SELF’S BLOSSOM, by David Russell
This book opens with descriptive writing as it elaborates on the surroundings Selene wandered through in her daily life as well as her present surroundings - on vacation, on the ‘mock primeval’ coast of Central America, where she intended to blossom into that person she has longed to be through true sexual abandonment with an unknown.
As she strolls through her new surroundings, mentally painting a not so pretty picture of the corrosive nature of the elements upon things man-made and nature-made, looking through the eyes of a spirit that on some levels had been corroded by life’s unpleasant experiences, she makes just that comparison.
Janice, her friend and sometimes roommate since college days, was constantly warning Selene to take a stance to enjoy life as it is instead of holding out based on her ideals, often to the point Selene felt ridiculed and yet she decided to do just that on a long overdue holiday she sacrificed to afford.
Although she loved Janice as friends love, she viewed her continuous chatter in these terms:
“They unload onto others certain ideals, desires and
generalizations, mainly borrowed and without understanding
their sources, which they cannot really handle themselves—
basically to get them out of their own heads, and turn them into
tinselly mirrors for their own delusions of superiority. They do
the same with their own past insecurities and mistakes, using
rebuffs as part of their insulation. Such people are not generally
receptive to others’ points of view, so it was with Janice.”
Selene with her circumspection, recognized oftentimes people made statements of what they felt logically with no true understanding of the words themselves or the impact those words had on other people because they indeed are not receptive to anyone’s point of view but their own.
While on holiday, Selene moved from her ‘sea lover’ to her first romp with a total flesh and blood stranger, much younger than herself. It was quick but pleasurable and when the act was completed, she turned and walked away - so simple.
But she longed for that encounter that had some kind of meaningful exchange - then she met Hudson, seeing in him from the start someone who could play the game according to her rules. Anticipation built on mutual flirting, a kiss stolen here, a touch , an adventure, meaningful conversations, shared thoughts and emotions - understanding.
Finally exploding into an electrifying sexual tryst that was bound to live on long after the encounter itself. Written with words that draw you in allowing you to reflect, even engage in the building prospect of a thrilling outcome without the rawness. Subtle foreplay building with each meeting; honesty and awareness.
Will Selene’s inner being blossom in the end? Were there acts that deteriorated the connection like the constant pounding of the ocean against the shores corroded landscapes, but left beauty is the backwash? Take her journey by reading the book; accept her point of view and flow with her ability to strip away the caution with which she normally lived life, based on previous occurrences both lived and viewed, that usually inhibited her ability to truly live.
Ride with her through insecurities and her knack for reality checks along the way, yet in this instance she desperately attempted to avoid the invasions of those inner thoughts of apprehension and to live only in the moment. Well written, builds to a climax while carrying you to that climax with expectations.
Reviewed by: Connie Jordan
September 24, 2016
Not sure why the margins are not right - too tired to figure it out maybe next time
Not sure why the margins are not right - too tired to figure it out maybe next time
Pieces of My Reflection