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randi_jo 's review for:

Moongarden by Michelle A. Barry
3.0
adventurous hopeful medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

 A nice space fantasy. 12 year old Myra is your typical angsty tween who gets caught up in the secrets of her Elite lunar boarding school. At this point in time the Earth is no longer habitable because plants became toxic and poisoned Earth's atmosphere.

The plot is fun and has a lot of drama, the characters are your typical tropey school types, the nerd girl, jock boy, the surveillance teacher, the Dean With Secrets. Can't say I didn't see it coming, but also it's an entertaining formula.

My only qualms are: 1) there is virtually no plot resolution. This will be a series and very obviously so. There are answered questions, and an attempt at plot resolution that instead became a conflict point for more drama. It feels unfinished and unsatisfying. 2)
If plants are so evil because what they did to Earth and they haven't been cultivated in at least a couple generations, then how do all these people find and get caught with all these seeds? Seeds show up everywhere. At least one person per family has seeds! Distracting.