Sunflowers & Lavender
By Melanie Hooyenga
Independently Published
Ebook, 37 pages
If
you ever wanted to read a YA story that takes you back to simpler times as a
teenager, then Sunflowers & Lavender by Melanie Hooyenga is just the
story to read. I received a free copy of this story when I signed up for
Melanie's newsletter and I'm so happy I finally had a chance to read it. This
story touched my heart, made me laugh, made me smile. But, most of all, it made
me feel like I was a teenager again and enjoying happy times with friends.
Emmy is a young artist competing in a local art mural contest – and one of her
competitors just happens to be Lucas, a fellow art class student she has a
grudge against because of a catastrophe that happened in their art class at
school. But things are not what they seem and Emmy's best friend, Raina, helps
her to understand the importance of trusting her gut instead of her temper. She
also gives Emmy a little nudge towards listening to her heart, which is beating
for Lucas!
I really enjoyed reading this short story. I was drawn to it not just from the
amazing cover but also because of the lavender, one of my favorite flowers.
In one part of the story, Emmy and Raina take the time to examine a mural that
is competing in the contest. She notices there is lavender and sunflowers in
the same meadow. Raina comments that the two kinds of flowers should not even
be able to grow together in the same field, to which Emmy, the artist, replies,
"That's the beauty of art. You can bend the rules of the world however you
want." That seems to be the whole message of the story, because the two
artists – Emmy and Lucas – end up doing a little rule bending later in the
story.
This touching and sweet YA story is about friendship, love, trust and taking
scary leaps of faith that could actually be the greatest thing to happen in
your whole life. I'm definitely holding onto this one to read it again in the
future. It was such a good story and I found it very hard to stop reading. It's
a short but sweet story that lasted in my mind long after I finished reading
it.
Five stars
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