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lletyaruin's review against another edition
5.0
Simply Amazing
my new favorite
A road to redemption literally from scratch
I found this novel very captivating and has a lot of psychology in it
my new favorite
A road to redemption literally from scratch
I found this novel very captivating and has a lot of psychology in it
kimbongiorno's review against another edition
5.0
One of the most well-written books I've read in a long, long time.
Sentences would stop me in my tracks and go WHOA.
I could smell the sharp bite of the flowers, feel the papery box in her hands, see the painful gleam of the lock on the door.
The characters were real and frustrating, rich and tangible.
A friend had been telling me to read this for a year, and I finally did it for a book club - it took me less than 24 hours to make the time to drink this one up.
Read it, talk about it, think about it.
Sentences would stop me in my tracks and go WHOA.
I could smell the sharp bite of the flowers, feel the papery box in her hands, see the painful gleam of the lock on the door.
The characters were real and frustrating, rich and tangible.
A friend had been telling me to read this for a year, and I finally did it for a book club - it took me less than 24 hours to make the time to drink this one up.
Read it, talk about it, think about it.
imaclogger23's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
emicree's review
3.0
This book was enjoyable and hard to put down. I really liked learning the meanings behind flowers and am looking forward to reading through the Victorian flower dictionary companion to this book.
moonbabie's review against another edition
5.0
Super tragic story but came to a full circle and happy ending that I really enjoyed.
Definitely worth the read!
Definitely worth the read!
kimreadz's review against another edition
3.0
I had heard really good things about this book, and knew a very little bit about the meanings of flowers, so this was an easy book to pick up. But sadly, for me, this story got off to a slow start and it took a long time for it to click with me. Also, for much of the story, the main character, Victoria, is not very likeable at all.
Victoria is an orphan, abandoned at birth, who bounced in and out of foster homes throughout her young life. She has a case worker who really seems to want to help her. Victoria had one last chance at adoption into a permanent home, with a mother she seems to remember with fondness, but for some reason, it did not work out. Much of the book is spent telling this story in bits and pieces. The book alternated between current day events and flashbacks of Victoria’s earlier life.
Victoria does not seem to be able to relate to other people at all in a normal way, and is not trusting when others attempt to be kind to her. She finds work with a flower shop owned for a Russian woman who attempts to befriend her. On one of their trips to the flower market, Victoria runs into a young man, Grant, who she remembers as the nephew of the woman who almost adopted her. She has difficulty relating to both of these people.
One thing I really enjoyed about the book was how meaning was conveyed with flowers. Victoria learned the meanings from her almost-mother, so when Grant presents her with a flower, she immediately realizes he is using it to deliver a message. However, it turns out that the meaning Victoria learned are not exactly the ‘conventional’ meanings associated with the flowers. So she and Grant work together to come up with a meaning for each flower that they mutually agree upon. It took determination and intelligence to develop that system, showing us that Victoria is capable of complex thought and study if she wants to be.
Even though the story got off to a slow start, once I got into it, I found it to be a good story that ended with hope. I’m glad I stuck it out.
Victoria is an orphan, abandoned at birth, who bounced in and out of foster homes throughout her young life. She has a case worker who really seems to want to help her. Victoria had one last chance at adoption into a permanent home, with a mother she seems to remember with fondness, but for some reason, it did not work out. Much of the book is spent telling this story in bits and pieces. The book alternated between current day events and flashbacks of Victoria’s earlier life.
Victoria does not seem to be able to relate to other people at all in a normal way, and is not trusting when others attempt to be kind to her. She finds work with a flower shop owned for a Russian woman who attempts to befriend her. On one of their trips to the flower market, Victoria runs into a young man, Grant, who she remembers as the nephew of the woman who almost adopted her. She has difficulty relating to both of these people.
One thing I really enjoyed about the book was how meaning was conveyed with flowers. Victoria learned the meanings from her almost-mother, so when Grant presents her with a flower, she immediately realizes he is using it to deliver a message. However, it turns out that the meaning Victoria learned are not exactly the ‘conventional’ meanings associated with the flowers. So she and Grant work together to come up with a meaning for each flower that they mutually agree upon. It took determination and intelligence to develop that system, showing us that Victoria is capable of complex thought and study if she wants to be.
