Review of The Weed Lady

[Christabel Uzoamaka]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Weed Lady" by Shea R Embry.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Weed Lady by Shea R Embry has to be the best book I have read in weeks. Readers may be misled by the title to think that this book is about marijuana; it is not. This book is about transformation, friendship, love, and meditation. The author successfully sends beautiful messages through the characters’ actions. I loved the friendship between Jesi, Nicole, and Rachel. The author showed that friends are allowed to make mistakes, air their different opinions, and still love each other. It was such a refreshing experience to witness their friendship.

When a weed lady randomly shows up in the front yard of Jesi and Nicole’s home to pull weeds, Jesi immediately becomes obsessed with her. Jesi thinks that their dead Aunt Mary Opal somehow sent her. When Jesi’s obsession leads her to hurt the people closest to her: her father, her mother, Nicole, Rachel, and Jules, she tries to fix things. She soon realizes that the weed lady is not the only one who needs to pull weeds; Jesi needs to pull weeds she has let grow in her heart. Read this book to find out how the three friends, Jesi, Nicole, and Rachel, transform the simple act of pulling weeds into something that changes their lives forever.

Shea R Embry began this book abruptly and with no backstory of any of the characters. I was confused at first, and I was impatient to figure out who Aunt Mary Opal was. But as I read on, I found that I loved this style of writing; every revelation felt like opening a treasure chest, making the wait worth it. The writer used a third-person narrative style that focused mostly on Jesi. Even though the focus was on Jesi’s actions, the author managed to develop every other character through her adept use of dialogue. The dialogue was smooth, and I was never confused as to who was talking. This use of dialogue helped me to imagine every scene like it was a movie.

Another thing I thoroughly enjoyed was the author's use of symbolism. If you pay attention, you’ll find that many things, phrases, and situations have deeper meanings. I found discovering such hidden messages delightful. Even the book’s title is meaningful. Despite the meaningful themes this book addresses, it is still an easy read. You might find Jesi a brat, but you will eventually fall in love with all her dynamics and fiery temper. Nicole and Rachel are not left out either. You will also find other characters other than the three friends to love. George will surprise you; Jules will make you laugh, and Cynthia will teach you compassion.

Apart from their hair colors, I was not clear on what the three friends looked like. But a picture of three women on the front cover of the book helped my imagination. Every other aspect of the book made up for this slight lapse, so I rate it 4 out of 4. The relationship between Jesi and Nicole is an LGBTQ+ one, so readers opposed to such may want to avoid reading this book. Also, the characters make use of profanity, and there is some sexual content in the book. With only a few errors, I am certain that this book received professional editing. If you like stories that mirror reality and shine a light on self-improvement, meditation, and female solidarity, you should grab a copy of this book!

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The Weed Lady
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[Theana De lima Araujo]

This looks like an interesting read. Thank you for the lovely review. I think it is an unusual title and I did assume that it would be about cannabis. I'm glad to see you cleared that up in the first paragraph.

[Adego 002]

I was also a bit amused by the title of the book, but I now understand the relevance of the title through this review. It is a good book for friendship development and also growing one's personality. Thank you for the review.

[Snigdha Pandey]

It sounds like a great book! The author starting the book without any previous context is a little different strategy. But it might be a little like getting to know a actual person, where you only slowly begin to learn about them. LGBTQ+ characters sounds like a plus point to me. I'll surely check this book out.

[Amy Luman]

I like a story about friendships between women. The first book I reviewed was about a good one and it’s been one of my favorites ever since.

[collinsogw555]

I think I might like to read this book to get ideal on how their life was transformed by the act of pulling weed differently. Great review.

[MysticSpade]

I can tell you really enjoyed this book with how well you worded this review. And I'll be honest, the title did make me think about marijuana. But I'm glad I was able to find a reading recommendation that is right up my alley and requires the reader to read between the lines. Definitely putting this one on the reading list!

[Astral Magi]

You had me at meditation and I love smooth dialogue, so I am going to read this one. Thank you for the review.

[Pabalelo Mosima]

I absolutely loved this book. I probably finished it in less than a week. It kept me glued to my computer. Loved reading about a beautiful friendship between girls. Very refreshing.