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Dewdrops and Butterflies
“I smiled and acted like I was supposed to be there. It was amazing how much people assumed by a simple glance. An outfit, an expression, a tone of voice. Anyone could pretend to be anything. Today, I was a rich girl.”
Thirteen-year-old Rose Wells is determined to make it on her own. Running from authority one last time, the forest has become her home and the cafe her source of food. Fear driven determination will keep her here as long as she can help it.
But not everybody is okay with that. Alex and Jenni Johnson will do whatever they can to find their foster daughter and bring her home, longing to give her the genuine love she’s never known.
Over the course of a single summer, hearts are broken, scars exposed, friendships blossom, and ultimately a greater truth is learned.
A greater God is understood.
Purchase a signed copy at geoturtle.com/shop/
Thirteen-year-old Rose Wells is determined to make it on her own. Running from authority one last time, the forest has become her home and the cafe her source of food. Fear driven determination will keep her here as long as she can help it.
But not everybody is okay with that. Alex and Jenni Johnson will do whatever they can to find their foster daughter and bring her home, longing to give her the genuine love she’s never known.
Over the course of a single summer, hearts are broken, scars exposed, friendships blossom, and ultimately a greater truth is learned.
A greater God is understood.
Purchase a signed copy at geoturtle.com/shop/
336 pages, Paperback
Published October 16, 2019
3 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Libby May
4 books85 followersElizabeth May is a Christian Author seeking to write stories worth reading by weaving real life struggles with relatable and loveable characters. She lives in the beautiful Northwest US with her sisters and best friends.
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October 16, 2019Dewdrops and Butterflies is now available for purchase here
Update October 11th, 2019: RELEASE DATE IS OCTOBER 16TH! KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED FRIENDS!
Update August 12th, 2019: currently working with betas and getting easy to release the official cover and start getting a paper proof copy!
November 6, 2018: This book is currently with ALPHA'S!!! If you are on my alpha team feel free to keep track of your reading on here! I'd love to see your progress.
July 27, 2018: Did y'all just see that?
Did you?
I finished writing it. *nods* thank you, yes ma'am I did.
Now I get to dance around in circles for a week before August starts and I start the first round of edits.
DEWDROPS AND BUTTERFLIES IS WRITTEN GUYS!!!
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Update October 11th, 2019: RELEASE DATE IS OCTOBER 16TH! KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED FRIENDS!
Update August 12th, 2019: currently working with betas and getting easy to release the official cover and start getting a paper proof copy!
November 6, 2018: This book is currently with ALPHA'S!!! If you are on my alpha team feel free to keep track of your reading on here! I'd love to see your progress.
July 27, 2018: Did y'all just see that?
Did you?
I finished writing it. *nods* thank you, yes ma'am I did.
Now I get to dance around in circles for a week before August starts and I start the first round of edits.
DEWDROPS AND BUTTERFLIES IS WRITTEN GUYS!!!
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
October 17, 2019
First of all—CONGRATULATIONS, Libby, on publishing your debut novel!! Welcome to the author world. <3
Dewdrops & Butterflies was . . . hard to get into. Rose had cut herself off from all human contact, and while my heart went out to her, I couldn't connect with her, I guess? I mean, it's a middle-grade novel, so with it being targeted for a younger reader, I wouldn't expect to click with her right away. But still. I also found it weird to read Alex's POV at first. But more on that in a moment.
For about the first third of the book, I found it hard to convince myself to pick it back up. But after that? I was hooked. The plot was by no means fast, and yet it didn't really seem to drag either. (Though the we-almost-had-her-but-lost-her-again bits made me want to scream in frustration, haha!)
So, Rose. Cynical. Hurt. Scared to death. And in desperate need of unconditional love. There were times that I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and say "WAKE UP GIRL, THE WORLD DOESN'T HATE YOU!" But with the chapters that flashed back to her past . . . I understood. I understood why Rose was the way she was. And I was okay with it. And that in itself shows you Libby's storytelling skills. (Also the flashbacks were my faaaaave.)
