Status
Checked out
Due February 14, 2024
Call number
Publication
Simon Pulse
Pages
231
Description
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 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.… (more)
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
231 p.; 8.25 inches
ISBN
9781416926832
Similar in this library
User reviews
LibraryThing member scoutlee
Imagine that your boyfriend is popular, drop dead gorgeous, crazy about you, athletic and wanted by every girl in high school. This is the relationship that Lauren has with Dave. Seems like she should be happy, right? Wrong. She's not. She's in the "perfect" relationship (so everyone thinks), but
World History is the class she wants to get out of, however it's also where her story finally begins. As a new semester starts, Lauren dreads her World History class. It starts to get interesting when the teacher assigns seating in alphabetical order. Across from her is Evan Kirkland. The son of her father's former live-in boyfriend; a relationship that ended very badly.
As Lauren's feelings grow for Evan, she realizes everything she is missing with her boyfriend Dave. She struggles with keeping up appearances, lying to her best friend, Katie, and understanding these new feelings that Evan has stirred up. Lauren's mom left the family when she was young and her father has been in and out of numerous relationships. Now, he's hardly a presence in Lauren's life. This is also an impact on the triangle of Lauren/Dave/Evan.
Overall, I liked this book. Katie and Dave were good supporting characters, however I wanted to know more about their lives. Bloom is a good story about young love, trying to fit in struggling with doing what is expected of you, and discovering who you really are.
Show More
yet she feels so far from perfect and certainly not happy. In fact, she feels like a fake.World History is the class she wants to get out of, however it's also where her story finally begins. As a new semester starts, Lauren dreads her World History class. It starts to get interesting when the teacher assigns seating in alphabetical order. Across from her is Evan Kirkland. The son of her father's former live-in boyfriend; a relationship that ended very badly.
As Lauren's feelings grow for Evan, she realizes everything she is missing with her boyfriend Dave. She struggles with keeping up appearances, lying to her best friend, Katie, and understanding these new feelings that Evan has stirred up. Lauren's mom left the family when she was young and her father has been in and out of numerous relationships. Now, he's hardly a presence in Lauren's life. This is also an impact on the triangle of Lauren/Dave/Evan.
Overall, I liked this book. Katie and Dave were good supporting characters, however I wanted to know more about their lives. Bloom is a good story about young love, trying to fit in struggling with doing what is expected of you, and discovering who you really are.
Show Less
LibraryThing member mrsdwilliams
Lauren considers herself nothing special, but inexplicably, the most gorgeous and popular guy in school has chosen her for a girlfriend. Dave is perfect--thoughtful, kind, gorgeous, and smart--and he wants a future with Lauren. Lauren pretends to be the perfect gorl that Dave deserves, but finds
A great realistic novel about being true to yourself.
Show More
herself drawn more and more to Evan. She knows she will have to choose between Dave and Evan, but who should she choose?A great realistic novel about being true to yourself.
Show Less
LibraryThing member essa868
A great story about girl who likes a boy and doesn't know what to do about it.
LibraryThing member abbylibrarian
Lauren knows everything should be great since she's with the super cute and popular Dave. Nevermind that she's only semi-popular now that she's dating Dave and nevermind that her supposed best friend Katie doesn't really know anything about her. And nevermind that her mom skipped out on her when
Then Evan shows up. And everything changes.
A brutally honest look at first loves, I found this novel somewhat disturbing because Lauren seemed so real. I wanted to shake her most of the time, but I also remember how all-consuming that first love was.
Show More
she was six and her dad's never around. Lauren knows that as long as she's with Dave, as long as she has the status of being his girlfriend, everything's going to be fine. Then Evan shows up. And everything changes.
A brutally honest look at first loves, I found this novel somewhat disturbing because Lauren seemed so real. I wanted to shake her most of the time, but I also remember how all-consuming that first love was.
Show Less
LibraryThing member GaylDasherSmith
I really liked this exploration of a high school girl who drifts through life because it's too painful to examine it too closely. She avoids discussion of matters important to her and lets her life move wildly out of control. I found this a very unusual but frank and compelling read.
