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The Rosegiver
Alternate Cover Edition for 9781523889044
It is the late 1800s, in rural England, seventeen-year-old Rachel Harper has been summoned by her aunt to assist with housekeeping duties at the family inn. She is also required to perform duties as a rosegiver, a messenger for the weak, the broken-hearted, and the dying. On her journey to Rosethorne Inn, she befriends a writer named John, who informs her about a rash of missing girls in Thistle Grove and nearby towns. He also discusses the topic of vampyres which intrigues Rachel.
Upon arriving at Thistle Grove, they are greeted by a young man, named Ronan, who is employed by Rachel’s aunt. Eventually, he divulges his primary profession, a graveminder, something that is both ancient and dangerous. Shortly after, strange occurrences take place and Rachel is haunted by frightening dreams. Will she discover the secret behind the missing girls and the strange dreams? And will she sacrifice years from her life if it means saving the life of someone she loves?
It is the late 1800s, in rural England, seventeen-year-old Rachel Harper has been summoned by her aunt to assist with housekeeping duties at the family inn. She is also required to perform duties as a rosegiver, a messenger for the weak, the broken-hearted, and the dying. On her journey to Rosethorne Inn, she befriends a writer named John, who informs her about a rash of missing girls in Thistle Grove and nearby towns. He also discusses the topic of vampyres which intrigues Rachel.
Upon arriving at Thistle Grove, they are greeted by a young man, named Ronan, who is employed by Rachel’s aunt. Eventually, he divulges his primary profession, a graveminder, something that is both ancient and dangerous. Shortly after, strange occurrences take place and Rachel is haunted by frightening dreams. Will she discover the secret behind the missing girls and the strange dreams? And will she sacrifice years from her life if it means saving the life of someone she loves?
283 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2016
1184 people want to read
About the author
Sandy Benitez
20 books61 followersSandy writes poetry and fiction in the genres of dark fantasy, fairytale, and the paranormal. Her recent works include the Night Garden, Autumn Wonders, Winter in the Bones, The Rosegiver, and The Haunting of Meredith. Sandy is the founding editor of the popular dark literary journal, Black Poppy Review.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
October 29, 2016
**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC of this book in return for an honest review.
2.75 stars!!!
I thought this book was a pretty charming yet quick read. It was definitely refreshing to read a Gothic fantasy novel after all the sci-fi and dystopian stuff I have read recently. However, I think that this book has both negative and positive points which I will go into further detail below.
The basis of this novel is about Rachel Harper, a seventeen year old girl, who is a rosegiver. In essence, she can tell someone's fate by looking at them and each rose represents a particular part of their fate. I thought this was a very unique concept. I also thought the pacing of the story was fantastic. I just breezed through the chapters. I also found the worldbuilding to be enchanting and loved that it was set in the 1800s. The descriptions of Thistle Grove and Rosethorne Inn were hauntingly beautiful.
I rather enjoyed the minor characters as well. They were rather endearing and the incidents that occurred throughout the story with regards to the supporting characters was quite unusual but in a good way. The story does have an element of romance, a love triangle to be exact, but it's the slow burning type. It wasn't swoonworthy by any means which I usually look forward to in period novels. But it was delightful, in the sense, that the relationship blossoms from friendship and is not very "in your face". Most of the plot was based on the mystery of the disappearing girls.
These were some elements which were positive in my opinion, but now onto the negatives which I fear are rather numerous. One, the story has way too many elements. When I first started the book, I thought it was going to be about Rachel's gift which would have been rather interesting. Sadly, this was not the case. Instead, the book is a mixture of Rachel's gift (rose readings), demons and vampyres all encased in a pretty Victorian world filled with gowns and other dainty things. This meant that sometimes, the plot was all over the place. The author might have done a better job if she decided to stick to one element and carried it till the end.
Second, the MC Rachel was an idiot. There's no other word for it. The girl has no sense of propriety for a woman in that era and if it was the intention of the author to make her different, it was an unsuccessful attempt. She is more of a damsel in distress that gets herself into ridiculous situations and looks for a man to rescue her at all times. Plus, she is very stubborn and makes rash decisions. Like really when there are vampyres around, would you go traipsing around in the woods by yourself? Firstly, this would have been unsafe for a girl and not permissible in that era. Victorian girls were always chaperoned. If she was meant to have a rebellious streak, this could have been shown in a better way.
Thirdly, there were discrepancies in the dialogue throughout the novel. Sometimes, I would feel that the characters were being overly polite and sounded Victorian while other times I felt they were in the 21st Century. Some of the conversations were riddled with colloquialisms that would be used today and would not have used in the 1800s. I think the author should have researched this era more in depth to bring a flair of authenticity to the novel. I also felt that some of the relationships among the characters would not have occurred in that era. There were strict class systems and since Judith Harper was the owner of an inn, you wouldn't see her just talking to all and sundry.
Overall, I did still enjoy the story but it could have been better if it was more attuned to the society of those times. I wish the romance had more feels. Other than that, I would recommend reading this book if you like YA historical fiction and looking to pass the time :)
2.75 stars!!!
I thought this book was a pretty charming yet quick read. It was definitely refreshing to read a Gothic fantasy novel after all the sci-fi and dystopian stuff I have read recently. However, I think that this book has both negative and positive points which I will go into further detail below.
The basis of this novel is about Rachel Harper, a seventeen year old girl, who is a rosegiver. In essence, she can tell someone's fate by looking at them and each rose represents a particular part of their fate. I thought this was a very unique concept. I also thought the pacing of the story was fantastic. I just breezed through the chapters. I also found the worldbuilding to be enchanting and loved that it was set in the 1800s. The descriptions of Thistle Grove and Rosethorne Inn were hauntingly beautiful.
I rather enjoyed the minor characters as well. They were rather endearing and the incidents that occurred throughout the story with regards to the supporting characters was quite unusual but in a good way. The story does have an element of romance, a love triangle to be exact, but it's the slow burning type. It wasn't swoonworthy by any means which I usually look forward to in period novels. But it was delightful, in the sense, that the relationship blossoms from friendship and is not very "in your face". Most of the plot was based on the mystery of the disappearing girls.
These were some elements which were positive in my opinion, but now onto the negatives which I fear are rather numerous. One, the story has way too many elements. When I first started the book, I thought it was going to be about Rachel's gift which would have been rather interesting. Sadly, this was not the case. Instead, the book is a mixture of Rachel's gift (rose readings), demons and vampyres all encased in a pretty Victorian world filled with gowns and other dainty things. This meant that sometimes, the plot was all over the place. The author might have done a better job if she decided to stick to one element and carried it till the end.
