Following the loss of her mom, Adara is forced to move from sunny California to chilly Michigan. Her dad tells her it’s so they can help out her grandma, but Adara suspects that isn’t the only reason. She’s already going through a huge and profound sense of hurt and now her whole world is turned upside down. And, worse yet, she’s not allowed any plants around the house because of her grandma’s dog Toby; for the daughter of a plant-loving mama, it’s one more connection that’s taken away from her.
As a compromise, Adara’s grandma lets her keep plants in the craft room, and she ends up choosing a new succulent to help her adjust, which she names Perle. And while tending to Perle and the other houseplants, Adara discovers they can talk! It’s a power Adara and her mom had in common, and it allows her to unravel whole new layers of the past that she never knew about.
While settling in, she also befriends Winnie, a bubbly girl with big dreams of being an artist, and starts at her new local middle school. Through Adara’s relationship with her family, her new friends, and her succulent buddies, she explores the strength of love and support from those around her. Is it enough to keep Adara from falling into the darkness of her own emotions?
How to Talk to Your Succulent is a lush and heartfelt middle-grade story that is striking for adults and kids alike. Zoe Persico’s art is simply gorgeous, bringing the characters to life with a radiant array of colors and tones. Through her beautifully crafted graphic novel, Adara and her friends’ emotions are poured out across the page with vibrant clarity.
The metaphors for grief and despair are brilliantly rendered, connecting you to Adara and her loved ones, while also giving readers a new way of expressing those same feelings. This might just become a new tool to help kids express their more difficult emotions and help them deal with them; I only wish I had this story when I was growing up.
It also shows the warmth and growth when experiencing true connection; through Adara’s bonds with Winnie and Perle, we see the importance of checking in and making sure your friendship goes both ways. And with her family ties, we learn the importance of leaning on one another, even as adults; and how keeping everything bottled up isn’t healthy. So many great lessons are blended into this story that you can’t help but admire its subtle levels of complexity.
You may shed a tear or two when reading How to Talk to Your Succulent—not just because you feel for the characters and their struggles, but also because it is so healing to see how they navigate each relationship’s growing pains. The heavier themes intertwine with the lighter ones to form the beating heart that makes this graphic novel so wonderful. How to Talk to Your Succulent is a joy to read for all ages—and it might just get you talking, too!
