Things That Grow

by Meredith Goldstein

After her grandmother dies, a girl travels to different gardens to scatter her ashes, learning about life, love, and how to laugh again along the way.

When Lori’s Dorothy Parker–loving grandmother dies, Lori’s world is turned upside down. Grandma Sheryl was everything to Lori—and not just because Sheryl raised Lori when Lori’s mom got a job out of town. Now Lori’s mom is insisting on moving her away from her beloved Boston right before senior year. Desperate to stay for as long as possible, Lori insists on honoring her grandmother’s last request before she moves: to scatter Sheryl’s ashes near things that grow.

Along with her uncle Seth and Chris, best friend and love-of-her-life crush, Lori sets off on a road trip to visit her grandmother’s favorite gardens. Dodging forest bathers, scandalized volunteers, and angry homeowners, they come to terms with the shape of life after Grandma Sheryl. Saying goodbye isn’t easy, but Lori might just find a way to move forward surrounded by the people she loves.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Coming Of Age, Young Adult Contemporary

336 pages, Hardcover

First published March 9, 2021

About the author

Meredith Goldstein is an advice columnist and entertainment reporter for The Boston Globe. She's written two YA books, a memoir, and a novel about a bunch of single guests at a wedding. She also hosts the Love Letters podcast, which explores all types of relationships.

Meredith's latest release is the YA book "Things That Grow," a fictional take on her real-life experience bringing her mother's ashes to beautiful gardens. The book is a love story featuring Lori Seltzer, a character who learns how to accept what's temporary, and how to care for the adults in her life who don't always know best.

Meredith's memoir is 2018's "Can't Help Myself." If you're a fan of rom-coms, vampires, advice columns, breakup tales, and stories about mothers and sisters, it's for you.

Meredith lives in Boston and can be found watching "Alias" and "What We Do in the Shadows" during quarantine.

Reviews

[abthebooknerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

A surprisingly hilarious story of family, friends, and grieving.

“I do not want a funeral!” Grandma Sheryl had written in her compact, cursive script. “I would like to be cremated and placed near things that grow.”

I said it in the tagline, but for a book about death, this was pretty freaking funny. Towards the end, it got more serious, but those beginning and middle bits? So quirky. I loved it. I could definitely see this book becoming a movie. I almost think it would have translated better as a movie. It definitely has a happy, bittersweet indie feel to it. The wonderfully unique side characters: Kel the Tree Hugger, Marge the Historian, and the luxe Mrs. Coffin. I enjoyed all the literary references, writing talk, and story talk. Those moments were really enjoyable as a writer AND a book nerd.

I did have trouble connecting with Lori as a character. She was sarcastic and funny, but there were times when I found that the decisions she made caused me to want to rip my hair out.

My other qualm was the romance between Chris and Lori. Chris’s character was so lackluster, in my opinion. He had no personality, and supposedly Lori was secretly in love with him, but I never felt that tension in the way the author seemingly wanted me to. Putting the humor aside, this one wasn’t necessarily for me.

All in all, it was a quirky and quick read. If you like more meaningful contemporaries about love and loss, I’d suggest picking this one up!

Big thank you to Edelweiss and HMH Books for sending me an ARC copy of this book!

*Note: Any quotes referenced in this review, may or may not be subject to change in the finished copy of the book.

[Sheena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lori and her family travel from garden to garden to spread her grandma's ashes. Based off the synopsis it sounded like it would be a poignant read dealing with grief and loss. While it had some of that, I felt like there was a huge lack of emotion when grief was discussed. I just felt there was some heart lacking and the characters felt a little flat. Kt also focused on romance too much and there was no chemistry between the two. I felt that Lori and Chris were completely platonic but that the feelings they had were kind of forced just to add to the story line. I think I would've liked this better if there was no added romance. Overall, I found this to be very okay.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Alex (The Scribe Owl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

See this review and more at my blog, The Scribe Owl!

