One White Rose

by Julie Fugate

A beast that can’t change. A girl fighting to stay human.

CAMILLE DREES is determined to find her biological mother’s killer and put her genetic past behind her. Not easy to do under the radar when you’re the new girl in school and the only albino. After falling victim to a prank, she is forced to be friends with the same girls who tricked her, while at the same time finds herself placed under the wing of a mysterious and elite organization.

Frenemies are one thing, but bizarre visions and the attention of a hot stranger another. When she realizes her new friends and murdered mother were all involved with the same organization now grooming them for some future destiny, she can’t lose the opportunity to gain information.

With the help of another classmate who shares her quest for the truth, they discover a world where angels and mermaids aren’t myths and evil exists. Now another life beckons to her, so it’s a race to find the killer before she’s the next victim or worse—becomes a monster herself.

An Urban Fantasy with Christian themes inspired by Beauty and the Beast. This is a stand-alone in the Kings of Renown Series.

261 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Rating: 3/5

Publication Date: October 2, 2018

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 12+ (love and fantasy)

Publisher: Clean Reads

Pages: 261

Amazon Link

Synopsis: A beast that can’t change. A girl fighting to stay human.

CAMILLE DREES is determined to find her biological mother’s killer and put her genetic past behind her. Not easy to do under the radar when you’re the new girl in school and the only albino. After falling victim to a prank, she is forced to be friends with the same girls who tricked her, while at the same time finds herself placed under the wing of a mysterious and elite organization.

Frenemies are one thing, but bizarre visions and the attention of a hot stranger another. When she realizes her new friends and murdered mother were all involved with the same organization now grooming them for some future destiny, she can’t lose the opportunity to gain information.

With the help of another classmate who shares her quest for the truth, they discover a world where angels and mermaids aren’t myths and evil exists. Now another life beckons to her, so it’s a race to find the killer before she’s the next victim or worse—becomes a monster herself.

An Urban Fantasy with Christian themes inspired by Beauty and the Beast. This is a stand-alone in the Kings of Renown Series.

Review: This book was really good in the fantasy field. The settings were rich and the detail was on point. The pacing is slowish but picks up speed as you go through the book. It was enjoyable for the most part.

However, I do feel that the book was kinda everywhere and I have concerns about the relationships in the book. It could be a bad influence to younger readers.

Verdict: Enjoyable Beauty and the Beast Retelling.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

I recieved a free copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I love the cover and I have been looking forward to reading this book.

But, I was sorely disappointed. Note, I stopped reading at 25%. I decided to give up and not force myself to read a book I was really not enjoying and focusing on books I will enjoy.

So I know I was only a quarter the way in, but I got nothing resembling a beauty and the beast retelling. It was a about a girl who went to a new school under confusing circumstances, I got a little lost in her family tree and her guardians. I know why she chose that school to go to but she hadn't told her aunt, so why would her aunt up root her life and move there? It just didn't make sense, as didn't a lot of the book.

The books starts with a prank getting played on Camille (the main MC), it was not well done. Her thoughts throughout and her actions made no sense. The Principal's reaction was just odd.

The meeting with the counciler almost made me stop reading there and then. It was just so unrealistic! I was thinking this book was going to take a dark turn and he was going to be a paedophile.

Then the makeover really annoyed me, if this book is targeted at young girls, it's telling them that being themselves is not enough, you have to try and fit in and wear make up. The the girls, kind of melded into one. I really felt none of them had any personality.

I never found out much about the secret society but the rules were just ricdiculous, and this was the last straw for me. I will not actively seek more by this author.

I am giving it two stars rather than one just the writing was good, but it was let down by the story.

2 out of 5 stars

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

More than just a pretty cover...or a pretty girl...Julie Fugate's "One White Rose" is a modern Beauty and the Beast with a mix of religion and fantasy.

Camille Drees is a girl who feels like an outsider. Losing her guardian, losing her birth mother, and losing her "old life" Camille should be drowning in sorrow. Instead, she dives into the mystery of her birth mother's death by enrolling in an elite school, the Wyngard Academy. Enrollment means access to the school and the student body, which is of paramount importance because its the last location her birth mother worked. Soon Camille develops two types of friends, on very different sides of the social divide. She has the attention of the 'new" school counselor and a complete lack of attention from her guardian/aunt. The world becomes as complex as the mystery of her mother's murder.

I found this book to be a truly enjoyable read. I appreciate the "clean read" aspect of the book, which was unexpected and really appreciated. I found this more to be a modern "Cinderella" tale than Beauty and the Beast. Camille has little but gains considerably due to her kindness, her love, and her resiliency. My only complaint is that I didn't find this to be a true stand-alone book. There is an incredible amount of backstory that is missing, and it makes this book a confusing read without that knowledge. I hope to read more from this author and more from this series in the future.

[Carolyn Denman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Camille is a 16yo girl who has recently lost her guardian. Having discovered that her biological mother was recently murdered, she convinces her (non-biological) aunt to move to the town so she can try to solve the murder. On her first day of school she's bullied by the school's 'mean girls', who are then ordered by the mysterious Mr Kiva - posing as the school counsellor - to take her in as one of their own. As much as she dislikes their manipulative ways, she plays along, hoping to find clues. Luckily she's befriended by Jade, who keeps her grounded during her search. The story expands to embrace a cast of angels, mermaids, a hairy sweaty koala, and a maltese terrier. There are a few places where the story could use some tighter editing, but they aren't too distracting. The settings are richly detailed and the pacing picks up well towards the end. The author's heart for grace comes through as a major theme.
***Spoiler Alert***
The only concern I have, if any, is the same criticism many have with the classic Beauty & the Beast tale. There are too many real-life examples of unsafe relationships for me to be entirely comfortable with tales that imply that inside every beast is true love waiting to be discovered. In this case, the idea has been carefully handled, but I would be wary of modelling that idea to younger readers.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read. A little slow at the beginning but once it got going, it held my attention. I found myself curious as to what going to happen. It's an interesting variation on Beauty and the Beast themes but not a retelling. Liked the Christian undertones to the story.

[Gemma McLaughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘The statue’s face transfixed in her mind, the wings stretched out.
So familiar.
So similar.
So dark.’

I wasn’t sure what to think of this one. A modern Beauty and the Beast with a mix of religion and fantasy with it’s added surprising mythical creatures.
The story started off like a mystery thriller, a teenage girl not quite accepted in society, intent on finding the person responsible for her mother’s murder. The new counsellor takes an interest in her, giving her a new change of life which allows you to become suspicious, but then the story changes to become something different altogether with a religious turn before introducing mythical creatures. I’m not sure whether I loved it or hated it. It was an interesting take to say the least for a fairytale retelling of sorts.
A girl given everything to unknowingly become part of the mysterious Le’gna – an organisation/ cult that didn’t quite make sense to me, even after the second time I read it. Do these people worship angels or fallen angels? Do they believe Mr. Kiva is good or evil? It makes you ask yourself over and over again, who are the Le’gna and what is their purpose? You never quite figure it out, well, at least I didn’t.

Mr. Kiva was an enigma to me. He was supposed to be the handsome young anti-hero that we all fall in love with, but I felt we didn’t get to know his character at all. I do wish the author made the time to include a few brief chapters mixed in from his perspective. What does a fallen angel do when he’s not playing the role of school counsellor? Are there other fallen angels like him who he associates with? How does he feel losing another queen to old age and what makes Camille so special in his eyes for him to single her out after a hundred years? I want to know more about our bad boy anti-hero. The glimpse that we do get is that it’s clear he’s keeping watch over her and trying to keep her safe, but from who? Himself? The Le’gna? Other fallen angels? The little emotional triggers felt when they touch were a small indication to how lonely and wretched his life had become before he put up his barriers again.

‘She met Mr. Kiva’s dead-man stare in the mirror. The chocolate colour of his pupils seemed to swirl like black tornadoes pulling her in, then his eyes were once again stable, black as ink. Impossible. A hallucination?
Mr. Kiva seemed amused. “You are definitely not what I expected.”‘

I liked Camille as a character, not only was she singled out as the new student to play pranks on, but the author did more by making her albino. A further challenge for a new high school student who just wants to be accepted. I liked how she wasn’t blind to the fake Le’gna girls and stuck with them for her own purpose and gain. I didn’t like how quickly and easily she just accepted the Mr. Kiva was going to control her life, although I can see the appeal for her wanting to blend in. Her humility in knowing she will never be beautiful to another, so when people pay her compliments she doesn’t know how to react. The author made her realistic and almost relatable in her unusual appearance, easy to understand and feel for.

I liked the writing style and enjoyed the characters, but I feel a bit more character development would have definitely improved my favour for the story. I understand that Mr. Kiva was this elusive important being but a few more conversations with the person who he’s set on being his future companion wouldn’t have hurt for her to feel something a bit more than general physical attraction and suspicion. I’ve read this book twice and I still can’t make my mind up so I’ve rated it 3/5 stars.

[Bobbie Kirkland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of ONE WHITE ROSE (A Kings of Renown Novel) by Julie Fugate in exchange for an honest review. When Camille Drees discovers her birth mother had recently been murdered, she decides to infiltrate the school where her mother was a counselor and find out who was responsible for the death. On her first day, the school principal punishes Camille for being the victim of a nasty prank enacted by his daughter, who is the ringleader of the local mean girls. However, Camille is surprised to be rescued from detention by the new school counselor, Mr. Kiva. Mr. Kiva then manipulates/blackmails Camille into joining the mean girls’ group and, through them, a secret society. Mr. Kiva is a mysterious figure who shows up occasionally to either be cruel or kind, according to his whim, while Camille struggles to fit in with the mean girls and find a killer. Camille finds there is more going on than just vicious personalities.

This was a fun book. I liked the Christian themes. The characters were suitably likeable and unlikeable; neither too nasty nor too good. The storyline was well-thought-out. Things were confusing when they were supposed to be and explained at the right time. This is a good beginning to the series. If you like urban fantasy and teen drama, you should like this novel.

#OneWhiteRose #NetGalley

[Ashley Reyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book through Netgalley. This book referenced being part of a series, but does not state what number. After checking out the author, this is either the second in the series or just the second set in this world. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND reading the other novel first. There are a lot of things not touched on in this book that would have been helpful to know, and the copy I received also did not even reference other books in this series or by the author. This book, although good once I got past 50% the pace picked up and everything made more sense. The main character, Camille, loses her guardian, and comes to a new school where her bio mom was recently murdered. The story revolves around her search for justice, and a social group the character herself doesn’t even understand until the end of the novel (and wasn’t explained to the readers either). The romance in it was awkward to me and seemed to come out of left field, almost as oddly inserted as the religious aspect. I feel if I had more knowledge of the world built in the other book, it would have helped. If there was a follow up to this I might borrow from the library but I don’t know that I would buy it.

[Lianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for a review

I enjoyed this read. In the beginning, it was a bit confusing as it did not have much of the usual introductions to the characters. Seeing as this book is a stand-alone book in an ongoing series, I feel it would be much more helpful if I've read the other book in the series.

Needless to say, after numerous books I've read on the topic of Angels, this was quite a refreshing take. Usually God, Christianity, and Heaven are not mentioned in the books I've read. I've enjoyed the Christian tones of this book. Previously, I've been weary about reading Christian books as preachiness turned me off. I was pleased to read the Christian tones without being made to feel like such a bad person.

[Lianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for a review


I enjoyed this read. In the beginning, it was a bit confusing as it did not have much of the usual introductions to the characters. Seeing as this book is a stand-alone book in an ongoing series, I feel it would be much more helpful if I've read the other book in the series.

Needless to say, after numerous books I've read on the topic of Angels, this was quite a refreshing take. Usually God, Christianity, and Heaven are not mentioned in the books I've read. I've enjoyed the Christian tones of this book. Previously, I've been weary about reading Christian books as preachiness turned me off. I was pleased to read the Christian tones without being made to feel like such a bad person.

[Nicole Vanadia Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a mixed review. While some aspects of the book were good and enjoyable, other aspects were confusing and took away from the overall story. I finished the book and it was mostly an easy read. It was very slow until about 60% in. Half way through the book you'd almost think you picked up another book. The backstory and reveals are not slowly released to give you a little information at a time. It's all thrown at you the last third of the book. If you don't read the synopsis, you would have no idea what this book was about until it was almost over. Even after finishing the book, I'm still not exactly sure who Mr Kiva is (and why Camille keeps referring to him this way) or what exactly Le'gna's purpose is or what they believe. The character development of Camille was good. She was very three dimensional. Her friend Jade was also a good character and very consistent. The 3 Mean Girls were very stereotypical. I wish Mr Kiva was more prevalent in the story as his character is important. I know he's attractive and smirks alot. His lack of appearances and interactions with Camille make their "romance" very unbelievable and a secondary issue. I'm glad her mother's murder was resolved, even if it wasn't surprising. I didn't mind the religious aspect. It fit with the overall story and was handled well. The mermaids were an interesting addition, though I wish we were given more information and backstory to make them relevant. I'm not sure if this is actually a standalone novel or part of a series. There is a book 1 before this that I'm not sure is associated and I'm not sure if there is any kind of conclusion after this book. I hope so because the ending did not seem like a complete ending and it was still vague and mysterious which just translates into confusing for a reader. While this is an okay story, there are many other books portraying Angels that would be a more satisfying read.