Second, the MC Rachel was an idiot. There's no other word for it. The girl has no sense of propriety for a woman in that era and if it was the intention of the author to make her different, it was an unsuccessful attempt. She is more of a damsel in distress that gets herself into ridiculous situations and looks for a man to rescue her at all times. Plus, she is very stubborn and makes rash decisions. Like really when there are vampyres around, would you go traipsing around in the woods by yourself? Firstly, this would have been unsafe for a girl and not permissible in that era. Victorian girls were always chaperoned. If she was meant to have a rebellious streak, this could have been shown in a better way.
Thirdly, there were discrepancies in the dialogue throughout the novel. Sometimes, I would feel that the characters were being overly polite and sounded Victorian while other times I felt they were in the 21st Century. Some of the conversations were riddled with colloquialisms that would be used today and would not have used in the 1800s. I think the author should have researched this era more in depth to bring a flair of authenticity to the novel. I also felt that some of the relationships among the characters would not have occurred in that era. There were strict class systems and since Judith Harper was the owner of an inn, you wouldn't see her just talking to all and sundry.
Overall, I did still enjoy the story but it could have been better if it was more attuned to the society of those times. I wish the romance had more feels. Other than that, I would recommend reading this book if you like YA historical fiction and looking to pass the time :)
March 15, 2018
It's cool, but not delineated enough.
July 24, 2016
I was given a free digital copy of this book from the author in exchange for a review. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read it! I am honestly so grateful.
The Rosegiver follows seventeen year old Rachel Harper during her journey to and at Thistle Grove, where her aunt had asked for her assistance in housekeeping duties at the inn and also as a rosegiver, a messenger for the weak, brokenhearted, and dying. Once there, she learns about the case of the missing girls in Thistle Grove and the existence of vampyres. She, along with her friends, try to solve the mystery of where the girls are and who the master vampyre is while their lives are at stake ('stake' get it? I had to put that in, sorry).
That was such a terrible synopsis of the book. Believe me I tried. But I just can't freaking write. I just rhymed by the way.
This book was a really awesome, mysterious thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat! It scared me like, three times. The vampyre scenes, pretty much. The author did a really great job writing those! The plot was pretty good. Exciting, a bit dull on some days, but it kept me interested enough. I so was not expecting that twist at the end! I could never have guessed who was behind all the missing girls. I really loved that aspect.
Character wise, I liked everyone enough. My favorite has to be John. He was so quirky and funny. The entire time all I wanted to do was reach in and give Martha, Judith, and Ronan a hug. I had my moments with our main character, Rachel, though. It doesn't really have anything to do with the author's writing. Just part of her personality. It's like she judges and comes to conclusions so fast, it was a bit annoying to me. But I admired her bravery and intelligence.
I also liked where this story took place. The world building wasn't that intricate but it was fine for me. I liked the thought of how Thistle Grove at first glance seems like your usual, ordinary town and then you live there and crazy things happen.
The only things I didn't like about this book were: one, I think we got a little too much of Rachel's thoughts. I mean yeah we're reading from her perspective so of course we'll know what she's thinking but it would be a bit better if the author worded them differently. I'm referring to the parts in italic. I think converting some of her thoughts in italic into the story might make it more show, rather than tell. And two, some things were left unexplained. Like how the yellow hair got there, or what happened to Lily and Thomas.
I really enjoyed this book though. I loved the humor in here, it made me smile. I highly recommend The Rosegiver :)
The Rosegiver follows seventeen year old Rachel Harper during her journey to and at Thistle Grove, where her aunt had asked for her assistance in housekeeping duties at the inn and also as a rosegiver, a messenger for the weak, brokenhearted, and dying. Once there, she learns about the case of the missing girls in Thistle Grove and the existence of vampyres. She, along with her friends, try to solve the mystery of where the girls are and who the master vampyre is while their lives are at stake ('stake' get it? I had to put that in, sorry).
That was such a terrible synopsis of the book. Believe me I tried. But I just can't freaking write. I just rhymed by the way.
This book was a really awesome, mysterious thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat! It scared me like, three times. The vampyre scenes, pretty much. The author did a really great job writing those! The plot was pretty good. Exciting, a bit dull on some days, but it kept me interested enough. I so was not expecting that twist at the end! I could never have guessed who was behind all the missing girls. I really loved that aspect.
Character wise, I liked everyone enough. My favorite has to be John. He was so quirky and funny. The entire time all I wanted to do was reach in and give Martha, Judith, and Ronan a hug. I had my moments with our main character, Rachel, though. It doesn't really have anything to do with the author's writing. Just part of her personality. It's like she judges and comes to conclusions so fast, it was a bit annoying to me. But I admired her bravery and intelligence.
I also liked where this story took place. The world building wasn't that intricate but it was fine for me. I liked the thought of how Thistle Grove at first glance seems like your usual, ordinary town and then you live there and crazy things happen.
The only things I didn't like about this book were: one, I think we got a little too much of Rachel's thoughts. I mean yeah we're reading from her perspective so of course we'll know what she's thinking but it would be a bit better if the author worded them differently. I'm referring to the parts in italic. I think converting some of her thoughts in italic into the story might make it more show, rather than tell. And two, some things were left unexplained. Like how the yellow hair got there, or what happened to Lily and Thomas.
I really enjoyed this book though. I loved the humor in here, it made me smile. I highly recommend The Rosegiver :)
May 6, 2016
Judging this book from the synopsis alone, I thought this would undoubtedly be a five star read. It was a historical novel, tagged as a Gothic read with pepperings of magical realism. What was not to love?
The novel follows seventeen-year old Rachel as she moves into her Aunt's Inn to assist with basic housekeeping duties. She is also there to further her inherited physic abilities. Both Rachel and her aunt are blessed with the gift of being able to judge a person's fate and assign them a rose gauged from what they have foreseen. The colour of the roses distributed signify how rosy (see what I did there?!) the individual's future is and are there to provide a marker on what action the individual should take to improve their set future or whether the time is near to let go of the skeletons on the past.
The premise sounded promising! The reality of this book was that it came across a little half formed. Up until about 40% through I found it a rather quaint read: not a lot happened but the writing style and Rachel's journey to her Aunt were enjoyable enough that the plot did not feel dull. The remaining 60% felt like a completely different novel. There was the unexpected appearance of vampires, which felt rushed into the plot and given little real grounding. The characters all felt overly familiar with one and other, despite their recent meeting, and their stories felt poorly concluded and even more poorly held together. If the novel had been double it's length and if the characters had been allowed to settle into their surroundings before traipsing along the wild paths this novel meandered on, then perhaps this novel would have felt more whole. As it is, it felt like a rushed job to incorporate the multitude of ideas into a limited amount of pages. Such great ideas that just needed a little more binding to gel them to the narrative.