Thank you to HMH Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss+ for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5/5 stars

Things That Grow is an unexpectedly funny coming-of-age novel about change and how it might not be necessarily bad.

In Things That Grow, we follow Lori, a high school-age girl who recently lost her grandmother. In her will, Lori’s grandmother, Sheryl, requested to be cremated and scattered near things that grow. Lori, along with her best friend Chris and her uncle Seth, journey to four different gardens to scatter Sheryl’s cremains (cremated remains) and deal with the grief and social weirdness that comes after the death of a loved one.

In the official synopsis, it says “After her grandmother dies, a girl travels to different gardens to scatter her ashes, learning about life, love, and how to laugh along the way.” I’m not sure if that was how I’d describe it. Yes, Things That Grow was unexpectedly (in a good way!) funny, but it was more of a novel about accepting change than what the synopsis makes it sound like.

I expected this book to rip my heart out and stamp on it, but it didn’t even come close to it. It was unforeseeably comedic instead of heart-wrenching. I love a good lighthearted book, but it wasn’t what I expected or even wanted from this novel.

One thing that Things That Grow did exceptionally well was make me want to read the work of Dorothy Parker. This may seem random, but the long-dead poet is an important part of the novel. If you see me reading any of her poems any time soon, you can blame this book!

While the writing and dialogue were lighthearted and funny, there were some times when I cringed a little. Second-hand embarrassment abounds! The romance was weird. I liked the couple, but some of the things that happened and were said were a little weird. They seemed juvenile, though the book isn’t that complex in the first place.

I was expecting Things That Grow to be different, but I’m not upset about the way it turned out. I’d say it’s worth a read, though I don’t think I’ll go out of my way to get a physical copy.

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute book. Which I will admit is a little weird considering the topic (the death of a loved one). However, it was written in such a way that I found myself smiling and laughing out loud SO many times. I mean, craisins anyone? 😂 The characters (mostly) were likable. I didn't particularly care for Seth, and Chris was a little "flat", but overall, every single character added a little something to the story. I also really enjoyed the theme of the gardens and the detail the author went into about each place. Just an enjoyable read from start to finish for me.

Side Note: The cover on this book is GORGEOUS. I love it!

**ARC Via NetGalley**

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lori finally had some stability in her life since moving in with her Grandma Sheryl. When her grandmother unexpectedly passes away, Lori finds herself scrambling to try and hold onto the life she found with Sheryl. She attempts to figure out her future, while trying to honor Sheryl's last wishes to spread her remains nears things that grow. While searching for the places those places, Lori experiences a tremendous amount of growth in herself and finds a way to accept whatever the outcome of her home situation may be.

This is my first experience reading Goldstein's work, and I rather enjoyed her style. This was a book about honoring last wishes, death, and grief, yet it was quite amusing. Authors who have the competence to seamlessly blend humor with heavier topics are ones I love to read. The ability to make me laugh and make me cry is one I truly appreciate, and Goldstein did an incredible job man-handling my emotions.

Grandma Sheryl sent Lori on quite a journey. Goldstein pulled me into all these beautiful gardens and treated me to an amazing tour. The exploration of these lush sites was often accompanied by some introspection and soul searching, and you could see Lori slowly changing with each new place they visited. This was not a journey without challenges though, and some may not agree with all Lori's choices. I felt her mistakes were realistic, though I won't say I was necessarily a fan of every "conflict".

The standout parts were definitely each garden included in the story. Not only did I get a good visual, but Goldstein added to my enjoyment with colorful characters, unexpected interactions, literary readings, and fantastic bits of history. With each stop on this journey, I found myself more enamored with Sheryl. I felt like she understood how profound her absence would be, and how her family would need some guidance in order to learn how to face a life without her.

Though the focus of this book may have been saying goodbye to Grandma, there were so many other themes I appreciated. Friendship, family, forgiveness, and romance also factored into this story, and I appreciated the way they all contributed to the whole. It was as if Sheryl's death was a catalyst for change, not just for Lori, but for her whole family.

Overall: A beautiful story of love, loss, and the many ways we grieve, which was amusing, touching, and hopeful.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[Alex Nonymous · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of things that grow in exchange for an honest review.

While Things That Grow is certainly well written, it missed the mark for me. It's description implies an emotional journey while its plot is actually closer to melancholic. Maybe I just missed something major here, but I was expecting this to go a lot deeper and to me at least, it felt like it was just scratching the surface.

I didn't really feel like Lori learned about "life, love, and how to laugh again along the way" because when we meet her, she's already matured beyond her years. Lori starts off already managing to find the humor in things and basically taking care of all the adults in her life so there wasn't much space for her to grow.

[Patricia (Spellbound Stories Trish) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this charming novel but what I found inside the pages was absolutely breathtaking!

I was intrigued by the blurb and wanted to read because I too have faced a devastating loss and wanted to see what this author felt comes next! I loved the healing and new “family” Lori found along the way! I loved how the existing relationships around her grew and strengthened but I also loved this story because it was just her story!

Her uncle Seth was amazing from the start and though we don’t get his point of view on events it was still amazing seeing his journey as well!

An amazing story and thank you to

[Martina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things That Grow is a story about family and grief.
When Lori’s grandmother dies she asks to be cremated and have her cremains placed in some of her favorite gardens, near things that grow.

I really liked all the characters in this story, it was interesting to see how everyone dealt with the death.
Another think I enjoyed was how the author described the gardens, it made you feel like you were there.

What stopped this from being a perfect read for me was how slow it was.
It did end up picking up but it took me a while to really get into it.

Overall I really enjoyed this novel. It’s perfect for YA readers.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was exactly the novel I needed to read right now. It really could have been written exactly for me.

[Brooke Allie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. The cover on this book is gorgeous and it’s the only reason I picked it up. Suffice to say, this isn’t the book for me. I thought it was okay but I definitely wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. That’s why it’s 2.5.

[Crystal Reaume · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute

[Renata · Rating 5 out of 5]

lovvved this one. Speaking, with love, as a former pretentious teen I feel like it'll be a hit with pretentious teens, the ones who are trying out books recommended by their teachers because they want to seem like they love Dorothy Parker but maybe they actually prefer to read books about vampires and maybe that's fine. I think there's also a shortage of books about kids being raised by a grandparent which is a pretty common situation so it's great to have a book on that. (Also, Urban Gay Uncle representation.)

Also it made me want to visit The Mount and meet MARGE omg!! (also the Cheesecake Factory)

I know John Green is a cliche comp author but for real, hand to John Green fans.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things That Grow is a novel about family and grief, about growing up, falling in love with your best friend but not wanting to risk the relationship and staying quiet about your feeling. It’s also got quite a few gardens in it (I love fiction that includes gardens, not sure why but they always make a story more beautiful) and you could almost call it a road tip novel, as the characters venture on their journey, which doesn’t span too many miles, but still forces them to consider their relationships with each other.

Lori has lived with her Grandma for a few years. She was happy for the stability after living with her mother who would move them regularly, changing jobs and locations as often as she changed boyfriends. So when Grandma Sheryl dies, Lori is reeling from both the loss of her home and the woman who felt more like a mother than her mother ever did. Lori’s mother demands Lori move back with her, despite it meaning Lori will have to change schools right at the start of her senior year and leave behind her best friend, Chris. Lori stalls by insisting they honour her grandmother’s last wish - to have her ashes scattered in four gardens.

Anyone who has had to deal with the aftermath of losing a loved one will relate to Lori’s feelings. This book explores grief in an honest way. Lori isn’t sure how to deal with her feelings and often uses humour to cope with the situations she finds herself in - like trying to find a cremation service for a Jewish woman. So yes, while this book is about death, funerals (they don’t really have one), spreading of ashes and grief, it’s actually a funny, realistic, ‘oh my gosh, no don’t do that’, hopeful novel.

