“A Flower to Remember” by John Clay Harvey

• 08/30/2023
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A Flower to Remember

John Clay Harvey
Independently Published (2023)
ISBN: 979-8391941521
Reviewed by Kathy Stickles for Reader Views (08/2023)

I absolutely love being given a book by a brand-new author, especially one that completely grabs my attention and does not disappoint me in any way. Debut author John Clay Harvey has given that to me, as well as all readers out there, with his first young adult novel, “A Flower to Remember.”

“A Flower to Remember” is the story of Milo Van Buren, a young doctor being trained in the ways of medicine by his grandfather. Milo is trying desperately to come up with ideas that will help him cure his mother’s failing memory before she hurts herself, or someone else, or simply forgets who he is completely.

Just as we see that Milo is running out of time, the body of his brother Ryan is found on the doorstep of his grandfather’s infirmary with a piece of a rare flower in his pocket. As Milo has found during his research, this flower could very well be the ingredient he needs to create a mixture that could possibly bring his mother’s mind back to normal. Of course, as with any great plan, there is always a problem that must be solved. In this case, the sample of the flower found on his brother’s body is just too small and the only way for a lasting cure is to find a complete and perfect flower.

Nothing is ever simple as Milo finds out that the flower he needs, the gilobi, grows only in a forest called the Susurri which is a place filled with deadly creatures, tribes that would rather kill an intruder than help them, and lots of very strange magic. The only people that can get into the forest are members of The Dusters, an organization led by Milo’s father.  The Dusters is full of strong, weapon-wielding men and women who are willing to risk their lives every day.

Since Milo is a young man who wants to help, not hurt others, being a part of The Dusters is not something he has ever seen fitting into his plans for the future. But he also knows there is no other choice. His brother has already died trying to retrieve this flower from the Susurri Forest. Does Milo stand any chance at all?

“A Flower to Remember” is truly an excellent read. The book pulls the reader in from the very first page and you are completely hooked, as there is never a dull moment after that. The plot itself is intricate and there are parts of the story in the beginning that seem to be completely unrelated. But eventually, they start to weave together into the whole story and become more important than you can imagine. The author was able to pull everything together in such a seemingly effortless way, and I was very impressed by that.

In addition, each of the characters, whether they are good or bad, is extremely well-developed and has a reason for being there. They are all believable and, in many cases, people that the reader can relate to and honestly feel for as the story progresses.