The Dark Garden [Paperback]

Margaret Buffie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1996 | Age Level: 10 and up

This riveting young adult Gothic novel by award-winner Margaret Buffie explores themes of trauma and identity.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9. After an accident, 16-year-old Thea awakens with traumatic amnesia. Trapped inside a mind with no memories, she struggles to recover her identity as she returns home to her distracted, workaholic parents and two younger sisters. She feels imprisoned living with these strangers who seem to have such a skewed idea of family life. Prior to her accident, the teen apparently assumed the role of caregiver to her younger siblings. Now, with her mother expecting another child, Thea dreads what her future holds. As she begins to recover, she experiences memories that she isn't sure belong to her. She hears voices and sees ghostly figures in the garden outside her window. Scenes from the spirit world begin to flood in, and Thea finds herself encapsulated in a supernatural mystery that involves love, anger, loneliness, and murder. This is a suspenseful, although sometimes complicated and meandering, tale of spirits, memories, and the place that ties them all together. Characters are well-defined, if not always likable. At times, the plot becomes a little confusing, as the real world and spirit world begin to cloud. It is sometimes difficult to follow the chain of ghosts and what their appearance in Thea's memories mean. However, teens love tales of spirits and haunted places, and coupled with the themes of amnesia and difficult parents, The Dark Garden should hold some appeal.?Sharon Korbeck, Waupaca Area Public Library, WI
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Originally published in Canada, a first-rate blend of a ghost story and problem novel about Thea, 16, struggling to recover from traumatic amnesia after a bike accident. Released from the hospital, she returns as a stranger to a dysfunctional family she doesn't remember. She knows their old house, but her memories belong to another time, long before her family lived there. She sees evanescent figures, hears voices, and even seems to be someone else at times. Illness, insanity--or a haunting? With help from a sympathetic clergyman and a young, handsome neighbor, Thea uncovers and, in part, relives a long-ago tragedy involving a romantic triangle, a murder, and a madman. She also intercedes with her self-absorbed parents to free herself and her troubled younger sisters from the burden of their neglect. From material that might have become melodrama in less skilled hands, Buffie (The Warnings, 1991, etc.) creates a tightly knit, evocatively written, and lushly (but chastely) romantic thriller. The protagonists--living and dead--are distinctly characterized; a once beautiful, now weed-choked garden is simultaneously setting and symbol of lost happiness. Parallels between Thea's plight and that of her ghostly predecessor are clearly but unobtrusively drawn, and vivid sensory writing makes the fluctuations in Thea's state of consciousness perfectly convincing. A verse from Tennyson's ``Lady of Shalott,'' used as an epigraph, is woven through this exceptional entry in what is often a ``fluff'' genre. (Fiction. 12+) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Kids Can Press (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1553370910
• ISBN-13: 978-1553370918
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,802,019 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My new blog/website is at http://margaretbuffie.com

It is both a blog and a website. For teachers and students, you just have to click on the tabs which indicate my books. I also have a FAQ (frequently asked questions) section on the site. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Biography:

Award winning author, Margaret Buffie, was born and raised in the west end of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the U of Manitoba. An artist for many years, Margaret began writing a story that had intrigued her for a long time - and two years later, "Who is Frances Rain?" was published and quickly became a bestseller. Margaret has published nine more books for young adults. Her new novel is "Winter Shadows".
Margaret works at her home in Winnipeg during the winter and on the veranda of her cottage in north western Ontario in the summer months.
Her books have been published in the United States, Norway, Italy, Sweden, Australia, Great Britain, Germany, China and other countries.
Margaret is the recipient of the prestigious Vicky Metcalf Award for Body of Work (For writing inspirational to Canadian Youth); The Young Adult Canadian Book Award; is a two time winner of the McNally Robinson Book for Young People award, and has been shortlisted for many other awards and honours.

From Margaret: I'm pleased to say that my latest novel WINTER SHADOWS has won The Silver Nautilus Award, May 2011. This award is awarded to "distinguished literary and heartfelt contributions to spiritual growth, conscious living, high-level wellness, green values, responsible leadership and positive social change as well as to the worlds of art, creativity and inspirational reading for adults, children, teens and young adults."
Silver Nautilus Book Awards Winners are carefully selected in a unique three-tier judging process by experienced teams of book reviewers, librarians, authors, editors, book store owners, and leaders in the publishing industry.

WINTER SHADOWS was also nominated for the Canadian Library Association's Book of the Year award, as well as The McNally Robinson Book for Young People award.

Five of my books are now available on KINDLE: They are, "Winter Shadows", "The Watcher", "The Seeker", "The Finder", and "Angels Turn Their Backs".

Once again, my new website/blog is at http://www.margaretbuffie.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A haunting ghost story, December 25, 2005

By 

Amy Wallace "Buttonsamy" (Bolinas, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Dark Garden (Paperback)

This is one of my favorite books. I must have read it hundreds of times. I remember lines from this book that stuck with me, and shaped my trasition into adulthood. This novel captures the mysertious mind of young adults and teens while they make the difficult transition into adulthood.

I remember after I read this book, I redecorated my room. I was about 14 at the time, and having a difficult time in middle school. The main character has amnesia. When she looks in a mirror, she doesn't recognize her own face. She also cannot remember her own family, the house and the town she lives in. She has been in the hospital for weeks, and nothing has come back to her about her life before the accident. When she returns home for the first time, and enters her own room, it was like going into a stranger's bedroom. I couldn't imagine walking into my room and not recognizing it! In the detailed description of her room, the author described the decorated ceiling. The ceiling was covered in sheer squares of multicolored fabric hanging down that made one feel as though they were in a fairyland. When I redecorated my room, I did this in my bedroom. :)

I think this novel was well written and engaging. It is a modern ghost story for our jaded youth, who are used to the violence and crime in the world, too jaded by it to enjoy real good books.

I don't know about you, but I always want to know the other books that the person reviewing a book read before and after the one they are reviewing. I think it helps improve the reccomendation. :) Some other novels I read around this time period and in a similar genre are:

"Remember Me", "The Lost Mind" (similar themes as this novel!), "The Immortal", "Bury me Deep", "Whisper of Death", "Die Softly", by Christopher Pike

"Whispers from the Grave" by Leslie Rule

"Let me Tell you how I died..." by Simclair Smith

The Fear Street Trilogy: "The Burning" (BOOK 1), by R.L. Stine.

The Vampire Journals Trilogy by L.J. Smith

The Secret Circle Trilogy by L.J. Smith

So, if you like this novel, and want books that are similar, check out the ones I mentioned above. I hope you enjoy this fabulous young adult book as much as I did!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mysterious, yet interesting, October 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dark Garden, The (Hardcover)

It was very mysterious at first, but very interesting. A young girl was riding her bike one day and fell and hit her head on the sidewalk, but doesn't remember a thing, not even her name.But something happened when she fell and now she has to find out why and what is doing this to her.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "The book was, okay!", September 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Dark Garden, The (Hardcover)

The book's about Thea, a 16-year-old girl who's suffering of traumatic amnesia after an accident on her bike. In the hospital she got these dreams about a beautiful garden with colorful flowers and a silverpond. When she returns home, the garden is like in her dreams, but the silverpond doesn't work, it seems to have been broken for years, and the flowerbeds are overgrown, like nobody had taken care of them in a long time. She doesn't regognize anyone in the family, the house though, is a clear picture in her head. But the rooms and furniture doesn't fit in and the room that sopose to be hers, she remembers a servent called Annie, should live. Thea begins to see people and hear voices that nobody else does, and if Lucas hadn't shown up she probably would have gone crazy!

I think the book was great. It was exiting to read it, but I didn't like Thea, as a person. She was too angry all the time!!!