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Green Angel #1-2
Green Heart
A two-fold tale of grief and hope, loss and love, told as only Alice Hoffman can.When her family is lost in a terrible disaster, 15-year-old Green is haunted by loss and the past. Struggling to survive in a place where nothing seems to grow and ashes are everywhere, Green retreats into the ruined realm of her garden. But in destroying her feelings, she also begins to destroy herself. It is only through a series of mysterious encounters that Green relearns the lessons of love and begins to heal as she tells her own story.As she heals, Green lives every day with feelings of loss. Her family is gone, the boy she loves is missing, and the world she once knew has been transformed by tragedy. In order to rediscover the truth about love, hope, and magic, she must venture away from her home, collecting the stories of a group of women who have been branded witches for their mysterious powers. Only through their stories will Green find her own heart's desire.
259 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2012
344 people are currently reading
5156 people want to read
About the author
Alice Hoffman
117 books25.1k followersAlice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including The World That We Knew; The Marriage of Opposites; The Red Garden; The Museum of Extraordinary Things; The Dovekeepers; Here on Earth, an Oprah’s Book Club selection; and the Practical Magic series, including Practical
Magic; Magic Lessons; The Rules of Magic, a selection of Reese’s Book Club; and The Book of Magic. She lives near Boston.
Magic; Magic Lessons; The Rules of Magic, a selection of Reese’s Book Club; and The Book of Magic. She lives near Boston.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 301 reviews
November 14, 2015
This is a lovely book. It's fragile, it's tender, it's soaked in colours and emotion. The writing unfolds like a feather floating through the air, a slight touch of skin against skin, someone stroking your hair as you fall asleep. I don't know how to describe it - that's how I felt it.
It reads like a fairytale and a poem.
There are people who will read it and dislike it for this, I know, and that saddens me. It's not a book in our modern-day understanding of books, it is not a story the way we're used to stories. More than anything it felt like something my mother might have told me, or my grandmother. A story she just made up out of thin air and love for her children. It's simple, it's straightforward. You don't have to linger on every word to understand the meaning of it, instead word follows word and soon you're floating yourself. It felt magical.
These two books reminded me of the beauty I know is out there. The beauty that might be covered in sorrow or ashes or fear, but is still there if I look close enough - something I often forget to do.
I loved it. Alice Hoffman is a strange, incredible author for writing these brilliant books the way she has. If it's the same style in her other books, I will have to go find them.
It reads like a fairytale and a poem.
There are people who will read it and dislike it for this, I know, and that saddens me. It's not a book in our modern-day understanding of books, it is not a story the way we're used to stories. More than anything it felt like something my mother might have told me, or my grandmother. A story she just made up out of thin air and love for her children. It's simple, it's straightforward. You don't have to linger on every word to understand the meaning of it, instead word follows word and soon you're floating yourself. It felt magical.
These two books reminded me of the beauty I know is out there. The beauty that might be covered in sorrow or ashes or fear, but is still there if I look close enough - something I often forget to do.
I loved it. Alice Hoffman is a strange, incredible author for writing these brilliant books the way she has. If it's the same style in her other books, I will have to go find them.
February 27, 2012
As I am an avid Hoffman fan, I thought I would check out some of her YA novels as well. Needless to say, I was in no way disappointed. Green Heart is a combination of Green Angel (written in 2003) and Green Witch (2010) following the life of Green after a disaster (somewhat unspecific beyond a 'fire in the city'). This novel takes you through the grief process of Green herself, many of her neighbours, and injured animals left behind in the aftermath of this tragedy. As usual her rhetoric simply grabs me by the heart and takes me on a journey, that I am always reluctant to leave.
This novel surpasses any 'age' limitations, and is simply a short essay on the weight of love, the forms it takes, the places it hides, and it's ultimate indestructability.
Achingly beautiful, as always, all I can really say about Hoffman is this....I am utterly convinced that on a day, many years ago, when a young Alice Hoffman first ever picked up a pencil and began to form the shapes of letters, the angels would have created an entirely new constellation in celebration of what was to come. I feel that Alice takes me there, to a personal heaven created by her words. A place that sets me on a journey within, to the deepest regions of my own heart. A place where no other author has ever had the ability to take me me.
My only regret with this novel, is that as a returning full time student, I don't have the budget to buy 46 copies for the YA students I work with on weekends. I can think of no greater literary gift than an introduction to Alice Hoffman.
This novel surpasses any 'age' limitations, and is simply a short essay on the weight of love, the forms it takes, the places it hides, and it's ultimate indestructability.
Achingly beautiful, as always, all I can really say about Hoffman is this....I am utterly convinced that on a day, many years ago, when a young Alice Hoffman first ever picked up a pencil and began to form the shapes of letters, the angels would have created an entirely new constellation in celebration of what was to come. I feel that Alice takes me there, to a personal heaven created by her words. A place that sets me on a journey within, to the deepest regions of my own heart. A place where no other author has ever had the ability to take me me.
My only regret with this novel, is that as a returning full time student, I don't have the budget to buy 46 copies for the YA students I work with on weekends. I can think of no greater literary gift than an introduction to Alice Hoffman.
September 22, 2012
I love many of Hoffman's books and I wanted to love this... And I enjoy magical realism and post-apocalyptic stories so I thought the combination would be awesome. But they don't mix, or should I say that they don't mix well in this story. This was pretty dreadful, badly written compared to her other works that I have read. But mainly, it is a really really stupid story. Nothing makes sense, which drove me nuts. The city burns and glowing embers fall from the sky. The main character gets them in her eyes and is burned, it damages her vision. But nothing else is burned, not her hair, clothes, skin, house... And the embers remain in her eyes and somehow continue to burn her as she goes about doing everyday things... Does that make any sense? NO. Her vision is described as being damaged and her eyes are bleeding, but she can see things that happen in the distance, no problem. She trades pearls and jewellery for food and seeds near the ruined town, but there is no explanation why people there have food in abundance to trade for useless things or where that food comes from. She takes in a stray boy who wears a hood pulled up to cover his face. A hood - not a mask. He lives there for a while (weeks? months?) and they do chores together and he keeps his hood up and that somehow prevents her from even getting a glimpse of his face, even in daylight. I'm sorry but this story has no inner logic. The characters do things because it look good on paper, like poetry, not because it makes any sense for them to do it. Like when the main character sews rose thorns into her clothes to make a sort of goth statement/makeshift armour. Never mind how one would ever be able to practically go about sewing thorns into a scarf; what would rose thorns accomplish? The details that would lend some credibility to the story are glossed over in one or two sentences. Of course this isn't meant to be a realistic story: but there still needs to be inner logic. A story doesn't have to make sense in relation to reality, but the events in a story must make sense in relation to the story they are in. In this story, nothing makes sense.
July 29, 2024
Very good! Written in a beautifully spare and evocative style. I loved it.
December 26, 2018
Lyrical...
Like many of Alice Hoffman’s novels, this was an enjoyable read...but this one is both magical and lyrical. Anyone who appreciated Ms Hoffman’s books will like this one.
Like many of Alice Hoffman’s novels, this was an enjoyable read...but this one is both magical and lyrical. Anyone who appreciated Ms Hoffman’s books will like this one.
March 1, 2012
This book, a stunning conclusion to Green Angel, combines Green Angel with Green Witch resulting in Green Heart.
The book is beyond touching, and riddled with the magic that is love, and life itself.
For Green, traveling the town and writing down people's stories is her mission, especially the stories of the so called Witches in her village. She fights to preserve a life that otherwise has been demolished. To tell the stories of the people who are ridiculed the most, yet carry the most wisdom.
Alice Hoffman is a treasure, and I have yet to put down a novel of hers and ever regret picking it up!
My favorite snippet from the book:
“This is what I hoped. What you look for, you may find.
Someone promised me this, but I shook my head.
Surely, wanting more would only bring more despair. But desire can drive you for miles. It can lead you in ways you never would have imagined. A map can be written in ashes, earth, water, air. Take a step and keep walking. Don’t be afraid to look back. In the end, every path you choose takes you closer to what you’ve been searching for all along.”
The book is beyond touching, and riddled with the magic that is love, and life itself.
For Green, traveling the town and writing down people's stories is her mission, especially the stories of the so called Witches in her village. She fights to preserve a life that otherwise has been demolished. To tell the stories of the people who are ridiculed the most, yet carry the most wisdom.
Alice Hoffman is a treasure, and I have yet to put down a novel of hers and ever regret picking it up!
My favorite snippet from the book:
“This is what I hoped. What you look for, you may find.
Someone promised me this, but I shook my head.
Surely, wanting more would only bring more despair. But desire can drive you for miles. It can lead you in ways you never would have imagined. A map can be written in ashes, earth, water, air. Take a step and keep walking. Don’t be afraid to look back. In the end, every path you choose takes you closer to what you’ve been searching for all along.”
June 15, 2017
Alice Hoffman is the absolute queen of writing. I've read a few books from her and they have all touched my soul. The way her characters love and always recover from the ashes is simply beautiful.
August 29, 2012
Green Angel is a beautiful, tender and heartfelt story of a girl who lost everything and everyone she loved, and then she lost herself. This is the story of the dreams of the past that haunted her, the lives of those touched by her and all that she gave up and found once again.
Green Witch is an enchanting story of magic, love and witches. When so much of the past was lost all that was left were the memories of what had been. Learning to live again, to love again, was the only hope for a future, but that future would never be unless someone could be found to share that future, unless something could be found to believe in.
Green Heart combines the two stories of Green Angel and Green Witch into one brilliantly composed book. When so many were lost in the disaster, when so much was taken, there were none left behind who had not suffered a loss. Filled with grief, witches, kidnapping and a greedy horde, in the end it will be a self belief that saves her. Out of the devastation and tragedy of the past will grow a new and bright future, where one girl ventures further then ever before to save her heart and discover a new kind of family.
