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directorpurry's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Child death
Minor: War and Genocide
bibliobrandie's review against another edition
3.0
A magical realist ghost story/romance told in verse about Ilana Lopez, a biracial Jewish Latina who is sent to Prague to stay with her aunt who lives near an abandoned Jewish cemetery. It is in this cemetery where Ilana meets a ghost named Benjamin who introduces her to the enchanted side of Prague. I enjoyed learning about Jewish cemeteries in Europe and the magical realism woven into this story, but the characters felt flat and the romance felt forced. I didn't love it.
readingfrankly's review against another edition
3.0
This book had no right to hurt me as much as it did, especially because you know from the dang title the boy is a ghost. But it got me anyway. I cried twice.
That said, I was bored for a little more than half of this book. I knew the plot before the plot really got going and it took so long to resolve and everything. Also, though this is no fault of the book's own, it is written on the very young side of YA, and so a lot of it didn't work well for me. The girlish crush and obsession with kissing, likening being a girl to a wolf, etc. It's fine when you're 13, but I'm too old for that kinda stuff. Again, not the book's fault it is written for an audience younger than me though. I tried not to let it affect my rating too much, but there's only so much you can do. The main character does that annoying thing where she trusts the villain who is quite obviously evil from the moment she meets him, and she didn't even figure it out on her own that he was evil, she had to have ghost boy tell her. Not a good look.
Anyway, I annotated this and there are some good lines, as I'd hope from a book told in verse. I wouldn't reread it but it was okay. Mostly I would just recommend this for a young teen or middle school audience.
That said, I was bored for a little more than half of this book. I knew the plot before the plot really got going and it took so long to resolve and everything. Also, though this is no fault of the book's own, it is written on the very young side of YA, and so a lot of it didn't work well for me. The girlish crush and obsession with kissing, likening being a girl to a wolf, etc. It's fine when you're 13, but I'm too old for that kinda stuff. Again, not the book's fault it is written for an audience younger than me though. I tried not to let it affect my rating too much, but there's only so much you can do. The main character does that annoying thing where she trusts the villain who is quite obviously evil from the moment she meets him, and she didn't even figure it out on her own that he was evil, she had to have ghost boy tell her. Not a good look.
Anyway, I annotated this and there are some good lines, as I'd hope from a book told in verse. I wouldn't reread it but it was okay. Mostly I would just recommend this for a young teen or middle school audience.
sam_presents's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
flowerranger's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
katie_l21's review against another edition
5.0
The Ghosts of Rose Hill was a beautiful and haunting story set in Prague. The main character, Ilana, is a teen who loves music and and art. When she spends the summer in Prague with her aunt, she meets some interesting characters and finds an old, overgrown, Jewish cemetery.
This book was beautifully written and fun to read!
This book was beautifully written and fun to read!
mader716's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
clairebbear's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0