A Flood of Posies was a strange mishmash of dysfunctional family relationships, a flooded world, and sea monsters. Told through a variety of flashbacks and intertwining timelines, Meuret tells us of Doris and Thea, sisters with a pernicious relationship. Thea is an addict, constantly seeking for her next hit. She doesn't care about anything else really than where her next fix will come from. She's on her way to Doris' house to ask her for money when the world changes. A flood suddenly rises out of nowhere and drowns the world. Those who survive are left clinging to anything that floats, hoping to find a way in this watery new world. 

Doris is cast as the proper sister, doing what is anticipated of her, marrying well, and creating the life that her mother thinks a respectable woman should have. All because "it made sense". Of course, this is a huge bone of contention between the two. So much that they each struggle to overcome their pasts, even as the world overflows. The characters are remarkably one-sided. I wanted them to be more than they were. Doris remained the stodgy, disapproving sister and Thea was, even after a year in this new water world, focused on the heroin she couldn't have. 

One answer that I'm not fully convinced of the answer is this: Is the flood real? Either the world is fully engulfed and there truly are Leviathan-like creatures (or Posies, short for Poseidons) luring those left above into the watery depths OR it's all a heroin-induced nightmare contained in Thea's drug-addled brain. Even the ending, while borderline sappy, didn't help me decide. 

A Flood of Posies, besides that hauntingly beautiful cover, was mesmerizing in the cadence of the writing. There were some beautifully written descriptions and passages that spoke to me. Her prose is absolutely lovely and was a joy to experience. Tiffany Mueret completely drew me in with this story of sisterly adversary, affection, and the illusions of addiction. 


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