Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White

Forget-Her-Nots 


Amy Brecount White


SUMMARY: Laurel hopes that the mysterious flowers left outside her dorm room door are good omen for her new beginning at Avondale School.  But suddenly, strange things start happening when Laurel touches flowers.  It starts during her presentation in English class about the Victorian Language of Flowers when Laurel's whole body buzzes and strange rhymes pop into her mind.  On an instinct she gives the special bouquet she's crafted to her teacher.  When that same teacher suddenly finds unexpected romance, Laurel begins to suspect that she has something more that a green thumb.  So with her new friend Kate and her reluctant cousin Rose for support, Laurel begins experimenting her newfound but still unclear powers.  But soon she discovers that her flower powers are not all happiness and light and Laurel must find away to keep everything under control as prom approaches.


ONESMARTCUPCAKE THINKS: Forget-Her-Nots is a book which generally can judged by its cover, in the best of ways.  As its flowery pink wrapper might suggest, Laurel's story is a sweet tale of friendship, first love, and growing up with a fanciful, fairytale twist.  Laurel's struggles to deal with her beloved mother's recent death while trying to fit in at a new school will make her a recognizable figure to most readers.  Brecount-White follows Laurel's believable roller coaster of emotions with sympathy and honesty.  Meanwhile, the details about flowers and the Victorian flower language tradition will appeal to those interested in history, especially quirky, cultural history.  The fantasy aspect of the story is fun but at times a bit of a weak point in the novel.  The concept of Flower-Talking is a unique one but sometimes the language surrounding the idea comes off as a little too old-fashioned or silly to work with the rest of the story.  But overall, Amy Brecount-White has created a likable protagonist and a fun story that combines universal issues like maturation and grief recovery with some delicate fantasy elements.  I would say that this book is more likely to appeal to younger teens more than older ones and also mostly to girls rather than boys.  


3/5 STARS