Alex. Like I said, at first I didn't really care for reading his POV. It was . . . well, I guess it was just strange to read a story from the point of view from a married man in this instance. There was nothing wrong with it, and I grew to look forward to his chapters! I think it was probably just that Alex had a different personality than I'm used to. One thing I appreciated about his character was that he wanted to take matters into his own hands but it didn't drive me nuts. And then he realized that he'd started putting his trust in himself rather than God. (And if that was a spoiler, I'm sorry *cries*)
And of course I have to talk about Joseph for a sec. Because he's my favorite character and I NEEEEEEED a whole book for his story, 'kay, Libby?
The gospel message was portrayed fabulously. I loved Angel's comebacks and the way she was so sure of her faith. (Angel grated on me at first, but she kinda grew on me.)
The writing style was good. There were times that I wish Libby would've done more showing rather than telling, but there were times that the story just sucked me in. So there's that.
All in all, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a clean, romance-free middle-grade novel about love and redemption. <3
Dewdrops & Butterflies was . . . hard to get into. Rose had cut herself off from all human contact, and while my heart went out to her, I couldn't connect with her, I guess? I mean, it's a middle-grade novel, so with it being targeted for a younger reader, I wouldn't expect to click with her right away. But still. I also found it weird to read Alex's POV at first. But more on that in a moment.
For about the first third of the book, I found it hard to convince myself to pick it back up. But after that? I was hooked. The plot was by no means fast, and yet it didn't really seem to drag either. (Though the we-almost-had-her-but-lost-her-again bits made me want to scream in frustration, haha!)
So, Rose. Cynical. Hurt. Scared to death. And in desperate need of unconditional love. There were times that I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and say "WAKE UP GIRL, THE WORLD DOESN'T HATE YOU!" But with the chapters that flashed back to her past . . . I understood. I understood why Rose was the way she was. And I was okay with it. And that in itself shows you Libby's storytelling skills. (Also the flashbacks were my faaaaave.)
Alex. Like I said, at first I didn't really care for reading his POV. It was . . . well, I guess it was just strange to read a story from the point of view from a married man in this instance. There was nothing wrong with it, and I grew to look forward to his chapters! I think it was probably just that Alex had a different personality than I'm used to. One thing I appreciated about his character was that he wanted to take matters into his own hands but it didn't drive me nuts. And then he realized that he'd started putting his trust in himself rather than God. (And if that was a spoiler, I'm sorry *cries*)
And of course I have to talk about Joseph for a sec. Because he's my favorite character and I NEEEEEEED a whole book for his story, 'kay, Libby?
The gospel message was portrayed fabulously. I loved Angel's comebacks and the way she was so sure of her faith. (Angel grated on me at first, but she kinda grew on me.)
The writing style was good. There were times that I wish Libby would've done more showing rather than telling, but there were times that the story just sucked me in. So there's that.
All in all, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a clean, romance-free middle-grade novel about love and redemption. <3
December 22, 2023
5 stars. I have wanted to read this book ever since it showed up on the market. The cover is drop-dead gorgeous (purple is one of my favourite colours, AND I ADORE AMPERSANDS AND THAT ONE IS MY FAVOURITE). And the synopsis intrigued me. However, having such high expectations of it, I was terrified to try it and be disappointed. I finally purchased a copy and took 3 months to scrape up courage to read it… and then I read it in one evening. Yeah. It was good. I didn’t really love the characters, surprisingly, except Jake and other random side characters. But the plot HOOKED me. I could not set the book down. I also really loved how the author handled her subject matter. She obviously knows what she’s talking about. I also appreciated how the spiritual side of things was approached. The story is harsh but beautiful, and I loved it. I also really loved the message.
I know this is a super vague review but I put off writing it and now the story/my feelings are a bit fuzzy to me, so I will update this review upon reread.
Content (may be updated): Mention of relieving oneself; Rose partly undresses and describes what she sees in the mirror (not graphic but I wouldn’t hand it to a boy for sure and I’d personally use some whiteout there); mention that Rose’s married mother had an affair with her married boss; Rose & Angel take their pants off to play in a creek.
