Send Flowers is one of the most original, powerful, and thought-provoking books I’ve read in a long time. Emily Buchanan takes a surreal premise, a grieving activist whose dead boyfriend returns as a houseplant, and turns it into a deeply moving exploration of trauma, healing, and resistance.

This isn’t your typical feel-good fiction. It’s raw, layered, and emotionally intelligent.

I was completely invested in her relationships with her best friend, her estranged father, and even her cat - all woven through a narrative that questions the role of social media, collective action, and personal responsibility in the face of injustice.

A must-read for fans of socially conscious fiction, speculative realism, and books that make you feel and think in equal measure.

Emily Buchanan's 'Send Flowers' is a beautifully quirky and poignant study of loss, eco-activism, and discovering meaning in a mad world. The setup itself is so good: Fiona, a bereaved climate campaigner, gets it into her head that her dead boyfriend has been reincarnated as a houseplant. This magical realism, at first "wtf," is an excellent filter with which to look at big issues.

The writer skillfully interweaves the intensely personal process of mourning with the desperate concerns of environmental decay. The story is both humorous and heart-wrenching, punctuated by laugh-out-loud moments of humor alongside unflinching candor regarding the intricacies of bereavement and the difficulties of struggling to save a dying world. Fiona's evolution from isolated self to renewed participation in community and activism is uplifting. 'Send Flowers' is an utterly innovative first novel that flowers with emotion, wit, and a badly needed message of hope and endurance.

Such a different read for me but I read the above and hit request, so rapid you would not believe! There was something so instantly intriguing and in the words of tom holland… I can’t really explain it, I haven’t got the words.

But the words I do have is please read this! Humour, grief, friendships, relative rebuilding, tension and if you’re a fact person, there is some insane facts on the floodgates at the end 🤯

This book may not look like anything I usually read, but as soon as I heard that it's about a woman who believes that her dead boyfriend reincarnated as a houseplant, I needed it. The bright cover hides a heavy story that was challenging to read at times. Eco-influencer Fiona is completely lost after the violent death of her boyfriend Ed. She's pretty much rotting away in her apartment without getting (or accepting) any help, but she finds hope when a little yew tree arrives at her doorstep out of nowhere. Because it was Ed's favorite plant, Fiona sprinkles the soil with his ashes, and soon the plant is impossibly flowering and talking to Fiona. It is more or less left unanswered if this situation borders on magical realism or is a psychotic episode of the main character, and I liked the ambiguity. I think the book is less about why Fiona gets revitalized, and more about that she does at all. It's a book about grief and coping, about letting go and persevering. The plant tells Fiona to go outside again, and so she visits her mother and her father and reconnects with her friends. All the relationships were complex and complicated and it was relatable how Fiona struggled to find a new place between everyone after she lost her closest person. Fiona often reflects on her relationship with Ed, which wasn't without flaws either. They were a plant-loving, climate activist couple, but Fiona was doing questionable influencer stuff and Ed ultimately died being called an eco-terrorist. The book is set in an intense near future where the world is constantly struck by either heat waves and droughts or catastrophic floods. All activism is of course ignored and/or punished, painting a very bleak but very possible scenario for our actual future. I think that the plot was a bit too directionless in the middle portion of the book, but it got better towards the end as a new protest / rescue mission was in the works. It was almost thrilling at the end actually. The whole reincarnated-as-a-plant situation was kinda discarded as the book went on, but at least the interesting eco-influencer theme played a bigger role. The synopsis really doesn't reveal much about the actual plot and I had no idea where the story was going. In the end I got a sad and angry book that still didn't fail to show hope in the bleakest times.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and VERVE Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

An important book as the climate change becomes part of the popular narrative and this novel talks about it in an interesting emotionalli charged way
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

motional, layered, and utterly absorbing 💐💭. Send Flowers is a beautifully written exploration of grief, love, and finding hope amidst loss. Emily Buchanan’s characters are raw and relatable, and her prose is rich with compassion. I adored the emotional journey, the quiet strength, and the reflections on healing. A poignant, heartfelt read that stays with you.