Green Witch is an enchanting story of magic, love and witches. When so much of the past was lost all that was left were the memories of what had been. Learning to live again, to love again, was the only hope for a future, but that future would never be unless someone could be found to share that future, unless something could be found to believe in.
Green Heart combines the two stories of Green Angel and Green Witch into one brilliantly composed book. When so many were lost in the disaster, when so much was taken, there were none left behind who had not suffered a loss. Filled with grief, witches, kidnapping and a greedy horde, in the end it will be a self belief that saves her. Out of the devastation and tragedy of the past will grow a new and bright future, where one girl ventures further then ever before to save her heart and discover a new kind of family.
December 26, 2017
Two fable-like tales of a character called Green, whose touch came make anything grow. Her village and the neighboring city experiences great loss due to a fire. The first part is her plunge into grief, taking on a new personna called Ash. She survives by helping others, animals, to heal and survive. The second part her journey back to wholeness and a new version of herself as Green is accomplished through documenting others life stories.
October 23, 2012
This was a simple story and a quick read.
Not necessarily one of my favorites by Alice Hoffman but still a lovely tale.
If I could slip into the pages of Alice Hoffman's novels, I might never come back out.
Not necessarily one of my favorites by Alice Hoffman but still a lovely tale.
If I could slip into the pages of Alice Hoffman's novels, I might never come back out.
June 5, 2018
I can see why someone would love this book, nice language and very dreamy and poetic. But personally I found the story line hard to follow and every chapter reminded me of the one before, it was very boring, I really wasn't impressed.
August 15, 2014
I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would. I guess a part of me is still snobby about YA books, especially YA books with hands and hearts on the cover, even though I’ve liked far more YA books than I’ve disliked. Green Heart was really, really good, and I should stop being such a snob.
I’m a bit two-minded about the book, though. It’s two novellas put together, the first dealing with a teenaged girl who lost her family and many of her neighbours in a 9/11 kind of allegory, and she must learn how to survive through the trauma, and then the second story carries on from the previous, expanding on the 9/11 allegory aspect, and essentially bringing the girl’s journey to full circle. The second story was apparently written at the behest of fans who wanted the story to continue, rather than the author reaching this conclusion herself, and it shows. None of it felt necessary to read, and I feel like half my time was spent being reminded of the events that happened in the first book (which is fine if you haven’t read it, but given that this is two-in-one, it came off both redundant and annoying). That said, I still liked it overall. And the first story is great. It has all my favourite things: witches, gardens, woods, cool animals, girls surviving against grim odds, sewing thorns into their clothes and generally being rad. It’s basically a post-apocalyptic fairy tale, and I give it 5 stars.
I think the fairy tale aspect is actually what hurt the second story in the end. It had cool fairy tale aspects of its own, but then it breaks from this and then the whole story feels off-kilter. I hate to say it, but part of it is the 9/11 stuff. It was just so blatant that it takes you out of the story. It was also just the way those characters were incorporated into the story. They needed to be developed, but this isn’t the kind of story that can sustain too much development, and so the result was unsatisfying all round.
The love interest suffered in a similar way. He is likeable enough in the first story, because he is basically a fairy tale character serving his purpose and not overstaying his welcome. But then the second story starts talking up his and the main character’s relationship and wants you to be invested in it, and no. Sorry, but you can’t have it both ways! He’s a boring stock character, and no amount of “but LOVE” is going to fix that. Hee, I feel like such a scrooge. It’s funny, because the book doesn’t spend that much time on him anyway, but because the story is so short, each line of dialogue and unnecessary character interaction sticks out. I think the love aspect could have worked fine if Hoffman hadn’t tried to break Love Interest out of the fairy tale mould. I didn’t care about the finer details of their relationship, I just wanted to enjoy the overall message of it.
One last complaint: the binding on my copy is bloody horrible and the pages crackle and are all warped near the spine. Screw you, Scholastic. Unless that was an intentional, artistic decision, like a low-rent House of Leaves, in which case well done.
And more good stuff to prove I actually did like the book:
The main character (why haven’t I said her name yet? Her name is Green) is a likeable protagonist, with a simple but satisfying character arc. The world she lives in feels real and interesting. I thought the character of Heather, a girl Green’s age minus Green’s determination and helper animals, was kind of tragic and fascinating. Though the second story was an undeniable step-down, I loved the little journey of finding the various “witches” as much as anything from the first story, and I also thought the bits with Green writing down people’s stories on paper she’d made to suit their individual identities were pretty neat. And I did like the very end, though I won’t spoil it, of course.
Despite the second story not being necessary at all, I actually wouldn’t mind seeing more stories come out from these characters and this world. Self-contained stories. Because it’s an interesting little world and the stories that could come from a city rebuilding itself and learning to live alongside a foreign culture could be really worth writing.
But anyway, Green Heart isn't a masterpiece by any means. It's a lot harder to recommend to others than say, Tamsin. But it’s full of too many things I like for me to not love it.
