibly in danger from his secretive caregiver. The family farm has been systematically vandalized, as has the elaborate garden planted by Cassie's great-grandmother, Hannah. The discovery sends a wake-up call to Cassie, who has been preparing for a violin recital, finals and the prom, wholly unaware that two faerie factions, the Green Clan and the Red Clan, have been waging a war for control of the all-important garden. Her mom, the late-blooming college student, receives a similar jolt, and both learn that power of love makes the real magic. Thanks to Snyder's gift for description, readers may feel as if they can hear the music or smell the fragrance of the garden's rare woodland species; the audience will be hooked. Ages 12-up.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up-This inventive, beautifully written fantasy tells the story of a seemingly ordinary 17-year-old swept up in the battle between two clans of supernatural beings. Cassie Brittman lives with her mother, Anne, a self-absorbed college student. Despite an unusual family history, she struggles to be a regular teen, practicing her violin and spending time with her boyfriend. When her reclusive grandfather falls ill, her mother forces her to drop everything so that they can rush back to the farm where she was raised. The first half of the story centers on the conflict between Cassie and Anne, whose irresponsible ways often push her daughter into the parental role. However, Snyder drops hints from the beginning-Cassie's green thumb, her odd encounter with a winter hare, a dangerous but strangely alluring boy on a motorcycle-that this is more than a novel about a dysfunctional family. Eventually, Cassie learns the truth: the Brittmans are linked by blood to nature spirits who want her help in fighting a dark and threatening rival clan. Some readers may grow impatient as these secrets are slowly revealed, but they will be riveted by the thrilling battle in the final chapters. Snyder's use of language is especially poetic in describing nature, including the farm's flora and fauna and the magical creatures of the Green Clan. This satisfying mix of real-life problems and lovingly described magic will please most fantasy readers.Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public LibraryCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Gr. 6-8. Seventeen-year-old Cassie Brittman and her mother, Anne, travel north from Rose Bay to attend to Cassie's grandfather, Daniel. The old painter hovers near death, and the women are shocked to discover that his home is in disrepair, with furniture slashed, fungi growing on the walls, and bats roosting in the ceiling. During her stay, Cassie learns about the family curse (both Daniel and his mother, Hannah, were considered crazy) and comes face-to-face with two warring supernatural clans vying for control of Daniel's farm and Anne's and Cassie's lives. Both Cassie and her mother are well-developed characters, their mother-daughter quibbles totally believable, and Snyder's deft weaving of realism and fantasy makes conflicting truths seem perfectly logical. The story works well as a suspenseful adventure, and better readers will also come away enriched by Snyder's less obvious points about the power of music, art, and storytelling and about the importance of caring for the land. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Seventeen-year-old Cassie Brittman is looking forward to her violin recital andthe prom-until the hospital calls and she learns that her grandfather, noted mystical painter Daniel Brittman, is dying. Cassie, her mother, Anne, and Anne's new boyfriend travel to the family farm and immediately see that things are far from normal. The farm, including Great-Grandmother Hannah's spiral garden, is almost destroyed, and someone (or something) seems to be stalking them. Cassie soon finds herself at the center of an age-old battle between two supernatural clans-the sinister, dark Red Clan and her own family, the Green Clan. For it turns out that Cassie's grandfather is half nature spirit, half human. . . .

Author Bio: Midori Snyder lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

A mystical spiral garden that is also a gateway to another world blooms at the center of Snyder's (The Innamorati) tightly woven fantasy, a potent blend of faery and family conflicts. Cassiopeia Emma Brittman, 17, and Anne, who's more like a sister than a mom, haven't visited her grandfather, Daniel Brittman, in over two years, due to his serious illness. When the hospital calls to let them know the famous artist's condition has worsened, they rush to his side, accompanied by Anne's new boyfriend. They are shocked to find Poppie not only seriously ill but possibly in danger from his secretive caregiver. The family farm has been systematically vandalized, as has the elaborate garden planted by Cassie's great-grandmother, Hannah. The discovery sends a wake-up call to Cassie, who has been preparing for a violin recital, finals and the prom, wholly unaware that two faerie factions, the Green Clan and the Red Clan, have been waging a war for control of the all-important garden. Her mom, the late-blooming college student, receives a similar jolt, and both learn that power of love makes the real magic. Thanks to Snyder's gift for description, readers may feel as if they can hear the music or smell the fragrance of the garden's rare woodland species; the audience will be hooked. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-This inventive, beautifully written fantasy tells the story of a seemingly ordinary 17-year-old swept up in the battle between two clans of supernatural beings. Cassie Brittman lives with her mother, Anne, a self-absorbed college student. Despite an unusual family history, she struggles to be a regular teen, practicing her violin and spending time with her boyfriend. When her reclusive grandfather falls ill, her mother forces her to drop everything so that they can rush back to the farm where she was raised. The first half of the story centers on the conflict between Cassie and Anne, whose irresponsible ways often push her daughter into the parental role. However, Snyder drops hints from the beginning-Cassie's green thumb, her odd encounter with a winter hare, a dangerous but strangely alluring boy on a motorcycle-that this is more than a novel about a dysfunctional family. Eventually, Cassie learns the truth: the Brittmans are linked by blood to nature spirits who want her help in fighting a dark and threatening rival clan. Some readers may grow impatient as these secrets are slowly revealed, but they will be riveted by the thrilling battle in the final chapters. Snyder's use of language is especially poetic in describing nature, including the farm's flora and fauna and the magical creatures of the Green Clan. This satisfying mix of real-life problems and lovingly described magic will please most fantasy readers.-Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews