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Waking Rose
A novel for teens and adults based on a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm
"I love him more than poetry... I love him more than song."
Ever since he rescued her from Certain Death, Rose Brier has had a crush on Ben Denniston, otherwise known as Fish. But Fish, struggling with problems of his own, thinks that Rose should go looking elsewhere for a knight in shining armor. Trying to forget him, Rose goes to college, takes up with a sword-wielding band of brothers, and starts an investigation into her family's past that proves increasingly mysterious. Then a tragic accident occurs, and Fish, assisted by Rose's new friends, finds himself drawn into a search through a tangle of revenge and corruption that might be threatening Rose's very life. The climax is a crucible of fear, fight, and fire that Fish must pass through to reach Rose and conquer his dragons.
"I love him more than poetry... I love him more than song."
Ever since he rescued her from Certain Death, Rose Brier has had a crush on Ben Denniston, otherwise known as Fish. But Fish, struggling with problems of his own, thinks that Rose should go looking elsewhere for a knight in shining armor. Trying to forget him, Rose goes to college, takes up with a sword-wielding band of brothers, and starts an investigation into her family's past that proves increasingly mysterious. Then a tragic accident occurs, and Fish, assisted by Rose's new friends, finds himself drawn into a search through a tangle of revenge and corruption that might be threatening Rose's very life. The climax is a crucible of fear, fight, and fire that Fish must pass through to reach Rose and conquer his dragons.
354 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
23 people are currently reading
1503 people want to read
About the author
Regina Doman
32 books510 followersRegina Doman is a Catholic wife, mother, author and editor. Currently she runs her own company, Chesterton Press, which publishes and distributes quality Catholic fiction. When she worked as the editor of Sophia Institute Press' fiction line, she launched the popular John Paul 2 High series for teens, and Rachel's Contrition became a #1 Best Seller in Amazon's Women's Fiction category, and winner of the 2011 Catholic Arts and Letters Award for best adult fiction. As an author, she has written the Fairy Tale Novels, a series of books for teens and adults that places fairy tales in modern settings with Christian themes interwoven. The fifth book in that series, Alex O'Donnell and the 40 CyberThieves, won the 2011 Catholic Arts and Letters Award for best young adult fiction. In 2013, she published her longest and most challenging fairy tale novel yet, Rapunzel Let Down. Her only picture book Angel in the Waters has sold over 120,000 copies. In 2010 she was presented with the "In Defense of Sanity" award from the American Chesterton Society. Regina and her husband Andrew live in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley on a farmstead with their children. To the question, “How do you manage to get it all done?” Regina responds, “What makes you think I get it all done?”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
May 11, 2017
Um ... I love this book. <3 <3 It was fairy tale. It was suspense. It was contemporary. It was romance. Actually, fairy tale retellings and love stories are the only two I would say I really like of that mix; but somehow, it all mixed together perfectly and made Waking Rose an utterly delightful story.
Book Three in the A FAIRY TALE RETOLD series by Regina Doman, this tale centers on Rose and Fish, and is a modern retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Rose is off to college, along with her pining heart, wondering if the man she loves will ever return her undying affection ...
Aahh! Regina Doman sure knows how to hit you right in the emotions with her books! And, though in a contemporary setting, the fairytale-ish-ness is so there, and the characters are so unique and wonderful and beloved and old-fashioned! They like things like books, poetry, swords, and plays set in medieval times! They take true love seriously, and they kiss sparingly ... because kisses are special. ^_^
There always seems to be a lesson of sorts to these books, which is really, really neat. I very much appreciate the good-moral, old-fashioned lessons and themes going on. Beautiful.
Fish and Rose. *huggles them* I just ... can't. I LOVE Rose. She is so bubbly and sweet and dreamy and out-going. Like a delightful princess of fairy tales dropped into the modern world. Fish ... aww, the pain and trauma he deals with is heart-breaking! But I love his protectiveness. His maturity. His fighting spirit ... when it comes. Watching his and Rose's relationship was utterly fascinating and bittersweet and poignant and wondrous. I think I nearly cried at the ending-ish scenes. Or was squealing wildly internally. (I probably behaved the same at the end of Black as Night with Bear and Blanche! *grins and hugs these precious couples*)
Blanche and Rose. Bear and Fish. They're like my favorite-est characters ever. At LEAST of this series. I did enjoy getting to know secondary characters Alex O'Donnell and Paul and the rest. Quite interesting, those gentlemanly ninjas! *grins*
As a caution, some parts of Waking Rose got QUITE intense. I can't even tell you how fast my heart sank on this one scene ... And of course we have a few crazy villains as well to watch out for. So that's a warning for younger or sensitive audiences: there is violence and gruesomeness as with all of the series.
Also, there are *fairly subtle* mentions of horrible abuse and the like as well.
But overall, I adored Waking Rose! It might be my favorite book yet ... warring with The Shadow of the Bear, which I haven't read in a long time. Anyway, so loving this series and can't wait to read more! <3
Book Three in the A FAIRY TALE RETOLD series by Regina Doman, this tale centers on Rose and Fish, and is a modern retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Rose is off to college, along with her pining heart, wondering if the man she loves will ever return her undying affection ...
Aahh! Regina Doman sure knows how to hit you right in the emotions with her books! And, though in a contemporary setting, the fairytale-ish-ness is so there, and the characters are so unique and wonderful and beloved and old-fashioned! They like things like books, poetry, swords, and plays set in medieval times! They take true love seriously, and they kiss sparingly ... because kisses are special. ^_^
There always seems to be a lesson of sorts to these books, which is really, really neat. I very much appreciate the good-moral, old-fashioned lessons and themes going on. Beautiful.
Fish and Rose. *huggles them* I just ... can't. I LOVE Rose. She is so bubbly and sweet and dreamy and out-going. Like a delightful princess of fairy tales dropped into the modern world. Fish ... aww, the pain and trauma he deals with is heart-breaking! But I love his protectiveness. His maturity. His fighting spirit ... when it comes. Watching his and Rose's relationship was utterly fascinating and bittersweet and poignant and wondrous. I think I nearly cried at the ending-ish scenes. Or was squealing wildly internally. (I probably behaved the same at the end of Black as Night with Bear and Blanche! *grins and hugs these precious couples*)
Blanche and Rose. Bear and Fish. They're like my favorite-est characters ever. At LEAST of this series. I did enjoy getting to know secondary characters Alex O'Donnell and Paul and the rest. Quite interesting, those gentlemanly ninjas! *grins*
As a caution, some parts of Waking Rose got QUITE intense. I can't even tell you how fast my heart sank on this one scene ... And of course we have a few crazy villains as well to watch out for. So that's a warning for younger or sensitive audiences: there is violence and gruesomeness as with all of the series.
Also, there are *fairly subtle* mentions of horrible abuse and the like as well.
But overall, I adored Waking Rose! It might be my favorite book yet ... warring with The Shadow of the Bear, which I haven't read in a long time. Anyway, so loving this series and can't wait to read more! <3
October 19, 2009
Full disclosure: I wrote this book, but someone suggested I should add it to my shelf anyhow. I've certainly read it a number of times! I have to say this is one of my favorite books that I've written, and I'm glad so many people like it so much.
August 2, 2021
This was one of my favorite books when I was a young teen. These last few weeks I decided to reread the series. The characters were as good as I remembered them, I really related to Blanche and Rose as a kid, and I still think Bear and Fish and their emotional depth is so good, and the fantasy-meets-real-world is incredible. I like the writing, I really do. I think the way the fairy tale plot is incorporated into a real world story is so genius, that the similarities almost feel incidental at times, almost never forced.
BUT
Overall, I am appalled and disappointed. Even though I'm not Catholic, the religion stuff never bothered me. Mostly, it was well incorporated into the story. I guess it could seem preachy to some people but it didn't bother me. Until this book. I thought I was prepared. I knew that the main villain was going to be villainized for her involvement in providing abortions (does she perform them? Does she just allow them? It's never actually said). I knew that Freet would come back up and be villainized for homosexuality. I was prepared to roll my eyes and consider it a misgiving-- to say that someone would traffic organs off of the homeless because they would allow abortions, as one of the characters does, is like saying because someone would steal cookies out of the cookie jar out of their mom's house they'd steal a purse from a department store, one's legal and one isn't, for starters, but I digress. That was what I expected to be the biggest issue reading it myself, but I get the other side of the abortion issue, so I would let it slide.
But Freet. And Fish. I'm still bubbling with fury.
"There his enemy stood, mocking proof that living under a lifetime of this kind of emotional deformation would fatally drive a person to criminal self indulgence and murder."
Look, Freet is bad. But he is not a murderer and rapist and thief and kidnapper because he was gay. I get that some of The Church, I come from the church, thinks that being non-straight is a sin. But this is beyond that. It is not a slippery slope between homosexuality in murder, as Doman OUTRIGHT STATES that it is in this book.
And I'm not even here to defend Freet, but Fish... when I read it as a kid, it flew over my head that he was saying that he struggled with what seems to be actual sexual feelings for men, and that this was his great vice, his great thing in common with Freet. And I'm still stunned. I'm stunned that Doman wrote a narrative in which her character essentially prays the gay away, overcomes his "sin" like one manages to overcome a drinking problem. I'm disgusted that Fish, one of my all time favorite characters, has the arc of managing to finally oppress himself into loving a woman. I'm horrified that one of my favorite books is rendered worse by treatment of a character that in the book, works, because it's fiction, but which would never work in real life.
Love God, and know that he made you as you are. Being LGBTQA is not a sin, and my heart aches for this character repressed by his author. Who knows if I will ever pick up these books again. I mourn how good they would be if the author wasn't driven by arcane belief. I'm sure she cares not what I think, but her loose idea of the slippery-slopes of morality and of the love of God saddens me, because I had once thought it strong.
BUT
Overall, I am appalled and disappointed. Even though I'm not Catholic, the religion stuff never bothered me. Mostly, it was well incorporated into the story. I guess it could seem preachy to some people but it didn't bother me. Until this book. I thought I was prepared. I knew that the main villain was going to be villainized for her involvement in providing abortions (does she perform them? Does she just allow them? It's never actually said). I knew that Freet would come back up and be villainized for homosexuality. I was prepared to roll my eyes and consider it a misgiving-- to say that someone would traffic organs off of the homeless because they would allow abortions, as one of the characters does, is like saying because someone would steal cookies out of the cookie jar out of their mom's house they'd steal a purse from a department store, one's legal and one isn't, for starters, but I digress. That was what I expected to be the biggest issue reading it myself, but I get the other side of the abortion issue, so I would let it slide.
But Freet. And Fish. I'm still bubbling with fury.
"There his enemy stood, mocking proof that living under a lifetime of this kind of emotional deformation would fatally drive a person to criminal self indulgence and murder."
Look, Freet is bad. But he is not a murderer and rapist and thief and kidnapper because he was gay. I get that some of The Church, I come from the church, thinks that being non-straight is a sin. But this is beyond that. It is not a slippery slope between homosexuality in murder, as Doman OUTRIGHT STATES that it is in this book.
And I'm not even here to defend Freet, but Fish... when I read it as a kid, it flew over my head that he was saying that he struggled with what seems to be actual sexual feelings for men, and that this was his great vice, his great thing in common with Freet. And I'm still stunned. I'm stunned that Doman wrote a narrative in which her character essentially prays the gay away, overcomes his "sin" like one manages to overcome a drinking problem. I'm disgusted that Fish, one of my all time favorite characters, has the arc of managing to finally oppress himself into loving a woman. I'm horrified that one of my favorite books is rendered worse by treatment of a character that in the book, works, because it's fiction, but which would never work in real life.
Love God, and know that he made you as you are. Being LGBTQA is not a sin, and my heart aches for this character repressed by his author. Who knows if I will ever pick up these books again. I mourn how good they would be if the author wasn't driven by arcane belief. I'm sure she cares not what I think, but her loose idea of the slippery-slopes of morality and of the love of God saddens me, because I had once thought it strong.
April 5, 2011
Initially I gave Waking Rose 4 stars but during the time it took me to organise my review, I decided it was worth 5 stars.
This has been one of the most intriguing and fulfilling reads I've experienced in a long time.
Waking Rose is a modern-day retelling of the classic fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty. In fact, each chapter begins with a quote from the original tale that, I think cleverly links the two stories.
