Pondathon II: A New Companion Quest! Let’s Grow Roses with Racquel Marie

Pondathon II is a year-long gardening-themed readathon hosted by The Quiet Pond! Help us restore the forest by reading to earn plants and decorate your own garden. For more information about Pondathon, read our Readathon Information Post or check out our Pondathon II Portal.

The story:

“Friend!” Xiaolong hurtles towards you like a comet, her face aglow with glee. You get the feeling that all the visitors and friends around the Pond has given Xiaolong a lot of energy; she seems hopeful, excited.

“Good, you made it today. One of our friends of the Pond is back again and I want you to meet her! Come quick!” Xiaolong gives your pants a gentle tug, leading you to a golden retriever sitting by the Pond, who turns to smile at you as you approach.

“Friend, say hi to Racquel! We’re so happy that she’s visiting us at the Pond again. Racquel had this amazing idea to fill the forest with beautiful roses of all colours – I think that’ll make the flower-sprites super happy. It’s going to be a super powerful spell though, so she’s going to need our help to cast it.”

Xiaolong turns to you, a gleam in her eyes. “What do you say?”

Before we share the quest, let’s have a quick look at Racquel’s upcoming debut, Ophelia After All:

Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie

A teen girl navigates friendship drama, the end of high school, and discovering her queerness in Ophelia After All, a hilarious and heartfelt contemporary YA debut by author Racquel Marie.

Ophelia Rojas knows what she likes: her best friends, Cuban food, rose-gardening, and boys – way too many boys. Her friends and parents make fun of her endless stream of crushes, but Ophelia is a romantic at heart. She couldn’t change, even if she wanted to.

So when she finds herself thinking more about cute, quiet Talia Sanchez than the loss of a perfect prom with her ex-boyfriend, seeds of doubt take root in Ophelia’s firm image of herself. Add to that the impending end of high school and the fracturing of her once-solid friend group, and things are spiraling a little out of control. But the course of love–and sexuality–never did run smooth. As her secrets begin to unravel, Ophelia must make a choice between clinging to the fantasy version of herself she’s always imagined or upending everyone’s expectations to rediscover who she really is, after all. 

Find Ophelia After All on:
Goodreads | Amazon | Indiebound | Bookshop | Macmillan

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About the Author

Racquel Marie received a BA in English with an emphasis in creative writing and a minor in gender and sexuality studies from the University of California, Irvine. You can learn more about her writing and love of books through her Twitter, @blondewithab00k. Ophelia After All is her first novel.

Find Racquel on: Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

You’ve received a quest!

Hi! I’m Racquel Marie, author of Ophelia After All!

In my book, the main character Ophelia is a rose gardening extraordinaire who assigns different rose breeds to each of her best friends. For my Companion Quest, I invite you to design a rose that represents your favourite book. Your rose could be a drawing, a poem, a detailed description—feel free to get creative!

Quest expires on: 29th January 2022, 8:00PM NZT. [?] This Companion Quest is now over.

Objectives:

• Design a rose that represents your favourite book.
• Share your rose design on social media/your blog. Post your rose with the cover of your favourite book.
• If you do not have social media/blog, upload your rose in the Google Form below.
• This quest is not repeatable (i.e., objectives can only be completed once).
• Bonus: To earn the prom accessory set (containing a total of 6 accessories) for your Pond character:
  • In the same post/thread/caption, give a shout-out to Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie.
  • For those who do not have social media ONLY: Create an additional rose design (therefore, a total of two roses) and upload your rose in the Google Form below.

Quest Rewards:

1. A rainbow pride rose tree (1 design)
2. Bonus achievement reward: A prom accessory set for your Pond character! 2 tiaras, 3 bowties (3 different colours), and 1 rose corsage (3 colours available).

Note: The rewards will not be this dull in colour.

SAVE OR SUBMIT YOUR PROGRESS!

Form now working? Complete the form here.