Novella Review: Dandelion Dust by Faith Potts

Hello, Readers! Today I’m sharing a short review of a contemporary novella I recently read and absolutely love!

Genre: YA Christian Contemporary

Synopsis from Goodreads: Charity always had a dream. It was simple, really. Find a guy, fall in love, and get married. The day she met Ryder, Charity knew he was the man God had chosen for her. But she never expected their relationship to be tested and tried through the fires of a freak accident. Suddenly, her world is thrown into chaos, and the bleak, white walls and sterile smells of a city hospital fill every spare minute. And then there comes the dreaded news. It was likely Ryder would never make it out of the hospital bed. As her carefully laid plans for the future come crashing down around her and the sun seems to set on her dreams, can Charity still find hope in the dark of night?

Like a dandelion, life is beautiful. But treasure every moment. . . . for one day, the flower will be gone .

Content to be aware of: Intense/emotional drama, light romance, non-detailed medical descriptions of injuries

NOTE: This review contains mild spoilers. No specific details, but enough info that you can easily read between the lines and figure out some of the significant plot points. If you don’t want to know about them, then go ahead and skip the next few paragraphs!

My Thoughts

Faith Potts is an indie author who got on my radar towards the end of last year with her Christmas-themed short story collection Behold (see my review here). It was so fun to read and review that collection, so I added her other book, Dandelion Dust, to my TBR as well. However, the premise sounded incredibly sad, and I usually don’t like sad books! So I waited a pretty long time to read Dandelion Dust, even though there is a mini sequel in Behold.

Dandelion Dust opens with a light, fluffy prologue. The first chapter dives right into the meat of the story. Both hooked my attention instantly. From the start Charity is a relate-able, understandable character. She never makes any crazy decisions, but she is not entirely predictable, either. This is a character I would want to be friends with. She may not always have the perfect comeback, but her loyalty and compassion are nearly beyond measure. She is a good friend, conscientious daughter, and believable sister, even while preoccupied with concerns about her boyfriend’s health. Ryder, Charity’s boyfriend, is a sweet character as well. He isn’t involved in the majority of the action, but when he is, he is characterized by thoughtfulness and determination.

The Verdict

This book rides on the strength of its characters. The plot is not very complex, but it doesn’t need to be. I enjoyed the simplicity and the connection between the characters. The faith element is strong as well. The characters live out their faith with little doubt, which is nice. In the midst of so much drama surrounding Ryder’s condition, I liked that there was no crisis of faith; Charity and Ryder’s family lean into their faith and each other, trusting and staying hopeful while not acting unreasonably optimistic throughout immense hardship.

This is a pretty quick read, especially if you get as invested in the story as I did. Although Dandelion Dust is filled with drama, emotion, and even some suspense, it is a heartwarming book. Rather than being overwhelmingly sad, it is actually very sweet with about as much romance as intense drama. I am so glad that I finally read it!

I am incredibly thankful Dandelion Dust turned out so well! Some of the other books I have read recently have been a bit disappointing, so it is such a breath of fresh air to get one that I just fly through because of how good it is. If you like Christian YA/contemporary/(light) romance, I highly recommend this, especially if you need something quick to get you out of a slump! For a peek at the opening, see my post here featuring Dandelion Dust on First Line Friday.

Have you read Dandelion Dust? Let me know what you agree or disagree with in the comments!

Until the next chapter,

Jana

P.S. I bought my Dandelion Dust ebook from Amazon, but if you are a reviewer and would like a review copy, I have seen it listed on Stellae Books! I am not associated with Stellae Books or Amazon in any way, just sharing what I’ve seen in case it’s helpful for someone!