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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
This was good, thought I feel it may have done better with a more mature audience in mind rather than adolescents.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Having to read this novel for a Holocaust literature course, I appreciated the plot and the incorporation of fairytale tropes. Even though the tale was horrifying at moments, as one would expect for a story about the holocaust, I did really enjoy it. My one criticism of the novel is more directed towards the writing style. I would have liked a lot more detail, especially of places and characters. The novel was very dialogue-heavy, which left little descriptions. It was hard to visualize people and places, especially when people were only given a name and not a description of how they looked. So, good plot and content, but stylistically it didn't quite satisfy me as a reader.
I remember very little from this book... only that I liked it.
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This was dark and mysterious, not like anything I've read before.
The dialogue style didn't really work with me?
The dialogue style didn't really work with me?
I'm a huge fan of Holocaust historical fiction. It's my favourite historical fiction genre to read about. When Goodreads recommended this book to me, I decided to buy it second hand on Amazon. This novel was one that I was expecting to love, but it fell somewhat short of that expectation.
The novel switches between past and present in varying chapters, giving you background as to why this fairytale applies so much to the story. This was slightly off-putting for me, as it just seemed to be constantly retelling and retelling the fairy tale of Briar Rose, or Sleeping Beauty. I was tempted to put the book down and DNF it, but I decided to keep going. I'm glad I did.
This review up until 3/4 through was going to be given a 2 star. However, once we went into 3/4 and heard the priest telling the story, I found the book was difficult to put down. I wanted to know what went on, what happened and more. Due to this change of narrative and, what seemed to me, better writing from Yolen, I pushed it up to 3 star.
I do recommend this book to learn more about the lesser-known camps and the horrors that went on there.
The novel switches between past and present in varying chapters, giving you background as to why this fairytale applies so much to the story. This was slightly off-putting for me, as it just seemed to be constantly retelling and retelling the fairy tale of Briar Rose, or Sleeping Beauty. I was tempted to put the book down and DNF it, but I decided to keep going. I'm glad I did.
This review up until 3/4 through was going to be given a 2 star. However, once we went into 3/4 and heard the priest telling the story, I found the book was difficult to put down. I wanted to know what went on, what happened and more. Due to this change of narrative and, what seemed to me, better writing from Yolen, I pushed it up to 3 star.
I do recommend this book to learn more about the lesser-known camps and the horrors that went on there.
What an extraordinary story. I can't believe I'd never read this before.
Yolen rolls back the iconic story of Sleeping Beauty to its roots - long before Disney or even the Victorian age - when it was a much darker, much grimmer (no pun intended) tale. Then, instead of going the predictable route and writing a fantasy novel, she overlays the fairy tale with a story about a woman tracing her ancestry back to the darkest parts of the Holocaust. The result is a gripping historical fiction novel that not only captivates the imagination but teaches about parts of the Holocaust that are seemingly forgotten.
The first 2/3 of the book go back and forth between the childhood and adulthood of Becca, the protagonist and granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor. The childhood vignettes trace the grandmother's telling and retelling of her version of Sleeping Beauty. As an adult, Becca is sifting through the mystery that her grandmother left behind after her death, trying to understand who she really was. Her quest takes her to a Polish concentration camp, from which no woman ever escaped - and yet which seems to be the beginning of her grandmother's story. The last third of the book takes us back to WWII, showing the Holocaust through the eyes of a "pink triangle" prisoner. I won't go into more detail lest the ending be spoiled.
Briar Rose is, on top of everything else (historical fiction, geneaological quest story, fairy tale retelling) a delicately lovely romance on multiple fronts. Romantic love, filial love, courtly love - all play a role.
This is technically, I believe, a YA book. I just finished re-reading Night and love the idea of offering this as an optional supplementary book, particularly for girls who may have been put off by the predominant male point of view of Night, but a teacher would need to tread lightly as the material in the last third of the book is, at times, rather adult in nature. It certainly taught me things I'd never learned about the Holocaust, and illuminated a window into a survivors' perspective that I'd never considered. Although I've only watched parts of it, I believe this book would also make an excelltnt companion piece to the movie Defiance.
Yolen rolls back the iconic story of Sleeping Beauty to its roots - long before Disney or even the Victorian age - when it was a much darker, much grimmer (no pun intended) tale. Then, instead of going the predictable route and writing a fantasy novel, she overlays the fairy tale with a story about a woman tracing her ancestry back to the darkest parts of the Holocaust. The result is a gripping historical fiction novel that not only captivates the imagination but teaches about parts of the Holocaust that are seemingly forgotten.
The first 2/3 of the book go back and forth between the childhood and adulthood of Becca, the protagonist and granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor. The childhood vignettes trace the grandmother's telling and retelling of her version of Sleeping Beauty. As an adult, Becca is sifting through the mystery that her grandmother left behind after her death, trying to understand who she really was. Her quest takes her to a Polish concentration camp, from which no woman ever escaped - and yet which seems to be the beginning of her grandmother's story. The last third of the book takes us back to WWII, showing the Holocaust through the eyes of a "pink triangle" prisoner. I won't go into more detail lest the ending be spoiled.
Briar Rose is, on top of everything else (historical fiction, geneaological quest story, fairy tale retelling) a delicately lovely romance on multiple fronts. Romantic love, filial love, courtly love - all play a role.
This is technically, I believe, a YA book. I just finished re-reading Night and love the idea of offering this as an optional supplementary book, particularly for girls who may have been put off by the predominant male point of view of Night, but a teacher would need to tread lightly as the material in the last third of the book is, at times, rather adult in nature. It certainly taught me things I'd never learned about the Holocaust, and illuminated a window into a survivors' perspective that I'd never considered. Although I've only watched parts of it, I believe this book would also make an excelltnt companion piece to the movie Defiance.
One of my favorite books! The way the stories of Briar Rose and the Holocaust are intertwined is beautiful. It's a quick read you won't regret.
I remember absolutely loving this book as a kid, but I barely remember it anymore. I really should read it again. I guess I had read something by Jane Yolen after all.
*********
Updated 8/8/2012
Got a copy of this at a book swap and wanted to re-read. I had totally forgotten about what happened in this book, so it was a nice surprise. It didn't hit me with quite the impact that I remember from childhood, but I did enjoy the book. It's a creative take on the Sleeping Beauty tale with some pretty haunting imagery.
I like that it discusses some pretty grim topics while still keeping it a YA novel. And it has mostly adult characters, but enough childhood flashbacks and internal monologue to appeal to younger readers.
*********
Updated 8/8/2012
Got a copy of this at a book swap and wanted to re-read. I had totally forgotten about what happened in this book, so it was a nice surprise. It didn't hit me with quite the impact that I remember from childhood, but I did enjoy the book. It's a creative take on the Sleeping Beauty tale with some pretty haunting imagery.
I like that it discusses some pretty grim topics while still keeping it a YA novel. And it has mostly adult characters, but enough childhood flashbacks and internal monologue to appeal to younger readers.