The Deepest Roots
In The Deepest Roots, the town of Cottonwood Hollow girls are born with special talents. Seen as oddities by neighbouring communities, best friends Rome, Lux, and Mercy have an incredible bond. But their special talents are seen more as curses. Rome’s ability to Fix anything she touches may make her job as a mechanic more interesting, but it doesn’t help her mother pay the rent or make it any easier to confide in Lux and Mercy about what’s going on at home. Rome isn’t the only one struggling. Lux is keeping darker, more dangerous secrets.
A few themes really stuck out to me in this contemporary Young Adult novel. I particularly liked the idea that these curses were originally meant to be gifts. When a woman who was abandoned by her husband after she had a miscarriage enacted the “curse,” she meant these talents to be blessings. They were meant to keep the girls of Cottonwood Hollow safe, loved, and protected.
For Rome and Mercy, their talents can easily be seen as gifts. But Lux does not view her Siren gift – where she can make any man fall in love with her – as such. She got in trouble in the past for using her Siren abilities inappropriately. The symbolism behind how the talents in the book are viewed is a good comparison for how people today view their own talents and gifts. We should all try to see the good in ourselves.
Another theme that caught my attention was the danger of secrets. Rome thought she was protecting herself by keeping the struggles at home to herself, but in reality she was ignoring the chance for help. She was too proud to accept that this issue was bigger than what a seventeen-year-old could handle on her own. Lux’s secret had more dangerous consequences, but it was just as harmful. By not being honest with each other and themselves, and keeping Mercy out of the loop, Rome, Lux, and Mercy almost lost the friendship that they had fought for years to keep. The Deepest Roots showed keeping secrets is toxic and they always come to light, whether you want them to or not.
Out of the three girls, Rome was my favourite. Her attempt to Fix everything, the stress and pressure she was under – I’ve known that feeling and I bonded with her within those three hundred odd pages. I especially liked her romance with Jett. He proved to be a genuinely good guy who stood by her even when she was stressed and lashed out at him. In addition to Lux and Mercy, he showed her she could rely on others without being let down.
This was a great story. I hope Miranda Asebedo writes more books in the future!
The Deepest Roots Rating: ★★★★
A few themes really stuck out to me in this contemporary Young Adult novel. I particularly liked the idea that these curses were originally meant to be gifts. When a woman who was abandoned by her husband after she had a miscarriage enacted the “curse,” she meant these talents to be blessings. They were meant to keep the girls of Cottonwood Hollow safe, loved, and protected.
For Rome and Mercy, their talents can easily be seen as gifts. But Lux does not view her Siren gift – where she can make any man fall in love with her – as such. She got in trouble in the past for using her Siren abilities inappropriately. The symbolism behind how the talents in the book are viewed is a good comparison for how people today view their own talents and gifts. We should all try to see the good in ourselves.
Another theme that caught my attention was the danger of secrets. Rome thought she was protecting herself by keeping the struggles at home to herself, but in reality she was ignoring the chance for help. She was too proud to accept that this issue was bigger than what a seventeen-year-old could handle on her own. Lux’s secret had more dangerous consequences, but it was just as harmful. By not being honest with each other and themselves, and keeping Mercy out of the loop, Rome, Lux, and Mercy almost lost the friendship that they had fought for years to keep. The Deepest Roots showed keeping secrets is toxic and they always come to light, whether you want them to or not.
Out of the three girls, Rome was my favourite. Her attempt to Fix everything, the stress and pressure she was under – I’ve known that feeling and I bonded with her within those three hundred odd pages. I especially liked her romance with Jett. He proved to be a genuinely good guy who stood by her even when she was stressed and lashed out at him. In addition to Lux and Mercy, he showed her she could rely on others without being let down.
This was a great story. I hope Miranda Asebedo writes more books in the future!
The Deepest Roots Rating: ★★★★