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Petals
This is an alternate cover edition for B01N7XSVG0
On Christmas Eve, a horrific car accident leaves Carly Perez without a mom. After a year of surgeries and counseling, Carly’s life is nearly back to normal—except for the monsters—vague, twisted images from the accident that plague her dreams. When her father insists on spending their first Christmas alone in Guatemala with a slew of relatives Carly has never met, she is far from thrilled, but she reluctantly boards the plane anyway.
That’s where she first spots the man with the scarred face. She could swear she has seen him before. But when? Where?
In Reu, the Guatemalan town where her father grew up, Carly meets Miguel, her attractive step-cousin, and thinks maybe vacation won’t be a total waste after all. Though she is drawn to him, Carly’s past holds her back—memories that refuse to be forgotten, and a secret about the accident that remains buried in her subconscious. And everywhere she turns, the man with the scarred face is there, driving that unwelcome secret to the surface.
For ages 14 & up
On Christmas Eve, a horrific car accident leaves Carly Perez without a mom. After a year of surgeries and counseling, Carly’s life is nearly back to normal—except for the monsters—vague, twisted images from the accident that plague her dreams. When her father insists on spending their first Christmas alone in Guatemala with a slew of relatives Carly has never met, she is far from thrilled, but she reluctantly boards the plane anyway.
That’s where she first spots the man with the scarred face. She could swear she has seen him before. But when? Where?
In Reu, the Guatemalan town where her father grew up, Carly meets Miguel, her attractive step-cousin, and thinks maybe vacation won’t be a total waste after all. Though she is drawn to him, Carly’s past holds her back—memories that refuse to be forgotten, and a secret about the accident that remains buried in her subconscious. And everywhere she turns, the man with the scarred face is there, driving that unwelcome secret to the surface.
For ages 14 & up
- GenresYoung Adult
249 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 15, 2017
16 people are currently reading
196 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 14, 2017
Carly’s last Christmas Eve with her mother will forever haunt her memories, the icy roads, the sounds of the glass and metal, the pain, the surgeries and the limp she will forever have. Carly could never figure out why that last minute gift was so important, but that gift cost her mother her life and gave Carly nightmares that would repeat the horrors over and over, following her everywhere.
Spending Christmas with her father’s estranged family in Guatemala is NOT what Carly wants, a group of strangers, a language barrier and her haunting dreams. And now, a scarred man follows her. He is everywhere, he is nowhere, and Carly is terrified. Who is he? Why is he here? Where does she know him from?
If not for Miguel, her cousin by marriage only, this trip would be a total disaster, but will he believe her about the man she keeps seeing? Is she slowly losing her mind or are the secrets buried deep in her soul from that fateful Christmas Eve connected to the man who will not leave her alone?
PETALS by Laurisa White Reyes is a powerful tale of loss, of grief and lack of closure as Carly struggles to reconcile her past, her father’s family and even her survivor’s guilt with the world she must now live in. Witness the inner turmoil and pain one teen suffers and who it impacts those around her as they attempt to help her move forward.
Laurisa White Reyes’ words are powerful, her story is rich with emotion and her characters come alive as one teen must finally let go of her demons and embrace the love that wants to surround her and give her strength to move forward.
An amazing read for young teens on up, this tale is ageless, raw and filled with flawed humanity at its most fragile and strong at the same time.
I am voluntarily reviewing this copy!
Publisher: Skyrocket Press (March 15, 2017)
Publication Date: March 15, 2017
Genre: YA fiction
Print Length: 249 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes &Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Spending Christmas with her father’s estranged family in Guatemala is NOT what Carly wants, a group of strangers, a language barrier and her haunting dreams. And now, a scarred man follows her. He is everywhere, he is nowhere, and Carly is terrified. Who is he? Why is he here? Where does she know him from?
If not for Miguel, her cousin by marriage only, this trip would be a total disaster, but will he believe her about the man she keeps seeing? Is she slowly losing her mind or are the secrets buried deep in her soul from that fateful Christmas Eve connected to the man who will not leave her alone?
PETALS by Laurisa White Reyes is a powerful tale of loss, of grief and lack of closure as Carly struggles to reconcile her past, her father’s family and even her survivor’s guilt with the world she must now live in. Witness the inner turmoil and pain one teen suffers and who it impacts those around her as they attempt to help her move forward.
Laurisa White Reyes’ words are powerful, her story is rich with emotion and her characters come alive as one teen must finally let go of her demons and embrace the love that wants to surround her and give her strength to move forward.
An amazing read for young teens on up, this tale is ageless, raw and filled with flawed humanity at its most fragile and strong at the same time.
I am voluntarily reviewing this copy!
Publisher: Skyrocket Press (March 15, 2017)
Publication Date: March 15, 2017
Genre: YA fiction
Print Length: 249 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes &Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
April 25, 2017
This book far exceeded my expectations in as much as I didn't think it would hook me as much as it did.
Having never read any of this authors books before (and I usually read over 200+ per year) I think I will be continuing to look more into any other books she's published.
Here is a young woman that comes from parents who are of different race.
The father comes from Guatemalan and mum is white.
Her mother is dead and she's trying hard to come to terms with this.
I liked how the author moved us to and fro with the girls thoughts.
Her father wants to introduce her to his family so decides a trip is needed.
Guatemalan
She has to meet the extended family who she is reluctant to meet but not only that, why were they not close when her mother was alive?
Bit by bit her healing starts to happen.
It's beautifully woven that will suck you in with emotion.
I really enjoyed reading this.
