This short story is part of the “Into Shadow” series, but unfortunately it really didn’t work for me. I’m not sure if I simply didn’t understand what was going on or if it was meant to be deliberately dreamlike and ambiguous, but I never connected with it. Even after reading the official description, I still felt confused and disconnected.

“In this dreamlike short story told in alternating prose and verse, Tomi Adeyemi weaves a tale of a young woman’s journey to find her mother and uncover her secrets. Fifteen years ago, Leina‘s mother, Yuliana, went searching for a mythical place called the Garden and never returned. Determined to learn the truth about what happened, Leina travels to Brazil to search for the hidden realm, with Yuliana’s journal and a local tour guide leading the way. But Leina soon begins to wonder if she’s looking for answers—or if what she truly wants to find is herself.”

Blurb

Maybe it was meant to feel like a dream, a hallucinatory journey, or simply a poetic exploration of grief and discovery. Whatever the intention, it just didn’t resonate with me, and I was relieved when I reached the end. I have no doubt Tomi Adeyemi is a talented author, but this story wasn’t a good showcase of her abilities.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️