The Language of Flowers: A Novel

In this moving debut, deftly narrated by Tara Sands, Victoria emerges from a foster-care system that hasn’t treated her well. She came close to finding a home with her beloved Elizabeth, but her inability to trust led to disaster. Now 18, and on her own, Victoria finds the only way to communicate – and possibly find happiness – is through the flowers she loves and the gift she has in choosing them for others. While this isn't a book I'd listen to again and again, I did enjoy it and found it quietly powerful.

moving, eloquent, beautiful

Victoria - she was self aware, honest and flawed. While I didn't always like her, I loved hearing her self analysis and awareness.

Every moment in this book moved me.

I could not have loved it more. It was the best book I've read in a very long time. The topic did not draw me, but a friend recommended it, and I am now ready to start it from the beginning and read all over again.

I truly enjoyed this story. I think it would have been even better read than audio. The narrators voice was too much like a chic lit novel rather than really reflective of the material. I loved the inner turmoil Victoria struggles with and overcame. I never knew there was a language of flowers. This was a great lesson.

Enjoyed the premise of the meaning behind each flower, but had a really hard time finishing it. It was so sad. Book Club choice not mine.

I loved the story.I work with foster kids and really felt that Victoria portrayed the emotions experienced by "some" foster kids. I thought the narrator sounded like a young adult which made it seem like Victoria was talking to me. When I was younger I was very interested in the language of flowers and it was fun to revisit it.

Even though I ratcheted down the hype I've read elsewhere on this book, I was unprepared for how deeply, truly, dreadful I found it. The narrator, Tara Sands, handled the various character voices well enough, and the audio quality is fine. It's the text I found objectionable.

Very little in the "The Language of Flowers" rings true. Most of the characters are one-dimensional, and that dimension is preternaturally saintlike. The dialogue bears no resemblance to the way people speak, nor does it have any engaging quirks to compensate for lack of naturalism. While one or two scenes have some grit and are vivid, the rest of it reads like a poor excuse for a fairy tale. Using the language of flowers as an organizing principle of the plot may be good marketing (ooh, pretty, pretty), but it is, I think, the source of what's weakest in the book. I'm not going to give plot spoilers here, but most of what happens is a little too neat and tidy.

While themes of parenthood and childhood drive some very powerful literature, including fairy tales, don't bother with this one unless you like the taste of those cheap frosting flowers they put on grocery store cakes.

The author did not draw me in to care about what happened to the characters.

Probably not.

Her voice was too child like for me.

I really enjoyed the perspective into people's lives that this book provided. It made me see the world in a different light and try to understand the people around me more.

I haven't read the print version, but I would probably say yes. THe choice of narrator for this book was phenomenal, capturing the bitter, jaded, fragile persona of a young teenager

Elizabeth, Victoria, and Renata, in that order. Elizabeth for obvious reasons, Victoria for the reason that you get inside her head and feel her pain and anger while still going on a journey with her that doesn't make you pity her (she'd hate that), and Renata for taking chances and being the best kind of friend.

As stated above, she captured the persona of all characters well - slight accents where needed, stronger ones is required, and the emotional drama of the story were pitch-perfect

This book was beautiful and wonderful and painful. Dramatic without being overly so, happy without being sappy, and an excellent read. I would have liked to see more male characters, but a minor quibble in a good read.

Easy to listen to. Enjoyably complex characters. Woven throughout with the language of flowers, of which I was vaguely familiar, vaguely interested, yet found thoroughly entertaining and inspiring.