“Their strength and ferocity stem from below the surface where their roots are forever tangled, interwoven in such a way that for the remainder of time they bloom together…” Genesis Adam Chloe Lukas No one loves them, no one cares about them, no one even sees them until they end up in Mary Rodriguez’s home, an outpost for Sacred Heart’s troubled youth program. It is within these walls that the … is within these walls that the four teens forge unlikely friendships. They experience the intensity of first loves, share secrets, and suffer losses, vowing to make the world a better place in spite of their personal battles with addiction, depression, loneliness, and abuse. But when the unthinkable happens, those friendships are tested in ways they never could have imagined.
Will they find strength enough to survive or will their bonds be too fractured to heal them yet again?
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“And from this day forward, I will find focus not on the ground beneath my feet, but the souls in front of me, silently screaming with the need to be seen. From now on, I will see them.”
Honestly it has been days since I finished this book and I still don’t know how to write this review, but here goes.
We, the Wildflowers is unlike any other book I’ve read. It grips you by the throat as emotions well up to the surface cutting off your breath. These characters become absorbed in your every waking moment. You hurt so deeply for them and cheer the loudest at each success no matter how big or small.
These characters and their story will live on in your memories for a very long time. This is the book that will be recommended to all your reading friends because it is that powerful.
“To be loved unconditionally is incredible, but to forgive feels pretty amazing, too.”
Most definitely one of my top reads of 2020!!!
I am so incredibly overwhelmed with emotion right now! The sheer beauty of this story and the raw and passionate way it’s written has seared my heart.
This story is filled with so much pain and heartache but throughout it is so much hope, forgiveness, and an abundance of love. The bonds built and growth of every person in this story will warm your heart. The journey is difficult, but together they each weather the season’s and the outcomes are a heartwarming sight to behold.
An absolutely breathtaking story that will forever stay with me. A must read!
“You are infinite.”
“And you, my lioness, are the reason.”
This book is a perfect example of why, at 40 years of age, I still read YA!
L.B. Simmons has given us a heartbreaking yet uplifting read following 4 teens who find comfort in each other and ultimately the voice they want to project to the world after experiencing traumatic events in their young lives. This book personifies hope. It gives me hope that broken people can put their pieces back together and thrive. It makes you realize it’s okay to lean on someone to help yourself stand up and learn to walk again. It makes you realize that scars are badges of being a survivor not a stigma.
It’s not all hearts and rainbows. There is some darkness in this book and it’s ugly and monstrous and the price it demands is life changing. It’s the way the characters grow and evolve from this tragedy, that’s the focus. Upon finishing I turned back to the cover and it all clicked for me causing a smile to light up my face 🙂
This one ranks right up there with Making Faces by Amy Harmon and Bright Side by Kim Holden so if you love those types of reads then this one is for you!
I’m at a loss of words. I’m not sure I can adequately express how much the powerful words, friendships, love, sorrow, and every character in this book made me feel. The story is beyond amazing. The characters are unforgettable.The message is beautiful. This story is one of the best I’ve read, and I read a lot. I love the stories that leave you thinking about them for days. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time!!!
We, The Wildflowers by L.B. Simmons is both soul shattering and healing all in one.
To say that Ms. Simmons exceeded all my expectations is an understatement.
This book is packed with soul searching depths and characters that will stay with you always.
“There’s an undeniable sense of camaraderie between those who survive their own personal hell…”
“We are four. We are the Wildflowers.”
The Wildflowers follows four young adults who each have faced their own adversity. Each have had life changing challenges that have impacted them beyond what anyone should have to face.
But together, they find a family, and a strength that each of them didn’t even realize they held inside themselves.
I love that Simmons takes us through the Seasons with this book, and allows us to see both the upmost brutality of humanity and the absolute power of love and hope and forgiveness.
“Because in the end, it’s not about what others see, but how you see yourself.”
This is a book that you’ll be recommending to everyone you know. And I truly hope it finds its way into every school library across the world.
There are so many lessons and blessings and truths wrapped up in this book. That it needs to be shared.
“There is no judgement within the Wildflowers – there is only acceptance.”
And most of all the reminder that no matter how bad things may seem …
“You are never alone”
5 Infinite Stars
Chloe Campbell never felt loved until she lives with Mary Rodriquez after her parents give her to Sacred Heart. There she meets Genesis Monroe, Adam McNamara and Lukas White and the four of them become the Wildflowers.
Yet life isn’t easy for Chloe and she is made fun of at school for her second hand clothes and the fact that her parents didn’t want her. Yet with her Wildflowers by her side she gets stronger.