Athough I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the two things that stood out for me involved the "hero" and the climax/ending.
Fish (Ben) is not your usual tall, dark and handsome Knight in Shining Armour but an average-looking man who's suffered emotional and physical scarring. He's irritating but not in the way that some authors write their characters to aid the development of sexual tension - Fish has had horrific experiences, which he's tried to come to terms with but (understandably) struggles with for the majority of the story. He's self-deprecating, generally sceptical, and is condescending about Rose's feelings towards him, viewing her as a naive kid, although he cares for her deeply. His character develops at a believable pace, particularly with his feelings for Rose. For example, it's little things initially, such as the unexpected jolt the simple act of her hair cascading down her back gives him. Then his feelings intensify when Rose is in a coma and he realises how easy it is to give up everything to spend time with her, and then to save her life. In the final scene he admits to Rose that if they're together, his "issues" will still be present and they'll have to deal with them from time to time, ie. There is no magical cure, no miraculous fix, just a satisfying and believable outcome for their relationship.
The climax was entertaining and although verged on unbelievable in terms of how easily college kids were able to hold security guards and police at bay, the fact that everyone involved had a part to play that genuinely lead to the favourable outcome, and that they really had to work for that outcome, I think gave it credibility. The pain and suffering Fish endured to save Rose was heartbreaking and played out in detail. It demonstrated the depth of his inner struggle, as well as his love and commitment to Rose. Too often, we see the last minute introduction of a character or concept that gets the characters out of seemingly impossible situations but in Waking Rose, everything played out in a logical and believable way, given the enthusiasm and commitment of the characters, which was consistent throughout the story.
The only thing that made me cringe was Fish's impersonation of a New York criminal as part of a one-man sting operation. It seemed a bit lame but I got over it.
The Catholic faith is a significant part of the story but I contemplated whether it was necessary to mention it. I'm not Catholic, in fact religion is not a significant part of my life, however, this didn't affect my experience. Clearly, the faith is important to the author and the characters in her story but I don't think that should deter anyone who is not religious. There are positive messages about love, friendship, respect and commitment and to me, the story alone is worth the read.
This has been one of the most intriguing and fulfilling reads I've experienced in a long time.
Waking Rose is a modern-day retelling of the classic fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty. In fact, each chapter begins with a quote from the original tale that, I think cleverly links the two stories.
Athough I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the two things that stood out for me involved the "hero" and the climax/ending.
Fish (Ben) is not your usual tall, dark and handsome Knight in Shining Armour but an average-looking man who's suffered emotional and physical scarring. He's irritating but not in the way that some authors write their characters to aid the development of sexual tension - Fish has had horrific experiences, which he's tried to come to terms with but (understandably) struggles with for the majority of the story. He's self-deprecating, generally sceptical, and is condescending about Rose's feelings towards him, viewing her as a naive kid, although he cares for her deeply. His character develops at a believable pace, particularly with his feelings for Rose. For example, it's little things initially, such as the unexpected jolt the simple act of her hair cascading down her back gives him. Then his feelings intensify when Rose is in a coma and he realises how easy it is to give up everything to spend time with her, and then to save her life. In the final scene he admits to Rose that if they're together, his "issues" will still be present and they'll have to deal with them from time to time, ie. There is no magical cure, no miraculous fix, just a satisfying and believable outcome for their relationship.
The climax was entertaining and although verged on unbelievable in terms of how easily college kids were able to hold security guards and police at bay, the fact that everyone involved had a part to play that genuinely lead to the favourable outcome, and that they really had to work for that outcome, I think gave it credibility. The pain and suffering Fish endured to save Rose was heartbreaking and played out in detail. It demonstrated the depth of his inner struggle, as well as his love and commitment to Rose. Too often, we see the last minute introduction of a character or concept that gets the characters out of seemingly impossible situations but in Waking Rose, everything played out in a logical and believable way, given the enthusiasm and commitment of the characters, which was consistent throughout the story.
The only thing that made me cringe was Fish's impersonation of a New York criminal as part of a one-man sting operation. It seemed a bit lame but I got over it.
The Catholic faith is a significant part of the story but I contemplated whether it was necessary to mention it. I'm not Catholic, in fact religion is not a significant part of my life, however, this didn't affect my experience. Clearly, the faith is important to the author and the characters in her story but I don't think that should deter anyone who is not religious. There are positive messages about love, friendship, respect and commitment and to me, the story alone is worth the read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2016
A retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Rose and Fish were always my favorite characters so it came to no surprise when their book was my favorite of the series. It is brilliantly done but there is some more underlying mature themes. Abuse playing the biggest part. Recommended for 14+.
Fan Mix
1. Losing Your Memory (Ryan Star) - Fish's POV\Rose
2 Be Still (The Fray) - Fish's POV\Rose
Fan Mix
1. Losing Your Memory (Ryan Star) - Fish's POV\Rose
2 Be Still (The Fray) - Fish's POV\Rose
December 6, 2018
I love fairytales. Always have, always will. There's something so inherently magical about them, and I love seeing how authors can rework that magic time and time again in order to tell a new story with the same universal themes. I think I read more retellings than anything else and while there have been a whole lot of duds, I've also found plenty of gems. Unfortunately, Waking Rose is not one of them.
I wanted to like this book. I really did. Even though I'm not religious. Even though the whole thing sounded a bit preachy and conservative. The idea of a young man learning to overcome his personal dragons in order to open himself up for love--that sounds like genuinely good stuff. But the whole book is just really flat; the writing failed to hold my attention for longer than a paragraph at a time, I skimmed a lot of the story, and I never felt invested in the characters or the story. The pacing is way too slow, stretching the story to a page count it definitely doesn't deserve. And, no, it probably didn't help matters that I'm not religious, so all of the heavy conservative Catholic undertones either left me flat or made me angry (there was some talk about abortion and homosexuality that left me quite annoyed), but I think it goes beyond that. The story just isn't dynamic in any way and, religious themes or no, that's what really dooms the book.
The characters have next to no personality. Rose is an uninteresting cipher, Donna starts out as a complete evil caricature and her turn-around isn't earned, and I could never tell all of Rose's Sacra Cor friends apart from one another, no matter how much Doman tried to give them their individual quirks. I was really hoping to like Fish--I mean, from the book's description, this seemed to be first and foremost his story--but his whole arc (which had the potential to be awesome) is really under-explored and his transformation just suddenly happens. We don't really see him struggle to overcome his demons--they just disappear in a puff of smoke. The whole thing is so unemotional and I could not get into it at all.
To top it off, the whole "fairytale" aspect of the story really didn't work well in this setting. Like I said before, I love retellings, so this was a huge disappointment. There is a way to stick a tale as old as time in a modern setting and have it work, but this one was really clunky. Doman tried to tie her story back to the original tale by using quotes at the beginning of each chapter, but it all feels like an extreme stretch, like she's trying to force her story to fit into a mold it doesn't really fit. Take, for example, the whole "curse" element of the story and the threats made against Rose at her christening; what works fine in a fairytale of magic and evil and grudges doesn't hold up well at all in a modern setting and it is ludicrous to picture that being how actual people behave.
While the story is mostly flat and conservative, at the same time it's sensationalized and ridiculous. I understand that placing a fairytale in a contemporary setting does require some suspension of disbelief and I'm willing to do that, but all of the action sequences near the end felt campy and unbelievable. I dare you to read this book and tell me that's how people actually speak. Or that Donna's vengeful actions against Rose read like anything a college student would really do. Or that these characters behaved the way anyone would in a time of actual crisis. The whole time I read, I felt so alienated, either by a religion I don't agree with, a writing style that failed to pull me in, or action scenes that seemed so weirdly out of place in an otherwise slow-paced book.
So I guess the bottom line is, "Thanks, but no thanks." It's not that there's anything in Waking Rose that is amazingly awful--I have read far, far worse books, books that have left me seething with rage or cringing with disgust or howling with disappointment. This book just left me flat, and in a way, that's almost worse. At least some bad books can be enjoyable because they're so ridiculously bad, or the anger you feel when you're reading an awful book means you're feeling something. In the entire time I read Waking Rose, I didn't feel a single thing. It had the potential to be a beautiful, moving story, and it's fantastic that other readers have viewed it as such, but it completely missed the mark for me.
1 star.
I wanted to like this book. I really did. Even though I'm not religious. Even though the whole thing sounded a bit preachy and conservative. The idea of a young man learning to overcome his personal dragons in order to open himself up for love--that sounds like genuinely good stuff. But the whole book is just really flat; the writing failed to hold my attention for longer than a paragraph at a time, I skimmed a lot of the story, and I never felt invested in the characters or the story. The pacing is way too slow, stretching the story to a page count it definitely doesn't deserve. And, no, it probably didn't help matters that I'm not religious, so all of the heavy conservative Catholic undertones either left me flat or made me angry (there was some talk about abortion and homosexuality that left me quite annoyed), but I think it goes beyond that. The story just isn't dynamic in any way and, religious themes or no, that's what really dooms the book.
The characters have next to no personality. Rose is an uninteresting cipher, Donna starts out as a complete evil caricature and her turn-around isn't earned, and I could never tell all of Rose's Sacra Cor friends apart from one another, no matter how much Doman tried to give them their individual quirks. I was really hoping to like Fish--I mean, from the book's description, this seemed to be first and foremost his story--but his whole arc (which had the potential to be awesome) is really under-explored and his transformation just suddenly happens. We don't really see him struggle to overcome his demons--they just disappear in a puff of smoke. The whole thing is so unemotional and I could not get into it at all.
To top it off, the whole "fairytale" aspect of the story really didn't work well in this setting. Like I said before, I love retellings, so this was a huge disappointment. There is a way to stick a tale as old as time in a modern setting and have it work, but this one was really clunky. Doman tried to tie her story back to the original tale by using quotes at the beginning of each chapter, but it all feels like an extreme stretch, like she's trying to force her story to fit into a mold it doesn't really fit. Take, for example, the whole "curse" element of the story and the threats made against Rose at her christening; what works fine in a fairytale of magic and evil and grudges doesn't hold up well at all in a modern setting and it is ludicrous to picture that being how actual people behave.
While the story is mostly flat and conservative, at the same time it's sensationalized and ridiculous. I understand that placing a fairytale in a contemporary setting does require some suspension of disbelief and I'm willing to do that, but all of the action sequences near the end felt campy and unbelievable. I dare you to read this book and tell me that's how people actually speak. Or that Donna's vengeful actions against Rose read like anything a college student would really do. Or that these characters behaved the way anyone would in a time of actual crisis. The whole time I read, I felt so alienated, either by a religion I don't agree with, a writing style that failed to pull me in, or action scenes that seemed so weirdly out of place in an otherwise slow-paced book.
So I guess the bottom line is, "Thanks, but no thanks." It's not that there's anything in Waking Rose that is amazingly awful--I have read far, far worse books, books that have left me seething with rage or cringing with disgust or howling with disappointment. This book just left me flat, and in a way, that's almost worse. At least some bad books can be enjoyable because they're so ridiculously bad, or the anger you feel when you're reading an awful book means you're feeling something. In the entire time I read Waking Rose, I didn't feel a single thing. It had the potential to be a beautiful, moving story, and it's fantastic that other readers have viewed it as such, but it completely missed the mark for me.
1 star.
September 1, 2016
The most important thing you need to know about this book is that it’s all about Rose and Fish. Seriously, these two!! Rose heads off to a small Catholic university and we get introduced to a whole host of new characters – namely a groups of wannabe ninjas/knights from the boys’ dorms. These guys are the best and I’m still hoping a Sacra Cor guy will wander into my life.
When Rose starts to dig into some old notes of her dad’s, things get interesting. It’s a Sleeping Beauty re-telling, so I don’t really think it’s a spoiler if I tell you she ends up in a coma. So it’s up to Fish and her new friends to figure out what happened. Fish is also dealing with some baggage at the same time which makes me want to give him a hug even more. The last quarter of this book is really intense, so plan reading accordingly.
When Rose starts to dig into some old notes of her dad’s, things get interesting. It’s a Sleeping Beauty re-telling, so I don’t really think it’s a spoiler if I tell you she ends up in a coma. So it’s up to Fish and her new friends to figure out what happened. Fish is also dealing with some baggage at the same time which makes me want to give him a hug even more. The last quarter of this book is really intense, so plan reading accordingly.
November 14, 2018
This was so different. I loved it.
I hadn't read the first two books in the series, but felt like the author gave me enough information to understand what was going on. (The other five books in the series are now on my "To Read" list.)
I found the characters realistic, and the settings compelling. Rose's odd assortment of friends reminded me of my college friends!
And while I usually expect a fairy-tale retelling to be "fluffy," I found this one surprisingly deep, touching on real-world challenges without being depressing. Both exciting and unique. I am inspired for the first time in my life to read Keats. 4.5 stars rather than 5 because the last third of the book was a bit longer than I think it needed to be.
I hadn't read the first two books in the series, but felt like the author gave me enough information to understand what was going on. (The other five books in the series are now on my "To Read" list.)
I found the characters realistic, and the settings compelling. Rose's odd assortment of friends reminded me of my college friends!
And while I usually expect a fairy-tale retelling to be "fluffy," I found this one surprisingly deep, touching on real-world challenges without being depressing. Both exciting and unique. I am inspired for the first time in my life to read Keats. 4.5 stars rather than 5 because the last third of the book was a bit longer than I think it needed to be.
Want to read
February 17, 2009Third book in the Snow White/Rose Red trilogy.
July 1, 2012
Like Doman's other books, this is packed with very full-on reference to the Catholic religion. Doman is obviously far more religious than I, her teenage characters always having easy access to their rosary beads. However, despite that, and perhaps because I have recently come into contact with a group of very religious (not Catholic) teens, while feeling a little disbelief, I am comforted to know that there are kids who still have the confidence to believe. For me, my teenage and early adult years were times of questioning God and my religion, and of negotiating dating rituals with conflicting ideals that while the Catholic Church believed that sex should be limited to marriage, the norm appeared to be a far freer society. Doman's characters, taking strength from the Bible, wait for marriage before expressing their love physically. Am I wrong to find this unrealistic? Am I too submerged in a disengaged, overly sexualised world where twelve year olds are boasting about their first sexual encounters? Yet, this is probably also why I enjoyed the book. I want to believe there are kids out there who are confident enough in themselves and in their religious beliefs that they can wait, if not for marriage, then at least until they are in a committed loving relationship.
Rose and Fish, the two main characters, also appeared in The Shadow of the Bear, but whereas it was the retelling of Snow White & Rose Red, this book is a modern version of Sleeping Beauty. Doman is quite clever in bringing these stories into the modern world, and Rose sleeps in a coma which relates back to a threat made at her Baptism. In her friends, while at times quite over the top, I found traces of friendships that I had had with other Catholic teens at a similar age. I am not sure that they would thank me for the comparison, but I remember their idiosyncracies with fondness.
Despite being religious Doman is not lightness and fluff. Some scenes are dark, and tough issues are addressed. I do take issue with the fact that the two "evil" characters are lesbians -- there was no need for their sexuality to be addressed; and, although I can appreciate the Catholicness of the situation, Fish struggles with the homosexual rape that we learn here was an incident in the earlier book (assault was mentioned without any specifics in Bear)and then "gets over" what appear to be suggestions of latent homosexuality. I could cope with the later as psychological healing, if it wasn't for the negative portrayal of female homosexuality.
Although mostly well-written, there were a couple of sentences that I found annoying, but I suspect that these may have been due to bad editing on behalf of the iBook publisher, rather than problems with the original story.
As with Doman's other books, I wouuld recommend them to religious teens who are looking for a non-sexualised romance.
Rose and Fish, the two main characters, also appeared in The Shadow of the Bear, but whereas it was the retelling of Snow White & Rose Red, this book is a modern version of Sleeping Beauty. Doman is quite clever in bringing these stories into the modern world, and Rose sleeps in a coma which relates back to a threat made at her Baptism. In her friends, while at times quite over the top, I found traces of friendships that I had had with other Catholic teens at a similar age. I am not sure that they would thank me for the comparison, but I remember their idiosyncracies with fondness.
Despite being religious Doman is not lightness and fluff. Some scenes are dark, and tough issues are addressed. I do take issue with the fact that the two "evil" characters are lesbians -- there was no need for their sexuality to be addressed; and, although I can appreciate the Catholicness of the situation, Fish struggles with the homosexual rape that we learn here was an incident in the earlier book (assault was mentioned without any specifics in Bear)and then "gets over" what appear to be suggestions of latent homosexuality. I could cope with the later as psychological healing, if it wasn't for the negative portrayal of female homosexuality.
Although mostly well-written, there were a couple of sentences that I found annoying, but I suspect that these may have been due to bad editing on behalf of the iBook publisher, rather than problems with the original story.
As with Doman's other books, I wouuld recommend them to religious teens who are looking for a non-sexualised romance.
July 11, 2011
A complex novel of abuse, recovery, mental illness, inclusion, murder, mystery, activism, Faith! The craziness of those first years experienced when young adults leave their nest and venture into the outer world of college life, whether as newbie freshmen or advanced graduate students. Unlikely friendships as the strong nurture the weak with Kateri mentoring Donna in her mental illness, and Rose guiding Fish through abuse recovery. Fish’s loyalty to Rose, taken to the extreme, becomes unforgiving. But then self-denigration turns into enlightenment and hope.
Going beyond stereotypes, the dialogue paints a clear picture of the misperceptions held by non-Christians against Christians, countered with a realistic portrayal of the passionate young Christian student. The story draws us into the issue-filled, and often polarized, setting of college life. Woven therein are pieces of logic to help the reader refrain from being “sucked into” an erroneous view (a refreshing break from the hidden agendas found in common literature today).
By far more intense than the previous two books of the series, Waking Rose deals with mental illness, inter-relational tension, physical and sexual abuse and the resulting gender identity conflict, healing same-sex attraction and developing healthy authentic relationships. All of this is taken within the context of arson, stalking, kidnapping, assault, and attempted murder, with each character’s strengths overcoming their weaknesses. Stylistically, the entire book is presented in back-and-forth fashion between His and Her views, making it appealing to young men and women alike. Rather than a romance novel, it is a realistic portrayal of the breadth and depth of emotions commonly experienced amongst the college-aged today. See our full review and evaluation against character education criteria at http://ow.ly/5BUfK
Going beyond stereotypes, the dialogue paints a clear picture of the misperceptions held by non-Christians against Christians, countered with a realistic portrayal of the passionate young Christian student. The story draws us into the issue-filled, and often polarized, setting of college life. Woven therein are pieces of logic to help the reader refrain from being “sucked into” an erroneous view (a refreshing break from the hidden agendas found in common literature today).