I’m a bit two-minded about the book, though. It’s two novellas put together, the first dealing with a teenaged girl who lost her family and many of her neighbours in a 9/11 kind of allegory, and she must learn how to survive through the trauma, and then the second story carries on from the previous, expanding on the 9/11 allegory aspect, and essentially bringing the girl’s journey to full circle. The second story was apparently written at the behest of fans who wanted the story to continue, rather than the author reaching this conclusion herself, and it shows. None of it felt necessary to read, and I feel like half my time was spent being reminded of the events that happened in the first book (which is fine if you haven’t read it, but given that this is two-in-one, it came off both redundant and annoying). That said, I still liked it overall. And the first story is great. It has all my favourite things: witches, gardens, woods, cool animals, girls surviving against grim odds, sewing thorns into their clothes and generally being rad. It’s basically a post-apocalyptic fairy tale, and I give it 5 stars.
I think the fairy tale aspect is actually what hurt the second story in the end. It had cool fairy tale aspects of its own, but then it breaks from this and then the whole story feels off-kilter. I hate to say it, but part of it is the 9/11 stuff. It was just so blatant that it takes you out of the story. It was also just the way those characters were incorporated into the story. They needed to be developed, but this isn’t the kind of story that can sustain too much development, and so the result was unsatisfying all round.
The love interest suffered in a similar way. He is likeable enough in the first story, because he is basically a fairy tale character serving his purpose and not overstaying his welcome. But then the second story starts talking up his and the main character’s relationship and wants you to be invested in it, and no. Sorry, but you can’t have it both ways! He’s a boring stock character, and no amount of “but LOVE” is going to fix that. Hee, I feel like such a scrooge. It’s funny, because the book doesn’t spend that much time on him anyway, but because the story is so short, each line of dialogue and unnecessary character interaction sticks out. I think the love aspect could have worked fine if Hoffman hadn’t tried to break Love Interest out of the fairy tale mould. I didn’t care about the finer details of their relationship, I just wanted to enjoy the overall message of it.
One last complaint: the binding on my copy is bloody horrible and the pages crackle and are all warped near the spine. Screw you, Scholastic. Unless that was an intentional, artistic decision, like a low-rent House of Leaves, in which case well done.
And more good stuff to prove I actually did like the book:
The main character (why haven’t I said her name yet? Her name is Green) is a likeable protagonist, with a simple but satisfying character arc. The world she lives in feels real and interesting. I thought the character of Heather, a girl Green’s age minus Green’s determination and helper animals, was kind of tragic and fascinating. Though the second story was an undeniable step-down, I loved the little journey of finding the various “witches” as much as anything from the first story, and I also thought the bits with Green writing down people’s stories on paper she’d made to suit their individual identities were pretty neat. And I did like the very end, though I won’t spoil it, of course.
Despite the second story not being necessary at all, I actually wouldn’t mind seeing more stories come out from these characters and this world. Self-contained stories. Because it’s an interesting little world and the stories that could come from a city rebuilding itself and learning to live alongside a foreign culture could be really worth writing.
But anyway, Green Heart isn't a masterpiece by any means. It's a lot harder to recommend to others than say, Tamsin. But it’s full of too many things I like for me to not love it.
August 22, 2012
This was truly one of the most beautiful YA novels I've had the pleasure to read in a very, very long time. Hoffman's writing style is lyrical, poetic, and even somewhat haunting. It's the kind of story that slowly meanders it's way through your heart, wending and winding to touch you unexpectedly. Her writing style reminded me a little of Susan Fletcher's Corrag, which I found to be really beautiful too. Granted, this particular type of writing will not be everyone's cup of tea; some may find it too poetic (is there even such a thing??) with a storyline that takes it's time to get anywhere. But me: I liked it that I had the time to savour each sentence and phrase that helped me almost become Green; I liked letting myself be hypnotised by the lyrical language, being led deeper and deeper into her dreamscape of somewhat folk-tale proportions.
Fifteen-year-old Green is orphaned when her family is killed by a fire that devastates the entire city. Green Angel is the story of her coming to terms with her loss in the wake of her ruined home: through the animals she slowly nurses back to health, and the silent Diamond, a mysterious boy who turns up at her door one night, to whom she has given her heart. Green Witch is a story in which Green learns about love, as she waits for her beloved Diamond who has gone to search for his family to come back to her. Along her journey, she encounters a few witches - who turn out to be wise women who have lost much in the fire and have much to teach her about love.
If Green Angel is about coping with loss, Green Witch must be about knowing love. These two heavy lessons are subtly woven into the folkloric tale. Overly didactic and preachy it is not though, and Hoffman does a splendid job of handling such deep and profound subject matter in a manner that would make the more discerning teen think deeper past all the angst, and the adult ponder at the (oxymoronically) deeply simplistic essence of these two tough topics.
