Divining the Leaves

December 2, 2024
Disillusioned Atlanta teens enter a realm from Hindu and Buddhist folklore in this underdeveloped contemporary fantasy from Thakrar (The Dream Runners). Seventeen-year-old Ridhi Kapadia despairs upon learning that former friend Nilesh Batra will be staying with her family while his parents hash out their separation. Ridhi and Nilesh may have been close as kids, but now rich, popular Nilesh mocks “freaks” like Ridhi, who makes her own botanical perfumes, prefers trees to people, and believes in magic. Seeking refuge, Ridhi performs a complex ritual that transports her to a kingdom of yakshas, the mythical keepers of nature. She’s elated—until she encounters Nilesh, who has entered the enchanted land with a pretty yakshini he met at the grocery store. Happy to escape their respective realities, both teens strike deals that will allow them to remain. Neither bargain comes without consequences, however, prompting the duo to join forces and fight for the fates they desire. Scattershot plotting, two-dimensional characters, and haphazardly incorporated mythology hamper a promising premise. Nevertheless, readers fond of immersive storytelling will appreciate the sensate prose and worldbuilding. The cast is intersectionally diverse. Ages 13–up. Agent: Beth Phelan, Gallt & Zacker Literary.

January 15, 2025
Things are not as they seem in the yaksha kingdom. Nature-loving Ridhi Kapadia, who finds joy in telling stories through natural perfumery, has never fit in. In a nearby forest, Ridhi has visions of an enchanted realm, and after concocting the perfect fragrance and performing a special ritual, she's granted entrance into the magical home of her dreams. Nilesh Batra's comfortable life is turned upside down when he's the last to discover that his parents' seemingly perfect marriage is a facade. After he's suspended from school, his mother takes him to family friends the Kapadias' house to stay over spring break, much to Ridhi's displeasure--cool Nilesh dropped Ridhi as a friend. Nilesh has derided Ridhi for her belief in magic, but when he encounters a pretty yakshini, or nature spirit, named Kamini, he's happy to enter her world, especially if it means escaping his family's problems. Meanwhile, yearning to remain with the yaksha, Ridhi negotiates with noblewoman Sulochana to become a yakshini herself. But when she learns that Nilesh has intentionally trapped himself in the yaksha kingdom, Ridhi begins to unravel a troubling story that the leaves may have been whispering about all along. Divided into three parts, Thakrar's Hindu- and Buddhist-inspired story with a primarily Indian cast is overflowing with lush, sensual imagery. Unfortunately, the gorgeous worldbuilding can't camouflage the weak characterization, which is especially evident in the self-serving Nilesh, whose later reconciliation with Ridhi is unconvincing. A somewhat uneven but undeniably beautiful fantasy.(Fantasy. 13-18)

COPYRIGHT(2025) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from February 1, 2025
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Seventeen-year-old Ridhi Kapadia loves nature. She feels like she can understand the plants and trees and longs to cross into the world of the yakshas, nature spirits from Hindu mythology, and even become a yakshini herself. She makes perfumes from natural scents, blending them into stories from folklore. When she's not doing that, she roams the woods near her house alone, because her classmates have long since decided she was just too weird. To her surprise and delight, she finds a way into the coveted yaksha world; to her dismay, former friend, cool kid, and reluctant guest at her house, Nilesh Batra, is somehow there as well. She decides to focus on her new friends and help them with a mission, with the goal to become a yakshini. But as with faerie realms of any folklore, things are seldom what they seem, and both Ridhi and Nilesh are dragged into complicated conspiracies. Thakrar's writing is rich and detailed without being dragged under by its own weight, depicting her story like a fine tapestry. Ridhi is delightful--she might be unpopular, but she is unbowed. Nilesh drops the cool-kid veneer quickly as he becomes entranced, if baffled, by the enchanted world. This is a complex, deeper dive than usual, but Thakrar leavens her satisfying story with humor and populates it with realistic and appealing characters.

COPYRIGHT(2025) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 1, 2025

Gr 7 Up-Magic lies between the trees in Atlanta. For Ridhi, she has been chasing magic her whole life. Using the forest to craft her signature perfumes, she spends her days in the woods, searching for the yakshas of Indian folklore. Her former best friend Nilesh, on the other hand, hangs out with the popular crowd, making fun of Ridhi's fanciful dreams and the flowers in her hair. However, when his parents initiate an ugly divorce and he is forced to spend spring break with Ridhi's family, he gets his own glimpse into the enchanted realm. Magic and mischievousness enter as Ridhi and Nilesh are thrust into the mythical court. Finding an escape into the forest, they each discover love and themselves. But can they find their way out again? This heavily atmospheric story will transport readers into the Night Market and tickle their senses. Tackling themes like deforestation, familial expectations, and finding one's sense of belonging, the book will resonate for teens as Nilesh and Ridhi struggle to find their footing. However, many characters accept magic too easily and some resolutions would have benefited from a more thorough examination. Although the plot does not pick up until the end, readers will easily get caught in the abundance of beautiful sensory descriptions. VERDICT A flawed but magical dream that will transport fans of Holly Black's The Cruel Prince and Sarah J. Maas. Recommended for any library with a strong fae fanbase.-Elisha Sheffer

Copyright 2025 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.