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xeyra1's review against another edition
5.0
An absolutely heart - and gut - wrenching novel, which seamlessly and beautifully connects the Sleeping Beauty fairytale with the Holocaust and its history of strife, horror and death. I really liked this story of a woman in search of her grandmother's story, a promise she makes on a deathbed, and how she finds what she was looking for in her grandmother's homeland of Poland, in a story that is so saddening and frightening because most of the events portrayed are historical facts. A different and touching rendering of a beloved fairytale in a dark, despairing context, but which makes for a great - if sad - read.
ladytiara's review against another edition
4.0
Briar Rose is a unique and inspired retelling of the story of Sleeping Beauty. It is part of the Fairy Tale series organized by Terri Windling, which features a number of classic tales retold by well-known fantasy authors.
In this version of the fairy tale, a young woman named Rebecca is very close to her grandmother Gemma. As children, Rebecca and her two older sisters loved to hear their grandmother tell them the story of Briar Rose. The older sisters outgrew their interest in the fairy tale, but even as an adult, Rebecca still likes to hear her grandmother tell it. On her deathbed, Gemma insists to Rebecca, “I am Briar Rose.” The rest of the family thinks she’s confused the fairy tale with reality, but Rebecca is determined to investigate her grandmother’s past. When she starts asking questions, she realizes the family knows almost nothing about Gemma. When she came to the United States, where she came from, and even her real name are mysteries.
Rebecca’s journey into her grandmother’s past takes her deep into the horrors of the Holocaust. But amidst the violence and brutality, she finds humanity and hope. Yolen’s prose is simple and lyrical, and the story moved me greatly. My only complaint is a subplot involving a potential romance for Rebecca. It felt tacked on, and it didn’t really add anything to the story. This minor issue aside, I highly recommend this book.
One note of caution: although the book is classified as young adult, the violence and sexual themes in the book may not be appropriate for very young readers. It should be fine for teenagers.
In this version of the fairy tale, a young woman named Rebecca is very close to her grandmother Gemma. As children, Rebecca and her two older sisters loved to hear their grandmother tell them the story of Briar Rose. The older sisters outgrew their interest in the fairy tale, but even as an adult, Rebecca still likes to hear her grandmother tell it. On her deathbed, Gemma insists to Rebecca, “I am Briar Rose.” The rest of the family thinks she’s confused the fairy tale with reality, but Rebecca is determined to investigate her grandmother’s past. When she starts asking questions, she realizes the family knows almost nothing about Gemma. When she came to the United States, where she came from, and even her real name are mysteries.
Rebecca’s journey into her grandmother’s past takes her deep into the horrors of the Holocaust. But amidst the violence and brutality, she finds humanity and hope. Yolen’s prose is simple and lyrical, and the story moved me greatly. My only complaint is a subplot involving a potential romance for Rebecca. It felt tacked on, and it didn’t really add anything to the story. This minor issue aside, I highly recommend this book.
One note of caution: although the book is classified as young adult, the violence and sexual themes in the book may not be appropriate for very young readers. It should be fine for teenagers.
lsparrow's review against another edition
4.0
Young Adult read - part retelling of the sleeping beauty tale, part discovery of a family holocaust survivor story. Loved the flow of the book and the way the story developed and took shape.
emerygirl's review against another edition
2.0
There are some books that are hard to review. This is one such book. The premise was so good, a modern retelling of Sleeping Beauty that takes place during the Holocaust. And because it is a Holocaust book, there is the underlying current that makes any book about this area hard to review. It was so tragic, so pointless, and therefore hard to say “that wasn’t very good” when dealing with that subject. But....I didn’t think it was very good. I found it hard to follow, slow at times, and kind of a let down at the end. I would give it 2.5 stars.
hnbb's review against another edition
3.0
This was not what I expected. It was not a retelling of a fairy tale, but a look back at the horrors of the holocaust. It was not too graphic in detail, but very vivid.
geisttull's review against another edition
4.0
really more like 3 1/2 stars. was a great story, but i felt it got a little distracted in the middle with the story telling. was a bit deep for teens, i think. i do like the characters and the historic information was very accurate and made me google a lot of stuff i had not known about.
carolineinthelibrary's review against another edition
3.0
I initially read this book for a summer reading project in high school and I remembered enjoying it. It’s still a great story, and a unique perspective on the Holocaust, but reading it again I realized finding out Gemma’s story is sort of rushed. We spend so much time with Rebecca as she plans to find out more about her grandmother’s life, and then it just tumbled out as a retelling sort of monologue toward the end of the book. I would have loved a little more from the ending and from finding out who Gemma was.
tsundokued's review against another edition
5.0
Read it read it read it. I wish I could give it 6 stars.
justlily's review against another edition
4.0
I mean, how do you review something like this? What do you say? Heartwrenching. Beautiful. Incredibly sad. Much more than a simple retelling of a fairy tale.
kira20's review against another edition
2.0
This book felt so long. It reminded me of eating oatmeal. I like the first bit but then it feels drawn out and dry. It was satisfying and will stick with me but eating/reading it was a chore.