I know this is a super vague review but I put off writing it and now the story/my feelings are a bit fuzzy to me, so I will update this review upon reread.
Content (may be updated): Mention of relieving oneself; Rose partly undresses and describes what she sees in the mirror (not graphic but I wouldn’t hand it to a boy for sure and I’d personally use some whiteout there); mention that Rose’s married mother had an affair with her married boss; Rose & Angel take their pants off to play in a creek.
January 29, 2020
*long, happy sigh*
I've been waiting for this book since being in Camp Nano with Libby when she was working on it--and waiting none too patiently, I must admit! ;) And now that I've finally read it, I just want to sink happily into a pile of fluff and stay there for days. <3<3<3
Seriously, Libby is such a talented writer! She made me laugh, she made me cry, she hurt my heart and fixed it again...and she made me want to just cuddle the book and all the characters while she did it. <3
Characters: *melts into a puddle and dies* Rose was such a complicated character, but she made so much sense, especially as we got to see more and more of her backstory. Her story was so sad, and it was easy to see why she wanted to pull away, but I loved getting to see those walls come down, even ever so slowly. Angel was a dear, and I loved the fact that she didn't give up on Rose and her strong and determined efforts to point her back to God. <3 So many lovely side characters that I really adored... Joseph was an absolute darling!!! Jenni--so broken but so strong and loving. And ALEX!!! Oh, my word! Even with all the sadness in Rose's story, it was Alex that brought me to tears. His love, his passion, his utter helplessness--and the way he tried so hard and eventually had to admit that he couldn't fix everything--oh, my heart was so wrapped up in Alex! <3<\3<3
Plot/Style: The rotation between Rose's perspective, Alex's perspective, and the backstory was really unique, but it worked so well! I loved how everything came together to fill in the blanks in the end, and I loved how we got to see God work, even through wrong moves and bad decisions. The Christian messages were so strong but still felt organic to the characters and the story, which was wonderful. <3 I don't know...it was all just so well done! And even with so many hard themes, the story and style was so gentle that it never got too heavy and dark. In fact, when I finished it, I felt like I was cuddled up in a warm blanket. :D
I did notice a few small plot discrepancies and a few editing errors, but not at all enough to damage my enjoyment of the story. This is going straight to my favorites list, and I can't wait for Libby's next book!
Oh, and BTW, there's nothing more fun than seeing references to your favorite fandom subtlely sneaked into a story! XD Thunderbirds FTW!
Content--mentions of abuse and abandonment; mentions of wounds, blood, broken bones, scars, vomiting, etc.; mentions of deaths and miscarriage; lying, stealing, and running away (not condoned); brief thoughts of suicide (quickly squelched); a few mentions of girls' undergarments; girls go swimming in only their underwear; insinuations of inappropriate relationships/adultery
I've been waiting for this book since being in Camp Nano with Libby when she was working on it--and waiting none too patiently, I must admit! ;) And now that I've finally read it, I just want to sink happily into a pile of fluff and stay there for days. <3<3<3
Seriously, Libby is such a talented writer! She made me laugh, she made me cry, she hurt my heart and fixed it again...and she made me want to just cuddle the book and all the characters while she did it. <3
Characters: *melts into a puddle and dies* Rose was such a complicated character, but she made so much sense, especially as we got to see more and more of her backstory. Her story was so sad, and it was easy to see why she wanted to pull away, but I loved getting to see those walls come down, even ever so slowly. Angel was a dear, and I loved the fact that she didn't give up on Rose and her strong and determined efforts to point her back to God. <3 So many lovely side characters that I really adored... Joseph was an absolute darling!!! Jenni--so broken but so strong and loving. And ALEX!!! Oh, my word! Even with all the sadness in Rose's story, it was Alex that brought me to tears. His love, his passion, his utter helplessness--and the way he tried so hard and eventually had to admit that he couldn't fix everything--oh, my heart was so wrapped up in Alex! <3<\3<3
Plot/Style: The rotation between Rose's perspective, Alex's perspective, and the backstory was really unique, but it worked so well! I loved how everything came together to fill in the blanks in the end, and I loved how we got to see God work, even through wrong moves and bad decisions. The Christian messages were so strong but still felt organic to the characters and the story, which was wonderful. <3 I don't know...it was all just so well done! And even with so many hard themes, the story and style was so gentle that it never got too heavy and dark. In fact, when I finished it, I felt like I was cuddled up in a warm blanket. :D
I did notice a few small plot discrepancies and a few editing errors, but not at all enough to damage my enjoyment of the story. This is going straight to my favorites list, and I can't wait for Libby's next book!
