When sickness comes to Thorn Creek, the warden tells people the plants are to blame and that they must burn them all. But Orla's garden is all she has left of her Ma, and she knows her beloved plants can't possibly be the cause of the sickness, so she sets off upriver to find a cure.
Along the way, she'll have to learn to accept help from Idris and Ariana, and realised that she's stronger as part of a team than she could ever be on her own.
And all the while, the plants keep whispering, urging her on and encouraging her when everything seems too difficult.
The Map of Leaves is a celebration of the natural world and the healing nature of plants. I loved the plant facts at the beginning of each chapter. This novel will inspire readers to get out in their own gardens and see what's growing there.
It's filled with adventure, friendship and the wonders of plants. Orla was a brilliant protagonist - fiercely independent and as prickly as the brambles which border her garden. But she also grows just as much as any of her plants do, learning to let others in and to heal from the grief of her mother's death.
The Map of Leaves will keep MG readers engaged throughout thanks to some great stakes and a formidable, greedy antagonist. It is also a book about illness which can be read post-pandemic without making you feel uneasy as it's not too dark and its pages are filled with hope.
Thank you so much Chicken House for sending me a copy to review and for letting me take part in the tour.