A very strange and disturbing story about two abandoned sisters in a dystopian future who meet a boy who comes to visit after they have been isolated for many years. The sisters were tutored by their mother in many things, and keep the garden going while outside their wall they believe society has collapsed and no-one is left.

A boy arrives abruptly over the wall, and the constraints the sisters have put upon themselves shockingly start to fall.

I haven't seen an atmosphere like this created in a book before, and it is very disorientating as you try to workout what is happening and also what has happened in the past. Confusing and shocking in equal measure.

From the blurb of this, citing two elderly sisters, a garden and an orphan waif, I was expecting a gentle story, but I could not have been more wrong. This dark dystopian tale follows the struggles of two elderly sisters as they strive to survive in a world shattered by some unknown global catastrophe. They never venture beyond the grounds of their dilapidated manor house, not step beyond its kitchen, where they live and sleep. For who knows what danger lies outside the gates? Or what secrets lie hidden beyond the kitchen door?
Their peace is shattered by an unknown young boy they catch stealing their honey. Is he frontrunner for an invasion of feared fellow humans? Or is he seeking refuge, too?
This was a gripping and excellent read. The two sisters, so very different in some ways and so alike in others, are skilfully portrayed in all their strength and vulnerability. Their fractious relationship with each other and their long-dead mother is revealed in flashbacks throughout the narrative, which never loses its air of tension and danger, whether it is taking us to the past or keeping us in the present.
Dystopian tales lately have tended to focus on women laid low by men's desire to dominate, and this story hints at that. But just as for the sisters, for the reader what has happened in the outside world doesn't really matter - it is what happens in their garden that counts. The sisters are so complex, so interesting and so unusual in themselves that they remain the focus throughout.
I loved the little references to The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett - they underscored the sisters' sometimes childlike outlook on life.
Themes of guilt and innocence, darkness and light, hope and despair permeate the pages of this story. I honestly could not put it down, and I highly recommend it to everyone. Whatever else I read in 2025, it's definitely going to be one of my top ten.

The Garden by Nick Newman is a post apocalyptic tale with a wonderully ominous sense of dread that builds deliciously as the story unfolds.
Evelyn and Lily are two elderly sisters who live alone in a shut off part of their family home , in some time and place unknown where climate change has caused devastating dust storms and society has fallen apart. Isolated from the oustide world since childhood the pair still live by the strange rules of their long dead mother, and survive largely on the fruits and vegetables they grow in the garden that she started. They are deathly afraid of the world outside their garden walls and of the dangerous Men that would surely kill them at the earliest opportunity but living cooped up together is also not without its tensions and difficulties. When they notice that some things are being moved around in the house and garden they find that their wall has been breached and immediately start to hunt for the intruder, leading to the discovey of the young boy who will dramatically upend their lonely existence.
This book had such a wonderfully strange and mesmerising quailty that I found I simply did not want to put it down, Though vague on the details of how the sisters ended up where they are the author gives enough hints for the reader to draw their own conclusions, helped of course by a number of chapters that take us back to the sister's childhood I thought the idea of writing a post apocalyptic novel from such a narrow perspective was really interesting and the author did it wonderfully well, by keeping both the characters and the reader in the dark about what was going on outside the garden there was a real feeling of claustrophobia and fear of the unknown that gave some tension to the book and made for unsettling but compelling reading.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own

Evelyn and Lily are two daughters living in the kitchen of a grand house, tending the garden and living off the produce, while climate change has made desert and dust storms a constant threat. The walls keep the desperate or curious out and they do not venture into the house because of the dark memories it holds.
The reader is intrigued by the lives of the two women, their relationship and that of their past history with their mother and father, gradually revealed in flashbacks. When a boy breaks in to their isolated existence, the relationship is tested and shocking secrets are revealed.
This dystopian novel cleverly subverts the doomsday prepper narrative, suggesting that community and coming together to build a future is stronger than going it alone and losing ourselves.

4.5

I'm not normally a fan of dystopian fiction but the cover of this book had me hooked and I only skim read the synopsis so it was a but of a surprise when I began reading.

However I thoroughly enjoyed The Garden, which tells the story of Evelyn and Lily, elderly sisters who live within the confines of the kitchen and garden of a large, otherwise uninhabited house. As the story progresses we learn that some catastrophe has befallen their world. It is unclear the nature - manmade or natural - but it has brought huge storms to the land covering it in feet of dust on occasion.