Oh, and BTW, there's nothing more fun than seeing references to your favorite fandom subtlely sneaked into a story! XD Thunderbirds FTW!
Content--mentions of abuse and abandonment; mentions of wounds, blood, broken bones, scars, vomiting, etc.; mentions of deaths and miscarriage; lying, stealing, and running away (not condoned); brief thoughts of suicide (quickly squelched); a few mentions of girls' undergarments; girls go swimming in only their underwear; insinuations of inappropriate relationships/adultery
April 27, 2020
This story has a lot of good things about it. It was written in a unique way with one chapter being from Rose’s perspective, then a chapter from Alex’s perspective, and then a chapter about Rose’s past which was told in 3rd person. It took me a little bit to get used to it, but I enjoyed it, except near the very end when the past felt too close to the present to be jumping back and forth.
I liked Rose. I wanted to help her, to let her know some of her fears were groundless. I wanted to be one of Rose’s teachers and Do something. Angel did a really good job of sharing Christ with her friend even though she did wrong by agreeing not to tell.
Alex bugged me. Part of the time I really liked him, but other times he came across as—well, I don’t want to say creepy, but the way he kept calling the 13-year-old foster girl, his “baby" when he couldn’t have been older than his 20s, made me cringe. Had the girl been his daughter, or if they’d had her for years and he’d really bonded with her, I could have understood it and been fine with it. And I did not like the fact that he flat out lied to his wife. There really didn’t seem to be any reason for it.
There were a few times when it felt like I should know something that I didn’t know. And a couple times when I was wondering why on earth they didn’t call the police instead of trying to solve things on their own. A few of the times felt a bit far fetched, but overall the story was good. There were a few wrong names in the version I read.
The clear message of salvation was well done and there were some good points about trusting God and not trying to do everything in your own strength and way.
While the main character, Rose, is 13, I wouldn’t hand this book to someone under 15 because of the details of abuse and injury, the thoughts of suicide (brief), and the agreeing to do what was wrong for selfish reasons.
I liked Rose. I wanted to help her, to let her know some of her fears were groundless. I wanted to be one of Rose’s teachers and Do something. Angel did a really good job of sharing Christ with her friend even though she did wrong by agreeing not to tell.
Alex bugged me. Part of the time I really liked him, but other times he came across as—well, I don’t want to say creepy, but the way he kept calling the 13-year-old foster girl, his “baby" when he couldn’t have been older than his 20s, made me cringe. Had the girl been his daughter, or if they’d had her for years and he’d really bonded with her, I could have understood it and been fine with it. And I did not like the fact that he flat out lied to his wife. There really didn’t seem to be any reason for it.
There were a few times when it felt like I should know something that I didn’t know. And a couple times when I was wondering why on earth they didn’t call the police instead of trying to solve things on their own. A few of the times felt a bit far fetched, but overall the story was good. There were a few wrong names in the version I read.
The clear message of salvation was well done and there were some good points about trusting God and not trying to do everything in your own strength and way.
While the main character, Rose, is 13, I wouldn’t hand this book to someone under 15 because of the details of abuse and injury, the thoughts of suicide (brief), and the agreeing to do what was wrong for selfish reasons.
November 17, 2019
OH GOODNESS, WOW, THIS BOOK!!!! <3 <3 <3 Full review to come.
June 5, 2024
2024 reread
Still love this book.
2023 reread
Ugh, I just love this book so much. It hurts so bad, but it's so beautiful. There's not even...anything particularly remarkable about the way it is written...but I just found myself missing it(?) if that's a thing...and knew I had to actually buy it so I could read it again. Love, love this book. It's just so...raw and hard and beautiful all at once. I keep using the word beautiful...but there's just something about this book that brings me back to that word over and over again.
Content warning (not actual spoilers):
2021 first read
I was just at the end of a Kindle Unlimited free trial and I was considering picking this book up. But I was hesitant...of all the books I should read in my last few days of free books, I thought to myself, why should I read one on "dewdrops and butterflies"? I read the synopsis a little closer and found out it had a foster care element in it. So I picked it up and figured I could switch to something else if it didn't hook me.
Yeah...it didn't just hook me. It blew me out of the water.
The conflicts, the choices, the trust issues, the all of it. I loved it. The title may sound lighthearted and kids-y, but trust me, it's not. It's just beautiful.
Still love this book.
2023 reread
Ugh, I just love this book so much. It hurts so bad, but it's so beautiful. There's not even...anything particularly remarkable about the way it is written...but I just found myself missing it(?) if that's a thing...and knew I had to actually buy it so I could read it again. Love, love this book. It's just so...raw and hard and beautiful all at once. I keep using the word beautiful...but there's just something about this book that brings me back to that word over and over again.
Content warning (not actual spoilers):
2021 first read
I was just at the end of a Kindle Unlimited free trial and I was considering picking this book up. But I was hesitant...of all the books I should read in my last few days of free books, I thought to myself, why should I read one on "dewdrops and butterflies"? I read the synopsis a little closer and found out it had a foster care element in it. So I picked it up and figured I could switch to something else if it didn't hook me.
Yeah...it didn't just hook me. It blew me out of the water.
The conflicts, the choices, the trust issues, the all of it. I loved it. The title may sound lighthearted and kids-y, but trust me, it's not. It's just beautiful.
October 18, 2019
I was captivated at once with this novel. It was amazing, and I will go ahead and stamp down the stars.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Yes, five stars, and I'm not taking it back, either. Libby had me trapped with her skillful writing style, deft switches of POVs, and, of course, the story. The story. So sad, so heart-wrenching . . . and yet so beautiful. Captivating at the beginning, satisfying at the end (and may I just say the epilogue was the sweetest thing ever??).
Girls everywhere will be touched by this book. Wholesome and romance free, I was touched by this book. I kept turning the pages, wanting to know more, to make sure the main character, Rose, would be all right, that she would be safe and secure once again with her foster parents . . . and her life would be converted to Christ.
Honestly, at first I didn't think I'd enjoy "Dewdrops & Butterflies" that much, and then boy, as the story commenced, did I realize how wrong I was!
Rose's past was touching, perfectly put together. Alex (to whom the POV also switched) had a view so gripping, so real.
I love, love, love this book, and I look forward to reading more by this author!!
~ I was given a free e-book copy of "Dewdrops & Butterflies" in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are of my own ~
1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Yes, five stars, and I'm not taking it back, either. Libby had me trapped with her skillful writing style, deft switches of POVs, and, of course, the story. The story. So sad, so heart-wrenching . . . and yet so beautiful. Captivating at the beginning, satisfying at the end (and may I just say the epilogue was the sweetest thing ever??).
Girls everywhere will be touched by this book. Wholesome and romance free, I was touched by this book. I kept turning the pages, wanting to know more, to make sure the main character, Rose, would be all right, that she would be safe and secure once again with her foster parents . . . and her life would be converted to Christ.
Honestly, at first I didn't think I'd enjoy "Dewdrops & Butterflies" that much, and then boy, as the story commenced, did I realize how wrong I was!
Rose's past was touching, perfectly put together. Alex (to whom the POV also switched) had a view so gripping, so real.
I love, love, love this book, and I look forward to reading more by this author!!