By far more intense than the previous two books of the series, Waking Rose deals with mental illness, inter-relational tension, physical and sexual abuse and the resulting gender identity conflict, healing same-sex attraction and developing healthy authentic relationships. All of this is taken within the context of arson, stalking, kidnapping, assault, and attempted murder, with each character’s strengths overcoming their weaknesses. Stylistically, the entire book is presented in back-and-forth fashion between His and Her views, making it appealing to young men and women alike. Rather than a romance novel, it is a realistic portrayal of the breadth and depth of emotions commonly experienced amongst the college-aged today. See our full review and evaluation against character education criteria at http://ow.ly/5BUfK
April 9, 2010
actually 3.5 but i decided to round up.
I love fairy tales. I don't think I have mentioned this in my reviews of other retold fairy tales but i even took a class in fairy tales in college.
Doman did an excellent job on all three book (The Shadow Of The Bear: A Fairy Tale Retold, Black as Night: A Fairy Tale Retold, and Waking Rose: A Fairy Tale Retold in not only setting the tale in present day but also keeping the deeper meanings of the fairy tales.
This book is probably the best of the three for deeper meanings. I don't know if she intended it all along, or if it was the movings of the Holy Spirit, but about half way through she has a character point out that Fish is symbol of Jesus... and then Rose would be a symbol of Mary who inturn symbolizes the Church... which brings us to married love being a earthly representation of God's love for the church and my mind spins and spins and falls deeper into the tale all while I thoroughly enjoy the book. And these were names set up in the fairy tale Snow white and Rose Red which isn't directly connected to Sleeping beauty. I'm amazed at how well it worked.
My only objection was I thought the book dragged a little. I kept wishing something would happen, but even that is the reality of sleeping beauty and coma victims.
I love fairy tales. I don't think I have mentioned this in my reviews of other retold fairy tales but i even took a class in fairy tales in college.
Doman did an excellent job on all three book (The Shadow Of The Bear: A Fairy Tale Retold, Black as Night: A Fairy Tale Retold, and Waking Rose: A Fairy Tale Retold in not only setting the tale in present day but also keeping the deeper meanings of the fairy tales.
This book is probably the best of the three for deeper meanings. I don't know if she intended it all along, or if it was the movings of the Holy Spirit, but about half way through she has a character point out that Fish is symbol of Jesus... and then Rose would be a symbol of Mary who inturn symbolizes the Church... which brings us to married love being a earthly representation of God's love for the church and my mind spins and spins and falls deeper into the tale all while I thoroughly enjoy the book. And these were names set up in the fairy tale Snow white and Rose Red which isn't directly connected to Sleeping beauty. I'm amazed at how well it worked.
My only objection was I thought the book dragged a little. I kept wishing something would happen, but even that is the reality of sleeping beauty and coma victims.
March 2, 2016
5+ STARS
I WANT MORE!!! A love so pure and sincere. So realistic. Fish finally falls for sweet Rose, in spite of all his messed-up-ness. He actually FALLS IN LOVE WITH HER, not LUST after her like sadly most romance books these days. And their love is so pure and innocent you just know it will last even though Fish has a very dark past that haunts him from time to time. I even loved the way he tries to deal with it. Though sometimes he falls to despair. But something always picks him up and helps him go on. His strong faith. And now that he has Rose's love who I'm pretty sure will stand with him no matter what. She has a good soul. Strong faith and very kind. I wish I was like her.
I loved the whole plot, the world, the characters. Rose's friends were awesome I wish they were real so I could be friends with them.
I wish the author writes another book about Fish and Rose. They are my favorite in this series and this book is definitely on my favorite list.
I WANT MORE!!! A love so pure and sincere. So realistic. Fish finally falls for sweet Rose, in spite of all his messed-up-ness. He actually FALLS IN LOVE WITH HER, not LUST after her like sadly most romance books these days. And their love is so pure and innocent you just know it will last even though Fish has a very dark past that haunts him from time to time. I even loved the way he tries to deal with it. Though sometimes he falls to despair. But something always picks him up and helps him go on. His strong faith. And now that he has Rose's love who I'm pretty sure will stand with him no matter what. She has a good soul. Strong faith and very kind. I wish I was like her.
I loved the whole plot, the world, the characters. Rose's friends were awesome I wish they were real so I could be friends with them.
I wish the author writes another book about Fish and Rose. They are my favorite in this series and this book is definitely on my favorite list.
May 19, 2021
2021: Reread the series during the recent snow storms in February. Still really enjoyed them. Not the first reread.. and definitely not the last (I would bet :) ). Waking Rose is still on of my favorites from the series! Though I do feel like Fish's view on God's providence is missing grace.. of course that is naturally something to struggle with as we experience hardship or suffering.
December 28, 2011
The best one of all three, in my opinion. Such a wonderful book for Catholics and for all who want to know what its like to be a True Catholic
April 19, 2010
Some books take you traveling into space. Others bring you back in time. But then one day, when you least expect it, you come across a book that grabs your imagination and leads you on a road of adventures and suspense into a world of fairy tales with elements of the fantasy world, as well as elements of the world we live in. A book which deprives you of your precious sleeping hours because you become a character of the story. A character the author did not intend to create; nevertheless, you are there on every page. You are a silence witness. You are unable to help the written characters to solve the mystery. You agonize and hope somehow they get your clues. But the characters cannot get your insight information because you are not part of their world; they are part of yours. You try to balance this mix of world (fantasy vs. real) and wait for the end. Then comes the climax of the story and you are in total awe. You are speechless and unable to write the book review. How can I start to write the review if I am still in shock? Well, I let two weeks pass before I was able to collect my thoughts and do it. I hope the following book review helps you enjoy a fairy tale retold with elements from old and new, just like in a wedding.
The book’s cover is simple, but it captures well what is in store for the reader. The country house which keeps a secret from the past soon to be discovered. Trees, a rose bindweed, and Rose peacefully sleeping. Or is she truly sleeping? Each chapter follows the rose bindweed theme and includes a portion of the Brother’s Grimm story Sleepy Beauty. This gives each chapter an identity and a momentum. Also, the narrative of the story comes from his (Fish’s) and hers (Rose’s) points of view and an understanding of the situations and conflicts around them.
The book begins with the wedding of Blanche and Bear. Rose gets nervous in anticipation to see Fish, her one and true love. There is a lot of chaos at the Brier’s residence in preparation for Blanche’s wedding. But in the midst of this chaos, Blanche is relaxed. Rose admires her older sister’s relaxed attitude and her enchanting beauty, too.
After the wedding, family and friends gather to celebrate the marriage of Blanche and Bear. During the reception, Rose has the chance to dance with Fish. Rose is in the fifth heaven. Fish, on the other hand, is a little bit annoyed by her childish behavior. Blance and Bear sneak out of the reception and off they go to consume their love and become one flesh and one spirit while the guests celebrate on this very joyful day.
Soon after the wedding, both Fish and Rose start taking classes at the university. Fish goes to the Universtiy of Pittsburgh, while Rose goes to Mercy College, a small Catholic college located in the small town of Meyerstown. Rose’s parents both graduated from Mercy College. Her dad graduated with a major in English, while her mom studied nursing. This Catholic college, Meyerstown, an old barn, and an old cold case are part of the Brier’s family secret and obscure past.
At Mercy College, Rose shares her dorm room with her long life friend, Kateri Kovach. During her studies at Mercy College, Rose joined the theater group. They are rehearsing “King Lear”, a tragedy by Shakespeare. Rose auditions and gets the role of Cordelia. This upsets a more talented and experienced actress, Donna, who, with her friend Tara, makes life pretty difficult for Rose, both on and off stage. Rose also gets the job of theatrical assistance. She helps the other actors memorize their lines, among other things. Donna and Tara take advantage of Rose’s naïve personality and plot to terrorize her one evening after rehearsal. However, their plan is interrupted by Fish, who comes looking for Rose that evening.
Meanwhile, Rose has made many friends at Mercy College. Among them, a group of so called “knights” who live at the Sacra Cor dorm and enjoy practicing martial arts and sword fights. Because Rose helps them during an interdorms war between Sacra Cor and Lumen Christi, Rose becomes one of the “Lady’s Sword Cor” and they swear to protect her. The group’s leader, Paul, a pre-med student, becomes a key figure during the book saga.
Rose must do a report for the bio-ethics class and is struggling with the topic. She called her mom for ideas and her mom tells her about a topic her dad was investigating while he worked for a local newspaper in Meyerstown. Rose likes the idea of going through her dad’s files to see what she can find. Rose’s dad had been dead for several years and she likes the idea of sharing a piece of his work. The files are kept at the old family barn outside of town. The barn has been abandoned for years, but one of her uncles still does farming there once a year.
Rose gets a ride with Paul and together they go to the farm to look inside her dad’s old files. She finds a lot of boxes covered by dust, since they have not been touched in years. They divide the workload, so each one of them looks inside a box. They find many family pictures, letters from Rose’s parents courtship, and an old newspaper article her dad wrote. Rose finds a file with all the information from her dad’s research, “Abuse on Comatose Patients.” She gathered some information from this file and because of time restrictions, she had to leave the rest behind in the farm. Rose starts interviewing nurses and doctors regarding her research paper, which she called “My Monster Bio-Ethic Project.”
While doing her research, Rose makes some dangerous enemies who are secretly plotting against her life. Rose visits Graceton Long-Term Care facility, a private comatose patient’s facility, and speaks with Dr. Murray who gives her a tour of the facility. Dr. Murray also refers Rose to other comatose patient’s caretakers who might be willing to talk to her. Rose mentions her dad’s research to several people who are starting to get nervous about Rose’s bio- ethic project and this awakens their interest on finding her dad’s files.
One evening Rose goes to the barn alone to look some more into her dad’s files and she sees a figure nearby but cannot identified the person. Later on, while working at the barn, she falls from the top of the haystacks and has an accident. Earlier that day Rose had left a message on Fish’s answering machine telling him about Donna and a friend stalking her at the mall. She also mentioned the barn. Fish and Paul found Rose injured and called an ambulance. Rose is hospitalized at Robert Graves Memorial Hospital, where Kateri Kovach had been protesting about Dr. Prosser’s methods regarding abortion, organ donations, and other patient related issues. Dr. Prosser is the director of the facility. In the past, she has threatened Rose’s dad about going public with the findings of his investigation about patient’s abuse at Graves Memorial Hospital. Since Dr. Murry’s facility specializes on comatose patients and she recognizes Rose, she requests to Dr. Prosser that Rose is transferred to Graceton Long-Term Care facility and be placed under her care. After some hesitation, Dr. Prosser agrees to the transfer. However, this facility is more than just what meets the eyes. There is a hidden world inside this facility unknown to the general public; however, it is well known as a very resourceful place in the black market.
Rose remains at Graceton Long-Term Care facility for the rest of the book. During her stay there, you get to see the world of a comatose patients from Rose’s perspective, while the other characters move in Fish’s world.
Who will wake up Rose? The knight in the bright and shining armour? The true prince who passed all tests and discovered his true love? Will Rose wake up from her comma? Who was the perpetrator? Donna? Dr. Prosser? Dr. Murray? Paul? A mysterious character with a trench coat?
I choose to omit commenting on the end of the book, since it will take the pleasure of a strong climax away from the reader.
This book is very well written. It is clear through the entire book that the author did some pretty extensive research in the area of comatose patients. I highly recommend this book to readers looking for adventures mixed with topics of concerns in today’s world.
Bravo Ms. Doman!
The book’s cover is simple, but it captures well what is in store for the reader. The country house which keeps a secret from the past soon to be discovered. Trees, a rose bindweed, and Rose peacefully sleeping. Or is she truly sleeping? Each chapter follows the rose bindweed theme and includes a portion of the Brother’s Grimm story Sleepy Beauty. This gives each chapter an identity and a momentum. Also, the narrative of the story comes from his (Fish’s) and hers (Rose’s) points of view and an understanding of the situations and conflicts around them.
