All Flowers Die [Taschenbuch]

Women, do not shy away because it is the friendship of men. Men know you have found your voice through Andrew Stone. This book appeals on all levels to both sexes. Gift yourself with this complex read; you will be richly rewarded for your efforts.

Andrew Stone's debut novel, All Flowers Die traces a friendship between two boys from elementary school through adolescence and young adulthood. Dale Tarleton and Kevin Ridley, the book's narrator, meet at the beginning of their 6th grade year:

My life began more than twenty years ago on a sunny autumn morning when I was eleven years old. It was the first day of the sixth grade in a chalky, colorful classroom to which my mind constantly returns....For in that room, a string of events was set in motion...I'm simultaneously haunted and inspired by these events and I often look back and yearn for the strange mixture of solace and sadness which began the moment I met Dale Tarleton.

Dale is not your normal 6th grader..."Had he been born in another time, Dale would have made a great speech writer for the Kennedys....There's a quote by Robert Kennedy that says 'Some men see things as they are and ask why? I dream thins that never were and ask why not?' Dale could have written that for Robert Kennedy." Dale becomes (in)famous for his incessant question asking.

In a confrontation with a teacher who stutters, Dale tells her about a singer (Mel Tillis) who stutters like her when he speaks, but not when he sings. Dale then suggests to the teacher that she sing the Pledge of Allegiance that morning and, well, Dale's constant interruptions and badgering questions finally prove too much for Mrs. Philbrain and she suffers a massive heart attack and dies: 'fizzled out with a ph,' says Dale.

And that's how Dale would eventually come to be known as 'Phiz.'

While the teacher's demise contains a humorous element, the event makes a lasting impression on Dale/Phiz. He has other issues of guilt that are revealed as the book progresses, so the teacher's death just compounds those burdens.

The story of Kevin and Phiz' life-long friendship covers normal adolescent issues, but it really concentrates on Phiz's obsession with becoming a famous rock star with a band to back him up. Phiz practices night and day, mastering the guitar and even drafts Kevin into trying his hand at the bass.

Phiz is driven by inner forces, invisible to everyone, including his best buddy. Phiz's band (sans Kevin) makes an album, enjoys success, and begins to tour the country. He becomes popular and seems to have achieved his goals, but he's incredibly unhappy. Kevin is at a loss to help him, and the inevitable happens.

I recommend this book because of the friendship story. Kevin was the rock that anchored Phiz. In the end, it wasn't enough, but it wasn't because Kevin didn't try. I think a 30-something reader would enjoy this book, especially the sub-plot that revolves around the alternative rock scene of that decade.

All Flowers Die is a worthy first effort and I look forward to more from this author.

Terry Mathews, Reviewer

I liked this story, but wish the author would have spent more time on Kevin and his maturation and less time on Kevin's best boyhood friend, Phiz and Phiz' seemingly endless pain.

At the end of the novel, when Kevin is alone, I didn't have enough information about Kevin's character to know if he could weather the storm of loss. I knew all there was to know about Phiz and knew what his ultimate fate would be, but never saw enough of Kevin's character -- other than a through Phiz' reflection -- to know much about it...and therefore, to care much about him.

I'm not into the business of rock and roll, but I now feel I know how to 'get recorded.'

One other note: If you decide to read this book, you might want to watch 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' prior to starting. The author leans heavily on the movie for plot, sub-plot and climatic moments. It's been a while since I've seen it, so many of those moments went right over my head.

It's a good start and the author seems to really have a feel for the time period covered in the story.

Enjoy!