megan_wynne's review against another edition
1.0
I'm not one to usually leave reviews but I felt very passionately about my one star for this book. First of all, the inside cover summary basically alludes to what happens to Amber at the end so the whole book you kind of know what's going to happen to her.. So no element of surprise at all. Also this book is about how Francis gets cancer- specifically Leukemia- and falls in love with Amber who is also sick. But the biggest thing that bothered me was how little the author did to actually write about the more specifics of dealing with and being treated for Leukemia. I've had Leukemia twice now and it just makes me mad how little the author researched it... Like how are you going to make your book based on the sickness and then not even write about the realities of it?? A book that is similar is Zac and Mia by A. J. Betts and this author did an amazing job of writing about the realities of dealing with cancer as a teenager. Matthew Crow only brushed the surface on a story that he could have and should have dug deeper into. Also Francis and Amber's relationship was completely unrealistic. I felt like one second they met and the next they're dating and in love? There was just so much that went wrong in this book and truthfully I have no idea how it even got published.
crabber's review
2.0
1.5/5
Very disappointing, it was very awkwardly paced and the story itself wasn’t anything special. The ending wasn’t bad but that doesn’t matter when the rest of the novel is.
Very disappointing, it was very awkwardly paced and the story itself wasn’t anything special. The ending wasn’t bad but that doesn’t matter when the rest of the novel is.
sanmeow's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
this was surprisingly boring to me. even for a the fault in our stars retelling. the romance between amber and francis was the most unrealistic thing ever and i couldn't feel connected to them whatsoever. francis is an alright character on his own, but he's way worse with amber, considering i very much disliked her personality and attitude. the writing style was okay but didn't really stand out to me in any way. the pacing was confusing. i was just extremely bored and skimmed quite a lot.
mckenziestaley23's review against another edition
3.0
At first I wasn't really sure how I was going to like this book... about half way through it when I started to really like it. I'm not sure if I loved it yet, but I really really liked it.
More of a review coming when my computer is fixed.
More of a review coming when my computer is fixed.
sc104906's review against another edition
4.0
Francis is entering the British equivalent of senior year, but is having trouble staying awake. After visiting the doctor, he is diagnosed with Leukemia. Francis is moved into the hospital to begin treatments and his whole family is affected by the disease. His stoic mother is shaken throughout the process and his brother tries to keep a brave face.
While in the hospital, Francis meets his first true friend/girlfriend, Amber. Both come from very different backgrounds, Amber’s hippy mother and capitalistic mother create an interesting yin/yang support system. The two teens strike up a strong bond. However, Francis seems to be getting better, but Amber still has a hard battle before her.
This book presents love and loss with a funny twist. Readers are laughing while also crying. I really liked this novel. Sensitive Francis vs. prickly Amber, is a great combination.
While in the hospital, Francis meets his first true friend/girlfriend, Amber. Both come from very different backgrounds, Amber’s hippy mother and capitalistic mother create an interesting yin/yang support system. The two teens strike up a strong bond. However, Francis seems to be getting better, but Amber still has a hard battle before her.
This book presents love and loss with a funny twist. Readers are laughing while also crying. I really liked this novel. Sensitive Francis vs. prickly Amber, is a great combination.
zinni05's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! This book was crammed full with the perfect balance of humour, tragedy and romance which came together harmoniously. I can remember that after I finished this book I was left completely speechless.
In Bloom is about a 15 year old boy called Francis Wootton who gets diagnosed with cancer. As a result, he has to go to the cancer ward in the hospital and there he meets the love of his life, Amber Spratt. She’s witty, funny and extremely pretty- everything Francis wants in a girl but she too has cancer. Amber teaches Francis how to live life to the full, enjoying it while they can. They’re passionate love for each other keeps them together and quite possibly alive.
The book had lots of interesting issues come up, for example peer pressure and dealing drugs which I felt were dealt with very well. The whole book was very thought provoking, making it even more enjoyable.
This book gave me that rare feeling where I want everybody to read it and enjoy it like I did, but on the other hand, I want to keep it as my special secret book that only I can read and enjoy! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I will definitely be reading any other of Matthew Crow’s books.
In Bloom is about a 15 year old boy called Francis Wootton who gets diagnosed with cancer. As a result, he has to go to the cancer ward in the hospital and there he meets the love of his life, Amber Spratt. She’s witty, funny and extremely pretty- everything Francis wants in a girl but she too has cancer. Amber teaches Francis how to live life to the full, enjoying it while they can. They’re passionate love for each other keeps them together and quite possibly alive.
The book had lots of interesting issues come up, for example peer pressure and dealing drugs which I felt were dealt with very well. The whole book was very thought provoking, making it even more enjoyable.
This book gave me that rare feeling where I want everybody to read it and enjoy it like I did, but on the other hand, I want to keep it as my special secret book that only I can read and enjoy! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I will definitely be reading any other of Matthew Crow’s books.
fcbgiulia's review against another edition
3.0
Carino, ma niente di più. Non si farà di sicuro ricordare, l'inizio è stato lento e non ha mai ingranato davvero.
Ho letto libri con protagonisti ragazzi malati di leucemia scritti decisamente meglio
Ho letto libri con protagonisti ragazzi malati di leucemia scritti decisamente meglio
pippy0803's review against another edition
2.0
Favourite quotes
“It was like the time granddad died (which was bad) but I got my first-ever suit, which everyone agreed I wore exceptionally well (which was good). It was sort of like yin and yang, where every white bit has a corresponding black bit, and the black bit has a white bit. Nothings ever all bad if you think hard enough about it.”
“This was because boys like him were, essentially, pasta. Everyone thought they loved him because they had never been forced to experience the true blandness of him on his own”
“Hardly seems fair, does it? Kelly went on. Loads of old people are healthy. And loads of bad people too”
“It was like the time granddad died (which was bad) but I got my first-ever suit, which everyone agreed I wore exceptionally well (which was good). It was sort of like yin and yang, where every white bit has a corresponding black bit, and the black bit has a white bit. Nothings ever all bad if you think hard enough about it.”
“This was because boys like him were, essentially, pasta. Everyone thought they loved him because they had never been forced to experience the true blandness of him on his own”
“Hardly seems fair, does it? Kelly went on. Loads of old people are healthy. And loads of bad people too”
kennedy22's review against another edition
2.0
I had higher expectations for this book. Th synopsis on the inside cover pulled me in, but the book didn't do that so much. The writing was good, there were many quotes that I really enjoyed. I kept forgetting it was supposed to be about two teenagers when it seemed like two ten-year-olds. The book was decent, it made me laugh and I don't regret reading it, there was just a lot I didn't like the book. Specifically the main character, he was whiny and immature. He was like that for a large part of the novel so it wasn't something I could ignore. I did really like the main characters older brother, Chris. He was well written and had good character development. The entire book was just filler, there were only one maybe two points that kept me engaged, other than that it was very predictable. Other than that it's an okay read but I don't suggest it!
kqbwie's review against another edition
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer