Flora in Love:The Diaries of Bluebell Gadsby is captivating, witty and 'out of the blue'. The reader discovers the world from the vantage point of Bluebell Gadsby, a teenage schoolgirl from London, who films and keeps a diary about the strange and amusing incidents going on in the Gadsby household. Surrounded by commotion, Bluebell feels that she is the only normal human being in her peculiar family. When strange things happen, such as a newfound poetry genius springing up or her sister getting a boyfriend who lives in a state of emotional precariousness, all Bluebell wants to do is live an ordinary life.
The flowing edginess of the plot and the funny characters allow the book to reach its full potential. When one problem is solved, another jumps right into its place, leaving the reader with a sense of perpetual chaos. Flora and her boyfriend, Zach, make you want to laugh and cringe at the same time, Twig and Jas (the babes) are sweet and random and Blue is completely unpredictable (especially when it comes to milkshakes!). Blue's dad made me cry from laughing – so much so that I was clutching my stomach. Perhaps the author could have developed more fully the character of Iris, Blue's deceased twin, who clearly continues to have a strong impact on the Gadsbys.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good laugh – but especially to teenage girls who love to fall in and out of love. The ending was completely unexpected and I didn't know what to do with myself when I had finished the book – I can only hope that Natasha Farrant will write another book in the series!
Read the first chapter for free here.
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