~ I was given a free e-book copy of "Dewdrops & Butterflies" in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are of my own ~
November 26, 2019
Congrats, Libby, on your debut novel!!! I had been looking forward to this book for so long, and I was so happy to be able to read it! :D
I'll admit, this was a hard book for me to get into, for the first three chapters. I'm not sure why, but it was. And then, wow. I was crying, I was laughing, I was NOT wanting to put this down for anything.
The storyline of was easy to follow, without being too very predictable. Th eplot twists were surprising and suspenseful, and all the characters were brought to life through the use of beautiful,poetical descriptive words. I loved the way they all were connected throughout the novel -- you'll have to read it to understand =P
I wasn't sure how well I would enjoy the first person viewpoint from multiple people, but it worked. And it worked so well!
I loved how the gospel was presented clearly in the book, how it was a natural part of life adn just naturally flowed from conversation <3
Pretty much the only thing I didn't enjoy was the inconsistency in some parts of the story. Most of it was minor, but there were a few places where the timeline was a bit messy, or something that happened at one point was contradicted in another part of the story. But, even with that, it was an excellent first novel, and I'm looking forward to many, many more books from Libby's pen!
*My thanks to Libby for the gift of this book to review!
I'll admit, this was a hard book for me to get into, for the first three chapters. I'm not sure why, but it was. And then, wow. I was crying, I was laughing, I was NOT wanting to put this down for anything.
The storyline of was easy to follow, without being too very predictable. Th eplot twists were surprising and suspenseful, and all the characters were brought to life through the use of beautiful,poetical descriptive words. I loved the way they all were connected throughout the novel -- you'll have to read it to understand =P
I wasn't sure how well I would enjoy the first person viewpoint from multiple people, but it worked. And it worked so well!
I loved how the gospel was presented clearly in the book, how it was a natural part of life adn just naturally flowed from conversation <3
Pretty much the only thing I didn't enjoy was the inconsistency in some parts of the story. Most of it was minor, but there were a few places where the timeline was a bit messy, or something that happened at one point was contradicted in another part of the story. But, even with that, it was an excellent first novel, and I'm looking forward to many, many more books from Libby's pen!
*My thanks to Libby for the gift of this book to review!
June 30, 2024
Dewdrops and Butterflies is one of the sweetest, loveliest books I've read in a while. I love found family books, and this one had a different take on it that was so good. The book begins with the main character having run away from her foster parents, and it shows both her POV and the POV of the foster father trying so desperately to find her.
Of the two, I think Alex's POV was my favourite. I just loved him and Jenni, and I loved his character arc, and the lessons he learned, and Joseph, and his determination not to give up on her, and the depth of his character. I loved all his scenes, and he and Jenni were just such a fun, sweet, and beautiful couple. And I loved the girls, too! And Jenni... Jenni was the best. <3 She was a seriously amazing woman, and a seriously amazing wife.
But I loved Libby's POV too. I felt soo deeply for her... I just wanted to give her a hug. I really liked how her backstory was woven in slowly over the whole book, as almost another POV completely. At first I was confused because I was missing so much, and I didn't realise there was more coming, but the whole story did eventually unfold, and I feel like it was woven really well with the main story.
The themes were so beautiful and so good. I loved all the characters so much - Angel was such an amazing friend, and I've already said how much I loved Alex's crew. While it covered themes of abuse and Libby went through some really dark patches in her life, it was just so filled with simple beauty and hope. I can't describe it.... "Dewdrops and Butterflies" captures its essence exactly. Even through all the darkness, there is beauty in the simple little things like dewdrops and butterflies, flowers and forests.
One thing I have to mention is that for ONCE I was super impressed with how lying was treated in this book - as something very very serious and very very wrong, even when it was 'for a good cause'. I so appreciated that. And at the same time, the theme of forgiveness and trust was... so beautifully woven in.
And while I didn't agree with everything, I did think that the Christian message was much better presented than in most books. I really appreciated that, too.
Note: There was one scene, or maybe two, which involved undetailed descriptions of things that I would have preferred to have been left out. They weren't put in for any bad purpose or were meant in any harmful way, but the fact is that this story is for girls and women. The author says as much at the end. So, even though one of the POV characters is a man, this isn't a book for boys and I wouldn't hand it to one. For girls, it really isn't anything bad. Normally I don't make that distinction, but I think this books is the exception since it's clearly a girls' book.
