Liz Berry (1) (1935–)

This book has a great feel to it and I love the way the author describes the setting and the mystical aspects of the story. I see a very vivid picture in my mind of gardens and hills the protagonist explores and I was drawn in by the mystery and magic of the quest she embarks on. My primary complaint about the book, and my reason for not rating it higher, is the main love interest. He pulls all this nasty manipulative boyfriend bullshit and the story just glosses over it and paints his show more actions as romantic. I couldn't get behind the relationship because it didn't seem healthy or logical so any appeal the romance has for others was lost on me. Despite this I did enjoy the book and might read it again in the future. show less

Clare has just completed her A-levels when her mother announces that she is moving to Ravensmere, an estate in the west country, for a private nursing job. Although Clare has the option of staying in London until she goes up to university, she decides instead to accompany her to Ravensmere. There she discovers a strange connection between herself and Ravensmere, as well as its grounds. There is also her intense attraction to Mark, an enigmatic, motorcycle riding, local. With Ravensmere show more threatened with demolition, Clare is left to solve its mysteries and try to preserve this magical bit of land.

A bit of a mixed read, The China Garden has its charms. Lush descriptions of the gorgeous English country side and the beautiful estate are well done and the creation of a magic that is not entirely understood by anyone creates an excellent source of tension. The characters, however, have rough patches in terms of development and both Clare and Mark have multiple lightning changes in attitudes. Their relationship also develops extremely quickly (partially explained by the magic, but I'm still not sure I've forgiven Mark for his actions at his introduction to Clare). The book also shows its age a bit. Originally published in 1996 (and feeling even a bit older than that), it has an environmental conservation sub-theme that was lacking in subtlety. A not bad read if you're in the mood for a quiet YA romance with a menacing magic undercurrent. show less

Clare has just finished with her exams and is finally preparing to go to college when her mother drops the bombshell that she's planning to leave her London nursing job to be a private nurse for the Earl of Ravensmere, an English country estate veiled in even more layers of mystery than Clare could hope to imagine. Though she could spend the summer in London with friends, Clare feels an irresistable pull to accompany her mother to Ravensmere, where, it turns out, things are more than a show more little strange. For one thing, everyone in the neighboring village seems to know her and all seem unusually happy to have her "back" at Ravensmere. Then the hallucinations of the would-be future start, and did I mention that irresistably handsome guy in motorcycle leathers that keeps turning up when Clare least expects him?

It doesn't take long for Clare to realize that she is already more wrapped up in Ravensemere's story than she can imagine and so, it happens, is that guy, Mark. As the summer unfolds, Clare learns that her mother has some deep, dark secrets in her past, and that the mystical powers of Ravensmere may well have claim on her own future.

And that's all I'll say in the way of plot summary, lest I give away one of The China Garden's many mysteries.

I found The China Garden to be an enjoyable, if not particularly memorable, read. Berry easily paces her novel with just the right amount of suspense to keep readers hungry for the answer to the next question. She also captures the darkly mysterious nature of what, on the surface, seems to be a beautiful but otherwise unremarkable estate. The back story and the current story are skillfully woven together, but older readers will probably catch on to much of the mystery before it's been revealed, which, I suppose is half the fun anyway. The only complaint I have has to do with the relationship between Clare and Mark, which, to me, always seemed a bit hollow and shallow for all the forces pushing them together and their own mutual attraction. Their relationship is an important premise for the story, and that it never seemed to go much deeper than lust had a bit of a negative effect on the story. But, then, this book's intended audience might not read into it is much as I'm doing which would make this all a moot point. All in all, a good read and one I would recommend to somebody looking for a good pageturner for the summer months. show less

Seventeen-year-old Mel Calder is desperate for her life to change, and she is learning the hard way that only she can make it happen. Left alone in their run-down house after her mother’s breakdown, Mel decides to repair and redecorate it for her mother when she comes home, but it’s not long before the whole neighborhood is involved.
When Mel meets attractive Mitch Hamilton, lead guitarist with top rock group Asssassination, Mitch is more than willing to help with the house, but Mel is show more suspicious. She has no time for a boyfriend, particularly a famous one who will be off to other girls in other countries soon enough, and, besides, there’s her lovely teacher, young Mr Edwards, so helpful and sympathetic. So when Mitch announces his intention to marry Mel, no one is more astounded than Mel herself except, perhaps, Mitch’s girlfriend, the formidable Roxy Leigh. show less