Dark Flowers

SUSPENSE/THRILLER:  Eliza and Millie live at the horrid institution of St. Agatha’s orphanage, where the Matron gives the girls the bare minimum for existence. Girls who misbehave are put in the box, and are given no food or water while they are in the cramped quarters. Eliza is desperate to escape and take her best friend, Millie, with her. They escape into the swamps where Millie discovers fairies that have wings like a spider and worst of all, they bite! Because they believe in the fairies, the girls are taken to an insane asylum. Eliza begins remembering her past and it is horrifying.

“Dark Flowers” is a haunting story that the reader will not soon forget. Vivid descriptions allow the reader to see the swamp in both of its incarnations - as everyone sees it, and the sparkling silver wonderland that is the domain of the fairies. Eliza and Millie start off as believable characters, but deteriorate as the story progresses. Most of the characters are flat and two-dimensional. The story drags once the girls are in the insane asylum. The story doesn’t have a nice, tight ending, but does leave it open for another book. This dark novel has many twists that will keep readers guessing throughout the story.

Belinda Wilson