Having never read any of this authors books before (and I usually read over 200+ per year) I think I will be continuing to look more into any other books she's published.
Here is a young woman that comes from parents who are of different race.
The father comes from Guatemalan and mum is white.
Her mother is dead and she's trying hard to come to terms with this.
I liked how the author moved us to and fro with the girls thoughts.
Her father wants to introduce her to his family so decides a trip is needed.
Guatemalan
She has to meet the extended family who she is reluctant to meet but not only that, why were they not close when her mother was alive?
Bit by bit her healing starts to happen.
It's beautifully woven that will suck you in with emotion.
I really enjoyed reading this.
June 15, 2017
This book was not quite what I was expecting. It surprised me a bit- in a good way. I found the story and the setting very interesting. Carly is obviously struggling with a lot of residual emotional and physical damage from the car accident that took her mother's life. Nearly a year later, Carly's dad takes her to Guatemala to reconnect with his family-people Carly has never met- in the hopes of helping her and distracting her from the anniversary of what is coming.
Carly isn't always kind- on top of struggling mentally and emotionally, she is a typical teenager. That came shining through. Brought to a place completely foreign to her, she struggles with understanding the language and the customs. Luckily love is a universal language and Carly is surrounded by people who speak love to her daily. Her perspective begins to change and she begins to reflect love back.
The book takes on an almost desperate feel toward the end and I just couldn't put it down. It was emotional and engaging. I'll be looking for more books by this author to read.
Content: clean
- I received a copy of this book through Ebooks for Review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Carly isn't always kind- on top of struggling mentally and emotionally, she is a typical teenager. That came shining through. Brought to a place completely foreign to her, she struggles with understanding the language and the customs. Luckily love is a universal language and Carly is surrounded by people who speak love to her daily. Her perspective begins to change and she begins to reflect love back.
The book takes on an almost desperate feel toward the end and I just couldn't put it down. It was emotional and engaging. I'll be looking for more books by this author to read.
Content: clean
- I received a copy of this book through Ebooks for Review. All opinions expressed are my own.
July 18, 2017
4 stars
I was pleasantly surprised with Petals by Laurisa Reyes. This book had something from a lot of genres! A bit of mystery and thriller, but also a touch of romance. The mother of the main character, Carly, has died and she is really struggling to come to terms with it. Because of this her farther thinks it is a good idea to go and spend some time with his family in Guatemala. The ending was really unexpected, but beautiful as well. The book reminded me quite a bit of We were liars, as both of the main characters are fighting a trauma and are trying to remember what has happened! The characters felt real, the fights they were having were not overly dramatic, but honest and therefore more touching. There was a bit of instalove, but it was not too bad. Overall a great read and I would definitely recommend reading this book!
I was pleasantly surprised with Petals by Laurisa Reyes. This book had something from a lot of genres! A bit of mystery and thriller, but also a touch of romance. The mother of the main character, Carly, has died and she is really struggling to come to terms with it. Because of this her farther thinks it is a good idea to go and spend some time with his family in Guatemala. The ending was really unexpected, but beautiful as well. The book reminded me quite a bit of We were liars, as both of the main characters are fighting a trauma and are trying to remember what has happened! The characters felt real, the fights they were having were not overly dramatic, but honest and therefore more touching. There was a bit of instalove, but it was not too bad. Overall a great read and I would definitely recommend reading this book!
March 29, 2017
This was the first book by Laurisa White Reyes that I have read, and I was definitely not disappointed! Petals is the touching story of teen Carly Perez's struggle to accept the death of her mother while adapting to the Guatemalan lifestyle of her dad's family. She is haunted by nightmares and visions concerning the accident, but the new relatives she meets gladly provides love and comfort to help her through it.
I like to say that I am an avid reader (reading at least 50 books a year), so I come across a variety of stories. However, this one really moved me. I expected it to be at least decent after reading the interesting summary and seeing the gorgeous cover art, but what I received highly exceeded my expectations. I could hardly put it down! Throughout the book, I found myself laughing out loud, crying, and becoming attached to the characters. In fact, I don't think I have ever found a book where I could connect to the main character as well as I could in this one. Laurisa's writing style possesses a fluidity that captures the reader's attention and leaves them unable to resist turning the pages. Also, the interactions between the characters and the plot points seemed natural, rather than forced like some other books. Overall, this resulted in an exceptionally enjoyable read: one that I would recommend to everyone and that I will definitely reread in the future.
I like to say that I am an avid reader (reading at least 50 books a year), so I come across a variety of stories. However, this one really moved me. I expected it to be at least decent after reading the interesting summary and seeing the gorgeous cover art, but what I received highly exceeded my expectations. I could hardly put it down! Throughout the book, I found myself laughing out loud, crying, and becoming attached to the characters. In fact, I don't think I have ever found a book where I could connect to the main character as well as I could in this one. Laurisa's writing style possesses a fluidity that captures the reader's attention and leaves them unable to resist turning the pages. Also, the interactions between the characters and the plot points seemed natural, rather than forced like some other books. Overall, this resulted in an exceptionally enjoyable read: one that I would recommend to everyone and that I will definitely reread in the future.
June 12, 2017
This was such an amazing book! It reads as if it's a thriller suspense, but it is not.... Without giving too much away I just want to say that I was glued to the pages and read the book in one sitting.
The ending caught me completely by surprise. Well done Laurisa White Reyes! I loved every minute!
The characters and story line was so well crafted every page was unexpected. I would recommend this book to every one who loves a book about family, forgiveness and love.
Thank you to ebooks for review for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. I received a free copy in exchange for a voluntary review.
The ending caught me completely by surprise. Well done Laurisa White Reyes! I loved every minute!
The characters and story line was so well crafted every page was unexpected. I would recommend this book to every one who loves a book about family, forgiveness and love.
Thank you to ebooks for review for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. I received a free copy in exchange for a voluntary review.
April 20, 2017
I really love the diversity in characters that Laurisa White Reyes brings to her stories. Having children that are bi racial with parents both having different ethnicities, it's nice to know there are books out there that they can relate to the characters more on. Petals is the second book I have read by this author and she always blows me away with her writing. I really enjoyed reading about Carly and her family. My heart really went out to her as a teenager living in today's society it's really hard to know where you fit in even more so when you're of a different ethnicity living in a different country than your background. Carly's battle isnt your typical teen tho, it reaches so much deeper than that, the author has a way of making you connect with the character and wanting so badly to fix things for her, however, you see she's stronger than you think and can battle her own demons, with the help of those who love her. I also really loved the love interest in this story, he was very swoon worthy. I think him and Carly had a lot in common in being misunderstood and feeling lost. Petals was a very pleasant read and I can't wait to see what Laurisa White Reyes has in store for us next. I wouldn't mind reading more about Carly and her family or maybe even more of Miguel's story.
June 14, 2017
"In sixty-seconds, my mom will be dead." How haunting is that?
Carly is a California girl who lost her mother Christmas Eve night. She hasn't done well the year after the accident and so her father decides to leave California and spend time away in Guatemala with his parents and other relatives. Carly has never been there, doesn't speak much Spanish and doesn't want to go at.all. "All I ask is that you give it a chance, Carly. Give them a chance."
Shortly after leaving California, Carly sees a man watching her in the airport and later in the city where her grandparents live and other places throughout her stay. She's being followed but doesn't know how he is or why he would follow her.
"His brown skin was disfigured with long, deep scars, as though shriveled by the sun like a raisin." She refers to him as Raisin man.
With the help of Miguel, step cousin, they're not related, Carly takes it upon herself to figure out who raisin face is, why her father brought her to Guatemala and how is she ever to get over the death of her mother.
This book kept me wondering where the author was going. Carly's father had no wondering for the whole book. I wasn't quite sure what his motivations were. Carly was an interesting character. The book is told through her eyes so she is a bit unreliable. The author showed the reader her age through attitude and view points that were skewed.
Carly resorts to sleeping pills because without them she has the same nightmare about the crash. "The fall was inevitable, but I strained to hold on. It wasn't that I had trouble sleeping, but the pills kept the monsters at bay. Finally, unable to fight it any longer, I surrendered. Falling into sleep, I struggled to recall just where I had seen that man's face before."
There are many times when the characters speak Spanish. I was able to pick up on most of the phrases but not everything. It was fun to have another language included in the story.
I really enjoyed the way the author describes the town in Guatemala. The entire book takes place in the few weeks before Christmas and a few days after. The author included the holiday festivities that are traditional to the area. Takalik Abaj sounds very interesting.
The title was cleverly and carefully sewn into the story. Although catching, when I read the summary I didn't get the significance of the title. "I shiver as snowflakes begin to fall. As they do, they change from white to read, and I realize they are petals - rose petals falling from the sky."
Overall, I liked this book. I like how the author takes the time to describe what Carly does and where she is. I think the culture reflected well. The local church is a Catholic church and Carly goes in with Miguel. Here, the book includes thoughts that Carly has about Jesus, the Crucifixion and other religious ideologies. Carly's journey to find herself and solve the mystery of raisin face was very interesting. This book takes the reader into Carly's world with pain and suffering but it wasn't a downer. I really enjoyed how the author wrote this novel. Carly was interesting, I cared about her. Miguel was interesting too. I wasn't sure where the author was taking his character and the story. There is a bit of romance but it didn't consume the story. The story is about Carly and it stayed that way. I would recommend this book to readers as young as 13. I think the book could spark discussion between parents. The story might even make a nice book club pick.
Content: clean
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Carly is a California girl who lost her mother Christmas Eve night. She hasn't done well the year after the accident and so her father decides to leave California and spend time away in Guatemala with his parents and other relatives. Carly has never been there, doesn't speak much Spanish and doesn't want to go at.all. "All I ask is that you give it a chance, Carly. Give them a chance."
Shortly after leaving California, Carly sees a man watching her in the airport and later in the city where her grandparents live and other places throughout her stay. She's being followed but doesn't know how he is or why he would follow her.
"His brown skin was disfigured with long, deep scars, as though shriveled by the sun like a raisin." She refers to him as Raisin man.
With the help of Miguel, step cousin, they're not related, Carly takes it upon herself to figure out who raisin face is, why her father brought her to Guatemala and how is she ever to get over the death of her mother.
This book kept me wondering where the author was going. Carly's father had no wondering for the whole book. I wasn't quite sure what his motivations were. Carly was an interesting character. The book is told through her eyes so she is a bit unreliable. The author showed the reader her age through attitude and view points that were skewed.
Carly resorts to sleeping pills because without them she has the same nightmare about the crash. "The fall was inevitable, but I strained to hold on. It wasn't that I had trouble sleeping, but the pills kept the monsters at bay. Finally, unable to fight it any longer, I surrendered. Falling into sleep, I struggled to recall just where I had seen that man's face before."
There are many times when the characters speak Spanish. I was able to pick up on most of the phrases but not everything. It was fun to have another language included in the story.
I really enjoyed the way the author describes the town in Guatemala. The entire book takes place in the few weeks before Christmas and a few days after. The author included the holiday festivities that are traditional to the area. Takalik Abaj sounds very interesting.
The title was cleverly and carefully sewn into the story. Although catching, when I read the summary I didn't get the significance of the title. "I shiver as snowflakes begin to fall. As they do, they change from white to read, and I realize they are petals - rose petals falling from the sky."
Overall, I liked this book. I like how the author takes the time to describe what Carly does and where she is. I think the culture reflected well. The local church is a Catholic church and Carly goes in with Miguel. Here, the book includes thoughts that Carly has about Jesus, the Crucifixion and other religious ideologies. Carly's journey to find herself and solve the mystery of raisin face was very interesting. This book takes the reader into Carly's world with pain and suffering but it wasn't a downer. I really enjoyed how the author wrote this novel. Carly was interesting, I cared about her. Miguel was interesting too. I wasn't sure where the author was taking his character and the story. There is a bit of romance but it didn't consume the story. The story is about Carly and it stayed that way. I would recommend this book to readers as young as 13. I think the book could spark discussion between parents. The story might even make a nice book club pick.
Content: clean
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
June 8, 2017
Ahh, I had a good feeling about this book and honestly, I am impressed.This is a kind of a mystery novel but a light read.. if you are a mystery lover but want to get a break with all those intense thriller and mysterious novels.. this is for you all...
This book has everything, from love, family, regrets and getting back up again. I am totally going to recommend this book to everyone!!!
(Got the epub in exchange for honest review.)
This book has everything, from love, family, regrets and getting back up again. I am totally going to recommend this book to everyone!!!
(Got the epub in exchange for honest review.)
April 13, 2017
Grief, survivor’s guilt, identity and family relations in a beautifully written book set in Guatemala. I’m writing this review as part of a blog tour for this novel that I voluntarily agreed to participate in.
From the author’s note, it is clear that this book is a labour of love that has been many years in the coming. This is the first novel by Larisa White Reyes I had read and it is unlikely to be the last one.
The story is told in the first person by Carly Perez, a young girl (almost eighteen) who lost her mother last Christmas Even in a car accident. She was also in the car when it happened and it has taken her a long time to recover, both physically and mentally. We soon realise how precarious this recovery is. Her father, who is originally from Guatemala, insists on going there to visit his family for Christmas and Carly is less than happy. She doesn’t know them, as her father hasn’t visited in the last twenty years, she hardly speaks any Spanish, and a year after her mother’s death, the last thing she wants is to spend time in an unfamiliar (and to her mind backwards and wild) place with a bunch of strangers. Her preconceived ideas of the country and her family will be put to the test and her precarious mental equilibrium will be stretched to the very limit.
Carly is a typical adolescent in some ways, but also an extremely sensitive soul. She is moody because she has to go to Guatemala, instead of staying in California, she argues with her father, she disobeys his rules and gives him the silent treatment at times. She can be grumpy and quick to judge, both the country and her relatives, and she does not know what to think about Miguel, her step-cousin, the only one close to her age and experiences but also reluctant to engage and talk about his problems. Carly is an artist, although she’s had difficulty painting since her mother’s death, and she keeps being tormented by strange dreams, and by the recurrent appearance of a weird man, wrinkled and scarred, who keeps nagging at her subconscious. She is terrified of him but can’t recall where she saw him before. She’s convinced he has come to confront her with something, but she does not know why or what. The combination of her disturbing experiences and the new environment manages to make her remember something that had been hiding inside of her mind, masked by the grief and the medication.
The author excels at showing Carly’s point of view, and how her opinion evolves from indifference and disdain towards her relatives and the country to curiosity and eventually affection and love. One of the reasons why I decided to read the book was because I was intrigued about how a girl brought up in California would adjust to a new family and a completely different environment. The description of Guatemala, the city of Reu, the Mayan temples, Xela … paint a vivid picture of the country, its traditions (including those related to Christmas, religious and otherwise), its food and its people. We get to meet the more traditional older generation (her grandfather, caring and congenial, and her grandmother, always cooking and comforting), her aunt Dora, who also left the country and lived in New York for many years, and Miguel, the youngest one, who was born in the USA and who, although initially reluctant, ends up becoming the closest to her. They share not only age but also similar identity problems, and he’s dark and handsome too, so it’s not surprising that things develop to Carly’s surprise.
There is clean romance, there are some interesting discussions about identity, family, and what makes us who we are (and how difficult it might be to fit in when perhaps you don’t belong anywhere), and also about life, death, guilt and forgiveness. There are very emotional moments, fun and magical ones, and sad ones. Although the discovery Carly makes towards the end wasn’t a big surprise for me, the beauty is in the detail, the visual symbols (the snow, the petals of the title, the man …), the way all the pieces come together, and the final message is one of hope, forgiveness and reconciliation.
In summary, this is an excellent YA book, well written, with beautiful description of places, people and emotions, exploring issues of identity, survivor’s guilt, grief and death, mixed marriages and families, the role of tradition and culture, with an engaging and sympathetic main character and a good cast of secondary ones. This is a clean book with some Christian religious content and questions although that is not the emphasis of the book. It will appeal not only to readers of YA books but to anybody who enjoys well-written first-person narratives, exploring mixed family relationships, identity and grief, set in a wonderful location.
From the author’s note, it is clear that this book is a labour of love that has been many years in the coming. This is the first novel by Larisa White Reyes I had read and it is unlikely to be the last one.
The story is told in the first person by Carly Perez, a young girl (almost eighteen) who lost her mother last Christmas Even in a car accident. She was also in the car when it happened and it has taken her a long time to recover, both physically and mentally. We soon realise how precarious this recovery is. Her father, who is originally from Guatemala, insists on going there to visit his family for Christmas and Carly is less than happy. She doesn’t know them, as her father hasn’t visited in the last twenty years, she hardly speaks any Spanish, and a year after her mother’s death, the last thing she wants is to spend time in an unfamiliar (and to her mind backwards and wild) place with a bunch of strangers. Her preconceived ideas of the country and her family will be put to the test and her precarious mental equilibrium will be stretched to the very limit.
Carly is a typical adolescent in some ways, but also an extremely sensitive soul. She is moody because she has to go to Guatemala, instead of staying in California, she argues with her father, she disobeys his rules and gives him the silent treatment at times. She can be grumpy and quick to judge, both the country and her relatives, and she does not know what to think about Miguel, her step-cousin, the only one close to her age and experiences but also reluctant to engage and talk about his problems. Carly is an artist, although she’s had difficulty painting since her mother’s death, and she keeps being tormented by strange dreams, and by the recurrent appearance of a weird man, wrinkled and scarred, who keeps nagging at her subconscious. She is terrified of him but can’t recall where she saw him before. She’s convinced he has come to confront her with something, but she does not know why or what. The combination of her disturbing experiences and the new environment manages to make her remember something that had been hiding inside of her mind, masked by the grief and the medication.
The author excels at showing Carly’s point of view, and how her opinion evolves from indifference and disdain towards her relatives and the country to curiosity and eventually affection and love. One of the reasons why I decided to read the book was because I was intrigued about how a girl brought up in California would adjust to a new family and a completely different environment. The description of Guatemala, the city of Reu, the Mayan temples, Xela … paint a vivid picture of the country, its traditions (including those related to Christmas, religious and otherwise), its food and its people. We get to meet the more traditional older generation (her grandfather, caring and congenial, and her grandmother, always cooking and comforting), her aunt Dora, who also left the country and lived in New York for many years, and Miguel, the youngest one, who was born in the USA and who, although initially reluctant, ends up becoming the closest to her. They share not only age but also similar identity problems, and he’s dark and handsome too, so it’s not surprising that things develop to Carly’s surprise.
There is clean romance, there are some interesting discussions about identity, family, and what makes us who we are (and how difficult it might be to fit in when perhaps you don’t belong anywhere), and also about life, death, guilt and forgiveness. There are very emotional moments, fun and magical ones, and sad ones. Although the discovery Carly makes towards the end wasn’t a big surprise for me, the beauty is in the detail, the visual symbols (the snow, the petals of the title, the man …), the way all the pieces come together, and the final message is one of hope, forgiveness and reconciliation.
In summary, this is an excellent YA book, well written, with beautiful description of places, people and emotions, exploring issues of identity, survivor’s guilt, grief and death, mixed marriages and families, the role of tradition and culture, with an engaging and sympathetic main character and a good cast of secondary ones. This is a clean book with some Christian religious content and questions although that is not the emphasis of the book. It will appeal not only to readers of YA books but to anybody who enjoys well-written first-person narratives, exploring mixed family relationships, identity and grief, set in a wonderful location.
June 26, 2017
This is a story about the difficult subject of loss of a parent, and the guilt of being a survivor. It tells the story of not only how it affects the child, but also her father, and the relationship between her and her father. Each person has a different way of how they want to deal with the grief of a loss, and sometimes these ways conflict – especially when it comes to a teenager girl and her father. In this case, Carly’s father goes to the extreme of taking her from her home in California to Guatemala, where he grew up and his family still lives. Carly is furious, because Guatemala is almost the complete opposite of the white Christmas of California that she’s used to.
Throughout most of the story, Carly is heavily focused on everything she hates about Guatemala and trying to figure out why her father is ‘punishing’ her by taking her there, especially for Christmas. She also continues to see this strange ‘raisin face’ man, and can’t figure out why he’s following her, and he always gets away before someone else sees him. She knows it’s all related, and knows she’s seen him before, but can’t figure out where.
When Carly finally starts to see some good in being in Guatemala is when she spends more time with her step-cousin, Miguel. I liked how the author wrote their relationship, because it was slightly complicated, not an immediate attraction, or even friendship. It was realistic in how two teens from two different personal worlds, each with their own complications in their family, would not immediately relate to each other. But there is something about each of them that keeps drawing them back to each other, finding interesting aspects and similarities in each other.
This story shows that grief is not easy, families are far from simple, and sometimes it literally takes a village, and sometimes a change of scenery, to heal several different types of wounds. It also shows that hiding from what happened, or trying to bury it never works. Whatever your brain wants to get out will always make its way to the surface. I really liked all of these aspects of the story. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because for me personally, it was a bit slow for me. It wasn’t until the second half of the book until I got drawn in. However, I have no way of relating to this story, as (fortunately) I have never had anything like this happen in my life. Possibly, if I had a way to relate personally, I would have been more drawn in. Otherwise, it was very well written, with beautiful imagery and storytelling. I would definitely read other books from this author.
Throughout most of the story, Carly is heavily focused on everything she hates about Guatemala and trying to figure out why her father is ‘punishing’ her by taking her there, especially for Christmas. She also continues to see this strange ‘raisin face’ man, and can’t figure out why he’s following her, and he always gets away before someone else sees him. She knows it’s all related, and knows she’s seen him before, but can’t figure out where.
When Carly finally starts to see some good in being in Guatemala is when she spends more time with her step-cousin, Miguel. I liked how the author wrote their relationship, because it was slightly complicated, not an immediate attraction, or even friendship. It was realistic in how two teens from two different personal worlds, each with their own complications in their family, would not immediately relate to each other. But there is something about each of them that keeps drawing them back to each other, finding interesting aspects and similarities in each other.
This story shows that grief is not easy, families are far from simple, and sometimes it literally takes a village, and sometimes a change of scenery, to heal several different types of wounds. It also shows that hiding from what happened, or trying to bury it never works. Whatever your brain wants to get out will always make its way to the surface. I really liked all of these aspects of the story. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because for me personally, it was a bit slow for me. It wasn’t until the second half of the book until I got drawn in. However, I have no way of relating to this story, as (fortunately) I have never had anything like this happen in my life. Possibly, if I had a way to relate personally, I would have been more drawn in. Otherwise, it was very well written, with beautiful imagery and storytelling. I would definitely read other books from this author.
April 21, 2017
This talented author helps the reader see, in vivid adjectives, Guatemala and California. The book is suspenseful, well written and so very interesting. I honestly did not see the end coming. The author takes on some heavy themes - loss of a parent, and the torn feelings a person with two heritages might feel. White Reyes did her homework especially with the Guatemalan history and traditions. I loved how she added Spanish phrases. It made the well developed characters seem real.
The teenage Carly Perez was in a horrible car accident where she lost her mother on Christmas Eve. Her father tears her away to Reu, his small hometown in Guatemala to visit family just before the first anniversary of that accident. Carly is mad about being uprooted and resented her father's seeming lack of compassion. The world of a cold winter in her California home is the opposite of Guatemala and she is sure that she will be horrible. Carly soon warms up to Reu especially when she meets her step-cousin, Miguel.
The mystery starts in the airport and continues throughout her whole trip. She knows her father has secrets about why he has not seen his family in Reu for decades. She knows that her nightmares are too much for her to take. She knows that a scar-faced man is everywhere she is. What she doesn’t know will change her forever. Who is the scar-faced man? Why is he stalking her? Can Carly and Miguel find the answers that seem buried in her nightmares?
The way the author describes the family and the grandmother’s home is amazing. The story is so well written I liked that every item mentioned in the story adds to the mystery and is explained by the OMG ending. I would recommend this story to everyone. I look forward to reading other stories by this author.
The teenage Carly Perez was in a horrible car accident where she lost her mother on Christmas Eve. Her father tears her away to Reu, his small hometown in Guatemala to visit family just before the first anniversary of that accident. Carly is mad about being uprooted and resented her father's seeming lack of compassion. The world of a cold winter in her California home is the opposite of Guatemala and she is sure that she will be horrible. Carly soon warms up to Reu especially when she meets her step-cousin, Miguel.
The mystery starts in the airport and continues throughout her whole trip. She knows her father has secrets about why he has not seen his family in Reu for decades. She knows that her nightmares are too much for her to take. She knows that a scar-faced man is everywhere she is. What she doesn’t know will change her forever. Who is the scar-faced man? Why is he stalking her? Can Carly and Miguel find the answers that seem buried in her nightmares?
The way the author describes the family and the grandmother’s home is amazing. The story is so well written I liked that every item mentioned in the story adds to the mystery and is explained by the OMG ending. I would recommend this story to everyone. I look forward to reading other stories by this author.
July 3, 2017
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
I really didn't know what to expect. What I found was a story of loss and of finding a new family. Carly is a teenager who has lost her mother in a car accident the previous Christmas Eve. Her dad has decided to take her out of her home in California to his birth home in Guatemala for Christmas. There she meets her grandparents, her Aunt Dora and Dora's stepson Miguel who is Carly's age.
Although Carly is angry to have been forced to leave her home, to be taken to a strange country when she doesn't even speak the language, she soon starts to develop feelings for her long lost relatives and especially for her step cousin, Miguel.
Everyone has secrets. Why has her father never spoken of his family and left them for so long? Why are Miguel and his dad always fighting? Most importantly, why does Carly keep seeing the man she calls Raisin Face everywhere she goes and why can't she figure out the meaning of her dreams?
This is a touching and heart warming story of a girl trying to live again after the death of her mother and her own leg injury. Family ties can be complicated and by the end of the book, the important questions are answered.
Carly and the reader also learn about some of the history and myths of Guatemala and the Mayans.
I would definitely recommend this book!
I really didn't know what to expect. What I found was a story of loss and of finding a new family. Carly is a teenager who has lost her mother in a car accident the previous Christmas Eve. Her dad has decided to take her out of her home in California to his birth home in Guatemala for Christmas. There she meets her grandparents, her Aunt Dora and Dora's stepson Miguel who is Carly's age.
Although Carly is angry to have been forced to leave her home, to be taken to a strange country when she doesn't even speak the language, she soon starts to develop feelings for her long lost relatives and especially for her step cousin, Miguel.
Everyone has secrets. Why has her father never spoken of his family and left them for so long? Why are Miguel and his dad always fighting? Most importantly, why does Carly keep seeing the man she calls Raisin Face everywhere she goes and why can't she figure out the meaning of her dreams?
This is a touching and heart warming story of a girl trying to live again after the death of her mother and her own leg injury. Family ties can be complicated and by the end of the book, the important questions are answered.
Carly and the reader also learn about some of the history and myths of Guatemala and the Mayans.
I would definitely recommend this book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2017
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review on ebooksforreview.com.
There was something about this book that felt really fresh to me. It shouldn’t have felt that way because this topic is written about everywhere. I was completely absorbed into this story and the characters almost immediately.
