Bloom by Elizabeth Scott

author’s website: Elizabeth Scott
release date: April 24, 2007
appeals to: Young Adult
genre: Contemporary
length: 240 Pages
overall rating: 4.5 Stars

*the back cover*
Lauren has a good life: decent grades, great friends, and a boyfriend every girl wants. 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 because staying with her loyal and gorgeous boyfriend, Dave, is the "right" thing to do. After all, who would give up the perfect guy?
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.

*my review*
“I love books. I like that the moment you open one and sink into it you can escape from the world, into a story that’s way more interesting than yours will ever be” (p. 3)

After reading that quote on page 3, I was instantly drawn to this story, because that is exactly how I feel about books. I’ve always been able to fall completely into a story, so reading about Lauren – knowing that she felt that way – was a really enjoyable experience. Throughout the book, Lauren kept comparing real life to the stories in books – and pointing out how those stories aren’t really like real life at all. I loved that a character in a book was comparing her life to characters in books – it seems a bit ironic. But even more, I loved that the character was in an Elizabeth Scott book, because if there is a list of authors who actually capture “real life” without the sugar coating, Elizabeth Scott would definitely be on that list.

A big issue in this book is Lauren’s dilemma of staying with Dave (the “perfect” boyfriend – who happens to be pretty boring) or going for Evan (the mysterious boy who knew Lauren when they were kids.) Both Dave and Evan were interesting characters, but certainly, they were an exercise in opposites! Dave is a very religious, family-centered athlete, which is nice to see. However, while I get the religious focus, it bothered me that Dave didn’t share his faith-based decisions with his friends. (In fact, in my notes I actually wrote, “it’s weird that he isn’t open about his religion with his friends, too.”) Being religious is fine, but shouldn’t you be able to share that with people?

Then, there is Evan – the mysterious “new kid” who really isn’t new, but rather, is returning after being away for a long time. Evan and Lauren have a history, but the Lauren that Evan knew has changed. Lauren’s best friend Katie seems to have a lot to do with Lauren’s change in behavior, but as you read, you get the sense that Lauren made the changes in order to fit in (so you can’t really blame Katie – especially because Katie has her own set of problems).

The idea of knowing yourself is woven throughout the book. And as the story develops, it really shows the importance of staying true to yourself instead of becoming someone you wish you were or someone that others want you to be. This book has a lot of great lessons, but it still feels light while you’re reading.

*short and snappy*
writing: light, but it feels very real – you can feel Lauren’s concern and stress as she experiences things – like I’ve come to expect (and love) from Elizabeth Scott
characters: detailed – all of the characters in the book have back stories and home lives that really make them seem real
memorable line: “I love books. I like that the moment you open one and sink into it you can escape from the world…” (p. 3)
judging by the cover: a great cover – and the daisy theme continues throughout the book (each chapter title has a daisy next to it)
miscellaneous: On the web page for Bloom (here) you can read Chapter 1, see another cover design, and read interviews about Bloom (all the way at the bottom).