Sunflowers in February

Description

Lily wakes up one crisp Sunday morning on the side of the road. She has no idea how she got there. It is all very peaceful. And very beautiful. It is only when the police car, and then the ambulance arrive, and she sees her own body, that she realises that she is in fact... dead. But what is she supposed do now? Lily has no option but to follow her body and see her family - her parents and her twin brother start falling apart. And then her twin brother Ben gives her a once in a deathtime opportunity - to use his own body for a while. But will Lily give Ben his body back? She is beginning to have a rather good time... A moving, startlingly funny yet achingly sad debut novel from a stunning new talent.

Phyllida Shrimpton is a full time mother of a teenage daughter and currently lives in Essex with her husband, badly behaved small Jack Russell and challenging large Saint Bernard. She achieved a Post Graduate Degree in Human Resource Management, but soon jumped ships to work with teenagers, including students with Asperger's syndrome on an Essex based agricultural college farm before eventually moving to live temporarily in The Netherlands. She is also an artist. Sunflowers in February is her first novel.

Powerful, the imagery beautiful, the characters relatable * The Bookbag * Fascinating and thought provoking * Juno magazine * This is a bittersweet, sparkling and life-affirming book. * Times Educational Supplement * Wonderful . . . a near-perfect piece of writing - funny and tender and wounded and furious' -- Matthew Crow This book is a beautiful reflection on the value of life, friendship, familial love and forgiveness * Chrikaru Blog * The novel celebrates the joy of life and living, the importance of taking the time to enjoy the smallest things in life as well as showing those around us how much we care for them whilst we have the chance * North Somerset Teachers' Book Award * 'Sunflowers In February' is such an emotional book and really does show just how precious life is. It lets you see life after death. So if you're looking for something that is going to make you appreciate the life you have (and I don't know why you wouldn't be) then this is the book for you * Chloe Rodgers * I found this book so emotional. Within the first 100 pages I was nearly crying * Alex is Reading * I really enjoyed reading this warm and funny book. Bluebelle has such an honest voice (it is possibly too honest in places!) There were some moments where I genuinely laughed out loud * Reading Zone * This is a poignant book, well written and beautifully observed. The author has created a fabulous character in Lily, who is angry that she wasn't allowed to grow up. I am guessing the reading audience for this is teenagers; however, as I'm old enough to be a parent of one, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this. The writing is fabulous, eliciting emotions and thoughts throughout. It is sad, yet hopeful and funny * Nudge Book * a lovely story that will touch many hearts * Alba in Bookland * Shrimpton's prose is very effective yet does not detract from Lily's voice. The story arc is firm yet we cannot guess what the outcome will be. She provides plenty of tension and pace to keep us reading * Armadillo Magazine * The best YA contemporary that I've read in a very long time. * Olivia's Catastrophe * I loved all the twists in this book and it has such a different vibe! I laughed and cried and had a wonderful time reading it as I travelled on a train * Rosie Freckle Reads * A lovely, moving story...you will definitely need a few tissues to hand as you read this! * Essex Life * Because of the spot-on writing, I could feel what it was like to struggle with your emotions as you watch people keep on living without you, the resentment, the guilt, the pain, the loss of what will never be. But the story doesn't get sappy and depressing. It offers funny lines and peace. And love. Lots of it * Chocolate and Waffles * A joy to read, with the final chapters standing out for their sensitivity. As Lily gets closer to her time to move on, the delicacy in which her love, understanding and forgiveness is expressed is exquisite * Carousel Magazine * The pain of loss is tangible, but there is an even stronger sense of the wonder of every day, the resilience of the human spirit and the hope that death is not the end of everything * Times Education Supplement *