Lily and Evelyn have lived in the same house their whole lives; their father has left and their mother has died leaving behind a garden that the girls tend to provide their food.

However one day a stranger arrives, which begins a series of events that will change their lives forever.

Nick Newman has written a wonderfully atmospheric novel that has you guessing all the way through as to the true nature of the womens' predicament. I could vividly picture their home and garden, and their fear of what lies beyond the walls is palpable.

A really interesting and entertaining read. Definitely recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Transworld Books for the advance review copy. Most appreciated.

Lily & Evelyn, two elderly women, live alone, barricaded away from a world which they are scared of, tending their garden. When a boy is found within the walls, their world changes as they begin to question what they believe in as well as their relationship to each other.

This novel left me feeling quite unsettled for reasons I won't go into for fear of spoiling the plot, yet I thoroughly enjoyed it! The two women's oddness and the way they respond to each other made me invest in what happened next.

This is a haunting story of two elderly sisters, surviving on their own in the basement and garden of the stately home they grew up in after a climate catastrophe causes unspecified disasters out in the wider world. They believe they are the only ones left, based on what their mother told them, but when they learn otherwise many other questions creep in about their way of life and world view they’ve held for the past decades. Like any post-apocalyptic tale this one is sobering and troubling, but does have a hopeful lean at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, with the unfolding of the layers of belief and the sisters coming to terms with how their own reality and the truth might not be in full alignment was particularly engrossing. Very creative and well written.

Evelyn and Lily live together in a place and time unknown. Beautifully written, absolutely haunting and deeply disturbing in all the right ways.

A dystopian story of two sisters and their reclusive life. The are no others, there is nothing outside the garden and they only have each other, untill someone else finds them. I absolutely loved both Lily and Evelyn, they are so different and complete opposites of each other, but their dinnamic made everything so much more compelling. It's a slow burn drama with thriller elements, but there are no dull moments. The ending is devastating and beautiful at the same time. The book raises a lot of questions for our place in the world, the life we are living, is it worth it and is it good enough, is there anything better or we just need to want and search for more. It's written so well, absolutely delightful and heartbreaking. The two timelines of the girl's childhood and their life now as an old ladies, intertwined so perfectly that it was never boring to read. I suggest you read this slowly and between the lines. Such a great book, I expect it to be a huge success when it comes out.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC.

An incredible read. Part dystopia, part folk horror, The Garden is the haunting story of two women who live completely isolated, spending every day tending to their garden. When a strange creature finds its way into their world, we see everything they know start to come apart. The story plays out slowly and compulsively, every page turning us closer to an unraveling. This is a raw, visceral story, one which I already know will linger with me for a long time.

With thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for the review copy.

This book starts off as what seems like a nice story about two sisters and their lives with flashbacks to when they were younger but as you get further into the story it becomes much darker and you get a better sense of how they are really living and why. A thought provoking story about climate change and how the World is rapidly changing.

There is so much post-apocalyptic fiction around these days that it is hard to find a new angle into the genre. In The Garden, Nick Newman both does and doesn’t manage to find his way through this conundrum. He leans on some well worn post-apocalyptic tropes (or at least allows readers to imagine them) but also delivers something a little different and poignant along the way.
Ageing sisters Evelyn and Lily live in a couple of rooms of an old stately house, eking put an existence by tending to the walled garden that surrounds their home. Into this strangely static environment comes a teenage boy (although his age is never really confirmed). At first Lily is suspicious but Evelyn sees the boy as a potential boon, someone who can help them tend the garden, and the many chores that are getting away from them. But then the allegiances switch and the relationship between the three becomes more complicated. Through all of this are glimpses of the past, when the two were still children, as the world was deteriorating and their parents make the decision to lock their gates and just hunker down.
The Garden works on the strength of the two sisters and their relationship. They are stuck in a what is essentially a perpetual childhood, ignoring not only the outside world but inconvenient issues in their past. They often act like children, still beholden to the words of their long dead mother and her notes. But it appears that that are also able to do anything it takes to survive (leading to a number of increasingly predictable reveals).
But The Garden is also full of down the line post-apocalyptic tropes – the boy has come from some undefined place which it is implied is autocratic and unwelcoming. He is fleeing to somewhere “better” on the coast but is being pursued by… someone for… reasons? The climate is changing, not so much to stop the two women running a productive garden except for unprecedented weather events (particularly for what readers must presume in the United Kingdom). Newman does not delve too deeply into these aspects of the story, but rather relies on readers to fill in the blanks (if they want to) from other books of this genre.
While not every book needs to be about something, it is hard to know what Newman is trying to say in The Garden about issues like climate change and its impacts. As a character study of two unique characters and their fraught relationship, The Garden works. As a cautionary post-apocalyptic tale (if that was what was intended) less so.

