A review by folkofthebook
The Ghosts of Rose Hill by R.M. Romero

emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? No

5.0

This is what it’s like to be Jewish
in Europe.
Every beautiful thing
has horror buried under it.

I’m always walking on bones.

rating: 4.5

a melancholic but moving story about a young latina jewish girl who spends her summer in a ghost story. i was impressed by how even through verse prose, r.m. romero was able to cover a variety of themes, from the frustrations of adolescence, the fears and tribulations of immigrant families, the despair of post-wwii europe for european jews, and horrors of legends.

This is a cemetery,
I realize.
And I don’t think anyone remembers
it’s here.

Anyone
except
for
me.

romero moves seamlessly between moments of discovery, sorrow, isolation, and even joy. her writing paints a vivid scene and imbues much personality into our protagonist, ilana.

Having a ghost
is like having a cat.

They wander where they like
and won’t come
when you call.

Prague believes in magic.
Prague believes in itself.
(I wish
I could be more like Prague.)

this was my first book from romero and i was quite impressed. there is a whimsical is eerie feel to her stories that i enjoyed and look forward to reading more of.

Because that’s the other part
of being a Jew in Europe—
each step I take
is in defiance of everyone
who didn’t want me here.

The final girl survives
because she can be
just as ruthless
as the monster
who wants
to destroy her.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings