Book Review: “Everblossom: A Short Story and Poetry Anthology” by Larissa Hinton

Everblossom is a journey through poems and short stories that may seem ordinary on the surface but dig a little deeper and the world not only shifts. It changes.  From the author who brought you Iwishacana/Acanawishi, she now brings you a dash of everything from dark fantasy to the paranormal to even romance. So prepare yourself to delve into the three stages of the flower from bud to blossom then back to seed, you’ll go through them all with a whole new perspective on what it all truly means (from Goodreads) 

A mix of poetry and prose; blended together perfectly, with a smooth flow from beginning to end, back to the beginning, and through the book again.   

“Everblossom: A Short Story and Poetry Anthology” by Larissa Hinton has become one of my favourite books of poetry.  Even some of the prose has poetic elements.  I had received the eBook from Larissa, in exchange for an impartial review.  But just a few poems and stories into the book, I knew I needed to hold this book in my hand!  So, I ordered the paperback version, and finished the book that way. 

In the introduction, Hinton speaks of the order of the book, compared to the non-linear scope of her writings.  Beginning with ‘Seed’ – some of Hinton’s earliest work; moving into ‘Bud’, then ‘Blossom’, the reader can visualize some of the flow of Hinton’s writing.  The Goodreads synopsis, which I show above, says that the book highlights three stages of the flower from bud to blossom then back to seed.  That held true for me.  When I reached the final poem, the writing that ended the book, I instantly flipped back to the ‘Seed’ beginning poem; I had the desire to see again how it all began.  After my second read through, I took extra time reading pieces that touched some unknown place in my heart, and have gone back to individual pieces since that time. 

The book contains some of Hinton’s favourite pieces, and some writing that was among her most challenging work.  The flow of the book was not strictly an upward incline; the reader will find some of the author’s earlier writings more appealing than those in the ‘Blossom’ section.  I believe this is highly influenced by personal preference, rather than author driven.  The skill of the author in the use of words is evident. 

Larissa Hinton

One of the poems that caught my attention is titled: “Sprout”; and is the first poem in the ‘budding’ section of the book.  The last three lines read:  ‘from bud to blossom – this is the beginning – of the end’.  I first read these lines in dismay, a feeling of sadness coming over me, the feeling that death is everywhere.  Later reading sparked feelings of youth, that feeling we all experience as we spread our wings, and begin to live fully as an adult, having moved from the child stage – the seedling stage. 

The mix of poetry and prose gives this book the feeling of a story, with a beginning and an end.  There were times that I forgot I was reading individual writings, and saw the sequence as planned – planned from the start.  The sequence for the book was clearly planned, but the writing of individual pieces did not have the same sequence.  I saw this as a strength of the book itself. 

As an anthology of poetry and prose, I do recommend the reading of Larissa Hinton’s “Everblossom”.  With its variety of writing styles, as well as Larissa’s ability to cross genres seamlessly, it will be a welcome addition to any bookshelf.  Enjoy!

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photo by Heather Fraser

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“The Joy of the Written Word”: 

Larissa Hinton’s book, ‘Everblossom’, is a reminder to me of why I write this blog.  One of the reasons is that I might share with my readers, the joyful feeling I receive from many forms of the written word.  Be it poetry or prose, structured or free, new world thinking or biblical, the joy of the written word reaches a part of my inner being.  And I attempt to share that joy within this blog.

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Choose Joy! 

Patricia

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