Friday, May 9, 2014

[Book Review] Bloom by Marilyn Grey

BloomBloom
by 
Have you ever wondered how many people would still love you if you were no longer beautiful? Have you ever thought of people who wake up and can't stand the idea of seeing their reflections? Have you ever considered that death may be easier than life?

I never did. Not once. Not until one moment, one mistake, changed my life forever. 

I woke up to beeping machines, hovering faces, and pain like you wouldn't believe. I'm not just talking about my burns either. I'm talking about my heart. 

My name is Sarah Jordan and this is my story. I'm tired of pretending to be perfect. Of painting on a smile when I'm struggling. My story isn't always pretty and easy to read, but it hasn't been easy to live either. I'm opening up. Letting you in. So maybe, just maybe, together we can peel away the masks and find true beauty. True life. Underneath it all. 

Welcome to my heart ... bound within the pages of Bloom.

Book 5 in The Unspoken Series. This is a 10 book series, best when read in order.

A beautiful, successful, sweet personality with the world at her fingertips, Sarah Jordan falls in love with James, a charming man who adores her. But he comes with broken pieces and a daughter he adopted when his brother and sister-in-law died in an accident he feels he could've prevented. When she finally decides to say yes to his many proposals, they are both burned in a campfire accident. After a year of hospital beds and stark lights, Sarah is released to go home with everything but her former beauty. As she recovers, James struggles with regret and guilt as Sarah fights to overcome the depression that comes with a new life so different from the one she loved so much. Her joy and security are tested while budding relationships cleanse wounds they never knew they had.


*Copy provided by the Winslet Press in exchange for an honest review*

Starting Bloom was somewhat of a mystery for me. I have never read anything by this author and with this book being fifth one in the series, I worried that I wouldn't be able to get into the story as much as I wanted to. 

But despite my fears, this was an absolutely beautiful story.Bloom is way more than just discovering yourself. It's about completely adjusting to the way you view the world, view life itself, and trying to find beauty in somewhere that's considered "hideous".

Story begins when Sarah and her fiance James go out camping & he doesn't put out the fire. With a terrible accidents, coma, and long healing process - Sarah is stuck with scars all over her body that makes her feel like a monster. She is depressed and cannot even look at herself and knows that she has to let James go so he would be happy. But being obsessive, it's tough for him to let her go. When she meets Vasili, she knows that he would be a great friend for her. He knows what she went through and feels very open to him. If only a man could love her and look at her like the used to do before the accident... 

"When we realize that the tears dripping from our eyes invisibly flow over the darkest parts of us, washing away the stains and revealing beauty we never knew we had. Real, strong beauty not shaken by even the cruelest of flames..."

I still can't get over this book. In the beginning, I was a little worried that the whole story was going to be about Sarah being depressed but when we are introduced to Anastasiya, the story takes an incredible turn. Through this dying little girl, Sarah is able to see that there is more to a person than just how their skin looks or what kind of clothes they wear. All throughout this story we see the changes in Sarah's life and it's just so absolutely incredible and honest, it made me cry. Recommended for anyone who enjoys books that actually have a meaning. This is the book that makes you think about your perspective on life and what you consider beautiful.