LibraryThing member Runa
I had heard nothing but good things about this book. In many ways, it lived up to my expectations, and in others, failed completely. Lauren, the protagonist, is a pretty unlikeable character. She may embody much of the teenage population of the world, but she certainly doesn't speak for me. The
Rating: 4/5
Show More
only thing about her that I liked was that she was a reader, volunteering & planning to work at the library. Elizabeth Scott broke barriers, I felt. I've never actually read a YA book in which a main character is religious (save for Miriam's Well, but that's a totally different story). The backstory Lauren has with Evan is also incredibly fresh. And then there's the cheating. I've never read a YA book with such huge instances of cheating on another person. There has been emotional cheating, sure, but like this? No. I didn't like it. The break-up with Dave could have and should have happened sometime earlier, instead of dragging it out for no reason. It would have given room to resolve many issues that are never really given an ending--Katie's issues with her family, Marcus with his, Lauren and Mary, and most importantly, we'd have more time to spend with Lauren and her father, the central relationship (to me) in the book. I liked the first person aspect of the book, it let you clearly see everything, while at the same time, skewing everything to fit Lauren's point of view. It worked very effectively. Random formatting notes to close this off: I adored the flowers throughout the book, and I loved the texture of the cover! Almost felt like a hardcover, all smooth, didn't it?Rating: 4/5
Show Less
LibraryThing member theepicrat
I finally had the chance to pick up Elizabeth Scott's debut bloom which would be my first taste of her writing. Wow! This book may not look long, and the cover may seem a little ordinary - but don't be fooled! bloom certainly delivers a powerful punch in the terms of searching for identity,
Lauren is probably the girl that we all are - at least, she channels the girl that I think that I was and am somewhat. Her problems, thoughts, hopes, disappointments struck a chord with me, and I felt that I knew her.
To sum it up, go check out bloom if you haven't already! It'll be like finding an old friend!
Show More
motivation, and love.Lauren is probably the girl that we all are - at least, she channels the girl that I think that I was and am somewhat. Her problems, thoughts, hopes, disappointments struck a chord with me, and I felt that I knew her.
To sum it up, go check out bloom if you haven't already! It'll be like finding an old friend!
Show Less
LibraryThing member francescadefreitas
Lauren has the perfect boyfriend - but when he's not around, she's a school nobody. When a friend from her childhood arrives, Lauren's questioning of her perfect life get a focus. A sweet school romance. Give to people looking for first love stories, or gentle highs chool romances.
LibraryThing member stephxsu
Lauren Smith has always been the average girl, and so she can hardly believe it when Dave, the most popular and genuinely nice guy in her grade, asks her out, and then continues to stay with her after a year. With Dave, Lauren has everything a girl could ever wish for—perfect boyfriend, friends,
Or is she? When Evan Kirkland, an almost-ghost from her past, shows up in school, Lauren finds herself inexplicably attracted to him. Evan has a history and secrets, and is completely different from sweet Dave. But with Evan, Lauren experiences emotions she never believed she was capable of.
Which boy and life should Lauren choose—safe, sweet Dave, or the unknown with Evan?
BLOOM is a short and sweet read about a problem that most teenagers can relate to. Lauren may say that her life is not like those in the movies, but she certainly has a common story: having to choose between two boys, one of whom can give her everything she’s conditioned to want, and one who can maybe give her what she doesn’t know she really wants.
From this simple premise arises a simple, straightforward high school love story, with a dash of family angst thrown in. Admittedly Lauren and Evan’s budding relationship is not much different from most other teen fiction relationships, and most of the importance of the situation is lost in its blandness. Readers are told by Lauren by her predicament is and may be life-changing, but from the novel we don’t really feel it. Reactions are damped; emotions, cramped.
Very few of the characters and their interactions with one another are actually likable. Lauren was a weak protagonist who had a tough time learning to follow her heart. Dave, he of the religious bent and family-obligated persuasion, is lackluster as well; I never really understood why he was so well liked.
This all would’ve been fine, because I highly suspect that Elizabeth Scott intended to portray them in such a way, had it not been for Evan. Evan is supposed to be Lauren’s savior, the one who pops her bubble, cracks her shell, makes her understand what she wants. However, in BLOOM Evan seems nothing more than a mirror for Lauren’s unconscious desires, instead of being a full human being himself. All of their interactions seem to consist of Lauren feeling butterflies in her stomach, Evan shooting her loaded looks, Lauren wanting to kiss him, Lauren catching herself thinking about him when she shouldn’t be…and on and on and on. It makes me want to shout, and where’s Evan in all of this? Why do we never get a clearer picture of HIM—his quirks, his history, what HE lacks and desires? Why does he only seem like a figment of Lauren’s desperate imagination?
In the end, this book can’t hold a candle to any of Sarah Dessen’s, but it’s good for a quick, predictable, feel-good-because-love-triumphs-all read. Next, please.
Show More
social standing—and Lauren is happy.Or is she? When Evan Kirkland, an almost-ghost from her past, shows up in school, Lauren finds herself inexplicably attracted to him. Evan has a history and secrets, and is completely different from sweet Dave. But with Evan, Lauren experiences emotions she never believed she was capable of.
Which boy and life should Lauren choose—safe, sweet Dave, or the unknown with Evan?
BLOOM is a short and sweet read about a problem that most teenagers can relate to. Lauren may say that her life is not like those in the movies, but she certainly has a common story: having to choose between two boys, one of whom can give her everything she’s conditioned to want, and one who can maybe give her what she doesn’t know she really wants.
From this simple premise arises a simple, straightforward high school love story, with a dash of family angst thrown in. Admittedly Lauren and Evan’s budding relationship is not much different from most other teen fiction relationships, and most of the importance of the situation is lost in its blandness. Readers are told by Lauren by her predicament is and may be life-changing, but from the novel we don’t really feel it. Reactions are damped; emotions, cramped.
Very few of the characters and their interactions with one another are actually likable. Lauren was a weak protagonist who had a tough time learning to follow her heart. Dave, he of the religious bent and family-obligated persuasion, is lackluster as well; I never really understood why he was so well liked.
This all would’ve been fine, because I highly suspect that Elizabeth Scott intended to portray them in such a way, had it not been for Evan. Evan is supposed to be Lauren’s savior, the one who pops her bubble, cracks her shell, makes her understand what she wants. However, in BLOOM Evan seems nothing more than a mirror for Lauren’s unconscious desires, instead of being a full human being himself. All of their interactions seem to consist of Lauren feeling butterflies in her stomach, Evan shooting her loaded looks, Lauren wanting to kiss him, Lauren catching herself thinking about him when she shouldn’t be…and on and on and on. It makes me want to shout, and where’s Evan in all of this? Why do we never get a clearer picture of HIM—his quirks, his history, what HE lacks and desires? Why does he only seem like a figment of Lauren’s desperate imagination?
In the end, this book can’t hold a candle to any of Sarah Dessen’s, but it’s good for a quick, predictable, feel-good-because-love-triumphs-all read. Next, please.
Show Less
LibraryThing member TheDreamerReader
The Good: It was realistic. From the characters to the plot, I whole-heartedly believed every last bit of it.
What girl hasn't been in a situation in which you like someone and he/she likes you back, but it's not what you expected? You think you're happy and then all of a sudden, BAM! A new person
Lauren has faults. Who doesn't? It doesn't make her weak though, it makes her human and you can actually have compassion for her. Also, for the people who thinks she's a b*tch or she's annoys the hell out of you, read this book and tell me that you can't see some of the same traits in her that are in you. Go ahead and try, but you will at least see one quirk that you can't relate too.
The plot line in Bloom is something I don't see that often, which is so weird because people have issues like this more than we think. Give yourself a pat on the back Ms. Scott.
The Bad: It was average. I really liked it, but... I don't know, something about it did not click with me. Hey, call me a prude, but I think Lauren was a little bit... sluttish.
I mean, if you're dating another guy (who you've been with for more than a couple of months), don't suddenly start making out with some other guy. At least tell your boyfriend that you want a break or something like that! You're cheating on him! Even if the other person is the your soul mate, stop stringing the other guy along. And besides, if you're so convinced that the other person (the non-BF) is your soul mate, why can't you just let your BF go? Do you really want him or is it going to be a case of *brown chicken, brown cow?
Okay, I'm getting off my soapbox now. Bleh, me and my straight-laced moral values ;)
Overall: Bloom is a book that makes you think and leaves you satisfied. Not only was it fantastic, it's only a foreshadow of what's about o come from the very talented Elizabeth Scott.
Grade: A-
*My friend texted me about Bloom (she loved it) and what she thought of it, this quote was in it and I just had to put it in my review. Basically, what it means is that on the surface they're the same, because they're both brown. However, that's the only thing that they have in common. Besides the color, they are two totally different things.