That's not to say that Hoffman's presentation of loss, love and ultimately, hope, is as straightforward as differentiating black from white, but rather she took me on a lush discovery through Green's eyes, and I learnt as she learnt. I felt that the text was rife with symbolism, each element meaning so much more than what it appears on the surface. For example, each witch that we were introduced to in Green Witch was an embodiment of a certain aspect of love - which made it all the more meaningful to me, since I've witnessed Green's journey of self-discovery and I've been touched too, by the encounter. I'll admit that this book tugged at my heart strings, almost moving me to tears several times with its innocent profundity and sheer loveliness.
The only tiny thing that kept me from rating this book a full 5 out of 5 was the character development of Green. Yes, I enjoyed seeing through her eyes and just being her, spending time in her enchanted, devastated world, so much so that I wished I could have spent more time with her.
This is totally a non-conventional dystopian and coming-of-age piece of literature, but it's an absolute joy to read and I would recommend this book to anyone with a niggling desire to grapple with the tougher things in life and a couple of hours to spare. Also, for anyone who has dreamt and wants to keep dreaming, because I felt like I had just woken up from an achingly lovely dream when I'd gotten to the end of the book.
“I dreamed of vines and grass, apples and emeralds, rain and white night-flowers that bloomed with white centres. I dreamed of everything I’d lost and all that I’d found and everything in between.” - p.111
Fifteen-year-old Green is orphaned when her family is killed by a fire that devastates the entire city. Green Angel is the story of her coming to terms with her loss in the wake of her ruined home: through the animals she slowly nurses back to health, and the silent Diamond, a mysterious boy who turns up at her door one night, to whom she has given her heart. Green Witch is a story in which Green learns about love, as she waits for her beloved Diamond who has gone to search for his family to come back to her. Along her journey, she encounters a few witches - who turn out to be wise women who have lost much in the fire and have much to teach her about love.
If Green Angel is about coping with loss, Green Witch must be about knowing love. These two heavy lessons are subtly woven into the folkloric tale. Overly didactic and preachy it is not though, and Hoffman does a splendid job of handling such deep and profound subject matter in a manner that would make the more discerning teen think deeper past all the angst, and the adult ponder at the (oxymoronically) deeply simplistic essence of these two tough topics.
That's not to say that Hoffman's presentation of loss, love and ultimately, hope, is as straightforward as differentiating black from white, but rather she took me on a lush discovery through Green's eyes, and I learnt as she learnt. I felt that the text was rife with symbolism, each element meaning so much more than what it appears on the surface. For example, each witch that we were introduced to in Green Witch was an embodiment of a certain aspect of love - which made it all the more meaningful to me, since I've witnessed Green's journey of self-discovery and I've been touched too, by the encounter. I'll admit that this book tugged at my heart strings, almost moving me to tears several times with its innocent profundity and sheer loveliness.
The only tiny thing that kept me from rating this book a full 5 out of 5 was the character development of Green. Yes, I enjoyed seeing through her eyes and just being her, spending time in her enchanted, devastated world, so much so that I wished I could have spent more time with her.
This is totally a non-conventional dystopian and coming-of-age piece of literature, but it's an absolute joy to read and I would recommend this book to anyone with a niggling desire to grapple with the tougher things in life and a couple of hours to spare. Also, for anyone who has dreamt and wants to keep dreaming, because I felt like I had just woken up from an achingly lovely dream when I'd gotten to the end of the book.
“I dreamed of vines and grass, apples and emeralds, rain and white night-flowers that bloomed with white centres. I dreamed of everything I’d lost and all that I’d found and everything in between.” - p.111
February 8, 2012
The Good Stuff
The writing is absolutely beautiful and lyrical as with most of Hoffman's works
Descriptions of grief are so honest and realistic
Fabulous character development especially for Green
A nice message of hope and being able to make it through the grief of losing so much
Hauntingly beautiful
Unique take on the whole dystopian / post apocolyptic (people please simply explain the difference to me) genre - honestly I was imagining a 9/11 sort of devestation had happened
Thinly veiled disgust for those that commit devestating acts of terrorism in the name of religion
So many beautifully written life lessons weaved throughout the two stories
Has a sort of dreamy fairy tale feel to it
The Not So Good Stuff
Second story was a little uneven in terms of style - it didn't mesh as well with the first story
A wee bit repetitive for my pace (but I find that with Hoffman -- still love her work though)
Still not sure what the disaster was as it is very vague
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"There were good people in town who were helping out their neighbors and others who saw an opportunity for greed. Some people were busy cleaning the ashes out of the schoolhouse, while others were selling overpriced lanterns and oil and counting their profits."
"If it were nothing more than mist I could neither touch nor hold, formed into the shapes of those I loved, so be it. As long as I could see my sister, my mother, my father, I would pay any price. Accept any answer."
"But my sister, Aurora, was there in the city that day, selling vegetables from our truck, and I know she hadn't sinned. She was a globe of light, a white dove. Heaven would have never burned her alive."
"We hear the Horde speaking in a language we don't understand, just as we never understood how they could be so certain that heaven is on their side, that they alone have the right to chart what is a sin. For them, the past is the only marker. The future is nothing but dangerous territory. The death of innocent people is a price they're willing to pay in order to build their vision of heaven on earth.