There was little world building or sense of place present throughout much of the book and this could really have been set in any era at all: no cultural or historical markers aligned this novel with the 1800's Britain from the history books. If anything, the backdrop for the plot was a little bland. I wanted a sense of the place and of the world I was venturing into but any inklings I had initially gained were quickly lost once the whirlwind of the sub-plots gathered strength, converged and blitzed through the remainder of the book.
The novel follows seventeen-year old Rachel as she moves into her Aunt's Inn to assist with basic housekeeping duties. She is also there to further her inherited physic abilities. Both Rachel and her aunt are blessed with the gift of being able to judge a person's fate and assign them a rose gauged from what they have foreseen. The colour of the roses distributed signify how rosy (see what I did there?!) the individual's future is and are there to provide a marker on what action the individual should take to improve their set future or whether the time is near to let go of the skeletons on the past.
The premise sounded promising! The reality of this book was that it came across a little half formed. Up until about 40% through I found it a rather quaint read: not a lot happened but the writing style and Rachel's journey to her Aunt were enjoyable enough that the plot did not feel dull. The remaining 60% felt like a completely different novel. There was the unexpected appearance of vampires, which felt rushed into the plot and given little real grounding. The characters all felt overly familiar with one and other, despite their recent meeting, and their stories felt poorly concluded and even more poorly held together. If the novel had been double it's length and if the characters had been allowed to settle into their surroundings before traipsing along the wild paths this novel meandered on, then perhaps this novel would have felt more whole. As it is, it felt like a rushed job to incorporate the multitude of ideas into a limited amount of pages. Such great ideas that just needed a little more binding to gel them to the narrative.
There was little world building or sense of place present throughout much of the book and this could really have been set in any era at all: no cultural or historical markers aligned this novel with the 1800's Britain from the history books. If anything, the backdrop for the plot was a little bland. I wanted a sense of the place and of the world I was venturing into but any inklings I had initially gained were quickly lost once the whirlwind of the sub-plots gathered strength, converged and blitzed through the remainder of the book.
August 7, 2017
-I received a free copy for this, and this is my honest review.
The Rosegiver, by Sandy Benitez, is an enchanting mystery detailing the disappearances of the young girls in Thistle Grove, all the while following the macabre trail of a demonic creature that feasts on human blood.
Rachel Harper is a young rosegiver in training who is sent to Rose Thistle to study underneath her aunt. To become an accomplished rosegiver, she must act as a messenger that conveys the ails and likely future of her clients. At first, the tranquil atmosphere and wonderful companions, including the mystery writer John Walters and the graveminder Ronan, help Rachel consider Rose Thistle as her second home. However, when people begin dying, alongside the appearance of terrible monsters that only appear at night, Rachel soon finds herself in a race against time as she endeavors to uncover the legends surrounding the bloody history of Rose Thistle.
Personally, I love the eerily elegant atmosphere Benitez painted. I fell in love with the inn, as well as the town, and even the train, but as people began mysteriously falling ill, the scenery slowly morphed into a haunting battlefield. What’s more, with every word I read I felt as if someone was watching me from the background, so much so I’ve had to look up a couple of times. The book is also rife with symbolism, and brought a ghostly beauty to the book whenever I read about the rosegiver’s roses and their different meetings. I remember from Amelia Atwater-Rhodes’s books that the black rose had been symbol of the vampires for centuries, so in this book, it’s appropriate.
I also enjoyed the gradual loss of humanity each of the victims go through before turning into a monster. Blood is, after all, associated with life; from religion to medicine, blood is something to be admired, even if it is a bit disgusting at times. It’s the reason why I loved reading about how these victims kept drinking it, consuming newer lives while their former ones slowly wilt away.
Although there were mistakes littered throughout the book, it was an enjoyable read. It felt like a gruesome fairytale that was unveiling before my eyes, with an unsettling peace slaughtering all pretenses of normality. What’s more, Benitez reminded me that though we may not see them, monsters do, in fact, exist. Whether they be hiding beneath our beds or in our dreams, however, is completely up to whether or not we choose to acknowledge them.
As such, I would give an overall rating of a 4.5 out of 5 stars, and would recommend it to those who enjoy mystery and gothic horror.
The Rosegiver, by Sandy Benitez, is an enchanting mystery detailing the disappearances of the young girls in Thistle Grove, all the while following the macabre trail of a demonic creature that feasts on human blood.
Rachel Harper is a young rosegiver in training who is sent to Rose Thistle to study underneath her aunt. To become an accomplished rosegiver, she must act as a messenger that conveys the ails and likely future of her clients. At first, the tranquil atmosphere and wonderful companions, including the mystery writer John Walters and the graveminder Ronan, help Rachel consider Rose Thistle as her second home. However, when people begin dying, alongside the appearance of terrible monsters that only appear at night, Rachel soon finds herself in a race against time as she endeavors to uncover the legends surrounding the bloody history of Rose Thistle.
Personally, I love the eerily elegant atmosphere Benitez painted. I fell in love with the inn, as well as the town, and even the train, but as people began mysteriously falling ill, the scenery slowly morphed into a haunting battlefield. What’s more, with every word I read I felt as if someone was watching me from the background, so much so I’ve had to look up a couple of times. The book is also rife with symbolism, and brought a ghostly beauty to the book whenever I read about the rosegiver’s roses and their different meetings. I remember from Amelia Atwater-Rhodes’s books that the black rose had been symbol of the vampires for centuries, so in this book, it’s appropriate.
I also enjoyed the gradual loss of humanity each of the victims go through before turning into a monster. Blood is, after all, associated with life; from religion to medicine, blood is something to be admired, even if it is a bit disgusting at times. It’s the reason why I loved reading about how these victims kept drinking it, consuming newer lives while their former ones slowly wilt away.
Although there were mistakes littered throughout the book, it was an enjoyable read. It felt like a gruesome fairytale that was unveiling before my eyes, with an unsettling peace slaughtering all pretenses of normality. What’s more, Benitez reminded me that though we may not see them, monsters do, in fact, exist. Whether they be hiding beneath our beds or in our dreams, however, is completely up to whether or not we choose to acknowledge them.
As such, I would give an overall rating of a 4.5 out of 5 stars, and would recommend it to those who enjoy mystery and gothic horror.
December 7, 2017
I received this e-book from BookGobbler
I thought this book was a pretty quick read. I think that this book has both negative and positive things as most books do.
The basis of this novel is about Rachel Harper, a seventeen year old girl, who is a RoseGiver, you'll have to read the book to find out what that is. I thought it was a unique concept though. I also thought the pacing of the story was awesome. I just flew through the chapters. I also found the worldbuilding to be visually stimulating and loved that it was set in the 1800s. The descriptions of Thistle Grove and Rosethorne Inn were straight out of a dream.
