Embark on a transformational journey with protagonist Bradley Wales as he grapples with life-altering changes in Flower, the debut release from Rhode Island author Brandon L Roberts. From struggling to connect with others to feeling lost in the chaos of his own existence, Bradley's journey is one of raw emotion and gripping uncertainty.
As his marriage hangs by a thread and his fear of loneliness threatens to consume him, Bradley's world is turned upside down by a shocking diagnosis following a seemingly innocuous bee sting. An otherwise mundane life is rocked by a reality that defies science, and Bradley must confront a mysterious floral deformity that puts his marriage, friendships, and life at risk. Bradley navigates relationships old and new as his life, job, and family change forever.
With a cold Rhode Island winter fast approaching, will he even live to see a cure?
Flower seamlessly transitions between drama and comedy in a slice-of-life style that realistically explores grief. When uncertainty prevails and life hangs in the balance, to what capacity is someone able to forgive, forget, and find meaning in the time they have left? Brandon L Roberts explores these questions (and more) in the first of the three-part anthology series on grief.
Brandon L. Roberts is an author of emotionally charged, darkly comic fiction that explores grief, imagination, and the absurd ways people search for connection.
His works include Flower, I’m Talking to a Dead Man, and A Bear Named Barnaby, all of which continue his exploration of loss and the strange beauty that follows it.
Blending intimacy with surreal humor, Roberts writes about families in repair, childhood wonder in ruin, and the quiet persistence of hope.
His upcoming release, "Scrooge is Dead," explores the more humorous and absurd side of the holiday season.
There's always something lingering when reading a debut author, and it is that you never know what might come out of it. A rhode islander takes you through the magical cycle of grief, and believe me when I say that I experienced every stage along the book, even shed a couple of tears at the end of it. But not only that, I was able to identify myself with every character; sometimes, grief means to see everything from different perspectives, and it's never a linear path, it can be a Rollercoaster. And to be honest, I thought I already knew how to get over it, let's face it, hits you differently every time. Sincerely, I'll keep this one closeby, just in case I lose myself and run out of time, so I can go through the pages and remember why I am here. Brandon, a standing ovation to you, this book is a work of art, passion, love, but overall, deep understanding of what it means to be alive.
Warning: If you are as emotional as I am, you might need a pillow to hit, some water, and a box of tissues right next to you to get through this one.
Brandon L. Roberts takes you on a touching and emotional journey through the magical cycle of grief. When I say that I experienced every stage along with the characters, but not only that, I was able to identify myself with every character. This beautiful story shows grief from different perspectives, and it’s never a linear path. This story is comical, emotional, sad and so entertaining. Each character draws you into their part of the story with a depth that helps to weave such a great story. The book is so well written and compels you to read just one more chapter ! Great read and highly recommend you read it! I received this Kindle edition as a Goodreads giveaway, thank you to the author for a chance to read and review.
Bradley and Jessica are married and work at SpoonCo. Jessica is always looking for promotions and Bradley is stuck in the mud with the company. They have a daughter and Bradley takes her to the sunflower farm where he proposed to Jessica. There are some bees, and Bradley saves the daughter from being stung, but is stung himself. The next day, he is growing petals from his forehead. The growing progresses and there is much, not too much, made of it. He takes care to let himself grow the way you would any flower. Let's see if he does the right things.
This review was written for Library Thing EarlyReviewers.
I won this book from LibraryThing and am so happy I did. From the beginning, the story was engaging and kept my attention. I found it easy to relate to each character and almost immediately felt sorry for Bradley. Compassion and empathy poured out from me for this man. Obviously a work of fiction, but who really knows what may be possible....Great read and highly recommend you read it!
Thanks to the author/publisher for this Goodreads giveaway. I enjoyed this book that takes the reader through the stages of grief in a unique way. You may need a tissue or two!