Beautiful gem of a book. I felt everything so deeply, and the character growth and beauty was just... so good. The ending was perfect. I just... I love this book so much.
Of the two, I think Alex's POV was my favourite. I just loved him and Jenni, and I loved his character arc, and the lessons he learned, and Joseph, and his determination not to give up on her, and the depth of his character. I loved all his scenes, and he and Jenni were just such a fun, sweet, and beautiful couple. And I loved the girls, too! And Jenni... Jenni was the best. <3 She was a seriously amazing woman, and a seriously amazing wife.
But I loved Libby's POV too. I felt soo deeply for her... I just wanted to give her a hug. I really liked how her backstory was woven in slowly over the whole book, as almost another POV completely. At first I was confused because I was missing so much, and I didn't realise there was more coming, but the whole story did eventually unfold, and I feel like it was woven really well with the main story.
The themes were so beautiful and so good. I loved all the characters so much - Angel was such an amazing friend, and I've already said how much I loved Alex's crew. While it covered themes of abuse and Libby went through some really dark patches in her life, it was just so filled with simple beauty and hope. I can't describe it.... "Dewdrops and Butterflies" captures its essence exactly. Even through all the darkness, there is beauty in the simple little things like dewdrops and butterflies, flowers and forests.
One thing I have to mention is that for ONCE I was super impressed with how lying was treated in this book - as something very very serious and very very wrong, even when it was 'for a good cause'. I so appreciated that. And at the same time, the theme of forgiveness and trust was... so beautifully woven in.
And while I didn't agree with everything, I did think that the Christian message was much better presented than in most books. I really appreciated that, too.
Note: There was one scene, or maybe two, which involved undetailed descriptions of things that I would have preferred to have been left out. They weren't put in for any bad purpose or were meant in any harmful way, but the fact is that this story is for girls and women. The author says as much at the end. So, even though one of the POV characters is a man, this isn't a book for boys and I wouldn't hand it to one. For girls, it really isn't anything bad. Normally I don't make that distinction, but I think this books is the exception since it's clearly a girls' book.
Beautiful gem of a book. I felt everything so deeply, and the character growth and beauty was just... so good. The ending was perfect. I just... I love this book so much.
March 10, 2021
I started this book last summer, and then set it down and didn’t pick it up again until now. It wasn’t that the book was boring, I just feel like maybe I had to be in the right mood or setting to read it and enjoy it to its fullest. I did finish it though, and it definitely turned out better than I thought in the beginning. I enjoyed how the author added flash-backs into Rose's past, and the way it showed her inner conflict, that she tried hard not to express. I also very much enjoyed the changes of POV from Rose to Alex. I thought that was a really good thing throughout the book and I enjoyed following different characters. Libby did an amazing job creating the different characters with different personalities, too.
I give this book 4 stars, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys books with lots of build up from the characters past, and a beautiful turn-out in the end. Ultimately, I love how the author is focused on the Creator and uses Rose’s story for the glory of Him.
I give this book 4 stars, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys books with lots of build up from the characters past, and a beautiful turn-out in the end. Ultimately, I love how the author is focused on the Creator and uses Rose’s story for the glory of Him.
January 3, 2021
I enjoyed this look into the life and heart of a foster child.
January 18, 2021
This is such a sweet book!
The characters were great! Alex, Jenni, Angel, Joseph, and John Parker!<3 And Rose... you want to shake some sense into her a few times, but you mostly want to hug her<3
The characters were great! Alex, Jenni, Angel, Joseph, and John Parker!<3 And Rose... you want to shake some sense into her a few times, but you mostly want to hug her<3
May 27, 2020
This book was amazing! You all need to read this!
May 14, 2020
As I was looking through the reviews around half way through this book, I saw that one of them had complaints about grammar. I thought to myself "really? I haven't noticed any" So I tried to pay attention. I think that reviewer may have been right, but I was enjoying the story to much to tell.
