Blood Roses

Francesca Lia Block
HarperTeen (2009)
ISBN 9780060763862
Reviewed by Brenna Bales (age 12) for Reader Views (7/09)


“Blood Roses,” a very eccentric and eerie book, is filled with stories that will take your imagination to a world of different places. From discovering an underground race of creatures, to finding a mythical friend with wings, the crazy cast of characters goes through changes that affect their lives. The changes are brought upon by the things they discover and the experiences they go through.

I found the stories very odd, just in a general sense. The author’s writing style is unusual because I kept hearing the same words over and over. The, Then, and A were used quite often to start a sentence, instead of using good adjectives and adverbs. The plot and storylines were superb, but with better writing, I feel the stories could, and would have been more interesting.

Anyone under 12 would probably be a little to young to read the stories. The situations are a little too mature for someone 11 or younger. Someone who loves to read stories that are fiction, strangely told, or serious, would probably like reading this book. I would like to see this author write a non-fiction or a comedy novel.

“Blood Roses” by Francesca Lia Block had a great storyline, but I feel it was missing a lot of good qualities that make a book exciting to read. I am eager to read another book that the author has written. Overall, I didn’t like the book as much as I expected. It was a quick read, but if she had expanded one of the stories a little further, it would have captured my attention a little more.

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