Journal Entry 1 by rootmartin from Marlborough, Massachusetts USA on Sunday, July 08, 2007

This book is an ARC and the cover is red with black printing.

"Deeply compelling, February Flowers tells the story of Min and Yan, two female university students who are polar opposites. Ming is innocent, serious, and dedicated to her studies; Yan is wild, beautiful, and manipulative, using her wiles to get what she wants out of life and those around her. When the two become unlikely friends, their relationship sparks a time of change and growth for both of them.

At first, their vastly different upbringings and beliefs bring them together, enlightening each other about what they are lacking in life. But ultimately it drives them apart, as neither can cope with the other's clashing lifestyle. Both Ming and Yan harbor darker secrets, and neither wishes to open herself too much, for fear of revealing what can't be taken back and becoming vulnerable.

Fan Wu bridges the cultural gap as a contemporary Chinese voice in English prose. With broad emotional scope held against the background of the ever-shifting social advances of modern China, February Flowers shows the power of forgiveness, redemption, and to move forward in life while reconciling with the past." 

Journal Entry 2 by rootmartin from Marlborough, Massachusetts USA on Tuesday, August 14, 2007

I was quite disappointed in this book. The protagonist, Ming, was one-dimensional and her fascination with Yan was not enough to inspire interest in the book. The setting of a Chinese university provided the only relief from the dysfunctional friendship. Though these insights were enjoyable, they were not enough to rescue this shallow look at an obsessive relationship. This book would have been greatly improved by expanding the plot to include Yan''s perspective on the friendship.