Everblossom is a journey through poems and short stories that may seem ordinary on the surface but dig a little deeper and the world not only shifts. It changes. From the author who brought you Iwishacana/Acanawishi, she now brings you a dash of everything from dark fantasy to the paranormal to even romance. So prepare yourself to delve into the three stages of the flower from bud to blossom then back to seed, you’ll go through them all with a whole new perspective on what it all truly means (from Goodreads)
A mix of poetry and prose; blended together perfectly, with a smooth flow from beginning to end, back to the beginning, and through the book again.
“Everblossom: A Short Story and Poetry Anthology” by Larissa Hinton has become one of my favourite books of poetry. Even some of the prose has poetic elements. I had received the eBook from Larissa, in exchange for an impartial review. But just a few poems and stories into the book, I knew I needed to hold this book in my hand! So, I ordered the paperback version, and finished the book that way.
In the introduction, Hinton speaks of the order of the book, compared to the non-linear scope of her writings. Beginning with ‘Seed’ – some of Hinton’s earliest work; moving into ‘Bud’, then ‘Blossom’, the reader can visualize some of the flow of Hinton’s writing. The Goodreads synopsis, which I show above, says that the book highlights three stages of the flower from bud to blossom then back to seed. That held true for me. When I reached the final poem, the writing that ended the book, I instantly flipped back to the ‘Seed’ beginning poem; I had the desire to see again how it all began. After my second read through, I took extra time reading pieces that touched some unknown place in my heart, and have gone back to individual pieces since that time.
The book contains some of Hinton’s favourite pieces, and some writing that was among her most challenging work. The flow of the book was not strictly an upward incline; the reader will find some of the author’s earlier writings more appealing than those in the ‘Blossom’ section. I believe this is highly influenced by personal preference, rather than author driven. The skill of the author in the use of words is evident.
Larissa Hinton
One of the poems that caught my attention is titled: “Sprout”; and is the first poem in the ‘budding’ section of the book. The last three lines read: ‘from bud to blossom – this is the beginning – of the end’. I first read these lines in dismay, a feeling of sadness coming over me, the feeling that death is everywhere. Later reading sparked feelings of youth, that feeling we all experience as we spread our wings, and begin to live fully as an adult, having moved from the child stage – the seedling stage.
The mix of poetry and prose gives this book the feeling of a story, with a beginning and an end. There were times that I forgot I was reading individual writings, and saw the sequence as planned – planned from the start. The sequence for the book was clearly planned, but the writing of individual pieces did not have the same sequence. I saw this as a strength of the book itself.
As an anthology of poetry and prose, I do recommend the reading of Larissa Hinton’s “Everblossom”. With its variety of writing styles, as well as Larissa’s ability to cross genres seamlessly, it will be a welcome addition to any bookshelf. Enjoy!
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photo by Heather Fraser
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“The Joy of the Written Word”:
Larissa Hinton’s book, ‘Everblossom’, is a reminder to me of why I write this blog. One of the reasons is that I might share with my readers, the joyful feeling I receive from many forms of the written word. Be it poetry or prose, structured or free, new world thinking or biblical, the joy of the written word reaches a part of my inner being. And I attempt to share that joy within this blog.
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Choose Joy!
Patricia
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Welcome to my Book Review Blog! Enjoy your visit! I review books of various Genres, including General Non-Fiction, Spiritual, Reflective, and Literary Fiction. My reviews exclude Horror, Vampire/Werewolf Paranormal, and Science Fiction. All category boundaries may be blurred at times, but one thing that is cast in stone: I do not receive compensation for my Book Reviews. Although, I may receive a book for free, in exchange for an honest review. I enjoy all things book!! And who knows, I may occasionally post personal musings on various topics! Enjoy my Blog! 
Book Review: “Say Not What If” by Andrew Friedman
This exceptional book is a short story, (approximately 10,000 words), written as a rhyming poem, which really makes it a long, (51 page), poem! However you choose to describe it, however you choose to summarize it, this literary work is something incredibly special.
I was not sure how I would feel about a long prose-poem, and I was a little intimidated by it. However, it did not take long for me to know how I felt about the book itself. I was hooked by the second page.
Most of us can probably relate to a story of a man spending too much time away from his family, and not enough time appreciating the time he has on this earth. Why is it that we can all find ourselves in this situation, even when the world around us is filled with examples of how “not-to”? I am reminded of two famous sayings: “Learn by example” and “Learn by our own mistakes”. Which one is correct? Or are they both correct?
Reading the opening stanza, it seems as though this man’s life theory is: to live for the day. “Say Not What If”, embrace life and all it offers. We learn, almost immediately, that this philosophy of life was only arrived at after some big moments of regret. The bulk of the story finds the main character struggling with his life choices.
While it might be tempting to read this book in one short period of time, I would caution against this. I took multiple sittings, as the subject matter was heavy, even though the style of writing was light. And as the book progressed I was pleased with the slower pace of my reading.
As I read his story, I could not help but feel pain for the main character. But also pain for those of us living part, or all of our lives, saying “what if”. For a short book, this story addresses major life issues, ones which the reader will find speak to the core of our beings. The author has the skill to reach directly into our hearts, souls, and minds – in a very short amount of time.
I highly recommend this book, and hope that we as readers, will learn life lessons that will stay with us for the rest of our journey.
I would like to thank Andrew Friedman, for providing a complimentary copy of his book, for my review.
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“Where is the Joy?”!!!!!
My very next post, after deciding I would ask that question at the end of any post, I forgot! Maybe no one else remembered either!!
So, where is the Joy in this post, in this book? I thought that might be a challenging question, given the subject matter of the book “Say Not What If”, (maybe that’s why I ‘forgot’!??).
However, the answer came quite easily. I found Joy in the rhyming pattern of the stanzas, in the flow of the words, and from there the images of what was being depicted.
That was the Joy.
Patricia
Choose Joy!
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