Hothouse Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire

Starred review from February 16, 2009
Berwin delivers a bangup debut packed with adventure, betrayal, love and, naturally, rare plants. New York ad woman Lila Nova, increasingly disillusioned with her job and the city, becomes enchanted by David Exley, a handsome guy selling plants at a green market. Soon, she's hooked on him, and her budding fascination with tropical plants leads her to a Laundromat that has a rare fern displayed in the window. Proprietor Armand quickly befriends Lila and gives her a trimming from the fern to take home, telling her if it forms roots, he'll show her the nine special plants he keeps in the back room. When Exley sees the fern trimming, Lila tells him about Armand's special plants, and soon the plants have been stolen and Exley has disappeared. Armand guilts Lila into coming to Mexico with him to find replacement plants, and there's magic, romance, greenery and greed as Lila and Armand venture through the Yucatan, hooking up with potential love-interest Diego and running into the devious Exley. It's a fun page-turner—escapist and wonderfully entertaining.

May 1, 2009
Berwin's debut sends a New York singleton south of the border in search of plants with magical powers.

Recently divorced, 30-ish Lila Nova lives in a tiny studio apartment, works an unfulfilling job in advertising and wonders when her dreams of adventure, riches and true love fell by the wayside. In an intriguing and well-paced premise, Lila's life is turned upside down when she buys a bird-of-paradise plant on a whim from ruggedly handsome David Exley. Lila isn't too quick-witted, but she is quick with her heart; it takes about one sentence for her to fall in love. Shortly after, she stumbles upon an extraordinary laundromat whose owner, Armand, uses it as a greenhouse for his exotic plants. Lila's involvement with Armand and David leads her to Mexico to look for the nine mythical plants of desire. There, the story veers into bizarre chaos. Lila meets Diego, a walking Armani ad rather than a credible character, with about as much personality as a billboard. The heat of her attraction to him practically emanates from the page, which might have been a nice thematic touch, if Lila's obsessive behavior with men weren't too frightening to enjoy. In the Yucatán jungle, plants take on magical powers that both help and hinder Lila on her quest. Her journey wraps up before it even begins, making it hard to believe she's had time to learn anything. Lila herself offers the only evidence that she has changed, and since she's been a fairly oblivious narrator, readers won't want to take her word for it.

Poorly executed magical realism.

(COPYRIGHT (2009) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

April 1, 2009
At 32, divorce Lila Nova discovers possibilities in her Union Square neighborhood when she buys a bird of paradise from David, the cute tropical plant guy at the farmers market. Later, Lila stumbles upon a Laundromat wherein exists a collection of nine plants that together supposedly allow their caretaker to achieve his or her deepest desires. Laundromat owner Armand warns her not to tell anyone, and rightly so: David steals the plants. To make amends, Lila follows Armand to his home in Mexico to replace the missing blooms. The oppressive heat and dampness, the odors of decay and rotting earth, the abundance of scorpions and otherworldly behaviors in Berwin's first novel will get under your skin, even as Lila's "adventure" leads her to self-discovery. What could have been a terrific New York novel morphs into an unconvincing tale of magical realism, where spirit animals roam the jungle and tree vibrations lead to mythological bromeliads. Readers made of sterner stuff might find the journey worth the effort. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 2/15/09.]Bette-Lee Fox, "Library Journal"

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2009
Manhattanite Lila Nova is disgusted with the fauna in her life, from her chilly ex-husband to her lecherous boss at the ad agency. Perhaps flora will help her turn a new leaf, as it were. Besides, she needs something to liven up her empty apartment. A hunky tropical-plant guy sells her a bird of paradise, and soon Lila craves more plants and more of his green-thumb attention. Then she discovers a magical place, a moss-floored, plant-filled, bee- and butterfly-patrolled Laundromat. Its a wondrous little paradise ruled by enigmatic Armand, who keeps his most precious treasures, the nine plants of desire, locked in a back room. So begins debut novelist Berwins clever and sexy fantasy, which follows foolish and intrepid Lila as she risks her life and wreaks havoc in the Yucatn jungle and the strong arms of a virile Huichol shaman. Drawing on Carlos Castaneda, Lynn Andrews, and an effervescent botanical passion, Berwin has fashioned a stylish and diverting tale of boutique mysticism, suspense, and romance. This irresistible, high-energy, mood-elevating, movie-ready tale carries the sweet scent of bestsellerdom.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)