I liked the minor characters too. They were likeable and the incidents that occurred throughout the story with regards to the supporting characters was quite unusual but, I think added to the story. The story does have a little romance, a love triangle, but it's the slow burning type. The relationship grows from a friendship instead of a love at first site type of thing. Most of the plot was based on the mystery of the disappearing girls.
These were some of the things I liked, so in my opinion, the positive. Now for some of the things I didn't like, the negative. The story has way too many things that the plot could revolve around, or elements. When I first started the book, I thought it was going to be about Rachel's gift which would have been extremely interesting and unique. Instead, the book is a mixture of Rachel's gift, demons and vampyres all encased in a beautiful Victorian world. This meant that sometimes, the plot was all over the place. I think the author would have a better story if she stuck one element and carried it till the end.
The main character, Rachel was an idiot. The girl has no sense of propriety for a woman in that era and if it was the intention of the author to make her different, it was an unsuccessful attempt. She is more of a damsel in distress that gets herself into stupid situations and looks for a man to rescue her at all times. She makes rash decisions too. Victorian girls were always chaperoned and not allowed to roam the woods alone like she did.. If she was meant to have a rebellious streak, maybe find a way more true to the period.
Overall, I truly did enjoy the story. I would recommend reading this book if you like YA historical fiction.
I thought this book was a pretty quick read. I think that this book has both negative and positive things as most books do.
The basis of this novel is about Rachel Harper, a seventeen year old girl, who is a RoseGiver, you'll have to read the book to find out what that is. I thought it was a unique concept though. I also thought the pacing of the story was awesome. I just flew through the chapters. I also found the worldbuilding to be visually stimulating and loved that it was set in the 1800s. The descriptions of Thistle Grove and Rosethorne Inn were straight out of a dream.
I liked the minor characters too. They were likeable and the incidents that occurred throughout the story with regards to the supporting characters was quite unusual but, I think added to the story. The story does have a little romance, a love triangle, but it's the slow burning type. The relationship grows from a friendship instead of a love at first site type of thing. Most of the plot was based on the mystery of the disappearing girls.
These were some of the things I liked, so in my opinion, the positive. Now for some of the things I didn't like, the negative. The story has way too many things that the plot could revolve around, or elements. When I first started the book, I thought it was going to be about Rachel's gift which would have been extremely interesting and unique. Instead, the book is a mixture of Rachel's gift, demons and vampyres all encased in a beautiful Victorian world. This meant that sometimes, the plot was all over the place. I think the author would have a better story if she stuck one element and carried it till the end.
The main character, Rachel was an idiot. The girl has no sense of propriety for a woman in that era and if it was the intention of the author to make her different, it was an unsuccessful attempt. She is more of a damsel in distress that gets herself into stupid situations and looks for a man to rescue her at all times. She makes rash decisions too. Victorian girls were always chaperoned and not allowed to roam the woods alone like she did.. If she was meant to have a rebellious streak, maybe find a way more true to the period.
Overall, I truly did enjoy the story. I would recommend reading this book if you like YA historical fiction.
December 19, 2017
Written By Sandy Hiss—It is the late 1800s, and seventeen-year-old Rachel Harper is sent by her mother to the mythical English village of Thistle Grove to assist her aunt who operates an inn in this fantasy novel by Sandy Hiss.
In the opening chapter, the reader is introduced to seventeen-year-old Rachael Harper. Rachael's mother Catherine sends young Rachael to a country English village to help her aunt Judith by performing housekeeping duties at the family inn operated by the aunt. While Rachael is still grieving the recent death of her father, she starts to look forward to the adventure of the trip and the visit with her aunt.
It isn't until Rachael is on the train from London, bound for Thistle Grove that she learns that something sinister has been taking place in the village. Some young women have gone missing, and no one knows what has become of them.
Aboard the train, Rachael becomes acquainted with an older gentleman that she discovers is a writer also bound for Thistle Grove, and they strike up a friendship.
Once Rachael arrives in Thistle Grove the reader learns that like her mother Catherine and her aunt Judith, Rachael is a Rosegiver. A Rosegiver is a person with the special gift of being able to read another person and divine such things about the person as their state of emotional or physical health. Under the supervision of her aunt, Rachael begins to practice her gift by performing readings for members of the community.
At the inn where she lives and works, Rachael makes the acquaintance of a young man employed by her aunt named Ronan. From Ronan, Rachael comes to learn that the missing girls she had heard about were taken by a vampire and perhaps turned into vampires themselves. What follows is an enchanting tale of Rachael's experiences and eventually her own run-in with vampires.
The Rosegiver is an interesting and entertaining mixture of the paranormal, suspense, and romance with an agreeable Victorian flavor. Hiss is a talented writer who uses fully developed, three-dimensional characters, an intriguing plot, and just the right pace to keep the reader engaged in her delightfully told tale. While YA fantasy isn't a genre I read often, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to those who enjoy the genre.
I received a copy of The Rosegiver through Book Gobbler in exchange for an honest review.
In the opening chapter, the reader is introduced to seventeen-year-old Rachael Harper. Rachael's mother Catherine sends young Rachael to a country English village to help her aunt Judith by performing housekeeping duties at the family inn operated by the aunt. While Rachael is still grieving the recent death of her father, she starts to look forward to the adventure of the trip and the visit with her aunt.
It isn't until Rachael is on the train from London, bound for Thistle Grove that she learns that something sinister has been taking place in the village. Some young women have gone missing, and no one knows what has become of them.
Aboard the train, Rachael becomes acquainted with an older gentleman that she discovers is a writer also bound for Thistle Grove, and they strike up a friendship.
Once Rachael arrives in Thistle Grove the reader learns that like her mother Catherine and her aunt Judith, Rachael is a Rosegiver. A Rosegiver is a person with the special gift of being able to read another person and divine such things about the person as their state of emotional or physical health. Under the supervision of her aunt, Rachael begins to practice her gift by performing readings for members of the community.
At the inn where she lives and works, Rachael makes the acquaintance of a young man employed by her aunt named Ronan. From Ronan, Rachael comes to learn that the missing girls she had heard about were taken by a vampire and perhaps turned into vampires themselves. What follows is an enchanting tale of Rachael's experiences and eventually her own run-in with vampires.
The Rosegiver is an interesting and entertaining mixture of the paranormal, suspense, and romance with an agreeable Victorian flavor. Hiss is a talented writer who uses fully developed, three-dimensional characters, an intriguing plot, and just the right pace to keep the reader engaged in her delightfully told tale. While YA fantasy isn't a genre I read often, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to those who enjoy the genre.
I received a copy of The Rosegiver through Book Gobbler in exchange for an honest review.
