Abigail Collins - Flowers For Dead Girls // Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC in exchange of and honest review

This has to be the cutest love story in the history of YA and it’s queer!

Astra has a special gift, though she considers it more a curse; she’s inherited her mother’s ability to see and interact with ghosts. She’s friendless, has an absent father and a fragile mother. She wears several layers of sweaters and headphones to block out the cold and static noise the ghosts emit. However Astra’s world is turned upside down when she encounters Isla. The only problem; Isla is dead and want Astra to help her fulfil her bucket list before passing over to the other side.

I can’t say enough how much I loved everything about this novel. The romance, the friendship, the characters, the representation, perfection! Astra is so kind and funny. It’s never confirmed, but she also seems to suffer from OCD. She counts everything and is obsessed with numbers. Isla is the best. She’s sarcastic and attentive and really brings Astra out of her shell. I was a bit weary of Oliver in the beginning, but only because I thought he nurtured romantic feelings for Astra. However he’s the best friend she could get, everyone deserves an Oliver in their life.

The descriptions in this novel are amazing. They’re so original and funny, I caught myself chuckling several times throughout. I learned a lot about flowers as well, different meanings and types, which was interesting.

I was a bit anxious about the end, because of a plot twist I suspected would appear. When it did, I couldn’t see how the author possibly could solve it in so short time, but I felt she did it well and wrapped up everything nicely. Others might see the ending as rushed, but not in my opinion.

The book is short, but everything is so well developed. It packed a punch and was highly enjoyable. If you’re looking for a queer, sapphic love story with great representation and a journey of self-discovery, then I encourage you to pick up Flowers For Dead Girls (and then discuss it with me because I have to talk to someone about it!)

Seventeen-year-old Astra's life hasn't been easy. She has no friends, an absent father, and a mom everyone thinks is crazy. Plus, one huge secret: she can talk to ghosts.

Astra inherited her mom’s gift, but sometimes it feels more like a curse. Especially when she meets Isla, who's sweet, cheerful, and absolutely gorgeous. She’s just the right kind of girl to bring Astra out of her shell—and maybe more. The only problem? She’s dead.

At first I didn't know what to think of this novel. I loved the premise, I love all ghost stories and the idea of falling in love with one? Yes, ok.
But I really do not care for all of my favorite genres becoming teen centric novels. Horror; look in young adult section. Mystery/thriller: young adult. Now LGBTQ...young adult section.
C'mon! Why always one way or another? I want to read about adults.
Anyway, let me move on before I pull out my soapbox.

This novel surprised me. The writing was excellent and the story kept me entertained and interested.
There were moments where I laughed out loud and a few where I even had to wipe a few years away.( Though I may deny that if asked.)

Abigail Collins is a name to watch out for from now on. Any author who can make you fully invested in her characters is one I not only want to read but one I happily will tell everyone I know to read as well.

I can't recommend this enough. It has angst, hope, and love. What more could you want?
Oh and a pretty good ghost story as well.
Go. Read. I promise you will feel all the feels.

Published by Bold Strokes Books, Inc./Soliloquy
Release date August 09, 2024

Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

4.5 ⭐️

This book was adorable and the representation was immaculate. The lack of explicit confirmation that Aster is perhaps on the spectrum or has any type of disorder was brilliant, in my opinion, and you could truly look into her character and understand how she feels about particular things.

The characters in this book were truly lovely: from the timid and kind Aster to the bright and bouncy Isla, from the unknowingly-cool and quirky mum to the outwardly hilarious and brave Oliver. There was not a single character I disliked in this book which made it even more enjoyable.

The plot kept me hooked from start to finish. The plot twist of the book had me squealing and hopeful. The ins and outs of Isla’s feelings were simultaneously heartbreaking and relatable. The cute romance? To die for!

I simply did not want this book to end.

I am new to this author and cannot thank her and NetGalley enough for the opportunity to read this ARC, I truly look forward to reading more from Collins!

Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from netgalley in exchange for a review.

I want to preface this review with stating that it will not be spoiler free. Spoilers Ahoy! Particularly the second half of the review is not spoiler free. TWs for discussions of ableism and suicidality. This got incredibly long, but I feel like it is necessary.

