Book Summary and Reviews of Plant Lady by Kang Minyoung

Reader Reviews

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Jeffrey_B

Plant Lady by Minyoung Kang (translated by Shanna Tan) - not my typical read but very good and interesting!! (Dark cozy thriller?)
"Plant Lady" by Minyoung Kang (translated by Shanna Tan) is a dark-cozy story about the owner of a plant shop in Korea and the way she deals with men who mistreat her plants and the women in their lives.

This short novel executes both the cozy and dark/suspense aspects perfectly, despite some pretty dark moments, the overall atmosphere remains cozy plant store - which itself adds to the feeling of darkness and unease.

Minyoung Kang does a remarkable job is this novel and brings the reader right up to the line where dark would become horrific. The main character is clear in her motivations and can be truly terrifying. There is no moment where things become gratuitous.

"Plant Lady" will not be for everyone but it is a very good book and manages to say a lot about society and give a view into the psychology of the main character.

Content warnings: violence, relationship violence, and animal abuse

Linda_Monaco

A Plant Shop Like No Other
The Plant Lady is a book that grabbed me from the first page. A quiet, unassuming woman from out of town opens a plant shop on a deserted street in Dosan, South Korea. She transforms the empty building and adjoining garden into a welcoming, peaceful green sanctuary for people who pass through her doors. But there's more here than meets the eye. As time passes, she not only helps people with their plants, she also has a knack for rectifying some very painful life situations. Men who torture animals, damage plants, abuse children, and mistreat their partners should be warned. Your life may be about to change. This book will appeal to readers who like a thriller and want to burn the midnight oil! Once you start, it's hard to stop until you've read the last page.

Lorraine_D

JUSTICE FROM ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE - You won't want to put the book down
A unique and captivating read from a whole different perspective of justice. Plant Lady by Kang Minyoung is a glimpse into the life of a quiet and thoughtful person who courageously leaves her home town and opens a plant store. She is knowledgeable and fastidious about understanding and pleasing her customers. She works hard every day from dawn to dusk and then some. She is a wealth of information about numerous plants, some very rare, and a resource to those she's met who trigger her empathy. Her "solutions" to customer problems are bold and sometimes gruesome. You won't want to put this book down.

Nathan_G

Plants help secrets to be buried
This is an interesting story about a plant shop owner. After having her own bad experiences with boys and men, she listens to and helps other women in bad, possibly abusive situations. This, while always friendly and ready to assist a customer or simply provide plant advice.

It is interesting seeing things from her perspective, and how she accomplishes her goals. In several ways, unfortunately, the story seemed incomplete. After a detective becomes fixated on her and looking for evidence of any wrong-doing, the story seems to end without resolving this.

Charla_W

Combine Dexter with a sweet plant lady
Yoohee has quit her office job and opened her very own Plant Shop. She is somewhat of a loner, - sweet, quiet,and caring. However, she also has another side, a secretive, dark side. In fact there is so much more to Yoohee than meets the eye. On one hand she's a lot like a female version of Dexter, while at the same time she's simply a girl that loves plants and finds peace among them. The story also gives off Little Shop of Horror vibes . All in all the book is a quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Joan_S

Not what I expected
It is hard to put into words how I feel about this book. On one hand I struggled with the main character's motive and disregard for the individuals harmed. On the other hand, I understand the hurt she endured throughout her life and why she chose the actions she did to help other women. I saw a review that they thought the author's writing seem detached and I completely agree. At times I felt that I was missing something as the story seemed to go in a different direction. It felt disjointed at various parts in the book to the point where I felt I had missed something and would go back and try to find what I missed. I struggled with the detective's actions and felt that he was just an additional character and not important to the story as he really didn't do much in the way to investigate Yoohee. Overall, it was a quick read but definitely not what I expected when I read about the book.

...3 more reader reviews