The Butterfly Garden

Overall thoughts The Butterfly Garden blew my mind, and it definitely left me wanting more. The combination of such a gripping and intriguing premise, profound and memorable characters and a fantastic use of language has caused this novel to become one of my favorite reads of the year, and one of my favorite mystery & thriller books. While there are some things that I dislike, such as the somewhat lackluster ending, as a whole, the book was nothing short of absolutely amazing. However, I understand that it won’t be for everyone and that many will turn away from the book, be it because of the plot or the brutality of some of the themes. For those that decide to read this, it will probably become a fast-paced and enjoyable ride that will prove itself hard to put down. In this case, the rating that I would give this book would be a solid 5 out of 5 without any hesitation. For a more detailed account of my thoughts, please read below, though there might be some minor spoilers (and I would most definitely recommend reading this book without not knowing much about it). Plot & Themes This book revolves around a very unique, dark and disturbing premise. A girl, known for the most part as Maya, recounts the tale of how she got herself kidnapped and woke up to what she, and others, referred to as the Garden, which is run by the Gardener, though his sons are also present at different points in the story. While the story starts with Maya being interrogated by a pair of FBI agents who are trying to find out more about the Garden, we are quickly exposed to the actual events that took place in this location. Despite being kidnapped by a male figure, Maya found herself being awoken by another young girl. This girl is later revealed also to have been kidnapped, and she’s not the only one. Little by little, we are exposed to the practices that take place in this garden. For starters, every girl is tattooed with a different butterfly on her back. Until then, the girls are mostly kept in isolation from the rest of the victims. As she starts being acclimated to the conditions of the Garden and as she gets her own tattoo, Maya starts discovering some harsh realities of her new existence. The harshest of all, perhaps, is that all of these girls are trapped in a dome. These girls are free to roam the Garden, though they do follow some strict schedules and rules. For example, they need to eat at certain times of the day, and they are only allowed to have select snacks and drinks outside of the designated meals. Furthermore, if any girl isn’t eating, for whatever reason, then they get a visit from the lunch lady, who also happens to be the nurse. This, however, doesn’t even begin to cover the realities that these girls face. As soon as the girls get their own tattoos, they are raped for the first time by the Gardener. This is, sadly, not the only time that this occurs. In fact, this is a very common occurrence, with the Gardener visiting these girls quite often. The Gardener is not the only person to take part in these activities either, as oldest son also does this. This son in particular though tends to be more brutal with these girls. While the Gardener seems to have some level of affection and seems to care about these girls to some degree, these sentiments are not shared by his son. His son, in fact, tortures and sodomizes the girls through some very sadistic behavior. He even ends up killing some by accident, which leads to another important of the book: death. Death is an important aspect of the novel. It is a reality that the girls have learned to accept and something that they are surrounded by and reminded of daily. This can be explained thanks to the deranged reasoning that the Gardener provides in order to have his butterfly garden. It is revealed throughout the book that the Gardener’s father used to have a collection of butterflies, which he eventually lost in an accident. Following his father’s footsteps, the Gardener decides to have his own collection, though in a much more disturbing way: by collecting girls with butterfly tattoos on their backs. Due to the relatively short lifespan of butterflies, the Gardener attempts to recreate this phenomenon on his own collection. The way he does this is by injecting them with formaldehyde, and later preserving their bodies on glass displays. These young, preserved girls are kept in the halls of the Garden, next to where the current residents sleep, hence the constant presence of death in the novel. Another incredibly strong aspect of the book is the characters themselves. The characters in the novel are extremely complex and have their own personality traits. These characters are presented in a way that it is easy to distinguish between them, due to their mannerism and behavior, and in a very convincing manner. The interactions between them also present some very memorable, enjoyable, and emotional moments. The girls throughout the story go through different events, from periods of celebration and happiness to mourning and despair. Even those characters that could be labeled as the villains have their own depth. In my opinion, these characters have certain traits and characteristics that make them easier to remember and to distinguish from past characters in similar genres. Narration & use of language The narration shifts throughout the book. The scenes where Maya is being interrogated are narrated from a third person perspective, while the events of the Garden are told in the first person. The interplay between both narrative styles is easy to follow and suits the story well. The language used throughout the book is phenomenal. The author has managed to write the novel in such a way that it hooks the reader, despite how messed up and disturbing some of the things are. The descriptions also make the book very vivid. Lastly, the language flows very well and is incredibly easy to follow, causing it to be a fantastic page turner. Recommendations for further reading I’d recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a solid thriller or, to some extent, a horror novel. I’d also recommend it to those that are looking for either something dark, memorable, or original. Due to the originality, there is very few books that I’d recommend that could capture the same amount of emotions, details, and creativity as The Butterfly Garden does. In the mystery and thriller area, I’d recommend Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson. Leaning more towards horror, I’d recommend A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay. Lastly, for those that want something between horror and thriller, I’d recommend Bird Box by Josh Malerman. Thanks for reading my review, and I hope that those of you that decide to read this book enjoy it. Happy reading!