Carly has been trying to recover from a tragic accident that happened a year ago. All of the surgeries and therapy sessions simply cannot block out the monsters in Carly’s mind and the fact that she remembers nothing from the incident. The one fact that she cannot forget is that she survived, her mother did not-and somehow she feels responsible. She catches glimpses in dreams, horrible visions that are confusing and jumbled. She spends her days trying to translate what she had seen the night before.
Her father decides they need to take off for Guatemala to spend their first Christmas without her mother-visiting his family. Carly has never met any of her father’s family. Everywhere she turns she sees an older man-staring at her. He seems to appear everywhere she goes. It seems like he is trying to tell her something, maybe help trigger her memory so she can finally understand everything from the accident.
With the help of her step-cousin Miguel, will Carly ever feel whole again? Will she ever remember? She knows that the only way she is going to heal is to be able to face the truth.
There was something about this book that felt really fresh to me. It shouldn’t have felt that way because this topic is written about everywhere. I was completely absorbed into this story and the characters almost immediately.
Carly has been trying to recover from a tragic accident that happened a year ago. All of the surgeries and therapy sessions simply cannot block out the monsters in Carly’s mind and the fact that she remembers nothing from the incident. The one fact that she cannot forget is that she survived, her mother did not-and somehow she feels responsible. She catches glimpses in dreams, horrible visions that are confusing and jumbled. She spends her days trying to translate what she had seen the night before.
Her father decides they need to take off for Guatemala to spend their first Christmas without her mother-visiting his family. Carly has never met any of her father’s family. Everywhere she turns she sees an older man-staring at her. He seems to appear everywhere she goes. It seems like he is trying to tell her something, maybe help trigger her memory so she can finally understand everything from the accident.
With the help of her step-cousin Miguel, will Carly ever feel whole again? Will she ever remember? She knows that the only way she is going to heal is to be able to face the truth.
March 18, 2017
A beautiful young adult coming of age story with a rich cultural background and a thrilling surprise twist. Carly doesn't want to go visit her relatives in Guatemala, but on the one year anniversary of her mother's death, her father decides it's time to meet the family. The setting is bold and brilliant, a weaving of images and traditions that sing to a reader's senses. I felt like I was in Guatemala as I read Carly's tale. It was fun to read of holiday traditions from another culture and observe things from Carly's point of view. Everything from the town of Reu to the jungles and old Mayan towers is brought to life by the author.
The character of Carly herself is well voiced and developed. She is a typical teenager, but is dealing with a horrible tragedy. She struggles to find her way in this new world where her mother doesn't exist and her memories of the event are dark and horrible. She constantly sees a strange man, "raisin face", everywhere she goes, and these meetings bring on panic attacks and black outs. Who is this man? Why is he following her? These questions will pull you through the story and keep the tension high. The unveiling at the end is both soul wrenching and cathartic.
I really enjoyed this read. I highly recommend it! 5 Stars!
The character of Carly herself is well voiced and developed. She is a typical teenager, but is dealing with a horrible tragedy. She struggles to find her way in this new world where her mother doesn't exist and her memories of the event are dark and horrible. She constantly sees a strange man, "raisin face", everywhere she goes, and these meetings bring on panic attacks and black outs. Who is this man? Why is he following her? These questions will pull you through the story and keep the tension high. The unveiling at the end is both soul wrenching and cathartic.
I really enjoyed this read. I highly recommend it! 5 Stars!
June 22, 2017
I really enjoyed this. I wasn't really expecting to like it as much as i did. The culture of Guatemala really comes through too.
Carly and her dad have travelled to Guatemala to spend Christmas with his estranged family. Carly's mum was killed in a car accident the previous Christmas Eve and since then she has been struggling with bad dreams.
Carly is angry with her dad - she wanted to stay at home in California, she wanted to be at home, like every year to spend their first Christmas without her mum but instead he chooses this year to reconnect with his family after 20 years of not speaking to them.
While Carly tries to get to grips with her new found family and a whole new foreign language, she continues to take the sleeping pills to keep the nightmares at bay. However, what the pills cannot do is keep the strange man away, who keeps showing up everywhere Carly goes.
While Carly and her step-cousin Miguel strike up an unlikely romance, her thought processes get increasingly jumbled until they come to a head one night in a Guatemalan street in the pouring rain.
Carly and her dad have travelled to Guatemala to spend Christmas with his estranged family. Carly's mum was killed in a car accident the previous Christmas Eve and since then she has been struggling with bad dreams.
Carly is angry with her dad - she wanted to stay at home in California, she wanted to be at home, like every year to spend their first Christmas without her mum but instead he chooses this year to reconnect with his family after 20 years of not speaking to them.
While Carly tries to get to grips with her new found family and a whole new foreign language, she continues to take the sleeping pills to keep the nightmares at bay. However, what the pills cannot do is keep the strange man away, who keeps showing up everywhere Carly goes.
While Carly and her step-cousin Miguel strike up an unlikely romance, her thought processes get increasingly jumbled until they come to a head one night in a Guatemalan street in the pouring rain.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2017
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review (Inspired Kathy Blog).
This was not what I expected. And I'm still not sure whether that's a good thing or bad. I also expected it to be paranormal, for some reason, but it was not. Although the story sure let you sort of think it might be. Maybe all the weird dreams and "visions" (or hallucinations?) Carly kept on having even while awake.
I must say, for at least half of the book I didn't like either Carly nor her father and surely not Miguel. The character I always liked is Tia Dora.
