Rating: 5 stars
Headline: A brilliant concept, offering tongue-in-cheek “dating profiles” for novice houseplant owners
Review:
Sometimes a book just grabs your eye. Maybe it’s the title, other times the cover design, sometimes it’s the blurb jumps out at you. And then I saw Houseplant Hookups. Within seconds I was multitasking, rapidly messaging friends and family as I reached for the book with the other spare hand. They needed to be informed, Alice would not be messaging anyone for as long she was reading this book.
The guide, penned by American author Agatha Isabel (and illustrated by Mai Ly Degnan) is a highly colourful guide on all things houseplant. Summarising key guidance for would-be houseplant owners, the book opens with an extensive section on houseplant care 101. From this, Isabel’s guidance then moves onto the plants themselves, cleverly presenting a variety of different species in the form of an online dating profile. This allows readers to get snappy insights into the pros and cons of various house plants, from the commonly known Spider plant, to the more complex Bird of Paradise plant. This section makes up the core of Houseplant Hookups, but is bookended by a fun multichoice quiz for those still unsure of the right type of plant for them, and a glossary index.
The tone of voice through Houseplant Hookups is highly informal and somewhat tongue in cheek (case in point, the favourite music of a Purple Passion is apparently Prince’s “Purple Rain”). A lot of credit also needs to be given to Degnan’s illustrations, which are gorgeously to look at and do wonders for bringing the concept to life in a bold, fun, way.
While it is not something that I would particularly recommend to an expert gardener, I do see it as the perfect gift to give to a novice houseplant keeper for either birthdays or religious events. The general dating profile style and themes contained within the book lends itself more towards a feminine market.
Houseplant Hookups is a fun book, with a creative approach to an otherwise fairly mundane topic. It engages readers with indoor horticulture and reminds us that no matter how big (or small) the garden, there is a perfect plant out there for all of us.
AEB Reviews
Links:
Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Houseplant Hookups” by Agatha Isabel
Purchase Link: “Houseplant Hookups” by Agatha Isabel (Amazon)
Author Website: Plant Ma Shop by Agatha Isabel
**
My Housemate's a Mermaid 