Even though the story got off to a slow start, once I got into it, I found it to be a good story that ended with hope. I’m glad I stuck it out.
secretmagic's review against another edition
4.0
I loved 'The Language of Flowers'.
The text itself was simple, but the story was so complex. Vanessa Diffenbaugh powerfully depicts the troubled life of an eighteen year old girl emerging into adulthood with major insecurities about how to live. As a protagonist, Victoria fits the build of a flawed child; a person who was loved once and has lost hope because of it. Diffenbaugh takes us on a journey of discovery. Discovering hope, acceptance and most importantly forgiveness. Victoria struggles with the choices she's made in life, believing that once you've picked your path you are stuck with the result, a habit she picked up as a child by falsely learning flowers only have one meaning. 'The Language of Flowers' explores the idea that all paths (and flowers) have more than one meaning and Diffenbaugh shows that it is never too late to change your path.
I loved the alternating chapters between the past and present. We're given a hint in the very first chapter, that Victoria's future was almost secure in one of the foster homes she was placed in. However, as she exits the group home - a 'home' where children over the age of 10 are placed into when they've been removed from foster homes and are unlikely to be adopted - we can guess that an event occurred to disrupt the future she wanted. It is in these alternating chapters that the mysterious even is retold, and we find out where Victoria was happy and how it was ruined.
To see the passing of flowers between lovers unfolded within the novel was addictive. While I'd heard of the Victorian language of flowers before, it was not something I was familiar with. But watching Victoria express herself through floral arrangements, and begin to really believe in the flowers' meanings, made me appreciate the messages flowers can have so much more. It was also extremely tempting to use the Flower Dictionary at the back of the book to determine what secret messages were hidden in my back garden. (Unfortunately there is no Wattle in the dictionary, but I've got 'Protection' with my Eucalyptus)
Victoria's skill with determining a person's flower needs reminded me of Joanne Harris's 'Chocolat', it was like Vianne's "I know all your favourites" and I loved it.
4/5 stars. A Fabulous and emotional read.
The text itself was simple, but the story was so complex. Vanessa Diffenbaugh powerfully depicts the troubled life of an eighteen year old girl emerging into adulthood with major insecurities about how to live. As a protagonist, Victoria fits the build of a flawed child; a person who was loved once and has lost hope because of it. Diffenbaugh takes us on a journey of discovery. Discovering hope, acceptance and most importantly forgiveness. Victoria struggles with the choices she's made in life, believing that once you've picked your path you are stuck with the result, a habit she picked up as a child by falsely learning flowers only have one meaning. 'The Language of Flowers' explores the idea that all paths (and flowers) have more than one meaning and Diffenbaugh shows that it is never too late to change your path.
I loved the alternating chapters between the past and present. We're given a hint in the very first chapter, that Victoria's future was almost secure in one of the foster homes she was placed in. However, as she exits the group home - a 'home' where children over the age of 10 are placed into when they've been removed from foster homes and are unlikely to be adopted - we can guess that an event occurred to disrupt the future she wanted. It is in these alternating chapters that the mysterious even is retold, and we find out where Victoria was happy and how it was ruined.
To see the passing of flowers between lovers unfolded within the novel was addictive. While I'd heard of the Victorian language of flowers before, it was not something I was familiar with. But watching Victoria express herself through floral arrangements, and begin to really believe in the flowers' meanings, made me appreciate the messages flowers can have so much more. It was also extremely tempting to use the Flower Dictionary at the back of the book to determine what secret messages were hidden in my back garden. (Unfortunately there is no Wattle in the dictionary, but I've got 'Protection' with my Eucalyptus)
Victoria's skill with determining a person's flower needs reminded me of Joanne Harris's 'Chocolat', it was like Vianne's "I know all your favourites" and I loved it.
4/5 stars. A Fabulous and emotional read.