A compelling read. It starts with the gentle pace of two elderly sisters tending their garden and slowly gets darker and darker. It is beautifully written and the characters wonderfully observed in their interactions. It's moving, at times quite scary and deeply tragic. Highly recommended.

Up on Goodreads now, live on the blog on 20 January:

Let me start by saying: I have no clue whatsoever how to review this one and how to do it justice, my sincerest apologies for the mess this review will undoubtedly become!

I would describe The Garden as a drama veering into psychological horror, with a certain gothic undertone and a dystopian as well dark and eerie fairy-tale kind of vibe. It tells the story of two sisters and their somewhat dysfunctional relationship and how they’ve grown old together, cut off from the rest of the world.

We don’t know where or when they are, and we never fully discover what happened to the rest of the world. If you’re the sort of reader who wants full disclosure and clarity by the end of the story, you might have issues with The Garden, although I have to say, I’m usually that type of reader and here it didn’t bother me at all. For some reason, it works here, it adds to that almost dreamlike quality of the story.

The Garden is a slow-burner. Again, not something I always appreciate, but this is the kind of story that begs not to be rushed. The sisters’ tale is very compelling, I was drawn in from the very first chapter and I couldn’t stop reading. Little by little, (some of) the truth is revealed and I felt quite overwhelmed by a feeling of sadness for these sisters and what they’ve been through.

I started out giving The Garden four stars, but the more I think about it, the more I appreciate this haunting story and the feelings it left me with and I’ve rounded it up to five. I don’t think it will be for everyone but it most certainly was for me and I would happily recommend it to readers who enjoy dark stories that are a mix of genres and bring just that little bit more to the table.

The Garden is out in hardcover, digital formats and audio on 30 January.

Massive thanks to Doubleday and NetGalley for the DRC. All opinions are my own.

I loved this to start with, it reminded me of the Secret Garden, so interesting that was the only book they had. But then it became darker, with the answers to the mysteries of the past chilling, especially the 'meat'. Then at the end, it became more of a horror/thriller. There were still unanswered questions at the end, but I enjoyed the subtlety and the slow build up of the horror.

This book is an unusual post-apocalyptic mystery set in a beautiful botanical environment. It covers themes of humanity, familial unravelling, childhood trauma, and how we deal with memories to survive.
It tells the story of two isolated sisters who live in the dilapidated stately home where they grew up. They only live in the kitchen, as the rest of the house is falling apart. They are scared of the house and what might be there. Their days revolve around tending to their large garden by religiously following the instructions their mother left them. They tend to the beehives, the chickens, the abundant fragrant flowerbeds, and they harvest apples, all in an unending list of tasks.

However, we quickly realise that things aren’t quite right. The sisters seem childish and immature, yet they are old and physically frail. They do not leave the house and garden under any circumstance, and they do not remember much of their past. The time setting is ambiguous. Past and present become blurred whilst seasons are unnaturally fast, and the heat is constantly extreme.

The atmosphere becomes increasingly tense as strange occurrences begin to happen. A strange figure is seen in the distance, making the sisters begin to question everything in their existence. Their relationship becomes strained as they confront their fears, memories, and their mother's teachings.
Ultimately, the story concludes with revelations about their past, leading to a bittersweet resolution.

I enjoyed how gradually and artfully the tension escalates. The narrative becomes increasingly oppressive and claustrophobic without ever entirely veering into horror or thriller as it goes from an idyllic, cosy atmosphere to being tense with a heavy sense of dread.
I enjoyed the sisters’ emotional journey as they navigate their lives in isolation whilst avoiding, yet being plagued by memories of their past and coming to terms with their humanity.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dystopias or gothic fiction and is looking for something different and fresh.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A slow, uneasy tale of two elderly sisters who live confined within a garden and one room of their house and spend their days tending bees, planting crops and following the almanac their mother left behind. We follow their daily life as they appear to be the only two people left in the world…until a young boy turns up and upends everything they know.

I was so excited to read a dystopian book following two elderly sisters at the end of the world as books in this genre typically follow male characters and it was so interesting reading about their sibling dynamic and slowly being let in to their pasts. Although the plots and genres are very different, I couldn’t help being reminded of Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller in that sense.

