Oops, I should have posted this review six months ago. I managed to get sick again immediately after last time and after that I got a job (the most unbelievable news). I've been so busy, I just hoped I could have my beloved free time back.

And then a freaking pandemic happened, be careful what you wish for! The situation here in Italy is horrible. We're in lockdown, all at home. We haven't reached the worst of it yet and I'm saddened to see other countries so slow in following us in lockdown. Stay at home and play some games, this is a trainwreck.

Flowers - Le volume sur été - is the sequel that picks up after the previous visual novel Flowers - Le volume sur printemps -. This time instead of Suoh, we have the girl in the wheelchair as the main character—Yaegaki (I'm calling her with her surname because her given name is a spoiler for Printemps). Despite the similarities with Suoh—both are fans of books and movies and quote them often throughout the games—Yaegaki is a more cynical person with a sarcastic humour. She's a loner not because she's timid, but by choice. I found her to be refreshing and a much more enjoyable character than Suoh in the protagonist's role.

Her main love interest turns out to be Chidori Takasaki, a new transfer student and prodigious ballet dancer. Their first encounter starts off on the wrong foot but not much later they're forced to spend time together because they find out they're supposed to be Amitié partners. Chidori is haughty and gets mad too easily at stuff; her story gets thoroughly explained later but I still couldn't care for her in the end.

Été, like its prequel, has another character's route which gives an additional alternative non-canon ending.
Surprisingly enough, if you pick the correct choices you can manage to make Yaegaki have a BIG gay crush on no other than Sister Dalia, the nun and teacher of the school (*gay gasp*). It's not a spoiler to say that this love is not meant to be, so yeah, nothing indecorous happens. And yet? I freaking loved this. If someone had told me that I would cheer and fangirl on such a thing, I would have never believed it—but this story proved me wrong. I think I need holy water now.

This time around some of the misteries are a little easier to solve, but many solutions still seem pulled out of nowhere to me.
The translation is a lot better than the first title but it would have been difficult to do worse!

A short extra story from Suoh's point of view gets unlocked after you complete the true ending. It's quite interesting to see despite its shortness and it got me excited for the sequel! Which did not get released in time by the end of 2019... but at least JAST USA is taking pre-orders now.