Author: Michele Jaffe
Publication: March 2011
Publisher: Hachette UK
Price: $18.99
Price: $18.99
Source: ARC for Review (sent by publisher)
Age: 16+
Age: 16+
Pages: 320
My Rating:
Summary:
MEAN GIRLS meets REAR WINDOW in this delectably dark thriller from the market-leading YA imprint atom.
Jane doesn't remember being hit by a car and left for dead. But as she's convalescing she realises that her friends' stories and her memories of what happened that night aren't adding up.
Very soon the only thing she does know is that one of her friends was trying to kill her.
One of them still is . . .
My thoughts:
Rosebush was pretty much anything and everything I could've expected of it. It was full of intrigue and mystery, deceit and confusion -- I was on the edge of my seat by the end of this book! It's a little bit Pretty Little Liars, a little bit The Eternal Ones; but Rosebush definitely sets itself apart from both and any other books with similar concepts (the girls wanted dead, and the mystery revolving around it).
Jane is the popular girl heralded by two fabulous best friends, with a gorgeous boyfriend to boot - until after a party one night she is struck by a car and left for dead in a rosebush. The next day, she finds herself in a hospital. She cannot move any muscle in her body, or speak for that matter: damaged. Jane knows that someone is out to get her: a threatening message on the bathroom mirror, murderous phone calls from anonymous, non-existant callers . . . But no one else believes her. After all, she is "Just Jane". Everyone loves her.
The prologue wasn't entirely powerful in its descriptive devices, but I found myself interested enough to continue reading. The storyline is simple, though I wasn't expecting the ending. Perhaps what took me so long to finish the book was that the placement of sentences and extra tid-bits were sprinkled all throughout the novel, resulting in a slower pace than I would have liked. That said, the little details were what gave the characters some life and realism to them.
Jane's world revolves around a lot of people - so many people, that I had a little bit of trouble remembering some of them that I'd have to flick back and find out who they were. Some of the characters, like David and Kate, were well-developed and felt fleshed out, while others were a bit flat. I liked Jane's perspective okay, despite her general flat-ness of character. The interactions between characters in Rosebush were very well done, and helped to keep me on track.
I would definitely recommend this. I think it's one of those books that, when read between the lines or re-read, new meanings and new realisations would begin to form in a reader's mind. It's the little things, and the compelling mystery, of this book that amazed me.
Quotes:
First Line
"The image is stark yet beautiful."
Random Scene spoiler-free
Leaning his elbows against the shiny red door of the BMW, Ollie spread his hands in mock consternation. "If only one of you harridans would go out with me, I wouldn't have to roam so far home."
"I don't think any of us have what you have," Langley said.
"What's that? Ollie said. "Charm? Charisma?"
"Crabs?" Kate said, still sugar sweet.
"Always a delight to chat with you, Ollie," Langley said, revving the engine. "But for now, please move your Ralph Lauren-clad ass so Jane can get in the car."
"You're slipping, angel. It's John Varvatos."
(p. 12)
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I have received this review copy in return for an honest review.
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Links:
Official Site
Goodreads Page
I have received this review copy in return for an honest review.
Challenge: --
