Cherry Blossom Time

This was one of the hardest puzzles I've ever done. I almost gave up a few times but kept at it and eventually completed it. What initially threw me off, was the pieces are very strange shapes. Some of the border is made up of non-flat pieces (yes, really!) and many pieces are flat on one side but they are not part of the border. So I was not able to complete the edging right away like a normal puzzle, as it was hard to determine what was part of the edge and what wasn't. Many of the pieces don't snap in place but merely graze up against each other. Therefore if you like to frame your puzzles it might be difficult to do that with this one, unless you glue it together first. The pieces were a bit on the thin side but despite this, they were still well made and none were broken or peeling. All in all, a very interesting, strange, and challenging puzzle. Don't tackle it unless you are up for a tough one!

Manufacturer's method of separating pieces before packaging needs revisiting as numerous pieces were damaged, bent, edges and corners crumpled. Otherwise, it was a very enjoyable puzzle

It was the artwork and the bright colors that attracted me to this puzzle. It was a bit of a shock to open it up and see that the puzzle maker had decided to reinvent the wheel when it came to the shape and design of the pieces. I've been doing puzzles for fifty years, and it took me a while to get the hang of it. Every piece is an odd shape and many go together in a nontraditional fashion—flat sides butting against other flat sides, etc. After I caught on, it was as difficult as any "hard" puzzle, but didn't become "extreme" and frustrating. I recommend that one does not try the traditional approach of putting the edge pieces together first, as it will lead to confusion. Many of the pieces have flat edges but are not part of the border. Instead, I found that it was better to sort by color and tackle obvious images within the puzzle. Eventually, the border comes together. All in all, a good time.