Everblossom: A Collection of Poems and Short Stories Review

I’ve been a writer my whole life. I’ve always wanted to see my name on a book cover and to have someone read the worked I’ve put my soul into. But, I just never seem to get there. I’m in awe of all other writers, whether they are well known, NY Times best sellers or like a good friend of mine, self published. A writer is a writer and each should be given a chance to share their visions with an audience!

Everblossom by Larissa Hinton is an anthology of  poems and short stories set by the theme of a flower that buds, blossoms and, in a phoenix sort of way, a rebirth back into a seed, to start the journey all over again and that journey is life. The flow of the anthology, although set this way, is still not a black and white layout, the flow is choppy but continuous. Each story or poem, although mostly unrelated on the surface are related by the meaning behind them. 

The first section is entitled Seed and starts off with the poem, Seed Seed Seed which beautifully sets the tone for the rest of the book. It is a glimpse of the beginning, the middle and the end. The following story, In the Beginning, There Were Fairy Tales is one of the longer short stories which introduces us to a man who merely needs to wish/think of his object of desire and it’s there. It’s the perfect story in which to view Hinton’s beginning blossom of becoming a writer. Although the story has a wonderful inception, the writing itself is a touch juvenile, in a very endearing way. I found it was a great short story to re-read after finishing the anthology, as you could really see how far she came with her writing technique. A lot of the poems and stories in the section have to deal with birth and death, as you can never find one without the other. 

The second section is entitled Bud and is viewed best as the adolescence of the collection. It’s filled with wit, humor, coyness and flirtations. My favorite poem out of the anthology is featured here, called Sideways Glance. It’s the perfect blend of every feeling you had for your childhood crush. While reading it, my stomach fluttered, my cheeks flushed and I know I was smiling like a fool. Although the years have faded my first crush’s name from my mind, the poem still invoked those old feelings.

The third and final section of the work is entitled Blossom. All of the works in this section seem a touch more polished than the previous. They are also much darker, in macabre and depressed ways. English Major Dues and Bills Bills Bills are two pieces dark in subtle ways. They touch on the not so glamorous aspects of adulthood. Wrinkle is a short story that reminds me of Elizabeth B?thory and is not for the squeamish. Black and White is based on a true story and just turned my stomach in annoyance and anger at the two characters. In just a few short sentences you want to grab Savannah and shake her and save her all in an instance. I’d also like to wipe the charming smile off of Brian’s face! This story alone shows you the leap and bounds Hilton has made as an aspiring writer.

Throughout the anthology you will also find poems entitled WSV or words speak volume. They are snippets of continuation poetry perfectly entwined within the collection, much like a dandelion weed in a garden. They are not your normal poems, but, taken at face value, allow you a lot of insight to the author herself.

Although I enjoyed the anthology as a collection, I was very captivated by each short story within it’s pages. They always left me wanting more.
I’m excited to say, that quite a few of them are snippets or preludes to a few unpublished stories as well as the recently republished work Iwishacana/Acanawishi.

Although the collection is short, it just goes to prove that is isn’t the length of the words, but what is said as words speak volumes.

Connect

You can connect with the author, Larissa Hinton on her blogging website

Buy It

You can purchase Everblossom on Smashwords ebook for .99? or Amazon for $6.99