April 6, 2016
I think that the idea behind this is really cool. Using roses to predict people’s fate has a sweet, English provincial sort of feel about it which really drew my interest. However I think this concept is completely drowned out by the noise of the thousand other plot points going on throughout the novella.
I can count off the top of my head five different main plots which went in this – a novella barely passing two hundred pages. There just wasn’t enough room for it all and as a result none of the interesting ideas developed into anything further than just that – ideas.
Writing was also really inconsistent. I found myself being shown the perspectives of different characters one after another, with no change noted until it happened. I felt out of all the characters, John was the most interesting (with his mysterious limp and a past which doesn’t quite add up) but he had to share page time with Ronan (who didn’t find characterization beyond his job role). Rachel, as a lead, felt really bland.
I felt sad when I came to the last page and realized I wasn’t interested in what happened next. I feel this is primed for a sequel, but the delivery completely lost me.
I can count off the top of my head five different main plots which went in this – a novella barely passing two hundred pages. There just wasn’t enough room for it all and as a result none of the interesting ideas developed into anything further than just that – ideas.
Writing was also really inconsistent. I found myself being shown the perspectives of different characters one after another, with no change noted until it happened. I felt out of all the characters, John was the most interesting (with his mysterious limp and a past which doesn’t quite add up) but he had to share page time with Ronan (who didn’t find characterization beyond his job role). Rachel, as a lead, felt really bland.
I felt sad when I came to the last page and realized I wasn’t interested in what happened next. I feel this is primed for a sequel, but the delivery completely lost me.
January 2, 2018
The Rosegiver by Sandy Hiss is a historical gothic fantasy. A new release, Sandy Hiss employs all the traditional elements of nineteenth century gothic fiction - a dark brooding atmosphere, figures that draw the reader in as we question - what is real? What is imagined? Who can be trusted?
The Rosegiver also has a fairytale feel to it, very reminiscent of Little Red Riding Hood, Alice In Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White all rolled into one.
The leading lady is well drawn, likable in her innocence whilst learning to perfect her gift.
Loss permeates the novel. A loss that is deeply felt - "drowning in tears won't bring him back."
The Rosegiver was not my usual genre but I really enjoyed it. It was entertaining and had me hooked, trying to predict the outcome.
A good old fashioned gothic tale to be read with the lights on - and not before bedtime!
I received this book for free from The Book Gobbler. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
The Rosegiver also has a fairytale feel to it, very reminiscent of Little Red Riding Hood, Alice In Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White all rolled into one.
The leading lady is well drawn, likable in her innocence whilst learning to perfect her gift.
Loss permeates the novel. A loss that is deeply felt - "drowning in tears won't bring him back."
The Rosegiver was not my usual genre but I really enjoyed it. It was entertaining and had me hooked, trying to predict the outcome.
A good old fashioned gothic tale to be read with the lights on - and not before bedtime!
I received this book for free from The Book Gobbler. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
July 28, 2016
Thank you goes out to Sandy Benitez for choosing me as a winner of her book on LibraryThing! I couldn't put the book down. Yes this is YA but I like that I was on the edge of my seat but not so scared that I had to read it only during the day. I loved that there were different elements of each character, I won't disclose those because you should read this book yourself to get to know them.
April 28, 2019
This one is hard to put down once you start it, it takes you in right off. The vivid descriptions were like you were really there, not many can achieve that...............I mean close your eyes and you are there. An excellent way to spend some good vampire time
See full review here, look to the bottom
https://gszengarden.wixsite.com/mylit...
See full review here, look to the bottom
https://gszengarden.wixsite.com/mylit...
September 26, 2016
1800’s. Leaving Fallbrook & headed for the Waterloo Station, London, England; Rachel Harper (17) was aboard the Alexandria Express train going to visit her Aunt Judith Constantin (sister) in Thistle Grove at the Rosethorne inn.
Mr. Thomas Miller (Porter) ask for her ticket.
Thomas later invited her to the dining car for dinner.
Rachel finally arrived at Rosethorne
Employees for Aunt Judith ae: Martha (cook), Henry (gardener) & now Rachel (18 (housekeeper).
While out & around the estate Rachal & Ronan Knight saw something very strange.
Mr. John Walters (writer) assured her there was nothing to be alarmed about.
Mrs. Anne Whitaker (mother) had ask Rachal (aka rosegiver) to do a reading for her daughter Amelia Whitaker (8).
Constable Johnston claims some local young girls are missing
Mr. Thomas Miller (former schoolteacher, gentleman) has requested a reading from Racheal (aka rosegiver) also.
Lijuan (Chinese) is Thomas’ herbalist, & his father’s lover.
Rachal asked Aunt Judith about the history of her grandparents: Matthias Hess (husband, German), Ecaterina Constantin (wife, Romanian).
Was Rachal having another dream about Direwood?
Could Rachel & Ronan be falling in love?
Its Rachel’s 18th. birthday a very special surprise a letter & a map from her father.
John & Ronan were helping Rachal with X marks the spot on the map.
We call the female counter part vampire; vampiress.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written Vampire paranormal book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great vampire Mystery movie, animated cartoon, or better yet a mini TV series. To be contuned? Well, it wasn’t quite as bloody & exciting as I like them so I will only rate it at 4/5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; Making Connections; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Mr. Thomas Miller (Porter) ask for her ticket.
Thomas later invited her to the dining car for dinner.
Rachel finally arrived at Rosethorne
Employees for Aunt Judith ae: Martha (cook), Henry (gardener) & now Rachel (18 (housekeeper).
While out & around the estate Rachal & Ronan Knight saw something very strange.
Mr. John Walters (writer) assured her there was nothing to be alarmed about.
Mrs. Anne Whitaker (mother) had ask Rachal (aka rosegiver) to do a reading for her daughter Amelia Whitaker (8).
Constable Johnston claims some local young girls are missing
Mr. Thomas Miller (former schoolteacher, gentleman) has requested a reading from Racheal (aka rosegiver) also.
Lijuan (Chinese) is Thomas’ herbalist, & his father’s lover.
Rachal asked Aunt Judith about the history of her grandparents: Matthias Hess (husband, German), Ecaterina Constantin (wife, Romanian).
Was Rachal having another dream about Direwood?
Could Rachel & Ronan be falling in love?
Its Rachel’s 18th. birthday a very special surprise a letter & a map from her father.
John & Ronan were helping Rachal with X marks the spot on the map.
We call the female counter part vampire; vampiress.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written Vampire paranormal book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great vampire Mystery movie, animated cartoon, or better yet a mini TV series. To be contuned? Well, it wasn’t quite as bloody & exciting as I like them so I will only rate it at 4/5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; Making Connections; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
December 23, 2016
The Rosegiver by Sandy Benitez is a horror, young adult book set in the late 1800s in rural England. Rachel Harper travels to her aunt's home, the Rosethorne Inn in Thistlegrove. She learns from a writer, John, who is also traveling to the inn that several young girls are missing. Rachel is frightened but feels safe when she arrives.