Quirky and unusual book told from the pov of a climate activist influencer. She deals with climate change anxiety, a little bit of humor sprinkled in too. An unusual but nice read.

An emotive and unique story, I really liked this but it just didn’t hook me all the way through. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading it and found parts really moving.

An absolutely beautiful story of love, loss, and activism. I loved this book from the first page and it only got better and better. The portrayal of grief and PTSD was raw and real and I loved how uncompromising the narrative was with these elements. So excited to see what this author writes next, and I'm looking forward to having this on my shelf and re-reading it.

3.5 stars

Reading this straight after Parable of the Sower, and during a heatwave, was an experience, let me tell you! Climate anxiety is intense.

"Eco-influencer" Fiona's activist boyfriend Ed was killed during a protest, leading her to completely isolate herself and question what she could possibly achieve on her own, gagged by social media contracts that have her selling the latest greenwashed products while being unable to actually take meaningful action. We join her at rock bottom, suffocating in her flat in an extreme heatwave. She's let all her plants die, and her mother has just confiscated her cat under welfare concerns.

There is a slight mismatch in tone between the cover/summary and the actual plot, which is I believe intentional and will hopefully lead to people picking this up who maybe wouldn't if the summary made it clearer what this book is about. For me it works very well as a call to action, though the specific plot of the book did fall a little by the wayside: the pacing struggled a bit, and the "aim" of the plot did not arise until past the halfway point.

Overall well-written though, and I think it did successfuly balance some humour and light-hearted moments with the seriousness of the topic. The book calls out the passive majority and the dangers of cynicism very well too. The author's note was insightful; I didn't know about the Thames flood barrier and we clearly need more attention on it.

Fiona's character didn't work too well for me: she's written in a way that makes it hard to believe she existed at all before the story starts. Considering her background in activism, she seemed unrealistically clueless about the entire thing, presumably as a way to educate the reader. I also did not feel like she particularly cared about her cat. I found it difficult to root for her and was glad when she finally started making decisions for herself. I liked the portrayal of Ed as not this "perfect" boyfriend. He rang true for me as the kind of man that tends to be in activism spaces - navel-gazing, benefiting from others' work without acknowledging it, and a belief that his way of activism is the only right way to do it. I was glad that he was called out (even if only beyond the grave) and that Fiona was able to recognise that his expectations of her were unrealistic and harmful. He should have stayed in the compost heap tbh

The side characters really did shine for me though and were my favourite part of the book. I liked that the author went out of her way to acknowledge the inequality both within activism and the way that climate change affects communities.

Thank you to the publisher for this advance digital copy via Netgalley.

Whilst quirky and likeable I struggled to get into this (not sure why).

Thanks Netgalley for opportunity to read.

Eco-influencer Fiona, hasn't left her flat since her boyfriend, Ed, died in a protest died. When Ed's favourite plant appears on her doorstep with an anonymous note, she decides to sprinkle his ashes into the soil, and wakes to find that the plant has flowered, and it can talk, which leads her to believe her boyfriend has reincarnated in the plant.

Truly such moving story, exploring a deep range of topic, with a strong focus on climate change, and never failing in bringing up just so many emotions. It's so heart-warming, keeping such incredible humour, which is so needed at times, and with a great cast of characters. Fiona is such an amazing character to follow, it was so easy to love her, root for her, and want to see her thrive. The writing is very engaging, and the story overall is really easy to get lost into.

Simply put, remarkable.

Fi is grieving the loss of her boyfriend, Ed, an environmental activist tragically killed in the middle of a protest. When a potted plant arrives on her doorstep with an anonymous note, Fi believes it to be Ed reincarnated.

Say Flowers is set on near-future earth when climate change is worse than now, yet the country is full of those who still do not believe it is an issue. Add in a government intent on imprisoning anyone who protests about anything, family members caught up in a web of conspiracy theories and an apparent talking plant guiding Fi on her way, and you have all ingredients for an excellent novel. It doesn't shy away from key issues, acknowledging corrupt governments, climate deniers and the impact global warming is having on the planet.

It is a beautifully written novel, rich in detail and well researched. You can't help but love Fi and want to bundle her up in a hug. Her immense loss is handled well, you truly get a sense of the pain she is in. The characters she comes across - positive and negative - on her journey are well developed and feel like real people. There is a nice, slow build up to the climax of the story until the last few chapters which hit a powerful punch - they were so tense and really detailed. and I sat on the edge of my seat, knuckles white from gripping my tablet so hard. I can see it being adapted for the screen, such is the impact of the story. All too real and not quite dystopian enough to feel 100% fiction.

An extraordinary debut, Emily is an immense talent. My thanks to Verve books for sending me an e-arc and a physical copy, this is truly one I'll treasure.

A completely different book. and done so well. ive got to admit its a subject that both feels to big and too desperate sometimes. i can feel overwhelming in knowing just what to do or how little ol me could possibly effect things. i think with such harsh activism out there it can also halt discussions, or start them. the world is confused at the moment and i think is reverting back to just trying to survive it in its current state. so reading my fave genre as well as having this topic touched upon was great.
we have Fiona a sustainability influencer. shes just lost the love of her life and hasnt felt like doing much of anything, never mind saving the planet. Ed fought for the planet and was a climate change activist, part of a network across the whole country. but since his death Fiona hasnt felt like being the online presence she once was or facing anybody closer to home either. until one day a plant arrives on her doorstep. and what else could it be but a message from Ed, right? or could it even be ed himself come back as a plant?
slowly Ed allows her to re communicate with the world. she starts to go out carrying Ed with her wherever she goes. but there is a challenge ahead and she wonders if this is what Ed was directing to, and if she is up to it.
this book is great. its one of those perfect books that puts a huge topic into something we can all digest. we can all think about. and can all take point away with us.
the character of Fi was such a fleshed out one that i felt like i could picture her in my mind with this plant in her arms.
a great book simply for being so different a read for me.

Send Flowers -Emily Buchanan

It has taken me quite awhile to finish this book. I found it was very very much a slow burn but in the last third of the book I did get quite invested in finding out the ending.
I have been flying through books lately but this one has slowed my down quite a bit. This wouldn't normally be my style of book. I think however, that Buchanan has a lovely style of writing. I think she manages to capture the complexity of grief.
I love Fionas Dad as a character. Some of Beth's friends old and new are a lovely support to her in the second half of the book and are well developed. Buchanan creates some serious tension in the last few chapters of the book. I was gripped and was keen to find out the outcome.

Fiona aka @FoliageFifi, has become a recluse. In the midst of an unprecedented heatwave in London and only a few months after losing Ed, the love of her life, Fiona has cut herself off from the rest of the world. Surrounded by the remnants of their life together and haunted by the memories of the day he died, Fiona is really stuffling with her mental health and all the complex emotions of her grief.
When someone anonymously leaves Ed's favourite plant on her doorstep, with a note saying simply, "I'm Sorry", Fiona begins to feel a connection with Ed again and she begins to believe that Ed has come back to her in the form of this baby Yew tree. Through caring for and nurturing the tree, she starts looking after herself again. She begins to slowly step back into the world, prompted by the Ed's voice that she begins to hear clearly. Will she get her life back?

Hard to fully capture the range of emotions I went through reading this book, but this was a thought provoking, deeply moving, and incisive exploration of grief, activism, resistance, justice, and finding yourself in a world that feels impossible to navigate. It is also heartfelt and funny, with a great cast of characters, and I laughed and cried reading it. As someone who has slipped more from direct climate activism and campaigning in recent years into more passive action, this book definitely ignited a spark to rediscover that part of myself. Cathartic and a much-needed reminder of the power of action and standing up for what's right.

Send Flowers by Emily Buchanan is a quirky and compelling read that is highly topical, interesting and moving.

Send Flowers, the debut novel by Emily Buchanan, tells the story of influencer Fiona, who has amassed an online following of 500k people through her love of plants and the environment.

We meet our protagonist as she is managing the sudden death of her eco-activist boyfriend Ed who died in a freak accident during a mass protest in London. Fiona is living alone in her London flat with her cat Bruce amid a months long heatwave in the city.