This book is also about relationships. Lori grieves the loss of the unique relationship she had with her grandmother. She also complains a lot about her mother and their lack of relationship. This changes slightly in the book, as they both come to understand and accept each other a little more but it wasn’t the transformation or understanding on Lori’s part that I was expecting from the story. Lori also spends a lot of time with her Uncle Seth. She idolises him, both as an uncle, a man in a romantic relationship (lgbt), and as a writer. However, during the course of their missions to spread her grandmother’s ashes, or should I say cremains, Lori learns a lot more about the kind of man he is and has to temper her expectations.

There is of course romance in Things That Grow. Lori has been crushing on her best friend Chris for years but never wanted to share her feelings for fear they would ruin their friendship and the creative partnership they have - she writes and he illustrates their stories). You can’t share a hotel room without somethings being exposed, so she and Chris have to work through their unspoken feelings. Readers will enjoy the chemistry and tension.

A heartwarming YA realistic novel with great character development make The Things That Grow an enjoyable novel.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library

[Amy Rosenkoetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up on a spin through the teen section of my library, briefly began to read it at a table as I waited for my hubby, and once we got home I kept right on reading (minus a break for dinner and an episode of Bones) until 1:00 a.m. when I finished with a sense of fulfillment and a release of breath that I hadn't even realized was pent up in my body. It was a wonderful marathon effort, and blessedly not the kind of thing that leaves only blurred impressions behind. The entire narrative is crisp and focused in my mind.

The prose was well spaced, and while it was an easy read physically, emotionally it was raw, unfiltered, and excruciatingly honest. It might have been fiction, but it was all truth - every word.

As a Conservative Christian, I have religious objections to LGBT storylines, but the one that ran through this novel was handled very well, and with dignity. I did not feel like it was pushing an agenda. It's also a very good reminder that LGBT individuals are just that - individuals: people with complex and complicated lives who are trying to navigate this life the same as everyone else with good and bad, ups and downs.

I enjoyed every minute of it and now, if you'll excuse me, I have a book hangover to go sleep off.

[Bogdana Golub · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book unexpectedly at a small bookshop/record shop/tapas restaurant. Firstly the beautiful garden on the cover reminded me of the Secret Garden and I was intrigued to see what it was about. When I saw it was about a young girl and her family going through the grief of losing their grandmother and deciding to honour her wishes by scattering her ashes onto various gardens (things that grow) I really really wanted to know the story.

Whilst this book wasn’t perfect, there were flaws in some editing, and some overall character narration on some of the secondary character’s sides, I also felt that this was one of the author’s points, the imperfection of characters and how they do and decide things that we may not always understand. Just as we do at times.

It also showed the necessity of time in healing, in most cases of life, healing does not happen overnight, and sometimes it happens at a monumentally slow pace. Either way, at least its ability to move forward is what I think brings hope.

This was a lovely book and if a reader would love to explore more about the pursuit of healing during grief and all the changes that it brings, I highly recommend this book.

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful story, I keep saying that a lot lately but there have been so many good books out. Things That Grow is a story about family and grief, filled with both optimism and dark humour.
I really liked the characters and the way Meredith describes the gardens, you could feel yourself in them. The only criticism I would have is that it’s a little slow at times, but it does pick up. This is a truly wonderful novel for loss and grief

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

[Courtni K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lori's life is upended after her beloved grandmother, a Dorothy Parker enthusiast, passes away. Fulfilling her grandmother's final wish, Lori embarks on a road trip with her uncle and longtime friend/crush scattering ashes in cherished gardens. Other secrets are uncovered and shenanigans ensue, some funny and heartwarming, others devastating. Overall a worthwhile exploration of finding purpose in grief with characters that feel fleshed out.

[Abi Copple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet book! It was a nice little romance between the main character and Chris. I liked the overall message about grief and letting go of bodies, but I wished it went another level deeper into those feelings.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a wonderful, complicated family story, and I just love Lori and Chris.

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book touches so deeply on the beauty of letting go of a loved one's death.

[Jenna Gowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful little story that will sit with you if you have lost someone close to you. The MC loses her grandmother and is trying to find some of the best ways to honor her, while of course navigating being 17 and in love. YA book with a beautiful story!

[Malyn Barnett · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

[Judy Bridgewater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

[Kelci Judas · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable, young adult novel about death, relationships, and things that grow.
While this book was quite slow, I did enjoy the events that took place. I found the characters relatable and very realistic.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy of this book.

[Stephany · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a unique and wonderful read. Life lessons. Family trauma and drama. Friendship. Growth. Self discovery. I loved the literary references and the gardens explored and how the author described everything with beauty and detail. A little hidden gem of a book.

[Stella Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would it be like to travel across the region of New England, burying your grandmother’s ashes in beautiful gardens? If you want to know, then you should read Things That Grow, by Meredith Goldstein. In this book, the protagonist, Lori Seltzer, ’s grandma, Sheryl, has a sudden heart attack and passes away. Her only wish was to have her ashes buried in four extraordinary gardens. So, Lori, her best friend, Chris, her uncle, Seth, and her go to the gardens (her mom and her newest boyfriend, Bill, only go to one). Lori had lived with her grandma, in Natick, for the past couple years of her life, because her mom was always switching jobs (and boyfriends) and Lori was moving too much. Since there is no one to live with Lori in her grandma’s house for her senior year, she has to move back in with her mom, who she isn’t very fond of. Lori is trying to celebrate her grandma’s life, but at the same time, is devastated that she will have to leave her best friend, Chris, and everything she loves in Natick.











-spoilers ahead-








Lori tries to convince her mom to let her stay with Uncle Seth in Natick, because he is an author and got really inspired by being back in his childhood home. Turns out that his inspiration is actually from Lori. She looks in his book, because she wanted to know “how he takes notes” and she finds bullet point on bullet point all about her. The good and the bad. Also, when Lori and Seth go to bury the third box of ashes (without Chris), they find out that the garden is in someone’s house. Lori doesn’t want to lie, and feels that it is disrespectful to bury the ashes without permission in someone's backyard, which it is, but Seth dismisses that and makes her. These two events combined makes Lori feel like she doesn’t want to live with Seth after all, and maybe she should just move in with her mom. There is also a sub-story line about the fact that Lori is in love with Chris. I feel that this part of the book is way too slow, and poorly developed. This story has a good plot, however it can be slightly boring at moments. The writing and descriptions in this book are very well written. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. If you like realistic fiction books, then you should read this book.

[ida · Rating 3 out of 5]

REP: Jewish MC, Jewish side characters, gay side characters, Black love interest.

TWs: mentions of death

Genre: young adult contemporary



---------------------------------

E-ARC kindly provided by the publisher.

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"And then I realized that this might be why I'm not crying, at least not right this second. One of the things about grandparents is that even if they're on the younger side, you know they're not designed to be part of your life forever. You don't get to have them for a chunk of your life, because you weren't around for a chunk of theirs. It's a relationship with a clear end; even if everyone lives to be a hundred, you still get only a window."

---------------------------------

In this tale of family, love and loss, we follow Lori. Lori lives in Boston, has a crush-since-forever on her best friend, Chris, and is being raised by her book-loving grandma, Sheryl. Sheryl is possibly the most important person in Lori’s life, especially after she moved in to live with her when her mom got a job in another town, and a boyfriend to boot. Then, Sheryl suddenly passes away and Lori is left to try to pick up the pieces of what was her life. Sheryl leaves something behind after her death, though: a list of seemingly random places where she wants to be buried. Oh, and she wants to be cremated too, which is a big no-no since Sheryl was Jewish. Together with her uncle Seth and Chris, Lori sets out on an epic road trip to bring her grandma to her final resting place.