While Rachel waited in the train depot, she observed: "professionally dressed gentlemen in black wool suits huddled together like a murder of crows, discussing the business of the day."
"Sighing, she grabbed another lemon drop from her purse and plopped it into her dry mouth. She loved the tart taste but it always seemed to cause her mouth to twist in a funny manner when it first hit her tongue. She wondered how many strangers had witnessed the odd distortion on her face when she ate one and if they thought she was well or suffering from some unknown ailment."
Ronan is a graveminder and employed as a 'Jack of all trades' by her Aunt Judith. The language is flowery but suitable for the timeframe.
Mysterious happenings took place. Can they find the kidnapper before Rachel is harmed? Can this situation be solved?
It kept my attention, so I gave it five stars. Unfortunately, the Kindle edition I received had awkward breaks with the book's title, page numbers or the author's name inserted in strange places. I found that very distracting.
I received a complimentary Kindle copy from Createspace and NetGalley. That did not change my opinion for this review.
Link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/152...
While Rachel waited in the train depot, she observed: "professionally dressed gentlemen in black wool suits huddled together like a murder of crows, discussing the business of the day."
"Sighing, she grabbed another lemon drop from her purse and plopped it into her dry mouth. She loved the tart taste but it always seemed to cause her mouth to twist in a funny manner when it first hit her tongue. She wondered how many strangers had witnessed the odd distortion on her face when she ate one and if they thought she was well or suffering from some unknown ailment."
Ronan is a graveminder and employed as a 'Jack of all trades' by her Aunt Judith. The language is flowery but suitable for the timeframe.
Mysterious happenings took place. Can they find the kidnapper before Rachel is harmed? Can this situation be solved?
It kept my attention, so I gave it five stars. Unfortunately, the Kindle edition I received had awkward breaks with the book's title, page numbers or the author's name inserted in strange places. I found that very distracting.
I received a complimentary Kindle copy from Createspace and NetGalley. That did not change my opinion for this review.
Link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/152...
February 5, 2017
The author has done an excellent job of blending a wide variety of elements into this story that I typically would expect to see in many different genres. There’s some strong influences from the (gothic) horror and thriller genres that especially stood out to me. As well as this I also thought the added romantic twist did a great job of adding an extra layer of depth to how the story plays out, especially in regard to emphasizing the dynamic of characters Rachel and Ronan
The story seems to be aimed more at a younger, YA-genre reading audience – but I personally found that the writing style was quite reminiscent of more serious, classical books that I have come across over the years. What I mean by this is that the author has a very matured and well-refined writing style that, if I was unaware that the author hails from a more contemporary indie background, I would have guessed that the book was written from a pioneer of the mystery/supernatural genres. I think that this stands as a great testament to the author’s raw writing ability and really, with the exception of a few chapters that could benefit from some slight editing, I have trouble pointing out any flaws or areas that need to be significantly improved.
The story seems to be aimed more at a younger, YA-genre reading audience – but I personally found that the writing style was quite reminiscent of more serious, classical books that I have come across over the years. What I mean by this is that the author has a very matured and well-refined writing style that, if I was unaware that the author hails from a more contemporary indie background, I would have guessed that the book was written from a pioneer of the mystery/supernatural genres. I think that this stands as a great testament to the author’s raw writing ability and really, with the exception of a few chapters that could benefit from some slight editing, I have trouble pointing out any flaws or areas that need to be significantly improved.
April 14, 2016
This quaint story is short and direct in a complicated way. It kept me reading as we were introduced to various elements-- new characters, the Inn, jobs like graveminders, and missing girls. It moved at lightning speed, all the way to the end and it seemed like it just kept piling up. Is there a sequel to be had? Possibly, but I wish she would have wrapped everything up a bit better in this first story that was unique.
The mysteriousness nature of Rachel's travels and her gift, the gorgeous little inn, and Ronan all illuminate this English story. At times, the writing is equally magical in it's descriptions of the rose balm on Rachel or traveling to Thistle Grove on the train. It seems though that Benitez could have slowed down a bit and unwrapped some of the more interesting elements and left out others. I'm all for vampyres too, but let's take one thing at a time.
It's in a class by itself. Historical feel with the vampyre and changelings and rose gardens and big dresses and tea mixed with occultish and mysterious deaths. It's a teenage version of what Cat Winters does so well! With a bit of boiling down to the basic elements, it could have elevated its beauty.
The mysteriousness nature of Rachel's travels and her gift, the gorgeous little inn, and Ronan all illuminate this English story. At times, the writing is equally magical in it's descriptions of the rose balm on Rachel or traveling to Thistle Grove on the train. It seems though that Benitez could have slowed down a bit and unwrapped some of the more interesting elements and left out others. I'm all for vampyres too, but let's take one thing at a time.
It's in a class by itself. Historical feel with the vampyre and changelings and rose gardens and big dresses and tea mixed with occultish and mysterious deaths. It's a teenage version of what Cat Winters does so well! With a bit of boiling down to the basic elements, it could have elevated its beauty.
May 3, 2016
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
What made me fascinated by this story was the idea that roses could be used to predict people’s fate. It’s a sweet and interesting idea. That was the biggest reason to why I wanted to read this book. However, I think this concept was drowned out by everything that was going on. There seemed to be so many different plots going on at once rather than one or two. I wish that the story mainly focused on the rose aspect. This book was a little over two-hundred pages and for everything going on, it just seemed too short and too rushed. Because of that, I had to dock a star off my rating. But, it still was a good read.
Despite that, I enjoyed the various elements of the new characters and missing girls. All the different elements being added in kept me reading and intrigued. The mysteriousness nature of Rachel’s gifts and the gorgeous descriptions were beautiful to read as well.
This was a good read and I wish the author future success. I also would recommend this book for people looking for a fast read.
Not everything was wrapped up, so I’m thinking a sequel might be in the works?
What made me fascinated by this story was the idea that roses could be used to predict people’s fate. It’s a sweet and interesting idea. That was the biggest reason to why I wanted to read this book. However, I think this concept was drowned out by everything that was going on. There seemed to be so many different plots going on at once rather than one or two. I wish that the story mainly focused on the rose aspect. This book was a little over two-hundred pages and for everything going on, it just seemed too short and too rushed. Because of that, I had to dock a star off my rating. But, it still was a good read.
Despite that, I enjoyed the various elements of the new characters and missing girls. All the different elements being added in kept me reading and intrigued. The mysteriousness nature of Rachel’s gifts and the gorgeous descriptions were beautiful to read as well.
This was a good read and I wish the author future success. I also would recommend this book for people looking for a fast read.
Not everything was wrapped up, so I’m thinking a sequel might be in the works?
Read
November 14, 2016Rachel is traveling from the only home she’s ever known to begin her life with her aunt as a rosegiver. Rosegivers can read other people and learn whether they are ill or not. It’s a gift that’s passed down through her family. When she arrives at Thistle Grove, she learns that young girls are disappearing and it appears to be the result of a vampyre. She starts to fear for her life when she starts having frightening dreams about the vampyre coming for her. She needs to discover who the master vampyre is that’s killing young girls before it’s too late and it gets her too.
This book is truly one of the best gothic fantasies I have ever read. When I first started reading, I was struck by how innocent and pure Rachel was which isn’t all that typical for a gothic story, but as the story progressed, I was thrilled to see that she turned out to be a strong, independent woman who was more than capable of taking on the horrors she discovered. I was NOT expecting the ending when I got to it, but I love the twist it took. I do hope that the author writes another book to follow up. I would love to read more about Thistle Grove.
This book is truly one of the best gothic fantasies I have ever read. When I first started reading, I was struck by how innocent and pure Rachel was which isn’t all that typical for a gothic story, but as the story progressed, I was thrilled to see that she turned out to be a strong, independent woman who was more than capable of taking on the horrors she discovered. I was NOT expecting the ending when I got to it, but I love the twist it took. I do hope that the author writes another book to follow up. I would love to read more about Thistle Grove.
October 23, 2016
Rachel is a seventeen year old girl who is traveling by train to go and stay with her Aunt at a place called Thistle Grove. Once there she will begin her duties as a rosegiver. A rosegiver will do a reading for the person and give them a rose. The roses stand for different things, such as being ill or brokenhearted. When she gets there, however, she discovers that there is more to Thistle Grove than just another small town.
I liked all the characters but I would have to say that my favorite was John. I loved his wit and enjoyed reading his part of the story very much. I also really liked the main character of the story Rachel, but not as much as I did John. The story was interesting and I love how I couldn’t figure out who the villain of the story was until the very end of the book. The story did, drag in certain places. Overall I enjoyed this book. I recommend to anyone who likes a good mystery and a little horror mixed in.
I received an e-book copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I liked all the characters but I would have to say that my favorite was John. I loved his wit and enjoyed reading his part of the story very much. I also really liked the main character of the story Rachel, but not as much as I did John. The story was interesting and I love how I couldn’t figure out who the villain of the story was until the very end of the book. The story did, drag in certain places. Overall I enjoyed this book. I recommend to anyone who likes a good mystery and a little horror mixed in.
I received an e-book copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 5, 2017
I was provided an ARC of The Rosegiver by Sandy Benitez in exchange for an honest review.
The Rosegiver contains several original concepts, such as rosegivers and graveminders, all of which I enjoyed and really made the story. Setting the story and characters in 19th Century England was the perfect time period and location for Rachel and her adventures.
Even with the original content and mystery in The Rosegiver, I was not completely pulled into the story. I think The Rosegiver is cute and I liked the story, but I feel like this may be more appropriate for younger YA readers, such as middle school readers.
The Rosegiver contains several original concepts, such as rosegivers and graveminders, all of which I enjoyed and really made the story. Setting the story and characters in 19th Century England was the perfect time period and location for Rachel and her adventures.
Even with the original content and mystery in The Rosegiver, I was not completely pulled into the story. I think The Rosegiver is cute and I liked the story, but I feel like this may be more appropriate for younger YA readers, such as middle school readers.
May 5, 2016
I received this book from Netgalley in return for a review. The book had formatting issues, such that only a few lines appeared on any given page. This meant that I spent a great deal of time swiping to turn the page.
Rachel is traveling to live with her aunt. There is an air of mystery surrounding why. When she arrives the mysteries deepen as girls her age have been disappearing. There is a cast of characters we don't really get to know well - Rachel, Judith, John, Ronan, and the cook. Then there are the vampyres. Apparently, they are just a part of life as are a group known as Rosegivers. Rachel is a rosegiver. This role is not well explained in the book. I think the whole book could have used a bit more fleshing out. The puzzles don't ever really get solved. Maybe this is the beginning of a series? There is no indication that it is, but there just seems to be too much missing from the story.
Rachel is traveling to live with her aunt. There is an air of mystery surrounding why. When she arrives the mysteries deepen as girls her age have been disappearing. There is a cast of characters we don't really get to know well - Rachel, Judith, John, Ronan, and the cook. Then there are the vampyres. Apparently, they are just a part of life as are a group known as Rosegivers. Rachel is a rosegiver. This role is not well explained in the book. I think the whole book could have used a bit more fleshing out. The puzzles don't ever really get solved. Maybe this is the beginning of a series? There is no indication that it is, but there just seems to be too much missing from the story.
September 2, 2016
The Rosegiver by Sandy Benitez
Genre: Fiction/Horror
About the book: Rachel is requested to help her aunt with housekeeping duties at the family inn. Aside from housekeeping, she also tasked to be a rosegiver which is a messenger for those who are weak or dying. She discovers that there are missing girls nearby and that there are rumors of vampires. Will she be able to help solve the mystery or will she become just another of the missing girls?
Review: I really enjoy reading horror novels, especially the novels that you can get into the plot easily but there are still twists and turns in the story. I made some predictions, some of them were correct while others were not. I really enjoyed how eloquently this was written and if there was a sequel, I would certainly want to read it.
Link to Author Page or Website: https://sandybenitez.blogspot.com
Link where you can purchase: https://www.createspace.com/6050207
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Genre: Fiction/Horror
About the book: Rachel is requested to help her aunt with housekeeping duties at the family inn. Aside from housekeeping, she also tasked to be a rosegiver which is a messenger for those who are weak or dying. She discovers that there are missing girls nearby and that there are rumors of vampires. Will she be able to help solve the mystery or will she become just another of the missing girls?
Review: I really enjoy reading horror novels, especially the novels that you can get into the plot easily but there are still twists and turns in the story. I made some predictions, some of them were correct while others were not. I really enjoyed how eloquently this was written and if there was a sequel, I would certainly want to read it.
Link to Author Page or Website: https://sandybenitez.blogspot.com
Link where you can purchase: https://www.createspace.com/6050207
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
October 10, 2016
As I read the last half of the story, I had to stop myself from pausing to write down wonderful descriptions, for example, the description of the wax candles melting... beautiful wording populates this story. It's also campy, and moves along. I can easily imagine turning Mystery on PBS and having this story as a new series. It was a fun read that wasn't too scary to read at night, and kept me wondering what was going to happen next. There were some surprises as well. Delightful. It would be great to have more like this story to read.
