This is such a beautifully moving story. I love the likeness to floral decay, and the emotional connection between the characters really add to the story. Such a glorious tragedy, I really appreciated that, at the end, she reassures Simon. The focus on both the individual loss he experiences with her, manages to hold echoes of the greater loss he has experienced. His desire to look after a girl, and a planet, he can not save makes for a brilliant story!