What girl hasn't been in a situation in which you like someone and he/she likes you back, but it's not what you expected? You think you're happy and then all of a sudden, BAM! A new person
Show More
comes along and you start to like he/she more than your current person. Same thing happened to my friend, which ties back to my point of it being realistic!Lauren has faults. Who doesn't? It doesn't make her weak though, it makes her human and you can actually have compassion for her. Also, for the people who thinks she's a b*tch or she's annoys the hell out of you, read this book and tell me that you can't see some of the same traits in her that are in you. Go ahead and try, but you will at least see one quirk that you can't relate too.
The plot line in Bloom is something I don't see that often, which is so weird because people have issues like this more than we think. Give yourself a pat on the back Ms. Scott.
The Bad: It was average. I really liked it, but... I don't know, something about it did not click with me. Hey, call me a prude, but I think Lauren was a little bit... sluttish.
I mean, if you're dating another guy (who you've been with for more than a couple of months), don't suddenly start making out with some other guy. At least tell your boyfriend that you want a break or something like that! You're cheating on him! Even if the other person is the your soul mate, stop stringing the other guy along. And besides, if you're so convinced that the other person (the non-BF) is your soul mate, why can't you just let your BF go? Do you really want him or is it going to be a case of *brown chicken, brown cow?
Okay, I'm getting off my soapbox now. Bleh, me and my straight-laced moral values ;)
Overall: Bloom is a book that makes you think and leaves you satisfied. Not only was it fantastic, it's only a foreshadow of what's about o come from the very talented Elizabeth Scott.
Grade: A-
*My friend texted me about Bloom (she loved it) and what she thought of it, this quote was in it and I just had to put it in my review. Basically, what it means is that on the surface they're the same, because they're both brown. However, that's the only thing that they have in common. Besides the color, they are two totally different things.
Show Less
LibraryThing member airdna
Lauren is dating the perfect guy. So why isn't she happy? And why can't she stop thinking about Evan, the new boy in school? They had been friends years ago when they were little kids, but that can't explain the jolt of electricity she feels whenever she sees him now. She's hopelessly drawn to
This is pretty much a perfect modern YA love story. The characters and situations are well-drawn and believable. The narrator's voice is snarky, self-deprecating, and spot on. The basic plot is pure Romance, but several subplots add depth and develop characters without distracting. Elizabeth Scott is an exciting new voice in YA lit, and definitely one to watch!
Show More
Evan, but is terrified of surrendering to her emotions and giving up her "perfect" but predictable relationship to gamble on the unknown. This is pretty much a perfect modern YA love story. The characters and situations are well-drawn and believable. The narrator's voice is snarky, self-deprecating, and spot on. The basic plot is pure Romance, but several subplots add depth and develop characters without distracting. Elizabeth Scott is an exciting new voice in YA lit, and definitely one to watch!
Show Less
LibraryThing member chicklitter
Lauren's seventeen and popular by association since she's dating the most popular boy in school (who's secretly celibate). Before she started dating Dave, she was one of the kids no one really noticed, not popular but not a loser. Just...there. And she still can't figure out what the gorgeous Dave
Then Evan comes along. Evan is the son of one of her absentee father's previous girlfriends, and he and Lauren haven't seen each other in about ten years. Lauren finds herself drawn to Evan, and to the way she feels when she's with him. She's comfortable with him, opens up and tells him things about herself that she doesn't share with Dave or her stressed-out best friend.
The thing is, Lauren is scared to feel, scared to allow herself and her emotions to get remotely out of control because she equates emotions with her mother, who abandoned Lauren and her dad when Lauren was a little girl. So at seventeen, she's figured out how to bottle things up, to lock her emotions up and throw away the proverbial key. In that way, Dave is safe. She feels...well, she doesn't really feel around him. And there's comfort in that. Like I said, he's safe.
But Evan....oh, when she's around Evan all she does is feel. And it scares the crap out of her, but at the same time she can't stay away from him.
So she keeps lying to Dave, making up excuses to stay after school or why she can't do this or that. She keeps telling him everything's okay even though it isn't. She hides the truth from her best friend. She doesn't quite know what to do or how to handle anything that she's feeling. Eventually, she and Evan end up kissing, and even fooling around at one point (they probably would've had sex if his mom hadn't walked in on them). And that's where Lauren knows she's crossed a line she shouldn't have. But still, she's torn--do the safe thing, or risk getting hurt and letting go.
Those are tough decisions for adults to make, much less seventeen-year-olds.
Show More
sees in her.Then Evan comes along. Evan is the son of one of her absentee father's previous girlfriends, and he and Lauren haven't seen each other in about ten years. Lauren finds herself drawn to Evan, and to the way she feels when she's with him. She's comfortable with him, opens up and tells him things about herself that she doesn't share with Dave or her stressed-out best friend.
The thing is, Lauren is scared to feel, scared to allow herself and her emotions to get remotely out of control because she equates emotions with her mother, who abandoned Lauren and her dad when Lauren was a little girl. So at seventeen, she's figured out how to bottle things up, to lock her emotions up and throw away the proverbial key. In that way, Dave is safe. She feels...well, she doesn't really feel around him. And there's comfort in that. Like I said, he's safe.
But Evan....oh, when she's around Evan all she does is feel. And it scares the crap out of her, but at the same time she can't stay away from him.
So she keeps lying to Dave, making up excuses to stay after school or why she can't do this or that. She keeps telling him everything's okay even though it isn't. She hides the truth from her best friend. She doesn't quite know what to do or how to handle anything that she's feeling. Eventually, she and Evan end up kissing, and even fooling around at one point (they probably would've had sex if his mom hadn't walked in on them). And that's where Lauren knows she's crossed a line she shouldn't have. But still, she's torn--do the safe thing, or risk getting hurt and letting go.
Those are tough decisions for adults to make, much less seventeen-year-olds.
Show Less
LibraryThing member 4sarad
I really enjoyed this book; read it in only a few hours. It's a good story about a girl who has the boy everyone wants but has to come to grips with the fact that he's not what she wants. As far as high school books go, it's pretty real. Her boyfriend doesn't beat her or cheat on her or anything,
Show More
but he's not right for her. There aren't many books out with that message... that just because everything is going right, doesn't mean that it is right. I enjoyed it. Show Less
LibraryThing member Mrs.Williams
i thought it was a good book but kind of weird that she dated her dads ex girlfriends son.
LibraryThing member noahsmae
The scene in which they have their first kiss is incredible. It is so well-written. The attraction between the is so palpable. In general, throughout the book, you can really feel how strongly they are attracted to each other. It seems like they are magnets and it's beyond their control.
LibraryThing member librarianm
A lot of people would call Lauren’s life perfect. Her boyfriend, Dave, is lusted after by most of the females at their high school, and she’s popular (by association, at least); in high school that makes you practically royal. But look a little deeper and you soon realize that Lauren is just
Bloom came very highly recommended, so I had very high expectations when I started reading. I’m happy to say that I really enjoyed Bloom and found it to be a well written story about trying to figure out what you want out of life. Lauren was instantly relatable because who hasn’t been unhappy with how their life was going or wanted something other than what they had. She started out going along with everyone else until she gained some confidence in herself. Her relationship with Evan had a lot to with this.
Lauren and Evan knew each other when they were young, actually Lauren’s father and Evan’s mother dated and were serious for awhile, so there is a connection there that Lauren just doesn’t have with Dave. An example of this was when Lauren and Evan talk about their career goals. Lauren says that she wants to be a librarian, but admits that she’s never actually told her father, Dave or Katie this. Instead she tells them she wants to be a lawyer or a pediatrician because she knows that fits how they see her. I didn’t agree with all of Lauren’s decisions, she definitely could have been more upfront with both Dave and Katie about her feelings for Evan. But, at the same time I can appreciate that she found herself in a hard place trying to decide between what was safe and routine with Dave or the possibly exciting unknown with Evan.
The contrast between Dave and Evan was really well done. Dave had this almost too perfect aura about him: he had the ideal family, he was a caring and devoted older brother, he was planning his life with Lauren, including what college they would attend. Evan, on the other hand, was rough around the edges, he didn’t care about popularity or friends and it was just him and his mom. Of the two, Evan felt more real, more like someone you could meet in real life. Where Dave was the shiny fantasy (remember all the girls and possibly some of the boys wanted to date him), Evan was gritty reality.
The supporting characters added overall depth to the story. I especially liked the small side plot of Lauren’s growing friendship with Gail, a fellow jazz band member. It was obvious that Lauren’s relationship with her dad needed a lot of work and it was nice to see that the two of them got to a better place by the end of the book. Not everything was worked out but, it was obvious that the mending had begun. For most of the book, my least favorite relationship was Lauren and Katie’s friendship. Lauren is very upfront with the reader that the two of them were only best friends because of specific circumstances. Out of all the people in Lauren’s life, Katie is the most concerned with outward appearance and maintaining an aura of perfection. There was a small side plot with Katie’s family that I wish had been explored a little more. In the end, Katie surprised me by being much more perceptive than I thought she could be. And the fact that Lauren had both Katie and Gail as friends at the end of the story, shows just how much she had grown.