-----------------------------------

I finished Things That Grow a couple of days ago, and I decided to wait a bit until I wrote this review, as there were some things I had to mull over. I think my final opinion on this books is that while this book was good, it was also very similar to other books I’ve read before.

This is a beautiful tale of love and loss, of how not perfect things can be in life but also of how perfect they can be in their imperfection. There was one scene where I cried. I laughed, I smiled, I felt.

Lori is a good main character. She is fun and relatable and just the right kind of quirky for this type of YA contemporary story. Seth is the classic supportive older side character, and Chris the boy-next-door type of love interest (I personally did not get any chemistry between these two characters at all, but that’s quite typical for me so this might definitely not be the case for you!). Grandma Sheryl is the classic borderline-quirky grandma. All of this together adds up to a good story, and it was. I just kept feeling like I had read this story before.

This book was somewhat strange for me. The first 49% took me two weeks to finish and then I read the rest of the book in pretty much one sitting. I was never bored, I didn’t dislike it, I just didn’t find myself reaching for it which definitely reflects more on me as a reader than it does on the book itself.

All the “ingredients” of this book should (and also did, partly at least) make this a pretty pleasant read. However, I was just constantly reminded of how very similar this book was to other stories I’ve read before, both in theme and in plot. Which is fine, but is also the reason why I “only” rated this book three stars.

I won’t go on any longer as I’m now starting to sound like a broken record. I’m going to finish this review off by saying that this book was a solid three star read for me and that I found it to be good, plain and simple.

[agate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and HMH books for providing me with an eARC.

'Things that grow' is a melancholic story of seventeen year old Lori and her inner circle of friends and family who are grieving the loss of Grandma Shelly, the family matriarch.

This book had a lovely outlook on life and death, and how to deal with grief. We see 3 main characters who deal with grief in very different ways, and some side characters who give their perspective too. I enjoyed the analysis of grief, the exploration of what it means to grieve and also why people grieve differently. A particularly memorable part, was one exploring why the grandchild and children reacted differently to the death. The theme of gardens and nature was particularly enjoyable and provided a nice setting for the majority of the story.

I also really enjoyed Meredith Goldstein's writing! She has a beautiful way of telling rather gloomy stories in a positive fashion. The literary references were well used, and Goldstein's writing is full of humour which made the book more interesting.

However, one of my major issues with this book was the characters and how they drove the plot.

Lori, the main character, was funny, quirky and mature but there wasn't, in my opinion, enough development following the book trigger. I would have expected Lori's outlook on life to change, her to question more things but the discussions that are brought up, for example the idea that one person can be good and bad, are rather surface level. I also wish Lori and her mother had had more of a chance to talk, it would have gone well with the exploration of grief. I also disliked the romance. It had potential, but the love interest was very bland and I wasn't sold by the supposed tension. I don't think it added much to the book.

Also, what happened to Jessica and Jason, Lori's supposed best friends?

That being said, her relationship with Seth was interesting as he starts off as someone she idolises but then she sees slightly how grief affects him. The main turning point for their relationship in my opinion, was not the main conflict (which felt very rushed by the way) but a separate event where Lori really sees the grief. I wish this had been explored deeper; in all, it felt like resolutions were quick to come.

Overall, it was a mixed bag for me; some aspects I enjoyed very much (Garden Girls were amazing) while others fell flat for me. I will say though, that the main aspect of this book- dealing with grief- does make it a worthwhile read!

Summary:
Did I enjoy it? For the most part
Did I like the characters? Kind of
Did I care about the characters? Not strongly
Did it make me feel anything? Yes, it had poignant moments!
Did it feel like a chore to read? At times

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 stars.

