The Red and Black Garden by Bianca Wild

If you can get past the confused pronoun problems, some other editing issues, and the feeling that, for the writer, English is a second language, The Red and Black Garden is actually a pretty good book.

It's a very nicely conceived tale about the complexities of a relationship. Whoops, I can't say that much or I could easily give it away, because it's really a simple love story that is also somehow deeply complex. I know that sounds confusing, but it’s a tale about boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love, and then they overcome some serious issues pertaining to gender. Things go well, and there is the possibility of a successful, long-lasting and happy relationship. Then, the unthinkable happens.

Actually, there are some serious clues along the way to the “unthinkable” so perhaps it wasn’t that unthinkable after all. The only thing is that although this book is complete in itself, we find out at the end that there is a continuation novel coming out soon and then another one after that. Perhaps that’s a good thing ‘cause I’d really like to find out what happens after the "big problem" at the end. On balance, I enjoyed it and recommend it.

Reviewed by Samuel