Customer Reviews

All Flowers Die

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Andy Stone has a winner in ALL FLOWERS DIE, a thoughtful, intelligent, and enticing story about friendship, sorrow, and, ultimately, loss.

For those readers who've lived in southern New England you will easily recognize the setting and feel of the tale. And for others who have never lived in Boston or Providence but might have wanted to, you will gain a decent sense of the region through Andy Stone's writing.

The settings he paints by his pen are rich and authentic.

ALL FLOWERS DIE is a real page-turner, in the sense it is hard to put it down once you start to read it. The dialogue of the main characters is crisp and full of humor and irony. Complex character development is thoughtfully accomplished.

You WILL come to better understand yourself by reading this book, as you empathize with the plights of the hero Phiz and his best friend. There is a slight hint of rawness in the author's writing, but not to the detriment of the plot development. The book really works.

For those searching for a broad, sweeping fiction of immense proportions and numerous complex characters over a broad landscape, this is not the book you want to read.

ALL FLOWERS DIE is a neat, tight slice of life that smacks of truth and reality, carefully and lovingly conveyed. You really come to understand and care for the characters.

No one paid me a dime or asked me to write anything about ALL FLOWERS DIE. I will simply conclude that it is obvious Andy Stone has put some of his soul into writing this story.

Although I've never personally met Andy Stone I feel that I have met him by reading this book.

I recommend this book highly.

All Flowers Die

This first novel by Andrew K. Stone is a quick and captivating page-turner that melts away under your fingers. Stone's prior work in television scripting adds richly to a real and vivid sense of dialogue between clearly differentiated characters, and his years in the music scene in Boston bring those portions of the book to life.

The theme is of friendship, coming of age, and vision as told through the eyes of Kevin as he ventures through the years with his fascinating friend Dale Tarleton (Dale later adopts the name Phiz.) We follow the boys from boisterous childhood through the college years. Phiz is an idealist who sees the world a bit differently from everyone around him, a questioner and a thinker who discovers his life mission early on, although Kevin and the reader see it slowly unfold and culminate in the book's ending. The foreshadowing is masterfully done, reminiscent of A Prayer for Owen Meaney by John Irving.

A game on a tire swing which the boys christen "reach for the stars," the untimely death of a stuttering grammar school teacher in front of the class following one of Dale's more outlandish questions, the cloudy eyes first manifested in Dale's father and later in Dale all hint at the book's true story. They are wonderful in retrospect, as we follow hints and emotions to the conclusion. I was left questioning whether the cloudy eyes image meant literally a life view of "clouds in the eyes" similar to rose colored glasses, or whether the cloudy of eye saw the world too clearly, were not quite of this world. It is a powerful question to be left with, and generates wonderful discussion.

One of the most pleasant surprises is how easily the reader is pulled into personal memories, again due to simple direct descriptions that hit home. Some examples of zoning in with ease to a more or less universal memory:

"For some reason--even though we never used then--adolescent boys in the 1970s had to carry black combs."

"Our classroom had the antiseptic smell and freshly painted walls on the first day. The virginal chalkboard faced us blankly while its wooden ledge unsuccessfully hid the unused sticks of chalk--powdery bullets of education."

"I was a skinny kid who wasn't the least bit athletic; instead, I worked on the yearbook staff. The coolest thing about me was my defiant refusal to wear a Members Only jacket."

"Streaks of gray ran like indiscriminate cracks through her mahogany hair."

"I stared at her; spiders of anticipated fear crawled behind my eyes, taunting them into blinking."

The examples are countless, but will hopefully begin to give an idea of Stone's unique descriptive style. The best testament may be to click on the first few pages of the book, which can be viewed on line. The first page alone should be more than enough to draw you into the spell that is the "optiontunist" Universe.

I just finished reading a wonderful piece of literature called All Flowers Die. This is a book that should be read by high-school students and adults alike, as it proves to us, once and for all, something we have always known: there are no coincidences; everything happens for a reason. It teaches us all to look at life's options in a new perspective.