Flowers for Dead Girls starts out as a very sweet, sometimes admittedly somewhat repetitive in its depiction of symptoms of OCD and use of certain phrases, but uplifting and interesting story of a girl, who can see ghosts and the teen ghost that asks her for help to finish her anti-bucket list before she can move on. It features a storyline of accepting your mental illness (OCD and what might to outsiders look like schizophrenia/psychosis - due to the seeing ghosts), that I think was really well done. Astra in general has a lovely storyline of accepting the things that make her "weird" (her OCD, her noise & color sensitivity - which read very neurodivergent to me, her general seeing ghost things, the fact that she has to take care of her mother most of the time because she is incapable of doing so herself) as well as dealing with her strained family relationships in ways that felt incredibly interesting and important. The relationship between the two girls is adorable, Isla is an interesting character with so much joy and excitement and it was crystal clear that she was exactly the person Astra needed to meet to be able to grow out of her shell and figure out ways to manage her massive workload of being a student-psychic-caretaker for her mother-making her first real friends without burning out.
But as you can probably tell from my rating unfortunately that's not all there is to it. I'll start out with my minor complaints.
The plot, especially in the first third of the book, is narrated in very repetitive ways at times. Especially the fact that Astra has OCD and gets headaches from noises and bright colors and hears ghosts and gets cold, always cold, just keeps coming up all the time in ways that felt lacking in depth after a while. Yes, she counts things, yes, she has some dangerous numbers and some that comfort her (even if it is a compulsion), but how else does her OCD influence her life? How especially, does it interact with living with a messy mom, who cannot deal with most basic household chores due to her own disability? We don't know. I just really wished for more depth here.
As the main character of the novel Astra got quite a lot of story focus and I think most of her parts (dealing with mental health and familial issues and making friends for the first time) were handled interestingly, especially once the story starts moving, but the world itself was barely fleshed out, sometimes in ways that do not make sense (more on that later though!). I would have liked to be able to imagine the town this is set in better than: There's a school, there's a greenhouse, there's a hospital, there’s a funeral home, there's a library with multiple floors. I just think making it feel more lived in would have been interesting and might have helped alleviate some of my later problems.
And while I liked the mother and Oliver as side characters, I wish Isla as the love interest would have gotten more exploration. She is (understandably for plot & personal reasons) very guarded about her life, but somehow at the same time very social and excited. I would have liked to see her share a bit more about herself to make Astra's investment into her a bit more realistic. We don't really figure out anything about her besides the fact that she loves flowers and has a bucket list until around the 80% mark and I know she's a ghost, but since this is a romance I do not really want the love interest to be the one to haunt the plot in absences.
Now despite my issues up to this point this book was okay. I found the characters sweet, the portrayal of OCD fitting for a YA audience (even if it felt repetitive in its portrayal of counting and number obsessions to the point of sacrificing a more in depth exploration of it at times), was excited to see how this "doomed" relationship was going to be handled, really enjoyed getting to see an anxious teen step out of her shell and the exploration of a mother as loving person, but also quite incompetent as a mother, due to her own (untreated) mental health issues. This story would have most likely been a three star read if the Big Plot Twist at 80% hadn't happened. But now I cannot give it more than 1 star and if less was possible, I’d give it less.

TW for ableism and suicidality from now on as well as a big spoiler warning for the last 20% of this book.
Now if you've read the summary you will have noticed that Isla has a secret and that this secret influences her wish to stay. If you've ever consumed any form of ghost media, there often is the idea that ghosts cannot remain on earth forever without suffering a form of identity loss or going mad. This is the case in this story as well and is used to add some urgency to the plot at first. However, Isla is different. Because we find out that she is not dead. (One of the twists I’m okay with in this book.) Instead, she's in the hospital in a coma after a mysterious infection and somehow managed to still manifest as a ghost visible only to Astra and her mom. (Do we know why they can see her if she’s not a ghost? No. What even is a ghost? Nobody knows. Does it get explained? Also no. But a small plot hole likt that is the least of this book’s concerns). And just after Astra prepares to confess her feelings for Isla and decides to tick another thing of Isla's un-bucket list (going to prom), she is informed that Isla's brainfunction has declined and the doctors at the hospital do not believe she will ever recover and they prepare to take her off life support. When she tells Isla, Isla reacts completely different than Astra expected. Instead of being shocked or upset she simply says: "I'm ready to go. I am. I want to" (page 180). To Astra's confession that she likes her “as more than a friend” she simply replies "You wouldn't if you really knew me" (page 180), continuing her persistent self-devaluation and claims that she does not deserve the care and affection she receives. Now what could make a 16-year-old feel like that? What could make a girl who knows her family misses her, who just had another girl confess her love to her say something that borders on passive suicidality like this? How horrible must her secret be? Finally, the shocking, terrible, truly unimaginable horror will be revealed! Because *drumroll, shocked gasps from the audience, high pitched horror movie screams* "You know that wheelchair, in my hospital room?" [...] It's mine. I-I can't walk. I haven't been able to walk on my own since I was eleven." (page 180). GASP! THE HORROR! THE ABSOLUTE ABJECT TERROR FLOODING MY ENTIRE BODY RIGHT NOW- Huh, wait a minute. What? The big reveal, the reason why Isla is fine existing as a ghost, unable to touch real people or interact with anyone beside Astra, why she's fine knowing there is a literal deadline waiting for her, the reason for her entire un-bucket list is... she's a wheelchair user. (Side note: Using disability as a spoilery plot point? A shameful secret? Shitty!)
If you needed to put your phone down after this, please know you're not alone. At this reveal I was quite close to dnf-ing this book. And looking back it would have been better for my mental health if I had. Because it does not get better. But since I didn't, join me as I explore the even more unimaginable ableism that is to follow (oh btw this reveal happens on page 180 of 214 if you want to experience a fraction of the terror I experienced when I got to the reveal, because how the hell do you deal with something like this in 30 pages? If you think you don’t… Yup.). After the reveal Astra's is so shocked that "everything is tilting just a little to the right" (page 180). Not because Isla's earlier admission that she would be okay with dying and the underlying suicidality apparent in her reaction to the news that she will die if she doesn't return to her body, but by the fact that this girl that she met as an active ghost uses a wheelchair in real life. Yikes. Then her thoughts turn to Isla's un-bucket list. "Climbing a tower. Going to a greenhouse that's only accessible by walking through a grassy field and over a gravel pathway. Checking out a book on the third floor of a library without an elevator. Taking a road trip in the front seat of a car. Dancing at prom. All of them, Astra realizes, are things she couldn't have done in a wheelchair. Not without help, at the very least, and Astra knows how much Isla hates asking for help." (page 181). If you clapped your hands together over your head in disbelief at reading this: Thank you. And same. If you do not understand what's wrong with this let me lay it out for you. Climbing a tower is probably the hardest and even though some wheelchair users can rockclimb this may actually be the one thing on this list that's actually impossible. If this stood on its own, I would not complain about it, but it gets worse. Crossing a grassy field or driving over a gravel pathway in a wheelchair? Not fun, with varying levels of difficulty depending on the wheelchair used and needs of the user, but doable. If you have somebody to push you, especially if you're (like Isla) only disabled because your legs are paralyzed and you don't have added issues of heightened pain sensitivity or an electric wheelchair that could be damaged, it's easier. And now moving on from the things that I could have understood as being listed here since they do pose a difficulty, we turn towards things that require very little support (or should require very little). Being unable to check out a book on the third floor of a library without an elevator should legally not be possible in America. Public institutions (libraries included) are required to provide access through elevators as soon as they have three or more floors according to ADA federal law, which has been in effect since 1991. By now in 2024 I think we can all agree that this has been in effect long enough that some renovations have to have taken place and at least a stair elevator should exist (We don't fully know when this story is set, but they can at least send pictures on their phones. So not 1992.). And while some smaller libraries may struggle with being accessible due to size, a library with at least three floors is not small and should have some way of dealing with problems of lacking access, if not an elevator than at least a library staff that offers help. Of course, Isla would still need to ask for some help, but I feel like its a huge red flat that in 5 years she hasn't asked once (after all we know disabled people should never make any fuss and just suffer silently!). Really makes me feel like she has spent literally any time in the past 5 years doing anything but vague disabled suffering (/s). But the last two points enraged me even more. Sitting in the front seat of a car? Absolutely possible. Assisting her in lifting her onto the front seat or enabling her to pull herself up to it is not more work than wheeling her chair into the back of the van with a ramp, especially since we will be shown that she has good upper body control. Should have been easily possible in her life. Dancing at prom? Really? Dancing in a wheelchair is very possible. This just makes it seem as if the author truly cannot imagine a single moment of happiness for a wheelchair user.
Now while I do not blame Astra for not knowing all of these things (particularly the ADA federal law), it shows a big problem with the way disability is portrayed in this book. There are no other disabled people in the story. George is implied to have used a walker in his life, but as a ghost it only shows through the bent over way he walks. And when Astra finds out Isla is disabled she starts crying and then leaves Isla alone racing away in her car. Completely normal way to finding out somebody is disabled (who knows maybe it's catching?!). While Astra explains a few scenes later that she didn’t leave because of what Isla said, the way it is written just sucks as it is so abruptly cut off and only focused on how horrible and tragic and different it is for Isla to be in a wheelchair instead of doing cartwheels and dancing tango with Old Man George the Ghost. Then we get to enjoy the trope of “disabled person saying their person isn’t worth living because they are such a burden to their loved ones”, but it’s fine because Astra finally managed to say that she loves her and this finally convinces Isla that maybe she should in fact try if she can return to her body. Love cures all <3 How romantic! Then we have some amnesia drama (in literally the last 20 pages…). It did not add anything to the story and I think that could have been replaced to deal with the various questions that actually deserve more narrative time than a “Amnesia for aaaaangst. Don’t worry that it happens at the 92% mark of the book (literally 15 pages before the end…), because it will actually change nothing or add anything to the character development or even just have any scenes where Astra tries to reawaken Isla’s memories of their time together by recreating them and showing her that it is possible for her to do at least some of these things (cliché and still filled with abled savior tropes, but at least it would have included Isla and Astra interacting!). Instead it just feels like a convenient excuse to separate the two so we don’t actually have to deal with the recovery of Isla until she is able to leave the hospital and wheel herself (We can’t see somebody who is too disabled after all. That could be someone who is so sick they might not actually deserve to be loved!).
And now on to the end, which is supposed to be uplifting and joyful and make me sigh and swoon and cry a little tear about the wonderful support this poor disabled girl receives from her girlfriend and her friends, but it just made me feel like I was reading the most cloying disability porn ever written.
10 pages before the ending they finally meet each other again, kiss and we get two final scenes that try to show that accessibility is possible. The first one is set in Astra’s mother’s store that Astra and Oliver rearranged to make it wheelchair accessible. This scene was fine and more accessibility is always important. Small stores often do not consider it, so I liked that scene and that is something everybody can do to make our society a bit more accessible. But immediately afterwards Astra makes another of Isla’s dreams come true: She literally builds a wooden path for her with her own two hands so she can finally visit the greenhouse again even though she’s in a wheelchair. And when they drive there Astra sits in the back of the car again! (To be honest, I get the feeling she is quite literally stuck in her wheelchair... Like glued to it or something, because that is something that should have been portrayed differently if the author is really trying to show the difference that the priviledge of having interpersonal relationships where somebody cares about your access needs makes.) But we can’t have too much accessibility. Or accessibility that does not solely happen because somebody really likes you. Or accessibility that would mean the state has to do literally anything and change the structural issues that this book decided to portray as solvable by sweet teens with a heart of gold, who make it their goal to fix ableism forever! And frankly I find the portrayal of accessibility as something that interpersonal connections can fix instead of something that is a huge structural problem and that needs to be tackled with more than just “we did a fundraiser and built you a ramp” frankly quite offensive and I would describe it as a form of disability porn, because it is supposed to inspire the able-bodied reader to sigh happily and lean back and say: "Another wheelchair user saved by a rickety wood path. Our libraries do not need elevators and we also do not need to worry about that fact that a child wanted to die because she did not consider her life worth living because she is in a wheelchair. Truly, a wonderful story and a great message to young readers!".
This book's portrayal of physical disabilities made me sick. It made me glad that I completely finished it before recommending it to a disabled friend of mine, who is a wheelchair user, and not simply thought: "Oh, a sweet sapphic ghost story about overcoming some issues and learning to accept and love yourself." Because I hate literally every single aspect of the way physical disabilities are portrayed here. I hate that the fact that Isla is a wheelchair user is treated as a spoiler and a plot twist by not only the book, but most reviews I've seen so far. I hate that this book assumes that there is one type of wheelchair and because we all know what a wheelchair is we do not need any more specific descriptions. We get long descriptions of clothes, but the wheelchair is black. I hate that there are no other disabled people in this town that’s big enough to have a library with three floors. I hate that Isla is not the main character and that the fact that she was suicidal because apparently nobody cares that she completely isolated herself ever since she was 11 is just completely ignored. After all she’s better now and that fixes everything! Acceptance and friendship and accessibility (aka social participation) are all important things to improve mental health in marginalized communities, but it is not the end all be all the way this book tries to portray it. We can and should have stories that focus on how isolating being disabled and chronically sick is! We need stories that show the importance of inclusion and abled solidarity with disabled people. But that is not a topic that can be handled in 40 pages. That is not a topic that should be dealt with swallowly and with ableist abled savior tropes. And with all of these issues I cannot in good faith recommend this book to anybody.

Astra Vaughn is 17 and has the ability to see and talk to ghosts. It is a gift or curse she inherits from her mother. Astra comes off as a struggling loner in the beginning of the story. She wears multiple sweaters because ghosts bring coldness and she wears headphones to tune out ghosts speaking to her. Isla, a teen roughly her age, begins talking to her at school and follows her home. Isla has a list of things that she wants to do and Astra agrees to help her. Along the way they become friends. If they finish the list will Isla go away? And then the author adds in a new twist.

This is a YA book aimed at younger teens and up. Nothing is very gruesome even though ghosts appear often with their cause of death visible. It reminded me of Meg Cabot’s YA Mediator series which I love. Astra seems to be OCD or neurodivergent but it is never explicitly stated. The relationship between Isla and Astra is sweet and the helps go in both directions. Astra blooms with her new friendship and even makes a new friend at school too.

I loved the beautiful cover (that at the moment is not showing on Goodreads). This is easy story to recommend for 13 and up.

Let’s be up front about something I don’t think I am the target audience for this book. I mean I like paranormal romance as much as the next person , well probably more than the next person, but I usually like a side helping of vampire slaying. In addition, this is geared toward a teen audience, so I hesitated before checking out my review copy. But I am so glad I did.
Flowers for dead girls is a young adult novel about Astra a teenager who has the usual problems of family and fitting in at school but also one unique thing she can see ghosts. Ghosts come to visit her in the time between their death and their passing to the other side. She thinks she has gotten used to her ability when for the first time she is visited by a spirit that is the same age as her. Isla drafts Astra into helping her accomplish her anti-bucket list. Astra at first just wants to get things over with so she can go back to her normal life but over the course of their adventures she finds herself falling for Isla. Her feelings become further complicated as she learns more about what brought Isla to her side.
As I started to read Flowers, I was amazed at the authors ability to fill the text with evocative imagery. As an aspiring writer I struggle with crafting vivid descriptions, and I think Abigail gives a master class into how to seamless weave them into a story. The other thing that seemed effortlessly is how she lets us into Astra’s OCD tendencies without ever having a character call them out. But this is at its heart a coming-of-age romance and that is where it should be judged. The romance between Astra and Isla feels subtle, with all the awkwardness of a queer first relationship while still being charming and comforting. I guess the highest praise I can give is when the twist, which I even saw coming, left me in tears. I can think of a handful of books that has done this. All in all, I think this is a masterful book and deserves all the praise I can heap on it . Go read it now.

Astra Vaughn has seen ghosts for as long as she can remember. Her mother can do the same, and has been left by her husband and forced to move town because of it, so Astra knows that this needs to stay a secret. She's a high school senior who speaks more with the dead than her own classmates, but the ghost of a girl her own age challenges her loner ways. Isla Monroe, a cheery girl who died too soon, has an anti-bucket list that she wants Astra to help her fulfill before she passes; a list that makes Astra push her own social boundaries.

'Flowers for Dead Girls' is a cute story about an awkward girl with OCD, sensory issues, and an ability to commune with the dead becoming less guarded with the help of friends. There's a bit of a love story and some mortality-pondering in there two, but the heart of the story is the friendship that blooms between Astra, Isla, and Oliver. It was heartwarming to see Astra, someone who was socially anxious and worried about being seen like her mother, having fun with two people who accepted her and her quirks. For that alone, I'll recommend the book to some patrons, though I think I'd recommend it to younger teens and more reluctant readers than those looking for something more complicated. The paranormal aspects are played rather safe, but I understand the importance of avoiding the 'bury your gays' trope.

One of my biggest issues with 'Flowers' is the setting--or more accurately, the lack of a setting. The town in which our story takes place is unnamed, with few and far between being described. At first I thought it was a bigger city, since Astra lives in a small apartment and counts blocks that she walks and drives and can't park close to where she lives, but to only have one library (which is three floors tall and not ADA accessible!? Listen, I'd understand if the elevator was out, it happens, but to not have one at all seems illegal for a public building), one high school, and to have greenhouses in the middle of fields makes me think it's more suburban or rural. It isn't given any region of the country, either, but I felt like it had to be in the Pacific Northwest for how often it rained. The setting being so thinly drawn doesn't impact the story much, but it does feel odd when Astra mentions that she used to live in another city that she and Isla visit, but the only descriptor we really get for it is that it's 'four hours away'.

At one point, Astra is taking care of a cat in her room, as well as keeping a lily corsage in a box. I panicked when I got to this part, knowing that lily pollen is deadly to cats, but not even cat lover and plant nerd Isla brings this up. I'm happy that cat-death didn't happen, but it feels like a weird detail to not acknowledge when they're Isla's favorite flower, and I feel like a note about making sure the box was nowhere near the cat would be appreciated.

While 'Flowers for Dead Girls' isn't perfect, it's still a cozy and heartwarming story that deserves a place on YA shelves. It can definitely skew younger too, and its short length and easy to understand language could make it a good choice for reluctant readers or tweens who are too old for juvenile fiction but don't know where to start with YA fiction.

Seventeen-year-old Astra's life hasn't been easy. She has no friends, an absent father, and a mom everyone thinks is crazy. Plus, one huge secret: she can talk to ghosts. Astra inherited her mom’s gift, but sometimes it feels more like a curse. Especially when she meets Isla, who's sweet, cheerful, and absolutely gorgeous. She’s just the right kind of girl to bring Astra out of her shell—and maybe more. The only problem? She’s dead.

When Isla enlists Astra’s help with her so-called bucket list, Astra intends to do just enough to help her move on to the afterlife. She doesn’t plan on getting close to her, and she definitely doesn’t plan on falling in love. By the time the list is finished, Astra realizes that her gift might not be such a bad thing after all. But Isla has secrets of her own. And when the truth behind her death is discovered, even Astra’s love might not be enough to convince her to stay.

Original premise, well-written and poignant coming of age story. This was a real treat to read! I loved both Astra and Isla. The vibe of this book, the environment, the atmosphere, the characters, and the writing - it was unique and fun!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

Heartbreakingly Beautiful

Astra is a bit of a loner and her life is just too crazy for normality. Through a gift inherited from her mother, she meets Isla, but Isla’s dead so while they can be friends, it comes with limits. Isla is determined to do the things she couldn’t do when she was alive, and Astra is reluctant at first but soon finds comfort in helping her, until she learns the truth about Isla’s situation.

It was the style in which this story is written that got me intrigued and hooked from the very first chapter. The style just suited the characters, the story, everything, perfectly. It had just enough hint of comedy to make it upbeat and fun for a story where one of the characters is dead, but not too much that it detracted from the beauty of the underlying important story of Astra and Isla being told. Astra’s character was one I instantly empathised with, and I got her and why she felt the way she did about things, but when Isla popped up in her life, I was smiling and eager to find out whether Astra’s initial frustrations would be replaced with an acceptance. I really did hope they’d be friends.

As the story developed and we learned more about Astra and Isla, I adored the connection they had, and the little moments they shared that were so cute. Isla loved flowers, so it wasn’t just Astra who got to learn all about them, and the facts shared were fascinating. For the longest time I was just happy to be sharing in Astra and Isla’s building relationship, but when I realised Astra was getting attached I worried she was going to end up heartbroken. The twists and turns this story took, really did make me emotional, and by the end I was crying and smiling, and I didn’t know what to feel other than that it was lovely and I couldn’t have imagined what actually ended up happening.

I fell completely in love with this story! It was haunting, beautiful, and probably the most romantic story I’ve read in a while. I really can’t do it justice with this review, as it is an experience you just have to have for yourself. It’s definitely unforgettable, and one I’ll be reading again and again because I couldn’t have enjoyed it more.

Flowers for Dead Girls is such a beautiful and unique YA love story. The main characters are all so distinct and lovely in their genuine and quirky personalities. They are young and insecure but so open and accepting. They make mistakes but are willing to learn and grow. The premise is interesting, and the pace is just right. It is a quick and engaging read that gave me some real feels throughout. My heart grew three sizes, then burst, and at this point, I had to force myself not to skip ahead for the ending. I didn't though and I am so satisfied with how it turned out. My heart is full. This novel is overall an unexpected joy.
We had gay and bi rep, a neurodivergent main, a supernatural element, disability rep, a sweet romance, and OCD rep.
The supporting characters like the parents, such as Astra's mom are so important to the story and the immense growth that takes place. Oliver is a wonderful and invaluable friend.
We get a moody cat and Mr. Pierce's mustache is a character on its own.
The writing is great. Easy to follow, kind of poetic in places, very good editing.
I would gladly read more by this author. I highly recommend this book.
#romcom #dramedy #grumpy/sunshine #foundfamily #supportivefamily #youngadult #ghosts #supernatural #HEA #no3rdactbreakup #interracialrelationship #neurodivergent #mentalillness #singleparent

Lesbians? Ghosts? Flower facts? Amazing friends? A cat?

Check!

Astra can see ghosts. She deals with them, talks to them, lets them linger until it’s time for them to leave, but she doesn’t befriend them. That is, until one startlingly young girl accosts her in school and seems to make it her afterlife’s mission to force Astra out of her shell and into the real world for once.

It’s a cute story. I cried a few times, but in a good way. If I had any critiques, it would be that we often skip over moments I wish we could have seen, going for brevity instead of reader happiness. Overall, it’s well written and adorable.

This is a wonderful story for kids who believe their quirks aren’t digestible and that they must shoulder it alone. The world has more to offer when you open up to it.

this book was absolutely amazing!!! such a cute book and definitely a new favorite. astra and isla were incredibly adorable and isla is just so silly i love her.

** spoiler alert ** thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the arc!
3.5
very cute, though i could've sworn they were in grade 10 rather than 12...
thought it had some good twists,, especially isla being in a wheelchair which is why (in my head it is this for sure) she wanted to do more adventure-y bucket list items

the amnesia bit at the end was stupid... just let them be happy it lasted like 5 pages total. useless.

anyways! prob better for the tweens and teens but i had a good time :)

Unexpected. A heartwarming coming of age story. The characters were great and funny. Lots of twists and turns as well as fast paced. I was captivated by this book. Young adults are going to enjoy this one. Well, done Abigail. 4.5 stars


Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for this ARC.

Abigail Collins - Flowers For Dead Girls // Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC in exchange of and honest review

This has to be the cutest love story in the history of YA and it’s queer!

Astra has a special gift, though she considers it more a curse; she’s inherited her mother’s ability to see and interact with ghosts. She’s friendless, has an absent father and a fragile mother. She wears several layers of sweaters and headphones to block out the cold and static noise the ghosts emit. However Astra’s world is turned upside down when she encounters Isla. The only problem; Isla is dead and want Astra to help her fulfil her bucket list before passing over to the other side.

I can’t say enough how much I loved everything about this novel. The romance, the friendship, the characters, the representation, perfection! Astra is so kind and funny. It’s never confirmed, but she also seems to suffer from OCD. She counts everything and is obsessed with numbers. Isla is the best. She’s sarcastic and attentive and really brings Astra out of her shell. I was a bit weary of Oliver in the beginning, but only because I thought he nurtured romantic feelings for Astra. However he’s the best friend she could get, everyone deserves an Oliver in their life.

The descriptions in this novel are amazing. They’re so original and funny, I caught myself chuckling several times throughout. I learned a lot about flowers as well, different meanings and types, which was interesting.

I was a bit anxious about the end, because of a plot twist I suspected would appear. When it did, I couldn’t see how the author possibly could solve it in so short time, but I felt she did it well and wrapped up everything nicely. Others might see the ending as rushed, but not in my opinion.

The book is short, but everything is so well developed. It packed a punch and was highly enjoyable. If you’re looking for a queer, sapphic love story with great representation and a journey of self-discovery, then I encourage you to pick up Flowers For Dead Girls (and then discuss it with me because I have to talk to someone about it!)

5 ⭐️

⁀➷ 4 stars ☆
♡︎ magical realism, coming of age, young adult romance 💐

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

okay so this was the sweetest and most heartwarming thing ever. it sounded so interesting and i was not let down !! this book is very character driven so the characters ended up being very well developed and loveable. however, i did feel like the ending was slightly rushed and the beginning part was a bit slow. i struggled a bit at first to get into the story but then it picked up and the pages flew by. still, it was a quick and easy read as a low-stakes book you can read in a couple of hours.

➼ characters
✧ astra. okay i love her <3 it's never explicity stated but she had a lot of traits of ocd(?) and although i haven't been diagnosed so i'm not claiming anything, but as someone who shows a lot of signs of ocd i really related to her. i do wish her backstory was more fleshed out, but i love how she slowly comes out of her shell and her character felt very realistic

✧ isla. she is seriously the sweetest and happiest ghost-girl ever, i love her love for flowers and botany and she is literally the embodiment of sunshine girl. i love her character so much <3

✧ oliver. he is such a good friend, we all need an oliver istg he's so sweet, understanding and funny, i wish we had gotten more of him <3

➼ romance
SO. ADORABLE. OH MY GOD i love isla and astra soso much, they love and care for each other so much they're so precious :( the romance is so soft and sweet and they had such great chemistry, i was rooting for them the whole book and i actually sobbed happy tears at the ending 3

➼ overall
this book was the cutest and sweetest love story ever, and i'd definitely recommend if you want a comforting, slice of life coming of age story 💗

✧ thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review! <3

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

it was an interesting concept that astra can see ghosts and though at times the book is very slow i would highly recommend it for teenagers

the funniest bit for me was when you realise that ghosts cant ride in cars and more or less have to do superman poses to ride along, theres a lot about this book that i would recommend but its slow going

I need everyone who sees this to buy this. This sapphic queer book is EVERYTHING. It haves my WHOLE heart and reading it left me full. The mc also seems to be neurodiversity rep, possible autism and ocd (I have the counting thing too). Good queer disability rep is so rare.

Flowers for Dead Girls

This YA novel caught my eye because of the wonderful cover art. Thank you to NetGalley & Bold Strokes Books, Inc for allowing me to read it before its publication date. All opinions are my own.

*Flowers for Dead Girls* is best described as a modern telling of Casper the friendly ghost but with a cute queer twist. I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a low-stakes story about friendship, young love or who is obsessed with ghosts. It’s nicely paced, with plenty of meat in each chapter without droning on.

There’s tons of imagery so it’s easy to get a clear picture while reading. I enjoyed Isla’s character the most. She’s light hearted and sweet, particularly for a dead girl. Astra is a complex seventeen year old who is a great neurodivergent representative. She can see, talk to, and even touch ghosts, even though she claims she isn’t a psychic.

Personally, I did not feel the compulsive draw to read this in one sitting. The repetitive nature of Astra’s point of view bored me at times and most chapters start with a long description rather than action. Things picked up in the second half, so I’m glad I pushed through.

The second half of the book and the ending leave your heart filled. I thoroughly enjoyed the resolution in every aspect. This is such a heart warming story. Teens will relate to it for years to come.

I received this arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Flowers for dead girls is a queer romance novel, in which the main character Astra meets a ghost named Isla who needs a favor- help her finish her bucket list- in turn, helping Astra break out of her shell.

And then they catch feelings, but unfortunately, Isla's a ghost, further complicating things.

I LOVED the way the novel incorporated discussions of disability and how it contributes to disabled people often thinking of themselves as a burden, and about queerness in general. I adored all the characters and the friendships were so fun to read about. Fun fact, Isla's my fave character.

In conclusion, if you liked The Dead Romantics, you might like this one.