This was a good read but for me the ending fell short. The story was great and it hooked me from the beginning. I just wish the twist was different. Beware of the triggers such as abuse and SA. Overall I think this a great read

The Butterfly Garden had been on my “to read” list for a while, and I don’t know why I waited so long to read it! This was the first time I’d read anything by Dot Hutchison, but it certainly won’t be the last—I can’t wait to start reading book 2 in the series, The Roses of May! I was unable to put down this magnificent thriller that was filled with chilling suspense and horror until I’d learned everything that had happened to the “butterflies” in "The Garden” so stayed up all night until I was done—which as creepy as the book was made it really hard to sleep afterward! I’d suggest with the subject material probably not reading it and then trying to sleep… On one hand, it was so engrossing because the story left you feeling very sick and disturbed by the gruesome and twisted story about what happened in “The Garden”, yet at the same time feeling drawn to the attachments, friendships, and love that grew between the girls in the garden. Every single one of the victims is portrayed so intricately and given a unique personality that it is hard to get them out of your mind. Even if they only played a small part in the book, it will be hard to forget these girls who developed relationships and friendships under the most horrific of circumstances. The story is told from the POV of Maya, one of the girls who was kept as a prisoner in “The Garden”. She’s being interrogated by the FBI about what exactly happened and what she has to say is not only sickening and disturbing but enthralling. She tells her story not only by relaying her past memories of her life as a "butterfly" but speaks in the present tense during her talks with the FBI agents, yet these jumps back and forth in time blend seamlessly together and skillfully tells the story. As Maya talks, we learn all about her and the other girl’s tormentor “The Gardener”. He’s a psychopath who has been kidnapping girls for three decades. When he takes them, he marks them as his own personal “butterflies” by tattooing butterfly wings on their backs and changing their names. Then he repeatedly rapes them and imprisons them until they reach their “expiration date” at age 21. Not only that, but he allows his equally psycho son to torment and abuse them. It’s pretty apparent that Maya has some secret as she tells of the horrors of life as a "butterfly". You really hope the FBI agents are wrong to think she is somehow in cahoots with “The Gardener” since you really, really can’t help but liking her. She’s a wonderfully sympathetic character. The ending of the book reveals an unexpected twist—and Maya’s secret. It wasn’t the twist that I thought it would be, and it was the only part of the book that I felt wasn’t necessary. It felt like a weird ending to me, but it didn’t make me like the book any less. This is still a 5-star book in my opinion; it’s addicting, chilling, suspenseful, and beautifully written. Dot Hutchinson has a new fan!

I wasn't sure about this title but once I started reading , I really didn't feel like keeping my kindle down for a moment. The storyline is not very complex but the depiction and thrill is kept throughout the story which is really worth appreciating.

Different interesting couldnt put it down.

Google trigger warnings before you read it if you’re not used to dark themed books!

This book is absolutely amazing. The story had me gripped all the way through and I couldn't put it down. I felt like I was there with the descriptions of the Garden and the characters and I really felt like I knew them all. You do feel sorry for a lot of them and you understand their plight and fights all the way through. You feel their pain and sorrow, anger and love as well. I got all 4 and read them one after the other. Highly recommend for any crime/thriller reader who is looking for something a little different than your usual cat and mouse read.

This book did everything absolutely right: it managed to have lots of interesting characters without being confusing; fantastic creative plot; breathtaking ending. This is the story of a beautiful garden, where the Gardener is the ruler and collects butterflies. The problem is that his butterflies are actually kidnapped teenage girls, who get very detailed wing tattoos. The book starts with Maya, one of the butterflies, telling the FBI about her time in the Garden and the mystery lies in how everybody managed to escape. I just couldn't believe how perfect this book was. The story was so disturbing, but told in such a delicate way that it matched the setting perfectly. The Gardener is now my favorite villain: he created a metaphor that he believe in so thoroughly that he thought he was doing the right thing. Also, I highlighted a lot, because there were so many enchanting quotes. I can't recommend this book enough, it really managed to blow me away.