She has let her online account drift and has been uncontactable to friends, family and followers as she deal with her grief. When her mum Tracey turns up unexpectedly and takes her cat, Fiona is left even further adrift.

That’s when Fiona’s already unmoored existence takes an even stranger turn as she finds a houseplant at her front door which she believes to be her reincarnated boyfriend, Ed.

This discovery takes her on an adventure back to her village in Scotland and then to Banmora, a fictional island off the west coast of Scotland.

I don’t want to give too much more of the plot away as I risk giving spoilers! But we witness Fiona dealing with her grief and the challenges between her kind of activism with a huge social following, versus Ed’s more grassroots activism.

This is a special book - it looks at the subject of climate change, protest, freedom of speech, activism, grief and relationships both with ourselves and others.

Climate change can be something too scary to look at, as to do so can feel overwhelming, but the author not only manages to create real empathy for protestors but also shines a light on the fact this is not an ‘us and them’ scenario and we all face the very real threat that changes to our environment are bringing.

I really enjoyed exploring these topics through the voice of Fiona and understanding too, that the act of protest and activism are not plain sailing either for those who take part.

This book is also really very funny, as well as moving and deserves to fly off the shelves on publication!

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to review early.

Fiona, known online as eco-influencer @FoliageFifi, has retreated into her flat since the death of her boyfriend, Ed. She carries the weight of guilt over his passing and the collapse of their climate activist group. However, when Ed’s favourite plant appears on her doorstep with an anonymous note, Fifi is stirred by a faint sense of hope. After sprinkling Ed's ashes into the soil of the plant, she wakes up to find that it has flowered — and, astonishingly, it can talk. The plant claims to be Ed, now returned to her as a houseplant.

Determined to keep Ed—and the plant—alive, Fifi embarks on a journey, following his mysterious guidance into a world on the edge of climate disaster. But as Ed becomes more insistent, urging Fifi toward places and people that have caused her deep emotional scars, she begins to question if preserving his life is worth risking her own. As she navigates this strange, surreal situation, Fifi must confront her past, her grief, and the growing climate crisis.

In her debut novel, Emily Buchanan offers a warm and witty take on grief, blending the absurd with the deeply emotional. Send Flowers explores the delicate balance between holding on to the past and embracing the future, highlighting the resilience of love, hope, and community in a world teetering on the edge of collapse. Buchanan’s writing brings an original and thought-provoking perspective on environmental activism, the importance of found family, and the personal growth that comes with facing our deepest fears and desires.

Send Flowers is an incredibly unique and heartfelt exploration of grief, love, and climate change. Buchanan has created a character in Fifi who is both relatable and incredibly complex, navigating personal loss while also grappling with the global crisis around her. The surreal twist of Ed returning as a talking houseplant adds a whimsical, yet poignant, layer to the narrative. The novel brilliantly ties together themes of environmental activism and personal redemption, all while keeping the tone surprisingly light and humorous. I found it to be a refreshing and emotionally resonant story that combines wit with a sense of urgency about the state of the planet. It’s a compelling reminder of how interconnected we are to nature—and how even in the face of overwhelming grief, there is always the possibility of growth and healing.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

A hard-hitting exhilarating call to action, Send Flowers is a brilliant debut from Emily Buchanan.

Sustainability influencer Fiona is bereft and alone after the sudden death of her beloved partner Ed. Ed was a passionate believer in fighting for what you believe in, founding an influential climate change activist group which spread across the country, Since his death, Fi hasn't been able to face anything or anybody - until one day, a potted plant appears on her doorstep and Fi wonders if it could be a message from Ed, or even Ed himself. She slowly emerges from her isolation, connecting with old friends and family step by step, carrying 'Ed' with her wherever she goes. She finds out about a new direct action group who are planning a huge act in the face of government complacency. Fi wonders if this is where 'Ed' has been directing her all along, and if so, is she up to the challenge?

The story telling is fantastic, it doesn't pull any punches about the challenges ahead and the monumental efforts people have to make in order to fight back. Its also about love and loss and finding out who you really are within all of that. 5 stars