Nocturnal Book Reviews

4.5/5
First of all, UK cover rocks! It's so apt as well which you would know if you read the story.

I fell in love with this book because of its topic, - flowers. Blame my ex-florist hubby for that. I'm absolutely obsessed with flowers.

The Language of Flowers is all you want it to be and more - beautiful, harsh, emotionally intense and sad.

Victoria has lived all her life in foster houses, been labeled antisocial and unadoptable, impossible to school. Now she is 18 and the state system won't look after her anymore. Instead of finding a job and trying to embrace the life of ordinary people, she hides in the park tending to her flowers and living a homeless precarious life until she sees a florist and asks if she could work for her...

The plot is divided between the past which shows Victoria's childhood and specifically a year of living with Elizabeth who owned a vineyard in the country and originally taught Victoria the language of flowers, and the present where she struggles to survive and cope with her changing feelings for people and herself.

Victoria's deep understanding of flowers allows her to help people with their problems and make them happier. Slowly she finds her circle of friends and starts seeing a young flower vendor Grant, but her insecurities and damaged past run deep. Her life changes are too fast, too dramatic. Will they make her or break her?

I'm saying no more to avoid the spoilers, but the story itself really rings true. It shows that emotional wounds don't heal overnight, and that it takes a tremendous effort to change and allow yourself to be happy.

I don't see this book is YA, it has a very adult feel and reminds me of Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris which I absolutely adore.