Although the characters were well fleshed out and interesting to read about, I did find myself being left a little underwhelmed by the end and hoping for more.

If you’re looking for a book with minimal plot and fleshed out characters that blends cottagecore with the dystopian/apocalyptic then this is definitely the book for you!

📚 ARC Review - The Garden | Nick Newman | 30th January 2025

A hauntingly beautiful tale of two aging sisters who have spent a lifetime maintaining their very own sanctuary in the middle of an apocalypse.

Evelyn and Lily have only each other in this dystopian world, and following them through their daily lives is truly captivating as the mystery surrounding The Garden and the encompassing apocalypse is woven as the novel develops. Upon the discovery of an unknown boy within their sanctuary whose existence seems almost impossible, secrets are brought to light and true darkness begins creeping through the cracks. The sisters are fully reliant on the teachings of their mother, though with their growing uncertainties they both seem to find themselves questioning what they believe as their circumstances continue to drift further away from anything they’ve known before. As the story progresses and more details are unravelled, you are led on a journey that slowly turns from cautiously curious to ominously thrilling. Though this was quite slowly paced, this matched the tonality of the story beautifully and I literally could not put it down until I had devoured every last word. This allowed the author to truly dive into the depths of the two sisters, allowing us to explore their complex inner workings and dysfunctional relationships as a result of an entire lifetime driven by true isolation and fear.

The novel takes place on a very small scale, and though we do learn the basic gist of how this dystopian life came about I would’ve liked to see more on that and I feel there is a lot of room for expansion within this world in the future should the opportunity arise. This is my first experience of Nick Newman’s work and I am in awe at how well the writing style lends to the storytelling and manages to captivate you as a reader. Newman manages to capture such complex emotional portrayals on the page, giving deeper meanings to the characters’ surface actions and allowing you to unmask the conflicting and confusing feelings brought on by such prolonged isolation. Thrillingly tragic, at its core this is a tale of love and survival in a dark and devouring world.

Thank you to Nick Newman and NetGalley for the opportunity to give an advance review on this book. If you’re a fan of slow thrillers and gut-wrenching dystopian horrors then grab some tissues and settle in to this darkly emotional rollercoaster of a book, as I give this a 4/5 star rating.

I have a soft spot for dystopian slow-build thrillers and the blurb for The Garden really hit the mark for me – I was excited to request to read it!

Evelyn and Lily live in a small part of their crumbling mansion, with access to their beautiful walled garden. They live off the land and have each other, and as far as they are aware, they are completely alone in the world. However, when a young boy is found hiding in their sanctuary, a lot of questions are about to be asked which may change the world as they know it forever…

I absolutely adored this book; it slowly creeps in and grips you from the inside out. The story is told through present day narration from Evelyn and interspersed with memories from her childhood, when an event occurred which brought about the end of their family’s interaction with the wider world. As a reader we are desperate to know what has happened and why the sisters are living as they are, and this information is drip-fed to us slowly in a brilliantly paced way which kept me gripped.

It really is one of those books I don’t want to give too much away whilst writing my review and just urge you to read it and see what I mean. Evelyn and Lily are such complex and different characters who each have their views and wants in the world, but also a desperate dependency on each other which is a joy to read. The ending is truly moving and it’s a book that you think about long after you turn the final page.

Overall, The Garden is a gripping and brilliantly paced read which I thoroughly enjoyed – my first Kindig Gem for 2025. Thank you to NetGalley & Random House UK & Transworld Publishers – Doubleday for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This book was an excellent addition to climate and dystopian horror fiction. It’s smart, it understands exactly what it’s trying to do and it unveils at just the right pace.

We meet two aging sisters in the garden they tend. Their lives are dedicated to work and fulfilling the rules laid out for them my their mother in an almanac. One sister is far more dedicated than the other and we experience their tension as one seeks to maintain their lives, and the other wants something more. Their garden is surrounded by a wasteland we don’t fully understand and we get gradual hints to the horrors outside through mentions of extreme weather as long as flashbacks to their past lives and what happened to bring them to this situation dotted throughout the book.

This is very small in scale with the story focused on one home and two sisters. However it works perfectly for a vehicle for exploring the situation and the pressure the living environment is putting on these characters.

For atmosphere, characters, intrigue and world building this book was excellent. The only reason it wasn’t a five star read for me was the ending felt a bit confusing. But the first 85% of the book was fantastic.