Fern has an unusual childhood living in the rainforest with her botanist parents. They spend their days exploring nature and gathering information about plants and their properties. However, Fern is no good at Latin, hates textbooks and just doesn’t seem to have what it takes to be a plant hunter. To gain a formal education, Fern is sent away from lily pads and humming birds to the city of London. Here she stays with her Uncle where she is bored, restless and pining to be back at one with nature. The only thing keeping her entertained is her unusual plant ‘Special’, which she found (or stole) on her plane to the UK.

Despite keeping it a secret, Fern believes she has the gift of communicating with plants and she begins to develop a special bond with Special, until she finds she is struggling to keep it alive. Despite their initial disagreements, Fern and her quirky neighbour, Woody, strive to find a way to care for Special. However, within the city, strange and dangerous plants are growing, causing chaos to the buildings around them. Where are they coming from and how will they stay safe?

This is an exciting mystery story, with elements of sci-fi, which would be perfect for any plant-loving 7-11 year old. The story covers themes of friendship, kindness and greed, as well as examples of empowering young women woven throughout. I would highly recommend this book due to its fast-paced and unique plot depicting good vs evil.