Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a free copy of this advanced copy of the book to read and review.

What a beautiful book in every way it can be! It has such a wonderful message and is an easy read. I look forward to reading more from this author. Highly recommended!

This is a Middle Grade. This book is slow to get started, but when you get into the book you will not want to put in down. This book is fill with Magical Realism. I loved the characters in this book, and I love that this book as a lot about plants. I have to say this middle is good for older kids. I would say 6st grade and up. I only say that because some of the magical realism parts will take being older to totally understand the meaning behind it. I really loved the ending of this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (HarperCollins Children's Books) or author (Nicola Skinner) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Affecting, sentimental, powerful. Excited to see what comes next from the author and will be keeping an eye out.

This is a wonderful, cozy, delightful book. I loved the characters. Another reviewer said it reminded her of a Roald Dahl book and I definitely agree with that assessment.

This was lovely and charming and I am glad I took the time to read it. An excellent addition to classroom, school, or home libraries.

I think there’s a lot to like in Bloom, which is a delightful but forgettable tale about the power and possibility of growing things. Sorrel is a rule-follower — in fact, she’s such a committed rule-follower that she’s a shoo-in for The Most Obedient Child of the School. (After all, the teachers come to her when they have a trouble remembering a rule!) She’s such a stickler that when their headmaster announces his plan to pave the school yard — the last green space in town — Sorrel refuses to sign her best friend Neena’s petition to save the field. It’s just not worth making a fuss about. The last thing Sorrel expects is for her properly paved-over backyard to crack open, releasing a mysterious packet of seeds.

Scientist-in-training Neena thinks this is the ultimate science experiment and helps Sorrel track down a little gardening shop, where they learn about growing seeds. No one grows anything in town — it’s hard to plant a garden in concrete — and for some reason, Sorrel thinks it’d be fun to sprinkle the seeds on her and Neena’s heads. Within days, Sorrel’s head is full of flowers, and Nina’s walking around with a vegetable garden on her head. But that’s just the beginning — the seeds spread across the town, and Sorrel discovers an old wrong that needs to be righted. Meanwhile, her chances of winning The Most Obedient Child competition are pretty much shot, and maybe that’s not such a terrible thing.

There’s a Roald Dahl-ish vibe to this middle grades book, probably because of the Very Villainous Villains and the Amusing Antics. I love the message that it’s important to think about the rules we follow instead of just blindly doing what “the grown-ups” say, and, of course, in just-Springtime, it’s nice to be reminded that there’s a whole, wild, green world out there that needs our protection and curiosity to stay alive. It’s not the most exciting or surprising book you’ll read, but it’s a pretty charming one. (Definitely get the real book and not the ebook, or you’ll miss out on one of the big plot devices.)

Bloom by Nicola Skinner(@skinnernic) has become one of my favorite middle grade books.

Sorrel is a good student who follows every rule in the book. She loves her Headmaster Mr. Grittysnit, who is loathed by students for his strict demeanor. Her best friend is a budding scientist with a knack for making messes. Sorrel’s town is adopting concrete structures, from malls to supermarkets, and cutting down trees.

Everything changes after Sorrel finds a packet of seeds beneath a diseased tree in their backyard. The seeds are self-seeding but they do not grow in the ground. The seeds are revenge for cutting down the greenery of the town. A simple experiment by Sorrel and her friend goes wrong and the residents of the town change.

Will Sorrel be able to change the non-green mindset of the town? Or will she take the blame for the mutation of her classmates and their parents?

Bloom hooked me from the beginning. The sarcastic voice of Sorrel and the twists in the story were hilarious. A salute to the creativity of the author.

Thank you to @netgalley and @harpercollinsch for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Category: middle grade book with a few illustrations
Age: 10+
Published: Mar 2021

Bloom has a distinctly Roald Dahl-esque feel to it. Nicola Skinner’s quirky, often tongue-in-cheek prose practically flies off the pages. And Flavia Sorrentino’s floral illustrations add an extra dimension that truly benefits the story.

Bloom is one of those books you don’t know you needed to read until you’ve read it. It brings life and lightheartedness, as well as a positive message. It was fun to read to myself, and I can’t wait to read it aloud with my 7-year-old when she’s a bit older (I’d say more advanced 8- and 9-year-olds will get along just fine with this one).

Sorrel is a fascinating character study. Her journey is surprising and delightful. She’s the kind of kid you want to “root” for. The supporting characters are surprisingly well flushed out considering their minor roles.