There is no language that can give a reasonable voice to that."
Who Should/Shouldn't Read
Not for those who need a fast paced violent story
I would recommend for the more sophisticated YA reader as it is very introspective and thoughtful
Anyone who has suffered the tragedy of losing someone especially to a violent act will understand the story - The stories have a 9/11 feeling to them
4 Dewey's
I received this from Scholastic in exchange for an honest review
The writing is absolutely beautiful and lyrical as with most of Hoffman's works
Descriptions of grief are so honest and realistic
Fabulous character development especially for Green
A nice message of hope and being able to make it through the grief of losing so much
Hauntingly beautiful
Unique take on the whole dystopian / post apocolyptic (people please simply explain the difference to me) genre - honestly I was imagining a 9/11 sort of devestation had happened
Thinly veiled disgust for those that commit devestating acts of terrorism in the name of religion
So many beautifully written life lessons weaved throughout the two stories
Has a sort of dreamy fairy tale feel to it
The Not So Good Stuff
Second story was a little uneven in terms of style - it didn't mesh as well with the first story
A wee bit repetitive for my pace (but I find that with Hoffman -- still love her work though)
Still not sure what the disaster was as it is very vague
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"There were good people in town who were helping out their neighbors and others who saw an opportunity for greed. Some people were busy cleaning the ashes out of the schoolhouse, while others were selling overpriced lanterns and oil and counting their profits."
"If it were nothing more than mist I could neither touch nor hold, formed into the shapes of those I loved, so be it. As long as I could see my sister, my mother, my father, I would pay any price. Accept any answer."
"But my sister, Aurora, was there in the city that day, selling vegetables from our truck, and I know she hadn't sinned. She was a globe of light, a white dove. Heaven would have never burned her alive."
"We hear the Horde speaking in a language we don't understand, just as we never understood how they could be so certain that heaven is on their side, that they alone have the right to chart what is a sin. For them, the past is the only marker. The future is nothing but dangerous territory. The death of innocent people is a price they're willing to pay in order to build their vision of heaven on earth.
There is no language that can give a reasonable voice to that."
Who Should/Shouldn't Read
Not for those who need a fast paced violent story
I would recommend for the more sophisticated YA reader as it is very introspective and thoughtful
Anyone who has suffered the tragedy of losing someone especially to a violent act will understand the story - The stories have a 9/11 feeling to them
4 Dewey's
I received this from Scholastic in exchange for an honest review
July 22, 2013
So the book’s called “Green Heart,” but it’s actually a compilation of two novels, “Green Angel” and its sequel, “Green Witch.” Both of the two novels are short, like less than 150 pages, so reading them together was basically the same as reading one full-length book. In Green Angel, Green is dealing with the grief of losing her family and slowly finding her way back to herself. In Green Witch, she’s searching out the women known as the Enchanted and ends up on a mission she wasn’t expecting. The stories pull together elements from both the dystopian and fairy-tale fantasy genres, which was a bit of an unusual mix, but it worked for me.
So now that those explanations are out of the way, can I just fangirl over this book a bit? Cuz I liked it quite a lot. First off, the writing was dang gorgeous. Writing styles that draw attention to themselves can go either way for me, but in this case, I thought it shaped the atmosphere and tone of the story really well. It made me feel like I was being told a story, rather than simply reading one. And speaking of stories, the plots of these two novels clicked with me. They aren’t super complex or detailed or anything—after all, the two books are short. But despite that, they feel complete and satisfying and not at all simple. Plus, I’m a sucker for stories about girls who have hit rock bottom but manage not only to survive but to bloom, despite their circumstances.
I don’t have that much more to say, actually. Some books just reach me on a level that I can’t express with words. And I’ll admit that elements of these two stories reminded me a little of certain Robin McKinley books, and once that connection was made, no matter how tenuous, my adoration of these books was pretty much cemented. But Robin McKinley aside, these are wonderful stories in their own right.
Overall, two gorgeous stories that I totally fell in love with. I was trying to decide if I prefer one over the other, but nope—I love them both. They’re both quiet stories, but Green Angel is especially so, since it focuses on Green’s inner journey while Green Witch deals with an actual physical journey. So actually, having both novels together in one book was really nice, because together they have a good balance. Anyway, moral of the story, I wholeheartedly recommend both.
Rating: 4.5 / 5
Originally posted at Book Light Graveyard
So now that those explanations are out of the way, can I just fangirl over this book a bit? Cuz I liked it quite a lot. First off, the writing was dang gorgeous. Writing styles that draw attention to themselves can go either way for me, but in this case, I thought it shaped the atmosphere and tone of the story really well. It made me feel like I was being told a story, rather than simply reading one. And speaking of stories, the plots of these two novels clicked with me. They aren’t super complex or detailed or anything—after all, the two books are short. But despite that, they feel complete and satisfying and not at all simple. Plus, I’m a sucker for stories about girls who have hit rock bottom but manage not only to survive but to bloom, despite their circumstances.