But when a tragedy occurs the Wildflowers are tested and the need to protect each other grows stronger. When an event happens that tests them all, will they be able to survive the aftermath?
This was such an emotional book and really makes you question certain things in life.
Right from the beginning of the book my heart was broken for Chloe and what she overheard between her parents and her actions after. I was so happy that she found her way to the home of Mary Rodriquez and she found love and a real family. The Wildflowers were so strong together and truly brought out the best in each other and I loved how they opened up to each other to work on healing.
Each of the Wildflowers brought something unique to the group and the bond they had was incredible. They each gave the others strength and I loved how much they loved Mary and began to also open up to their counsellor, Sally.
At a certain point in the book everything changes and it was almost like a bomb dropped on the book as it began to take a dark path that left me even more heartbroken knowing something huge was going to happen and that it wasn’t going to be good at all. Unfortunately I was right and I was so upset over everything that happened and then the aftermath which left me with my jaw on the floor.
I do understand why the author had to do this with the growing and healing that had to take place with the other characters but I was so mad and upset. It felt a little like evil won out but I knew I had to stick with it as I had a feeling something good had to come out of it.
Chloe had so much growth in this novel and I was so proud of her for her determination to get things done and to really help Lukas see that he wasn’t responsible for past events and that they could heal together. I was so proud of her for giving it to her dad after everything that had happened between them.
I really loved the end and although it was such an emotional and heart wrenching book at times I did understand why it had to happen! – By Rebecca
4.5 Stars
Holy. Hannah.
This. book.
I almost didn’t take a chance on this book. I have read only one other book by L.B. Simmons and I really enjoyed it, so I was definitely interested in picking up another one. But YA can be hit-or-miss for me and I wasn’t sure I wanted to take a chance on a YA book that wasn’t – technically – a romance.
~ I am so glad I took the chance. ~
We, the Wildflowers is deeply, sometimes darkly, emotional. If you are sensitive to triggers, approach with caution. I do not consider myself sensitive to triggers, but there were parts of the book that caused me a great deal of anxiety. Parts I rushed through to get to the other side. Parts that hurt to read. It cut my heart wide open and left me aching and raw.
But, maybe I’m some kind of masochist, because in spite of all that – I felt like this book was incredibly beautiful. Brutal, for sure. But while the brutality is there, the focus is on hope, resilience, perseverance, and — most of all — love .
It’s so beautifully written – almost lyrical sometimes. The storytelling was incredibly compelling – deftly weaving a tapestry that was sometimes heartwarming, other times heartbreaking, and veering occasionally into an almost mystical or spiritual territory. This is an important story. It is not for the faint of heart, but now – having turned the last page – I can promise that the rewards were worth the emotional gut punches it delivered. And no, it’s technically not a romance, but it’s definitely a love story . An incredible one. I loved the Wildflowers fiercely. I imagine I’ll be carrying them in my heart for a good long while, and if that’s not the mark of a truly fantastic book – I don’t know what is.
As an English teacher, the symbolic nature of titles and their multiple meanings and interpretations are aspects of language that make my nerdy heart so happy to analyze, and while I may read into things a bit too deeply in some situations, it’s clear that L.B. Simmons’ newest release, We, the Wildflowers was created with the qualities of wildflowers and the seasons that change them in mind as Simmons worked to tell Chloe, Lukas, Adam, and Genesis’ story.
While the story is told solely through Chloe’s perspective, each one of these characters has their part to tell and they do so in their words and their actions…in the idea that each individual’s plight is not the same, but a common bond can be found, and once that connection is forged, it becomes essential in all ways possible, proving that it’s more than okay to lead on others when you find the people who teach you the true meaning of home and family.
Simmons presents all parts of the four main characters stories – their pasts, their presents, and what they hope will be their futures, and through it all, it remains clear just how much the events that they had to endure and the obstacles they had to surpass and continue to go through help to define who they are and not only how they see themselves but how they see life in general.
The Wildflowers’ emotions resonate from the pages of the book and help to illustrate just how much pain they’ve had to wade through, just how low their lowest points were, and as their struggles seem to ebb and flow with life circumstances and maybe even the seasons, as if they are the embodiments of wildflowers, readers can’t help but want to shield them, to care for them, to protect them in a way that they can continue to grow and never risk being uprooted again.