Bloom is a fast-moving, enjoyable read that will, for many, become a book that gets read multiple times.

Sorrel Fallowfield has a plan. She is going to win the contest at school for the Most Obedient Child, and she’s going to win that grand prize—a trip for her mother and herself to Portugal. Her mom deserves a vacation. She works really hard at the frozen pizza factory in town, and while she loves her job, she could use a break.

It’s their house. Their little cottage is a nice place to live, but sometimes it feels as if it’s sad, like the water pipes and the floors and the appliances are making noises to show their unhappiness. Sorrel doesn’t know why they make the noises, or why she sometimes feels like the house’s sadness is infecting her mother. But Sorrel thinks that a lovely vacation would help, so that’s her plan. To win the competition at school and take her mother away for a break.

It should be easy for Sorrel to win. She’s already the Head Girl, for the second year in a row. She shines her shoes and irons her school uniform and makes sure to finish all her homework. She likes following the rules and keeping the adults happy. That is so important to Sorrel that she won’t even sign her best friend Neena’s petition. Their headmaster is planning on having their school yard covered in concrete so he can build an exam building there. It would be their last outdoor space to run around and play, and Neena thinks it’s important to keep it the way it is. But it’s important to Sorrel to win Most Obedient Child, so she can’t sign.

But one day when Sorrel is home alone, there is a giant shaking, and the concrete covering their backyard breaks in two. When she goes outside to investigate what happened, she sees a small packet appear in the dirt between the two slabs of cement. She pulls it out and discovers that it is an envelope with seeds in it. Since Neena is a scientist-in-training, Sorrel takes them to Neena and together they find am unusual gardening supply store and find what they needed to sow the seeds.

The seeds wouldn’t grow.

And then Sorrel had the idea to plant the seeds on their heads. Within days, Sorrel has a head full of flowers and Neena has grown a vegetable garden. And Sorrel’s plans for winning Most Obedient Child are completely out the window.

As the seeds spread themselves from head to head, Sorrel goes from Head Girl to the most hated girl in school. Sorrel finds out that the seeds weren’t a gift but a curse, and it will take everything she has in her, all of Neena’s scientific research, and the gardening knowledge of their teachers for Sorrel to figure out how to right a wrong that had been done to the town’s green spaces before she had even been born.

Bloom is a story of revenge and redemption, told through the eyes of a young girl in a small town in England. Author Nicola Skinner has crafted an endearing tale of encouragement and inspiration that will charm readers of all ages. This imaginative story blossoms with friendship, hope, and love.

As much as I love Sorrel and her fantastic story, my favorite part of this book is the subversive plot line about standing up to those who teach us to blindly follow the rules. I thought that was particularly brilliant, and I would love to see that seed germinate and grow in the minds of children and adults alike. I was utterly charmed by this book, and I recommend reading it and sharing it with all the kids you love and want to see find their passion in life.

Egalleys for Bloom were provided by Harper 360 through NetGalley, with many thanks.

This was really fun! I loved the way Nicola Skinner interwove themes of caring about the environment and accepting your differences/things outside the status quo. This book also had some good lessons about the importance of mending hurt feelings in a sincere way and doing what makes you most happy in your life. Given that I currently work with children that are around Sorrel's age, the messaging around following the rules was a bit mixed for me but other than that I would definitely recommend this for a middle-grade reading audience!

Thank you to the author and Harper Collins Children's Books for providing me with a free early copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Bloom comes out on March 16.

While I am continuing to post my regular content, the BLM movement is still going on. Please keep referring to my story and linktree to find ways to help out.✊🏻‼️
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My netgalley percentage is up to 30%! So proud of myself! Here’s hoping I keep sending in my feedback and upping my percentage!!🥳
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Bloom is a middle grade story full of mayhem and mischief. Sorrel loves the rules. Teachers come to HER when they need help remember them all, rather than the headmaster. One day though, she stumbles across a strange package called Surprising Seeds. Now all she feels is an irresistible urge to plant the seeds, and when she does, the plants grow in the most unexpected places.😨
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This story really reminded me of the books I used to read when I was younger. It was fully of whimsy, adorable characters, as well as a fun filled plot with lots of weird magic that keeps you delightfully entertained. It’s because of this nostalgic energy, I decided to give it a four star. It for sure started to drag towards
the end, but it’s all forgiven overall. I can’t wait to read more by this author as her debut was a delightful experience.🥰
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What’s the last book that reminded you of your childhood reading? Let me know!💋
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Dm me to talk about all things book or writing related! I’ll be looking forward to it! —Em😌

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This is a weird, quirky and little long winded at times, novel that reminds me a little of Roahl Dahl with very villainous villains, one of which is the school headmaster (as in principal). There are clear bad guys and good guys, Sorrel being one of the good guys , and the narrator of the story about a town in which no one grows plants at all.

Most everything has been cemented over, and the town doesn't seem to notice. At least not until Sorrel wants to find out to plant some mysterious seeds that she has found, and decided to plant them in herself and her best friend, instead of in the ground.

The beginning is a bit on the slow side, but it picks up from there.

A bit heavy handed, as we all know we should get plenty of sunlight, and grow, and be around plants, but always good to make a point.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

Whimsical English import about a rule following girl who finds some odd black seeds that entice her out of her comfort zone, start growing plants out of her head, and spark a quarantine as the town tries to stop the spread of greenery. Themes of individuality, environmental sustainability, and diversity are wrapped up in magic, humor, and engagingly quirky characters.

A beautiful book with a great story within it & a strong message we can all use. Although it may be a bit tougher for the younger reader to get into but definitely something the almost teenager would enjoy as well as adults who could get a great reminder from Skinners words. Bonus points for a stunning over.

This story is shared with a sense of adventure and fun, while tackling some more serious themes which range from nature, the environment to friendship, bullying, media lies along with sensationalizing stories, and more. It follows the story of a young girl named Sorrel Fallowfield who lives in a town where there is more concrete than nature, and the school is hell bent on plowing down the field the children have used for games and play, with plans for more concrete to cover that ground.

Sorrel is determined to win a school contest so that she can take her Mum on a vacation to Portugal. A contest that seems custom made for her to win. She’s always been good at school and ...good at home, and always listens and does what she’s been told to do. And she was good, a good student with stacks of certificates in shoeboxes to prove it. Even her nickname at school was Good Girl Sorrel. At home she would unwind by cleaning up the kitchen, getting her school shoes cleaned and ready for the next day, and making sure her homework was done.

Until the day she finds the ”Surprising Seeds in her backyard, seeds with their own story, and agenda. Not knowing anything about growing anything from seed, Sorrel and her best friend Neena go in search of help, and find it in an old ramshackle garden centre that has seen better days. It’s there that she finds some assistance for her garden from Sid Strangeways. Sid even sells her a trowel that had belonged to his great-great-great grandmother Agatha Strangeways, but despite Sorrel and Neena’s best attempts, the garden doesn’t grow as planned. It grows… just not exactly how - or where - she’d intended.

Filled with humour, adventure, magic and charm this is perfect for middle school readers, tackling more serious issues like bullying, the environment and more, making this a story which can also be enjoyed by all ages.


Pub Date: 16 Mar 2021

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Harper360 / HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks

#Bloom #NetGalley

A Long Walk to a Predictable End

This is literally a long book, (369 pages), and it reads even longer. It takes quite a while to get started, moves the action very slowly, and then wraps everything up briskly with a guest appearance character, a confession, and a lot of monologuing. Nothing in the ending is a surprise.

The main characters are fine. Our heroine, Sorrel, is also the narrator, and she can be a bit cagey and arch, at which point she sounds much more like the voice of the author. There are some funny bits, clever lines, and engaging scenes, but not enough to keep me interested.

This struck me as very much the kind of book that will delight one sort of reader and yet leave other sorts unmoved. There's no point in trying to predict who will be who, so the book is certainly worth a look.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

This book was a bit sad, but very very creative. I love the idea of a town with flowers and plants growing out of their heads. The idea was super creative and I love how neatly everything ties together. In this book, Sorrell is a young girl who goes to an exclusive private school. She has no problem following the rules and is the perfect example of a good girl. One day though, she finds a packet of "Surprising Seeds" in her backyard. Sorrel plants them without thinking, and some interesting things start happening............. This book was really fun to read and I think it's perfect for readers ages 9-12.

A very interesting and delightful story! Filled with plants, magic, and friendship. The story was really interesting and I loved the magical plant element in it! The characters were fun and I really enjoyed how the story played out. I think this would make a great read for kids!

*Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This book was different. I wasn't expecting it to go the way it did. At the beginning I found it a bit spooky but then I realized it wasn't really spooky, just weird things happening. I liked Sorrel and Neena's relationship and them as characters. I liked that they were eccentric and different. It was crazy and kind of cool what happens to them and the history of the town and the "blooms". I could totally picture it. I don't want to give anything away so I am not going to say anymore.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!