Andrew K. Stone is a master story-teller who has written a novel in which the beginning, middle, and end all make perfect sense. He has an ability to tie up loose ends as a boats man at sea ties his life-saving knots. If you are tired of novels that leave you wishing you could rewrite the ending, then don't miss a word of All Flowers Die. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Stone's All Flowers Die is testament to the notion that many of us think we know someone absolutely and completely, yet the truth is is that we only assume to understand the depth of a person- even your best friend. From the first chapter, I was hooked by the narrator's perceptions and impressions of his world. Beginning from his youth, the narrator introduces us to what at first appears to be his ordinary existence, one which is dotted with unique events as well as some interesting friends. However, the landscape of the text transforms as Kevin (the narrator) emerges from childhood to adolescence, alongside his painfully honest and often eccentric friend, Dale.

For the two friends, home becomes an apartment in Boston during the quintessential underground music era of the 1980's. Add to the mix the intensity of Dale's desire to share his almost iconoclastic vision with the world through his music with Kevin's self-doubt and apprehension, and you have a powerful coming of age story.

Andrew Stone weaves a tale that reveals the viscera that is the realm of rock n' roll and manages to maintain the sense that there is much more to the characters that meets the eye. Whether it's the grit and grime of city streets, the stale, beer-slicked floor of a club floor, or the evolution of two very different individuals that makes a novel memorable, All Flowers Die will leave a long-lasting impression on your mind.

My mother walked into a bookstore to get something for my father, when she "accidentally" met the author, Andrew Stone, who was there trying to sell this book. She thought that I might like the book for my birthday, so she bought it, and he even was kind enough to sign it! A CD of the song "We can go home early" even came with it, with Andrew Stone singing it, which I thought was tremendous! I really enjoyed this book - I had a very hard time putting it down. The story and the characters were so realistic, I wondered if it was based on experiences from Andrew Stone's real life. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

Andrew K. Stone through his novel, All Flowers Die, has presented a deep friendship between two entirely different young men. One, Phiz, who must achieve; who has a relentless and burning desire to achieve, and his friend, Kevin. Kevin, is a solid strength behind his friend Phiz and is the mainstay in Phiz's life. Kevin gives unconditional friendship and understanding, asking nothing in return.

From the beginning of the book one recognizes the lifelong friendship and admiration each has for the other, even recognizing each other's faults. One is aggressive in his quest for success in his field of endeavor but is that field really -- rock and roll -- or is it humanity? Tough call. Kevin, not as dedicated to a goal as his friend, but understands the drive behind him as childhood memories rush to their adult world.

You will experience the rises and falls in the music business; the aloneness in a crowd and the backstage heartbreak.

When you close the book, you too will hold the memories..

This is a poignant tale -- a sensitive story of life -- and -- death.

Dolphindli

I picked up "All Flowers Die," by Andrew K. Stone, not knowing what to expect. That turned out to be a healthy frame of mind. No aspect of this book was contrived or predictable. It had me guessing at points, and I guessed wrong. I was more shocked and surprised at the end of "All Flowers Die" than I have been at any novel in "thriller" or "mystery" genres.

This is less a book about rock n' roll, and more a bueautiful story of an undying childhood imagination, and friendship. The music scene backdrop enriches the story, but the genuine friendship between Kevin and Phiz is what seperates "All Flowers Die" from most of the other books out there. I have read it twice.

From the very first page of All Flowers Die by Andrew K. Stone I was drawn to the character of Dale Tarleton. Immediately we care about this precocious boy who is always asking, always seeking to understand and examine everything in his world, to the annoyance, bewilderment, and consternation of his friends, family, and teachers. What happens to Dale and his good friend Kevin as they grow older is the subject of this novel. Dale/Phiz has a secret he is carrying which burdens him and affects everything he does. I highly recommend this book to all who love reading and vibrant, unforgettable characters.

All Flowers Die: A worthy first effort

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

Andrew Stone has written a wonderful tale of male friendship, the Boston rock n' roll scene, coming of age, and true hurt and loss. And to top it all off, Andrew's tale teaches a lesson about how to succeed in life and be happy. This book caught me up from the very first page and propelled me through the characters' lives until I was forced to put it down because it came to an end. This truly was a great read, and if you've ever had a true friend, you will appreciate it.

Andrew has hit the ground running with this, his first novel. And I understand another one is planned for release soon. I can't wait to read his latest contribution!!