“If you expect to be overlooked or forgotten, you’re always at least a little surprised when someone remembers you. You’re always outside understanding those strange creatures who actually expect people to remember and come back.”
*Warning* The Butterfly Garden is a dark story with a lot of disturbing imagery. Not meant for younger readers.
Why is humanity drawn to the dark? Why do we subject ourselves to the stories of death and torture? Does it make us feel human?
Part of me wasn’t even sure I wanted to write a review for The Butterfly Garden. The story is so dark and disturbing that I was afraid younger readers would be drawn to it. But the other side of me realized that art comes in many forms and I needed to share this piece of it.
“Some people stay broken. Some pick up the pieces and put them back together with all the sharp edges showing.”
The Butterfly Garden is about a girl captured by a man dubbed the gardener. He captures beauty as butterflies and preserves them forever in his garden. With an expiration date, the girl lives with the other butterflies, till one day hope comes and they’re all set free.
The story begins with Maya after rescue. Thank goodness… an excellent artistic choice. Because the story is so dark, it’s nice knowing there’s a happy ending, and helped me stick with it. After all the pain I’ll know everyone is ok. Some might think this detracts from the suspense, but I think there was plenty to make you turn the page. Sometimes nonlinear storylines really work in your favor.
Besides excellent writing, this book was just a combination of really good choices. It felt like Hutchinson sat down and thought about her readers. I know they say write what you want to read (I really don’t want to see inside this girl’s mind) but you also need to create a story that others can get through. Case in point, showing the readers immediately that there is a happy ending.
Another excellent choice were the two POVs. We have third person from the FBI agent’s perspective. Then, the story flips to first person when Maya tells the agents her story. This give the readers a feeling of really being interviewed. Would it have worked as all third person? I don’t think so. The story could have turned dull and lost the vibrant in your face imagery that led to the overall compelling narrative.
“Not making a choice is a choice. Neutrality is a concept, not a fact. No one actually gets to live their lives that way.”
Here is a book with amazing characterization - not the overly stylized classroom checklist version produced in One of Us is Lying. Fictional my butt, these people are real. Such fine detail into their personalities. We get hobbies, coping, ethnicities, anger management, goals, in essence an entire psych analysis. And for a wide cast of characters too. We don’t just get an in depth picture of the front runners, but each butterfly, even down to Maya’s parents. If you need a lesson in developing characters, get through this one - I personally learned a whole lot.
Timing is another important skill as a writer. Linear stories do not work for every plot. In Hutchison’s case, she was able to use the FBI interrogation to weave through a timeline hopping story. This let her pose a ton of questions to answer along the whole journey. We have Maya’s backstory, as well as everything that happens in the garden. Even when we think all the questions have been answered, Hutchison drops one more answer on the last page. Timing is key. You can’t drop a boatload of twists at the end, and you can’t give the story away from the beginning.
“You’re comparing the FBI to Hitler?”
“No, I’m engaging in a discussion about perspective and moral relativity.”
Final point, I swear, even though I think I could go on and on about this book. Stay true to your characters. Hutchison does a superb job. As a writer you may want things to be different, but characters are characters and they’re the rulers of this joint. I think if Hutchison had done things outside their scope, the story would have fallen flat. Instead, she kept them true. Another reason they read as real people. They make real people choices.
Ok that’s all for now. I really hope you give The Butterfly Garden a chance. I would love to say I’m reading something lighter after this one but…. Ugh book club read. I guess it’s my fault since I suggested the dystopian read. Anyways - 5 stars all the way. I’ll be trying to find time to squeeze in the next book in the series.
Happy Reading
Love Kait
Reading Challenge: 82/100