October 22, 2016
I received this book as a "The LibraryThing" reviewer. Overall I liked, The Rosegiver. I liked the very unique concept of a rosegiver and was intrigued by the idea. As a YA supernatural/horror book, it was chock-full of scary sweet spots. I especially liked the rugged Ronan character and the too-handsome-for-words Thomas character. But, I found Rachel somewhat predictable which prevented me from thoroughly enjoying the spooky goings-on at Thistlegrove. Overall Sandy Benitez is a very talented author with a quick wit and a keen eye. I look forward to her next book.
January 11, 2017
An original Gothic story with a surprise ending! It was great because I did not guess who the culprit was for once! Anyone interested in Victorian era gothic novels will enjoy this book, and I particularly liked how the author was able to establish many characters and their personalities rather quickly and remain consistent throughout the book.
April 22, 2016
Honestly, this was just great. I'm a sucker for any thriller & horror, but especially in the YA genre because it's a relatively rare find. On top of this, I loved the characters in this and the plot as well.
July 1, 2016
The Rosegiver is a wonderful new book by Sandy Benitez ,
The settings, characters and place names are all lovely.
Such a enjoyable read you will want more. Hope there will maybe be a series
The settings, characters and place names are all lovely.
Such a enjoyable read you will want more. Hope there will maybe be a series
February 6, 2017
You can find my review at www.readinglark.blogspot.com after 27 Jan 2017
June 5, 2017
I want to like this novel more than I do. Parts of it are done very well, but the glaring problems keep my opinion of it lower. It's not the worst novel I've read, but it's far from the top.
Plot: The mystery part of this story held my attention 'til the end. It never bored me, and I didn't guess the villain's identity until the last few chapters. But there were too many elements thrown together, and none of them were done well. There's the business of the rosegivers, which is different and I wanted more information on them, then there's vampires and graveminders, there's a bit of a love triangle, and to round it out, the town has its own demonically possessed child. On their own, these plot threads would have been interesting, but together they make a mess. The author seemed to want to do a bit of everything and doesn't have the knack for it.
Characters: The characters were bland, and by some of the dialogue, all seemed a bit daft. I didn't hate them, and occasionally a glimmering of personality would happen but not enough for them to grip me.
Writing: The author has a great talent for describing scenes. She doesn't go overboard but certainly paints a vivid picture. I'm very impressed. Plus, the pacing wasn't bad at all. It was a quick read, which is always nice. On that note, this story needed a good two or three heavy edits before being published. In every chapter, I found silly mistakes that took away from the reading. Then the dialogue. I didn't feel like real people were talking once. At times, it was a chore to read what came out of their mouths. Also, some of the dialogue was too modern. I didn't like jumping in and out of other characters' thoughts mid-way through a paragraph from Rachel's POV. It was very distracting. And the author suffers from a heavy case of "telling instead of showing."
I think with time and practice Sandy Benitez could become a very good author. I'd be willing to read another book of hers.
Plot: The mystery part of this story held my attention 'til the end. It never bored me, and I didn't guess the villain's identity until the last few chapters. But there were too many elements thrown together, and none of them were done well. There's the business of the rosegivers, which is different and I wanted more information on them, then there's vampires and graveminders, there's a bit of a love triangle, and to round it out, the town has its own demonically possessed child. On their own, these plot threads would have been interesting, but together they make a mess. The author seemed to want to do a bit of everything and doesn't have the knack for it.
Characters: The characters were bland, and by some of the dialogue, all seemed a bit daft. I didn't hate them, and occasionally a glimmering of personality would happen but not enough for them to grip me.
Writing: The author has a great talent for describing scenes. She doesn't go overboard but certainly paints a vivid picture. I'm very impressed. Plus, the pacing wasn't bad at all. It was a quick read, which is always nice. On that note, this story needed a good two or three heavy edits before being published. In every chapter, I found silly mistakes that took away from the reading. Then the dialogue. I didn't feel like real people were talking once. At times, it was a chore to read what came out of their mouths. Also, some of the dialogue was too modern. I didn't like jumping in and out of other characters' thoughts mid-way through a paragraph from Rachel's POV. It was very distracting. And the author suffers from a heavy case of "telling instead of showing."
I think with time and practice Sandy Benitez could become a very good author. I'd be willing to read another book of hers.
December 6, 2018
The Rosegiver is a good story, I really enjoyed it. There are some grammar issues, and the writing style and dialogue feels very stiff, but I'm not holding that against the writer, since this is her first book. I see what she was doing, and I'm sure she'll get better. My only other issue is that the ending feels rushed and very abrupt.
May 5, 2016
I received The Rosegiver from Netgalley in return for an honest review. Let me start with everything I liked about this book.
Historical Victorian horror/Gothic feel
Roses used to “predict” someone's fate
Vampires
Bed & Breakfast/Inn and Tea
Mystery about missing girls
The synopsis of this novella is what made me want to read it. It seemed like it had a little bit of everything I love to read about. The idea of someone being a "rosegiver" and using roses as a way to predict someone's fate and even potentially their death really intrigued me (side story: I've always wanted to dress up as the Angel of Death on Halloween and walk about giving people black roses with random future dates on them...implying their death...yes I know...I'm a weirdo)...hence why this book caught my eye.
Now for what I didn't like....
I really wanted to like this book but in the end, I just couldn't. The story felt like a poor variation of Dracula where Jonathan Harker becomes Rachel Harper with the gift of reading people's fate with roses. I think that if the Benitez hadn't rushed or limited herself to keep this book to just over 200 pages (though the Netgalley version is only about 158 pages) there could have been some great potential here. Maybe if the focus had been primarily on the idea of what it meant to be a "rosegiver" or maybe gone deeper into the lives of the missing girls or Rachel's family line and why this place had vampires to begin with, but there was just too many plotlines and not enough space for all of it.
I couldn't even really like the characters because there just wasn't enough background or story given to them. You were barely introduced to one before another was quickly thrown at you. Rachel felt bland and lacking in personality and as the heroine of the story, I really wanted her to be stronger, smarter and a bit more “spunky”. In a world of YA books with so many wonderful and unique characters filled with personality and incredible world building, it's hard to not expect more from authors and how they create their characters and worlds.
The author kept referring to Rachel reading penny dreadful magazines on the train (though never really explaining what penny dreadfuls are) and this is exactly what this novella felt like to me...a penny dreadful. As I mentioned before, there is potential with all the “ideas” in this story, and with the proper time and space devoted to them I believe the author could have come up with something really fabulous which is why I am giving this book 2 stars. The ideas are there, and there were some entertaining parts in the books. I hope that maybe this might be a novella that could be revamped into an actual longer book, where the dialogue will be better, the characters will have more depth and be more interesting and the plots will meld into something unique and less forced together.
You can view this and other reviews at : www.theplotbunny.com
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