Bloom is one of those books that engaged me right away and kept my attention straight through to the end. Ms. Scott writes in such a way that you care about her characters from the first page and want the best for them, even if they might not know exactly what that might be. Even after I had read the last sentence, I was still thinking about the characters, especially Lauren and Evan. I still had lots of questions, like: were they still together, were they happy, did they end up achieving their career goals? I love when an author makes me wonder about the characters’ lives beyond the story, beyond the ending. Bloom was a book that stayed with me for a long time, weeks after I had finished it I was still thinking about it and all the choices that Lauren made. It is definitely a book that I will reread.
Overall, a book with a strong message about being yourself and finding what makes you happy.
Show More
really good at fitting into everyone else’s expectations for her. Once the shiny exterior is pulled off, it’s easy to see that her mom left when she was six and she hasn’t gotten over hoping she’ll come back, her dad practically lives at the office, her best friend, Katie, is really only her best friend because their boyfriends are friends. And her super popular, besides having a family that is almost too perfect, isn’t exactly who he pretends to be either. Then Evan comes back into her life and he’s everything Dave isn’t. Around him, Lauren feels she can be more herself, more the person she wants to be. So what’s a girl to do: follow everyone else’s plan or decide to be true to herself?Bloom came very highly recommended, so I had very high expectations when I started reading. I’m happy to say that I really enjoyed Bloom and found it to be a well written story about trying to figure out what you want out of life. Lauren was instantly relatable because who hasn’t been unhappy with how their life was going or wanted something other than what they had. She started out going along with everyone else until she gained some confidence in herself. Her relationship with Evan had a lot to with this.
Lauren and Evan knew each other when they were young, actually Lauren’s father and Evan’s mother dated and were serious for awhile, so there is a connection there that Lauren just doesn’t have with Dave. An example of this was when Lauren and Evan talk about their career goals. Lauren says that she wants to be a librarian, but admits that she’s never actually told her father, Dave or Katie this. Instead she tells them she wants to be a lawyer or a pediatrician because she knows that fits how they see her. I didn’t agree with all of Lauren’s decisions, she definitely could have been more upfront with both Dave and Katie about her feelings for Evan. But, at the same time I can appreciate that she found herself in a hard place trying to decide between what was safe and routine with Dave or the possibly exciting unknown with Evan.
The contrast between Dave and Evan was really well done. Dave had this almost too perfect aura about him: he had the ideal family, he was a caring and devoted older brother, he was planning his life with Lauren, including what college they would attend. Evan, on the other hand, was rough around the edges, he didn’t care about popularity or friends and it was just him and his mom. Of the two, Evan felt more real, more like someone you could meet in real life. Where Dave was the shiny fantasy (remember all the girls and possibly some of the boys wanted to date him), Evan was gritty reality.
The supporting characters added overall depth to the story. I especially liked the small side plot of Lauren’s growing friendship with Gail, a fellow jazz band member. It was obvious that Lauren’s relationship with her dad needed a lot of work and it was nice to see that the two of them got to a better place by the end of the book. Not everything was worked out but, it was obvious that the mending had begun. For most of the book, my least favorite relationship was Lauren and Katie’s friendship. Lauren is very upfront with the reader that the two of them were only best friends because of specific circumstances. Out of all the people in Lauren’s life, Katie is the most concerned with outward appearance and maintaining an aura of perfection. There was a small side plot with Katie’s family that I wish had been explored a little more. In the end, Katie surprised me by being much more perceptive than I thought she could be. And the fact that Lauren had both Katie and Gail as friends at the end of the story, shows just how much she had grown.
Bloom is one of those books that engaged me right away and kept my attention straight through to the end. Ms. Scott writes in such a way that you care about her characters from the first page and want the best for them, even if they might not know exactly what that might be. Even after I had read the last sentence, I was still thinking about the characters, especially Lauren and Evan. I still had lots of questions, like: were they still together, were they happy, did they end up achieving their career goals? I love when an author makes me wonder about the characters’ lives beyond the story, beyond the ending. Bloom was a book that stayed with me for a long time, weeks after I had finished it I was still thinking about it and all the choices that Lauren made. It is definitely a book that I will reread.
Overall, a book with a strong message about being yourself and finding what makes you happy.
Show Less
LibraryThing member edspicer
This book is very realistic. I connected with the book, and the problems she was dealing with.
4Q, 3P; Cover Art: Okay.
This book is best suited for middle and highschoolers.
It was selected due to a friend's recommendation.
KH-AHS-NC
4Q, 3P; Cover Art: Okay.
This book is best suited for middle and highschoolers.
It was selected due to a friend's recommendation.
KH-AHS-NC
LibraryThing member Bookswithbite
Ms.Scott is another author I love to read! Her books are always life changing and have something significant you can always take away from. In this book., we the reader, discover Lauren. A teenager who is looking for something more. Aren't we not?
I loved the characters in this book. I like how real
The plot line of this book is good. I like how Lauren grew before the readers eyes and became more. I can say that she "Bloomed" into herself. As the plot line goes deeper into the story, we see other things bloom in front of Lauren eyes. She learns more about relationships and what they really mean. Even her father is a little surprised of how quickly his daughter grew to be mature young woman.
I like this book cause of the growth in it. Lauren learns so much and isn't who she thought she is. She is more and wants more. Ms.Scott wrote an great coming of age story about a girl who blooms into herself.
I loved the characters in this book. I like how real
Show More
Lauren is. I like how she wants more to her life than what she is living now. I think we need to make mistakes in order to get to the place where we need to be. To grow not only in life but in ourselves. As Lauren begins to see that, her life is being map out for her, she breaks out of it, saying what she wants. I loved that Lauren is strong enough to say no and to say what she wants instead of going with the crowd.The plot line of this book is good. I like how Lauren grew before the readers eyes and became more. I can say that she "Bloomed" into herself. As the plot line goes deeper into the story, we see other things bloom in front of Lauren eyes. She learns more about relationships and what they really mean. Even her father is a little surprised of how quickly his daughter grew to be mature young woman.
I like this book cause of the growth in it. Lauren learns so much and isn't who she thought she is. She is more and wants more. Ms.Scott wrote an great coming of age story about a girl who blooms into herself.
Show Less
LibraryThing member nitalia
Lauren has a perfect life. She has good grades, a perfect boyfriend and a loving family. Most of the people envy her because she never gets in fights with her boyfriend. Lauren is a very whiny teenager throughout the whole book; she complains on almost everything and it becomes hard for me to
Show More
sympathize with her.I feel like her problems and all that she is going through is all fake. There are several lines that repeat emphasizing how cute, perfect and charming Dave (her boyfriend) is. This story is like a long soap opera. The lines, pages and emotions just drags on until there is nothing left to say and then the author ends the story. I just wanted the book to end as quickly as it could. There are some parts where you get lost in the book and don't know what exactly is going on; the story line is like an average love story and the personalities of the character's are not really that outstanding or unique. I personally think that this book was not as greatly written as Scott's other books. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kelseykko
This book took me forever to read because I just wasn't into it. It was good, but easy to put down and move onto something else.
LibraryThing member chaoticbooklover
I always love a light fluffy read. I wasn't too drawn to the main character, though she did make me laugh a few times. I can't say that I was happy about how she treated Dave, her boyfriend, and Evan; but I can see that while she liked them both, the decision was a tough one for her to make. The
Show More
ending left me wanting, and could have been wrapped up a little better, but all in all the book was just what I needed after reading Crank. Show Less
LibraryThing member katiebug41295
Amazing book! I read it in less than a day. Very, very, well written. Would recommend it to all of my friends. One of my favorites at the moment. Loved it.
LibraryThing member HeatherLINC
Oh, my goodness. The English staff want lighter, more romantic books introduced into Yr 8 Literature Circles, but everything I've read that I thought my be suitable, has been terrible. Why does it have to be so hard?
Sadly, "Bloom" was no exception. Lauren was an awful protagonist. She was whiny and
Sadly, "Bloom" was no exception. Lauren was an awful protagonist. She was whiny and
Show More
shallow, and kept telling the reader how 'perfect' her boyfriend, Dave, was even though she was thinking about kissing Evan Then she starts going out with him while still Dave's girlfriend. Really???!!! There was nothing inspirational about this novel and I was disgusted with Lauren's behaviour. Not for me! Show Less
Awards
Call number
YA A Sco