Bloom is the kind of book that keeps you entertained, not through explosive plots or larger than life characters, but snippets of an every day life with its complicated relationships and little events that all add up to something meaningful. I found all three of the main characters endearing and perfectly matched to the narrative as they navigate a complicated family drama surrounding an unexpected death in the near past. It’s sad at times, happy at others, and always heartwarming until the very end. Before I knew it, I’d read the whole book in a couple of hours and I’m happy I had the chance to spend some time with this quirky story. 

Morris is the kind of protagonist you just want to hug. He’s a wallflower who lost the love of his life and doesn’t know what to do with himself in his 70s. When his stepdaughter randomly inserts herself into his life, his reality begins to shift and he slowly grows back into someone living a life instead of just surviving. The changes are subtle – setting up plans, saying yes to an invitation, responding to a message – but they’re all little steps toward getting back out there in the world. He’s incredibly lovable and you just want to see him be okay by the end.

Sloan is the opposite of Morris, always running around late, flying in and out of social occasions that are both chaotic and fun. I loved her relationship with her fiancee and the family dynamic she shares with her siblings. By embracing the stepfather she’s avoided for the past decade, she’s able to reconnect with her late father and let go of the negativity surrounding her parent’s divorce and her father’s subsequent coming out. She’s presented as the one who doesn’t have her life together but she becomes the most mature by the end, forcing the rest of them to grow up, put aside their grievances, and focus on the relationships and the life surrounding them.

It was most notable to me that Morris’ relationship wasn’t front and center in the book. It was always being discussed on the outskirts of the plot but we never saw any flashbacks that showed us what kind of relationship they had. His husband is more of a ghost lurking behind every interaction between Morris, Sloan, and the rest of the family. That direction makes it very much Morris’ story, allowing the reader to see where grief has landed him and how he climbs his way out of loneliness.

Finally, the plants are a quirky and surprisingly moving addition to the story. I wasn’t sure what to think about a houseplant protagonist but it worked perfectly, providing a couple of moments that choked me up as the plants came together to honor Morris’ lost husband and to try to survive through his grief. It was touching and really made the story stand out for me.