I don’t have that much more to say, actually. Some books just reach me on a level that I can’t express with words. And I’ll admit that elements of these two stories reminded me a little of certain Robin McKinley books, and once that connection was made, no matter how tenuous, my adoration of these books was pretty much cemented. But Robin McKinley aside, these are wonderful stories in their own right.
Overall, two gorgeous stories that I totally fell in love with. I was trying to decide if I prefer one over the other, but nope—I love them both. They’re both quiet stories, but Green Angel is especially so, since it focuses on Green’s inner journey while Green Witch deals with an actual physical journey. So actually, having both novels together in one book was really nice, because together they have a good balance. Anyway, moral of the story, I wholeheartedly recommend both.
Rating: 4.5 / 5
Originally posted at Book Light Graveyard
April 17, 2015
A YA book from Alice Hoffman that is more a poetic parable or fairytale than a fully developed story.
The language in this novel is its star point. It is lyrical and beautiful, perfectly fitting and flowing for its fairytale-like unfolding story, but the story itself lacks serious depth. The characters are mere sketches and the plot is gaunt, skeletal even. (The blurb on the back offers a far more interesting account.)A pity, it had the potential to be so much more.
The setting was a problem too. I was continually wrenched from believing it was set long ago in medieval farming times to some futuristic utopian ideal that had gone wrong. I also couldn't help but feel there were echoes of 9/11 in this book - the city destroyed by a fire set by 'The Horde' an overtly religious group. It seemed all a bit too ambitious for its slight framework and marked the actual content as a manufactured means to an end.
Not what I expected at all. I have yet to say I 'loved' an Alice Hoffman book. They all sound great - that magical realism mixed with fairytale elements - but never seem to live up to their expectations for me. Disappointing.
The language in this novel is its star point. It is lyrical and beautiful, perfectly fitting and flowing for its fairytale-like unfolding story, but the story itself lacks serious depth. The characters are mere sketches and the plot is gaunt, skeletal even. (The blurb on the back offers a far more interesting account.)A pity, it had the potential to be so much more.
The setting was a problem too. I was continually wrenched from believing it was set long ago in medieval farming times to some futuristic utopian ideal that had gone wrong. I also couldn't help but feel there were echoes of 9/11 in this book - the city destroyed by a fire set by 'The Horde' an overtly religious group. It seemed all a bit too ambitious for its slight framework and marked the actual content as a manufactured means to an end.
Not what I expected at all. I have yet to say I 'loved' an Alice Hoffman book. They all sound great - that magical realism mixed with fairytale elements - but never seem to live up to their expectations for me. Disappointing.
October 23, 2012
When fifteen-year-old Green’s family go out to the city and are nowhere to be found after a fire set the city alight, she learns to become an independent young woman, who eventually discovers herself in ways she never knew after a journey of meeting some peculiar people, realising how much her family mean to her and realising what the true meaning of love is. And for Green now, her calling is to write down the stories of the people of the village, fight to keep the memories that would have disappeared over time and to tell the stories.
Alice Hoffman’s Green Heart is a combination of two novels: Green Angel and Green Witch that together is a beautifully written book and would make an awesome movie. It really is a magnificent book, magical and immersed in emotion. Green Heart is a great read for teenage girls and you don’t have to think to hard about it to get the true meaning.
It reminds me of all the beauty in life, the things that are most wonderful if you look beyond the dust and the dirt.
Alice Hoffman’s Green Heart is a combination of two novels: Green Angel and Green Witch that together is a beautifully written book and would make an awesome movie. It really is a magnificent book, magical and immersed in emotion. Green Heart is a great read for teenage girls and you don’t have to think to hard about it to get the true meaning.
It reminds me of all the beauty in life, the things that are most wonderful if you look beyond the dust and the dirt.
September 17, 2012
I was very enthusiastic about this book since I like the author very much. I was however slightly disappointed. Although the story is interesting, it seems to me that it lacks substance and I felt like it was unfinished. I was of course fascinated by the magical details and the author's style and writing is perfect as expected. But I would have loved a more elaborate story, more details, just...more. The story would have benefited from a more elaborate plot and action.
It is however a young-adult book so I suppose that would be the explanation for it. I didn't really know that the author writes YA(which I don't like) or dystopian novels(some of them I do like) so it was a surprise to me.I can see the resemblance to another young adult novel I read (I only read one so I can only compare it to that one). Had I known about this before, I wouldn't have read it. I would therefore only recommend this book to a teen.
It is however a young-adult book so I suppose that would be the explanation for it. I didn't really know that the author writes YA(which I don't like) or dystopian novels(some of them I do like) so it was a surprise to me.I can see the resemblance to another young adult novel I read (I only read one so I can only compare it to that one). Had I known about this before, I wouldn't have read it. I would therefore only recommend this book to a teen.
