The Deepest Roots

A heart-warming story of three friends, with a paranormal twist, The Deepest Roots takes place in a small town where every girl is born with a talent, said to have been the result of a curse. The main character, Rome, can Fix anything – be it cars or cracks in things. Her two best friends, Mercy and Lux have powers each – the former’s is to make things just Enough for her and others, and the latter’s is to be a Siren who can make men do her bidding with just a smile. However, for all their powers, they still each have troubles of their own. Rome is poor, Lux is in an abusive household, and Mercy has parental expectations. When they find a box belonging to one of the earliest settlers of the town, and the chance for treasure that might help some of their problems, they search for it, while also competing with another seeker. While the story is not mainly about the treasure hunt, it acts for plot advancement. The main story, however, revolves around Rome and her friends holding on their bonds with the difficulties, secrets and misunderstandings between them. For a character-driven plot, it keeps a good pace, and the writing brings out their friendships so well, rendering all the good and bad moments skillfully. Their different home lives make it so that they don’t always feel comfortable sharing their troubles, or are ashamed of it, but their bonds still survive the ups and downs. Rome’s character development is about her learning to trust other people, to not take every act of helpful aid as charity, and to believe in the goodness of others without resentment. She is a prickly and proud character, but she has good intentions at heart. The romance with Jett was nice, but I didn’t feel it to be entirely crucial to the plot. The supernatural aspects of the story are mostly in the background, but it still affects the way the girls of Cottonwood Hollow are perceived by others, and within the community. The story brings out the challenges of having specific powers as well as its limitations, instead relying on characters to drive the plot. The plot was also resolved nicely, if a little deus ex machina, and the ending was heart-warming in the way it subverts the treasure hunt trope. It parallels wonderfully to the wish Emmeline put on the town, and I liked that. Shortly, a good supernatural contemporary story.