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Sunflower
What would you do if your life was spiraling out of control and you had no one you felt you could trust to understand what you were going through? How would you even begin to heal from an unspeakable trauma when the people who are supposed to love you the most are too wrapped up in their lives to notice that you're drowning? During a time in her life when all she should be worrying about is school and her social life, 16-year-old Lilly Norwood finds herself faced with those questions.
As Lilly returns to school at the end of the summer to start her Junior year it's obvious to those who know her that something has caused a change in her. Rumors were rampant at the start of summer after Lilly seemed to disappear. Everyone knew she had been struggling with her parents' divorce. Had she quietly left the country to visit her grandparents in Germany? Was she too depressed to leave the house? Texts and phone calls went unanswered for weeks as questions and theories swirled around Lilly's wealthy Dallas suburb until one day, details emerged that shed a much more sinister light on her summer disappearance. Details that revealed the horrors of a modern day slavery that no one even suspected was taking place in their beloved Lone Star State.
After alienating her friends and self-medicating to numb pain caused by the trauma she survived, will Lilly be able to find peace and healing among the wreckage of the life she had and the person she was before? Will she emerge stronger than ever or will she continue to fall deeper into darkness that seemed to be taking over as she struggled to find the help as she watches her brother self-destruct and the rest of her family increasingly detach themselves from reality? Only Lilly knows the answer.
As Lilly returns to school at the end of the summer to start her Junior year it's obvious to those who know her that something has caused a change in her. Rumors were rampant at the start of summer after Lilly seemed to disappear. Everyone knew she had been struggling with her parents' divorce. Had she quietly left the country to visit her grandparents in Germany? Was she too depressed to leave the house? Texts and phone calls went unanswered for weeks as questions and theories swirled around Lilly's wealthy Dallas suburb until one day, details emerged that shed a much more sinister light on her summer disappearance. Details that revealed the horrors of a modern day slavery that no one even suspected was taking place in their beloved Lone Star State.
After alienating her friends and self-medicating to numb pain caused by the trauma she survived, will Lilly be able to find peace and healing among the wreckage of the life she had and the person she was before? Will she emerge stronger than ever or will she continue to fall deeper into darkness that seemed to be taking over as she struggled to find the help as she watches her brother self-destruct and the rest of her family increasingly detach themselves from reality? Only Lilly knows the answer.
170 pages, Hardcover
Published March 2, 2023
4 people are currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Fishwild
1 book2 followersJennifer Fishwild has just released her inaugural YA novel, "Sunflower." An education professional and a lifelong learner who resides in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with her family, Jennifer is looking forward to creating new characters and stories that will be informative and thought-provoking for individuals both inside and outside of the young adult demographic. She strives to intentionally create storylines that resonate with young adults as well as characters with whom they can identify during a time in their lives at which many of them are trying to figure out who they are.
As an education professional, Jennifer has had many opportunities to build relationships with young adults she has had the privilege of teaching - many of whom have since grown up and who she now considers friends. She has also had a number of educational experiences that have provided opportunities for travel and research which contributes to her work as an author, as well. In 1999, Jennifer researched the emotional risk and well-being of prostitutes in the Red Light District in Amsterdam, Netherlands and she researched human trafficking in Russia in 2009. Jennifer is also a historian who particularly enjoys researching and studying global revolutions, social movements, and the Cold War.
When she is not supporting students and teachers, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her husband, Doug, her daughter, Isabel, and their Golden Retriever, Cora, as well as with friends and extended family. She also enjoys reading anything she can get her hands on, cooking, baking, watching classic films, and hiking if the weather is not too hot, too cold, too humid or too dry...Unsurprisingly, Jennifer's favorite seasons are spring and fall.
As an education professional, Jennifer has had many opportunities to build relationships with young adults she has had the privilege of teaching - many of whom have since grown up and who she now considers friends. She has also had a number of educational experiences that have provided opportunities for travel and research which contributes to her work as an author, as well. In 1999, Jennifer researched the emotional risk and well-being of prostitutes in the Red Light District in Amsterdam, Netherlands and she researched human trafficking in Russia in 2009. Jennifer is also a historian who particularly enjoys researching and studying global revolutions, social movements, and the Cold War.
When she is not supporting students and teachers, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her husband, Doug, her daughter, Isabel, and their Golden Retriever, Cora, as well as with friends and extended family. She also enjoys reading anything she can get her hands on, cooking, baking, watching classic films, and hiking if the weather is not too hot, too cold, too humid or too dry...Unsurprisingly, Jennifer's favorite seasons are spring and fall.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 19, 2023
Wow
I was so invested! This was one of those books that you stay up too late reading and grab first thing in the morning when you wake up.
There were times I wanted to shake some sense into Lilly but I could also relate to her rationalizations for some of her decisions.
Heavy subjects throughout but with a hopefulness that feels genuine and real, not patronizing or phony.
I was so invested! This was one of those books that you stay up too late reading and grab first thing in the morning when you wake up.
There were times I wanted to shake some sense into Lilly but I could also relate to her rationalizations for some of her decisions.
Heavy subjects throughout but with a hopefulness that feels genuine and real, not patronizing or phony.
March 12, 2023
Sunflower is a gripping tale of how one teenage girl deals with a horrific series of events during the summer before her senior year. Being ripped from her family and sold into slavery is terrible enough but what happens after is just as compelling. This novel is hard to put down, with an ending I did not see coming. Highly recommend!!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews