I was taken by surprise by this book.
The format is brilliant, the chapters alternate taking place in the present and in the past as Victoria tells her story. In the beginning I was sucked in but at the same time related almost too much to the broken and unlovable way she feels.
As a foster child Victoria ends up with Elizabeth and learns all about the Victorian language of flowers and how to communicate using them. Elizabeth also tries to teach Victoria about love but she isn't ready yet and Victoria ends up back in a group home.
As an 18 year old aged out of the system Victoria is on her own and unprepared for the world. But somewhere in her heart the time with Elizabeth lingers. As she gets to the part of her story where she explains what happened when she was removed from what could have been her forever home she begins to understand she is capable of love even though it scares the bejezzus out of her and everything in her wants her to run.
By about 3/4 into the book I found it very painful to read, I was feeling so much for Victoria and had to close the book but it only lasted a couple of minutes because I needed to keep going and know if she was ok.
There is a listing in the back that is Victoria's list of flowers and their meanings and I found that very interesting. What a lovely way to tell someone how you feel about them, even when it's not so nice.
(Finished August 27, 2013)
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