The story was intriguingly intricate. It was a sort of mystery that needed resolving. The ending sort of surprised me. Again, I was convinced it was paranormal, so I expected it to be different. So when the truth came out it was a surprise. And it was really really sad. And I cried. A lot. When Carly and her dad opened the Christmas presents I wept fat sad tears. And almost sobbed into my pillow. It was heartbreaking.
This was not what I expected. And I'm still not sure whether that's a good thing or bad. I also expected it to be paranormal, for some reason, but it was not. Although the story sure let you sort of think it might be. Maybe all the weird dreams and "visions" (or hallucinations?) Carly kept on having even while awake.
I must say, for at least half of the book I didn't like either Carly nor her father and surely not Miguel. The character I always liked is Tia Dora.
The story was intriguingly intricate. It was a sort of mystery that needed resolving. The ending sort of surprised me. Again, I was convinced it was paranormal, so I expected it to be different. So when the truth came out it was a surprise. And it was really really sad. And I cried. A lot. When Carly and her dad opened the Christmas presents I wept fat sad tears. And almost sobbed into my pillow. It was heartbreaking.
July 26, 2017
Petals, by Laurisa White Reyes, is a contemporary romance story leaning towards a teen/young adult audience. The author had suspense interwoven within this story along with the vivid details in the descriptions provided - to include the locations. It was easy to picture the story as you read. This was an emotional read in dealing with loss and navigating through life. I found the characters to be touching and well shaped in their delivery. There were times I got lost in the story or felt that it was moving awkward, but overall, it was solidly written.
April 19, 2017
A powerful story of new beginnings and finding yourself after tragedy upends your life, 'Petals' is a must read for all who believe in hope and love. You'll love Carly from the start. A brave young woman who's life is still tumbling from the tragedy that shattered her world a year ago. But will her father's attempt at a new holiday tradition hurt her or help her heal? You'll have to read to find out!
Received for review
Received for review
March 23, 2017
If your looking for a young adult book with love and suspense that is written so well that you can feel the emotion bouncing out of the book. I loved reading about Guatemala and the culture and I think that really helped make the book even more wonderful than it already was. The chemistry between Miguel and Carly was amazing and it kept me reading late into the night. This was my first book by this author but after this, I will definitely be looking at more of this authors work.
May 17, 2017
I really loved the mixture of cultures and how we can learn to love what is unfamiliar to us. The twist is great and how we can learn about ourselves. The characters were real to me.
Great read for young adults and adults.
Great read for young adults and adults.
July 27, 2017
An emotionally heart wrenching novel. A poignant tale of a daughter who loses her mother in a car accident on christmas eve and her emotional struggle to accept this loss.
March 18, 2017
Petals was one of the best books I have ever read! It is about Carly, who is a girl surrounded by secrets and mysterious dreams regarding the car crash that killed her mother. Carly goes to Guatemala to visit her father's family, where she uncovers secrets about her past, as well as meet her handsome step cousin.
The very descriptive words and the intriguing mystery kept me wanting to read more. Petals is an awesome book if you are looking for a great mystery/love story, which are my favorite types of books. Every girl will want to read this. Definitely a 10/10!
The very descriptive words and the intriguing mystery kept me wanting to read more. Petals is an awesome book if you are looking for a great mystery/love story, which are my favorite types of books. Every girl will want to read this. Definitely a 10/10!
March 28, 2017
I don't give 5 stars often but this one deserved it. It also helped that I read Mindgames by les beta readers first because it had me in the perfect frame of mind for this book. I enjoyed the slight twist within the story. Well done.
May 21, 2017
When Carly’s father takes her to Guatemala to meet his estranged family over Christmas break, Carly is angry and can’t figure out why her dad is making her leave California during the one year anniversary of her mothers’ death. As she meets her grandparents and Aunt, she is surrounded by the beauty of this foreign country where she understands little of the culture and language. This is the first book I have read by Laurisa Reyes but I will look for more. She uses words to paint stunning pictures and evokes many emotions.
July 23, 2017
This is the first book I have read from this author and it won't be my last. This book had depth. It is a YA coming of age and healing from tragedy along with dealing with parents of different races. This book has suspense that will keep you turning the pages until the end. I love to see growth in the main character and this book does a great job of this.
October 6, 2018
I read this novel 6 months ago and I still remember how it took me right into Central America with vivid imagery. I enjoyed it so much. I am an adult woman who loves young adult fiction and this book did not disappoint. I was invested in the main character and surprised at the turn the book takes many times. I highly recommend it!
July 16, 2017
I received this book free with the intention to review, this didn't effect my opinion of the book.
Overwhelmed by the sudden death of her mother, Carly can't sleep at night. Nearly a year later Carly still can't sleep, she starts seeing a man with a scarred face following her everywhere. Follow as Carly lives through the pain of the anniversary of her mother's death, and see how Carly is forever changed.
Overwhelmed by the sudden death of her mother, Carly can't sleep at night. Nearly a year later Carly still can't sleep, she starts seeing a man with a scarred face following her everywhere. Follow as Carly lives through the pain of the anniversary of her mother's death, and see how Carly is forever changed.
May 20, 2017
At first I kept reading, waiting for something to happen, but as the story unfolded I realized that this was the story, Carly's experience in healing. What I didn't expect was the huge twist at the end. This book had me taught, crying, shouting, and cheering. What a beautiful story of learning not to judge, forgiving others, and finding healing. It certainly wasn't what I expected, but I walked away feeling peace. That says a lot!!!
September 18, 2017
What a book and subject. Totally impossible not to finish as quickly as possible. Just loved it and perhaps they'll be more of this.
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