Readers’ emotions will run the gamut, which, in my opinion, is a testament to the way the story is told. In a young adult romance, teens’ feelings as well as their individual personalities are not only fickle but still developing, which means that there are going to be missteps, both by chance and by choices. I can’t tell you how destroyed I was by one single event in the tex; it crushed me and my heart hurt so badly after I read it, but even in what seemed to be the darkest hour, the Wildflowers endured…and even if it was difficult and they wanted to give in and get lost in the shadows, the sun still shone and it gave them the smallest amount of hope to continue on.
This reading experience is unlike any that I’ve had in quite some time, and it’s because of the way Simmons presents the characters’ stories, the way she allows readers to feel EVERYTHING they feel, the way she helps us to truly understand their plight and their struggles, the way she works to help us cope with the highs and lows her characters work through made this much more than a solitary escape.
This book is a true masterpiece of the human condition in all of its wonder and at times horror. Because Simmons provides readers with a front row seat to all that Chloe, Lukas, Adam, and Genesis fight through and endure, we’re able to see firsthand just how powerful a bond these four characters share, just how much better and stronger they are when they’re together, and the fact that they would sacrifice their own happiness just so that the others can see and feel just how amazing they truly are, regardless of anyone else’s recriminations or mistreatment, is a testament to what lies in their hearts and souls and just how selfless they all can be.
This is a book you will be thinking about long after you are finished reading it. It’s a book that should be experienced by everyone! It’s a book that speaks to every readers’ heart and its lessons make us want to be better people, better listeners, better in all ways that matter, not just for ourselves, but for those suffering in silence, for those who are too afraid to speak. Because when it comes down to it…we are all wildflowers…we just grow in different places and experience different things.
5++++ Poison Apples
We, The Wildflowers is L.B Simmons’ newest masterpiece. She doesn’t release often but when she does, it’s always worth the wait. I didn’t read the synopsis (I know, shocking) so I had no idea what the story was about and wow! I was not expecting this and I loved that.
Four teenagers. Four different struggles. Four different pasts. One incredible bond. They are The Wildflowers.
Chloe, Genesis, Adam, and Lukas are living in a Scared Hearts house and attending high school as juniors when they are finally a four. They are all there because of different circumstances. They are there for a reason. And that reason was that they needed each other to fight. To fight for their freedom. To find out what unconditional love really means. To feel accepted for themselves. To feel safe. They are from families who were gone or didn’t care about them. Didn’t see them. They need to been seen. To be heard. And that is what the Wildflowers are about. They are one. One feels pain, they all feel pain. One feels happy, they all feel happy. They are there for each other no matter what. But, what will happen when their lives are forever changed? Will their bond keep them together when fate wants to pull them apart?
I can’t really get into the story without spoiling anything. I can say that it’s beautifully written. It’s not the easiest to read but so worth it. It’s real. It’s raw. And it needed to be told. It’s about growth, love, family, friendships, and finding yourself.
Quotes:
“Somewhere deep within you lies your very own bitch mode—I feel it as sure as I breathe. I will find it. I will expose it. I will nurture it. But it will be you who finally unleashes it. And what a marvelous sight that will be.”
“Well, even with your obvious lack of eye contact, I still see you.”
“You really think you can handle the darkest parts of me?”
I wave a dismissive hand. “You don’t scare me.”
He arches a dark brow and his mouth quirks ever so slightly at the sides. “Is that so?”
“We’re been bonded by pain, but together, we’re rooted in resilience. We are four. We are the Wildflowers.”
L.B. Simmons is one of the few authors of which I have read every book they released. I was introduced to her almost seven years ago, and I have been in love with her storytelling abilities and writing style ever since. It has been almost four years since she released a new book, so I was really excited when I got my hands on We, the Wildflowers. I already knew that this book would impact me emotionally after reading the blurb. The characters were intriguing and very likable. I especially felt a strong bond with Genesis, who is a fierce and loyal friend. The story is told entirely from Chloe’s POV, who is the third teenager who ends up in Mary Rodriguez’s home, an outpost for Sacred Heart’s troubled youth program. She felt so unworthy of love, and the loving home with the best people brought her out of her shell. All four of the teenagers have their own struggles, but they know they will always have each other. Their bond was really strong and beautiful.
“I’ve found more of a home than I’ve ever experienced. I’ve found a place where I’m seen. Where I’m acknowledged. Where I’m loved and accepted. I’ve finally found…a family.”
I would’ve rated this book higher if not for the abrupt change of pace in the second part of the story. It really bothered me that some things changed really quickly, and I just couldn’t really keep up. I didn’t have time to fully process everything. I just didn’t think it fully fit the story and there were some things that definitely could’ve been handled differently. But I think things got back on track in the last quarter of the book. I loved seeing everything come together and the wildflowers finding their way back to each other. I think this book dealt with many difficult issues, and it was not always easy to read those heartbreaking scenes. I laughed and cried with the characters and wanted the best for all of them, and the ending was very heartwarming and uplifting. I am glad I read We, the Wildflowers.
“But even in death they remain connected, thriving within the comfort only they can provide each other, until spring brings them to life once again.”
I must confess — I fell in love. I fell in love with the cover of We, The Wildflowers. The simple beauty of these white flowers infiltrated by the single pink flower juxtaposed with the pitch black of the backgroud held such an immense attraction for me. I knew instantly that I was going to read this book even before I saw the synopsis. The synopsis, well, that sealed the deal for me.
I never suspected this book would be one of the most significant books I have ever read. This story about four young people who experience more pain in their young lives than most of us will ever imagine, made such a deep impression on my soul, that I will never forget them. I was appalled by the unfortunate and frankly unfair circumstances that resulted in their union. As an adult, I was outraged. As a human I was unbearably sad for each of these four young adults, yet inspired by their courage to keep moving forward.
I was instantly invested in seeing them succeed despite the horrible hand Life dealt each of these gorgeous souls. I was a passenger on their journey through the different seasons of their lives. I smiled with them in Spring, laughed in Summer, shivered with curious anticipation as Fall arrived, and hunkered down against the brutal Winter which brought so many tears.
I will admit We,The Wildflowers was not an easy read for me. There were times I had to put it down, because the intensity of the story was overwhelming. It often touched chords in me that resonated and shook my soul. I will also admit I cried real tears. I always came back, though. I came back because I shared the belief that these four friends could overcome anything Life threw at them as long as they had each other.
L.B. Simmons has given us a story based in the very real and ugly places from which the young people in our society must grow. Their battles are some of the most remarkable and relevant ones. However, this exceptional author never lets us lose hope that these Wildflowers will triumph. We, The Wildflowers should be required reading for young and old, alike. Its message transcends social station, gender, circumstance, and time.
Every time I finish an L.B. Simmons book, I have to take a deep breath, but wow, I am still holding this one in.
We, the Wildflowers is like nothing I’ve read before. The amount of heart poured into each one of these characters is incomparable. I have never felt so close to characters before. The Wildflowers will live with me forever and their story is probably one of the most important ones I’ve ever read. This book will change lives.
As you begin this novel, remember that even though the dark seasons are difficult, in the good times, you’ll feel the sun. I hope you leave this story strong like Genesis, forgiving like Adam, protective like Lukas, and resilient like Chloe.
4.5 stars
“We’ve been bonded by pain, but together, we’re rooted in resilience.
We are four.
We are the Wildflowers.”
I felt for these characters and what they had been through. I was touched by the bonds they formed and how important this self-made family became to each of them. Four high school students basically tossed away or left alone who ended up together at Sacred Heart and bonded in their pain, understanding, and need for acceptance. Each has struggled and hit rock bottom. And now with the help of their new friends are trying to find their way, heal, and grow.
Chloe…meek and empathetic….has a strong need for acceptance and does not stand up for herself.
Genesis…brash and bold…tough on the outside, but just as broken on the inside.
Adam…Charming and fun….but being his true self cost him everything.
Lukas…quiet, direct, and a bit dark…plagued by his own guilt and perceived failure.
I loved how they could see under the others’ facades, share, and be vulnerable together. But then could stand together in support and find more strength. But even together, they cannot predict future challenges.
I liked the characters, the premise, and the relationships. The subject matter is not easy and is pretty raw. There are catalysts of change and beacons of hope. They all try to find their way and realize their strengths and gifts. There are villains and obstacles. As they dance between darkness and light, it was intense, emotional, heartbreaking, and inspiring.
One issue I did have with this book was the language. It seemed very mature and too philosophical for high school kids. I have an eighteen-year-old now in Honor’s college and they do not speak this way. So sometimes it took me out of the story, especially in the first half. But the second half had me riveted. One of their biggest challenges almost too over the top dramatic, it did keep me interested and propelled the plot, and did completely affect their lives in both good and bad ways ultimately giving us what we needed.
It takes on tough topics and is current, especially in relation to young adults growing up these days. I really loved the messages about the importance of acceptance, forgiveness, self-worth, unconditional love, and paying it forward. It has a little romance in it, but it is mostly about loving yourself, your friends, and those you feel are family…and helping others feel the same way.
Wow. This story is absolutely heart wrenching. Be prepared to be completely pounded out of all emotions and then kicked and punched a few more times.
Four teens become their own sort of family after bonding from their own forms of trauma, loss and heartache.