August 10, 2017
These two books are both beautifully written with rich, descriptive words. The first has a great story line for someone who never really strays from where her home is. I love how descriptive Green is towards her family, mainly her younger sister, Aurora. Throughout the first book, it is very easy to comprehend how deep her despair is, and how greatly connected she is to her beloved garden.
Throughout the second book, the author starts to create a more poetic way of telling the story. This time when Green strays from her home, she still puts her faith into her garden at home and the plants around her. A down side of the second book would be how straight forward the plot is. In the second, you know exactly where she’s going, what she has to do straight from the start. Where as in the first, you weren’t sure how she would react to get new world and situations. Even though it does take a while to get the ball moving, both books are quite lovely.
Throughout the second book, the author starts to create a more poetic way of telling the story. This time when Green strays from her home, she still puts her faith into her garden at home and the plants around her. A down side of the second book would be how straight forward the plot is. In the second, you know exactly where she’s going, what she has to do straight from the start. Where as in the first, you weren’t sure how she would react to get new world and situations. Even though it does take a while to get the ball moving, both books are quite lovely.
January 3, 2014
Okay, so I read this in the original version which was separated into two books: Green Angel and Green Witch and I just could not feel anything about the characters. It is written mostly in fairy tale fashion and I'm not sure I do good with these in general. I'm guessing part of my problem was that I read them while the kids were home and was interrupted over and over again. It's extremely metaphoric so I had to re-read parts over and over. I would be open to giving them another chance but I think they need to be read in one single reading, which could be done in a couple of hours as they are very short. I'm wondering if these were longer with more of a focus on the characters if I would have liked them more? Had thought about checking out her similar book Water Tales, maybe over the summer.
March 31, 2012
This is a story about magic, about the physical and emotional manifestations of grief and healing, about war and peace, love and loss. This was a spare, poetic story with rich emotion and language, and I enjoyed it for the beauty of it. Some of its imagery will definitely stay with me, though the story itself may or may not, I'm not sure about that.
I'd recommend to to Francesca Lia Block fans, obviously Alice Hoffman fans, and fans of the verse novel (this isn't a verse novel, but it feels like one in its brevity and rich imagery).
I'd recommend to to Francesca Lia Block fans, obviously Alice Hoffman fans, and fans of the verse novel (this isn't a verse novel, but it feels like one in its brevity and rich imagery).
April 3, 2012
While I liked the overall story here, I wish it had been fleshed out much more than it is. There is little to no dialogue and most of the story is what Green/Ash does, thinks, feels. I felt disconnected from this story, not sure why. Maybe because Green feels that way, but then again, in the second half, she is connecting with the world and I still didn't feel anything.
The writing is beautiful, but almost too sparse. There are magical elements to the story which were well woven into the plot.
It was a fast read, though so I guess that's good?
The writing is beautiful, but almost too sparse. There are magical elements to the story which were well woven into the plot.
It was a fast read, though so I guess that's good?
May 28, 2012
In Green Heart Alice Hoffman is at her magical best. This fantasy delves into the harsh truths of ignorance and hatred, of the healing power of love of others as well as of one's self. To me it is a barely veiled story of the destructive power of blind religious hatred of all things different. It brings to mind the mindless acts of suicide bombers and religious leaders who imprison, maim and murder those who do not submit and blindly follow. Yet she shows these forces can be overcome by the simple act of caring, of refusing to allow such viciousness to stand unchallenged.
August 25, 2012
While I'm a fan of Alice Hoffman, this is not my favorite of her books. It was of course still enjoyable; she paints wonderful imagery of magical lives in a pseudo-apocalyptic world. I just wasn't entirely on board with the manner of telling, a sort of stream of consciousness 1st person perspective. The story is very childlike and yet dark. I guess this was a short story that was extended so the second half is different than the first in it's style with more action. Overall a nice little read, just a few things that irked me personally.
July 11, 2013
Is it just me or could you not finish the book?
I got about 70 pages in and wasn't liking the book so I stopped reading it.
I loved the poetic starts to every new section I guess I could say. I read every single one of the poems and loved them all. But for me, other then the poems, i wasn't attached to it and didn't like it at all.
I got about 70 pages in and wasn't liking the book so I stopped reading it.
I loved the poetic starts to every new section I guess I could say. I read every single one of the poems and loved them all. But for me, other then the poems, i wasn't attached to it and didn't like it at all.
April 6, 2021
The book Green Heart is a really good book. It tells you about many things and that you have to believe and don't give up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2022
Lovely, strange little tales.
I enjoyed the simplicity and flow of these two tales. The darkness and the grief sitting next to a burgeoning hope. The myth and the fairy tale elements worked for me.
I enjoyed the simplicity and flow of these two tales. The darkness and the grief sitting next to a burgeoning hope. The myth and the fairy tale elements worked for me.
February 20, 2016
I didn't realize it was YA when I bought it, but it was lovely - an allegory, a fairy tale- beautiful writing as we would expect from this author !
January 31, 2019
I love everything Alice Hoffman writes.I live in her books....in my head.❤
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