Ok. This book was just ok. I don't rate it low because it was bad. I rate it low because it was just … boring. Hard to connect and engage with. The characters were fine. I could not relate to the main character as much, despite on a couple occasions. Lori, the protagonist, is weird and quirky sometimes to the extent of just being gross. Who the hell goes to a mall parking lot, lay on an empty spot and pretend to make snow angels with the "parking lot grease" all over your back? That's just disgusting. Given that this book should be about grief and mourning, it does not do a good job at even feeling depressing. I felt no emotion come out. The writing may be a factor to do that because it's not that good. It felt too simple and bland for my taste. It reminded me of Wattpad (writing-style wise). Something I would type when texting a friend or posting on my Instagram story. The book also had an odd thing for making few of the characters wear plain T-shirts with words or phrases on them. I did learn some new things from this book, though, like who Dorothy Parker is as well as Edith Wharton. I liked understanding some pop culture references and literary references. There's nothing significant to me about this book other than it's about losing a loved one. It's odd that I don't feel anything for this book when this year my grandma also passed away. I'm the same age as the main character too. I think this story could've been stronger if there was prequel to it about Lori and her family spending time with Grandma Sheryl. (I wouldn't read it though now that I already read this). Her grandmother is a really vague character throughout the book, so feeling any sense of sadness about her death was not there. If I, as the reader, knew the character of Grandma Sheryl better, maybe it would make the reading experience emotionally moving. I felt bored and flat throughout the entire book. Then I read the acknowledgements. This story was inspired by the author's experience with her mother passing away, and her family doing the same thing Lori and her family did. Cremate their matriarch and spread her cremains around "things that grow". I felt a little bad for rating it low, but it just wasn't a story for me. Maybe if I read it around the time my grandma passed away, I could connect to it more? Anyways, there's not much else for me to say about this book because it was stale. Nothing really stuck out at all. If I were to choose a favorite character, though, it would be Chris. But hey I also liked that Lori's favorite Stephen King book is "Christine" because that's my name LMAO.

[Fin D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things That Grow follows Lori in the wake of her grandmother Sheryl’s death. After having lived with her grandmother the last few years Lori is forced to deal with the possibility of having to leave the one place that’s felt like home right before senior year and her best friend Chris that she is painfully and secretly in love with. First things first though, Grandma Sheryl asked that she be cremated and her remains be spread in some of her favorite gardens near things that grow. To that end, Lori, her Uncle and Chris take on this weird and important task and have themselves a little adventure along the way.
Requesting to read this book on NetGalley had been a whim but golly am I glad I did. I’m extremely partial to books about recovering from loss but this one just had a certain something to it that endeared me to it right from the start. In addition to being one of the funniest books about death i’ve ever read, Things That Grow wasn’t afraid to show all the messy and weird parts of a family or the growing pains of figuring yourself out as both a teenager and as someone who’s dealing with a death in the family. Meredith Goldstein gave Lori such a unique and interesting voice. I loved that we were given enough grain of salt of Lori being a teenager who’s not got it all figured it out yet to not take everything she said as gospel but still get to enjoy her observations and sarcasm. Her family was an admitted mess but I loved that the book itself didn’t try to shy away from that, it embraced their eccentries and flaws as well as their good bits.
I really loved this book. I had such a good time reading it. It had the rare quality of being earnest and reflective where it needed to be but also being able to just really make me laugh. I loved the cast of characters we met throughout this book like the Garden Girls. I loved that group so much. Goldstein also was so good at being able to capture the essence of someone so simply and quickly like towards the beginning she described the uncle “like a distinguished man in an advertisement for a watch” and i just loved that and it made me be able to see him so fully so eaily (I checked this quote against the audiobook of it that I bought for reference). There were so many great vivid snapshots of places and people and moments that really took me along for the ride.
Things That Grow was a special book that just really hit me in just the right way and I am very glad I was able to read an early copy, it’s definitely going to be one i come back to and think about a lot.