THE BOOK REVIEW CLUB NOV - Bloom by Elizabeth Scott

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pub. Date: April 24th 2007
Age Range: Age 12 and up
Pages: 231
Format: paperback
Source of copy: from the publisher - Simon Pulse Aus

There's a difference between falling and letting go.

Lauren has a good life: decent grades, great friends, and a boyfriend every girl lusts after. So why is she so unhappy?

It takes the arrival of Evan Kirkland for Lauren to figure out the answer: She's been holding back. She's been denying herself a bunch of things (like sex) because staying with her loyal and gorgeous boyfriend, Dave, is the "right" thing to do. After all, who would give up the perfect boyfriend?

But as Dave starts talking more and more about their life together, planning a future Lauren simply can't see herself in -- and as Lauren's craving for Evan, and moreover, who she is with Evan becomes all the more fierce -- Lauren realizes she needs to make a choice...before one is made for her.

An awesome debut by Elizabeth Scott, a heartfelt message about true love and how to live your life the way you want it to be. Honestly, I was a fan of Elizabeth even before I read her books and after reading Bloom I know why such a strange thing occured.

I know this sounds pretty bizarre, but if you asked me to describe how I feel about Bloom, I'd say reading the book is like wrapping a baby chicken in your palm. Everything about Bloom is gentle, sweet and extremely neat - something you want to learn more about, to realize the meaning of it and to cherish it even more.

I really like the way Elizabeth writes. She uses unfussy words, she describes things in a very simple way but there's still a feel of elegance to the book. It's brilliant I guess, cause that way Bloom will reach out to readers of all kinds. The story itself is very believable, even though the plot is totally predictable, the situations planned out for the characters are flawless. Reading Bloom is like listening to a friend's story that happened in the past. Bloom isn't actually fast-paced either, but funny enough I feel this urge inside to read faster and faster because I know it's getting better page after page.

I feel like I can make friends with the main girl - Lauren. Her character development is beautiful to begin with - from being all passive and hiding herself in her comfort zone to breaking her shell and coming out strong and determined to do things she should, even though it may hurt people at first. She's a passionate reader too and you can feel it clearly. Her connection with Even is another thing I admire. It's super strong and it doesn't happen too fast. I also like the rest of the characters except Dave. He's just way too good to be true. If I ever meet this guy in real life I think I'll just run away because the perfection is almost scary.

Overally, this is an unforgettable read for all the teen girls out there. Let Bloom tell you more about the choice between safety and wild happiness and then you'll be more confident to pick the right one yourself

Rating: 4/5