December 12, 2019
Although I found a few grammatical errors and at times I was only slightly confused, the storyline was such a saddening and beautiful concept of overcoming life problems and discovering that you are never alone even in the darkest of times. I thought this book had such an amazing message for people struggling with abusive families and other awful problems that have taken place in their lives. I love how it shows that God always has a reason for what happens in our lives. He hears us and He sees us. I know this was a fictional book...but I know for sure kids and adults alike have gone through things just like the main character Rose has gone through. No human being should ever be put in so much pain and despair. This book I think really opens up the eyes of the reader. Reality can be a nasty thing but also beautiful.
January 19, 2022
Oh my goodness! Wow. This book is an absolute Roller Coaster. It is a complete work of art. There wasn’t one part of this book that I thought dragged or was unnecessary. It had me in tears, smiling and laughing, sometimes all at the same time. The way Libby May writes is simply breathtaking. *WARNING: Some spoilers in this review*
Rose and Alex are the two main characters that we see the story told through. I held my breath so often for Rose as the story progressed. As well as for Alex. His secrets that he held back from his wife really worried me. However I understood his reasoning behind it and I’m very pleased with the resolution of that problem. The characters are all amazingly written each having their own struggles and growth they needed to work though.
I love the gospel message in the book as well as the story of the Parable Son which was woven into the core of this book. I appreciated that Alex realized that not only was Rose the Parable Son but he was as well.
I highly recommend this book to anyone of a mature age as there are some heavy topics discussed in this book. Such as abuse, death, suicide (very brief and not acted upon) and injuries.
Dewdrops and Butterflies is a heartwarming and beautiful story that I am so glad I read. I cannot wait to read Playgrounds and Markers as well as its sequel.
*Content Warnings* Abuse, Death, Suicidal Thoughts, and Severe Injuries
Rose and Alex are the two main characters that we see the story told through. I held my breath so often for Rose as the story progressed. As well as for Alex. His secrets that he held back from his wife really worried me. However I understood his reasoning behind it and I’m very pleased with the resolution of that problem. The characters are all amazingly written each having their own struggles and growth they needed to work though.
I love the gospel message in the book as well as the story of the Parable Son which was woven into the core of this book. I appreciated that Alex realized that not only was Rose the Parable Son but he was as well.
I highly recommend this book to anyone of a mature age as there are some heavy topics discussed in this book. Such as abuse, death, suicide (very brief and not acted upon) and injuries.
Dewdrops and Butterflies is a heartwarming and beautiful story that I am so glad I read. I cannot wait to read Playgrounds and Markers as well as its sequel.
*Content Warnings* Abuse, Death, Suicidal Thoughts, and Severe Injuries
March 2, 2021
This book is excellent! Extremely heartfelt and emotional, made me tear-up several times. Libby May is an extremely talented author, it’s hard to believe this is her first novel! Definitely give this a read if you like wholesome Christian books!
August 30, 2021
Best Book I've ever read!
September 3, 2021
This book is uh-mazing!! It was a bit slow to start off, but once I was hooked (after a couple of chapters), I was hooked! I didn’t love Rose at first, I felt sorry for her but didn’t understand her. But I loved her flashback chapters, I grew to love Rose through those chapters. I wanted to give her a hug so many times through the book. Alex was amazing and I related to him so much in how he wanted to be in control. And his surrender was beautifully done. I like that he made mistakes, and wasn’t the perfect guy that is cliche. But he was still so good. Jenni wasn’t my favourite, I felt like she was a little too perfect. But her grief was so well written I could feel her pain and fear. Joseph was amazing and I lovvve him! Angel was a dear, though a bit odd at first. The gospel story was weaved throughout the book very nice and clear. There was a few grammar mistakes I noticed as well as a little bit of confusion in some timeline issues. I haven’t read many books with POV changes like this one, but it was good and I enjoyed seeing things from different prospectives. I would recommend this for teenagers or mature tweens as physical abuse is a major theme.
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