The book begins with the wedding of Blanche and Bear. Rose gets nervous in anticipation to see Fish, her one and true love. There is a lot of chaos at the Brier’s residence in preparation for Blanche’s wedding. But in the midst of this chaos, Blanche is relaxed. Rose admires her older sister’s relaxed attitude and her enchanting beauty, too.
After the wedding, family and friends gather to celebrate the marriage of Blanche and Bear. During the reception, Rose has the chance to dance with Fish. Rose is in the fifth heaven. Fish, on the other hand, is a little bit annoyed by her childish behavior. Blance and Bear sneak out of the reception and off they go to consume their love and become one flesh and one spirit while the guests celebrate on this very joyful day.
Soon after the wedding, both Fish and Rose start taking classes at the university. Fish goes to the Universtiy of Pittsburgh, while Rose goes to Mercy College, a small Catholic college located in the small town of Meyerstown. Rose’s parents both graduated from Mercy College. Her dad graduated with a major in English, while her mom studied nursing. This Catholic college, Meyerstown, an old barn, and an old cold case are part of the Brier’s family secret and obscure past.
At Mercy College, Rose shares her dorm room with her long life friend, Kateri Kovach. During her studies at Mercy College, Rose joined the theater group. They are rehearsing “King Lear”, a tragedy by Shakespeare. Rose auditions and gets the role of Cordelia. This upsets a more talented and experienced actress, Donna, who, with her friend Tara, makes life pretty difficult for Rose, both on and off stage. Rose also gets the job of theatrical assistance. She helps the other actors memorize their lines, among other things. Donna and Tara take advantage of Rose’s naïve personality and plot to terrorize her one evening after rehearsal. However, their plan is interrupted by Fish, who comes looking for Rose that evening.
Meanwhile, Rose has made many friends at Mercy College. Among them, a group of so called “knights” who live at the Sacra Cor dorm and enjoy practicing martial arts and sword fights. Because Rose helps them during an interdorms war between Sacra Cor and Lumen Christi, Rose becomes one of the “Lady’s Sword Cor” and they swear to protect her. The group’s leader, Paul, a pre-med student, becomes a key figure during the book saga.
Rose must do a report for the bio-ethics class and is struggling with the topic. She called her mom for ideas and her mom tells her about a topic her dad was investigating while he worked for a local newspaper in Meyerstown. Rose likes the idea of going through her dad’s files to see what she can find. Rose’s dad had been dead for several years and she likes the idea of sharing a piece of his work. The files are kept at the old family barn outside of town. The barn has been abandoned for years, but one of her uncles still does farming there once a year.
Rose gets a ride with Paul and together they go to the farm to look inside her dad’s old files. She finds a lot of boxes covered by dust, since they have not been touched in years. They divide the workload, so each one of them looks inside a box. They find many family pictures, letters from Rose’s parents courtship, and an old newspaper article her dad wrote. Rose finds a file with all the information from her dad’s research, “Abuse on Comatose Patients.” She gathered some information from this file and because of time restrictions, she had to leave the rest behind in the farm. Rose starts interviewing nurses and doctors regarding her research paper, which she called “My Monster Bio-Ethic Project.”
While doing her research, Rose makes some dangerous enemies who are secretly plotting against her life. Rose visits Graceton Long-Term Care facility, a private comatose patient’s facility, and speaks with Dr. Murray who gives her a tour of the facility. Dr. Murray also refers Rose to other comatose patient’s caretakers who might be willing to talk to her. Rose mentions her dad’s research to several people who are starting to get nervous about Rose’s bio- ethic project and this awakens their interest on finding her dad’s files.
One evening Rose goes to the barn alone to look some more into her dad’s files and she sees a figure nearby but cannot identified the person. Later on, while working at the barn, she falls from the top of the haystacks and has an accident. Earlier that day Rose had left a message on Fish’s answering machine telling him about Donna and a friend stalking her at the mall. She also mentioned the barn. Fish and Paul found Rose injured and called an ambulance. Rose is hospitalized at Robert Graves Memorial Hospital, where Kateri Kovach had been protesting about Dr. Prosser’s methods regarding abortion, organ donations, and other patient related issues. Dr. Prosser is the director of the facility. In the past, she has threatened Rose’s dad about going public with the findings of his investigation about patient’s abuse at Graves Memorial Hospital. Since Dr. Murry’s facility specializes on comatose patients and she recognizes Rose, she requests to Dr. Prosser that Rose is transferred to Graceton Long-Term Care facility and be placed under her care. After some hesitation, Dr. Prosser agrees to the transfer. However, this facility is more than just what meets the eyes. There is a hidden world inside this facility unknown to the general public; however, it is well known as a very resourceful place in the black market.
Rose remains at Graceton Long-Term Care facility for the rest of the book. During her stay there, you get to see the world of a comatose patients from Rose’s perspective, while the other characters move in Fish’s world.
Who will wake up Rose? The knight in the bright and shining armour? The true prince who passed all tests and discovered his true love? Will Rose wake up from her comma? Who was the perpetrator? Donna? Dr. Prosser? Dr. Murray? Paul? A mysterious character with a trench coat?
I choose to omit commenting on the end of the book, since it will take the pleasure of a strong climax away from the reader.
This book is very well written. It is clear through the entire book that the author did some pretty extensive research in the area of comatose patients. I highly recommend this book to readers looking for adventures mixed with topics of concerns in today’s world.
Bravo Ms. Doman!
June 15, 2022
"Waking Rose" didn't gel with me as well as the previous title in the series, but I still enjoyed it greatly. After all, chapters dealing with do not exactly read as thrilling. :P
But the great part of the climax, here, does.
I find that Regina Doman's writing really comes through in action-packed scenes, and those tightly written near-endings have been the strongest points throughout the trilogy. What I kind of missed in all three titles are epilogues, though (what happens after?! I want to see everybody warm and safe and snug!). :D
Once again, I was amazed with the layered, psychological depths of the characters - especially the author's handling of .
And the relationship developing between Rose and Fish appeared authentic, honest, tricky, imperfect and, thus, believable.
What I like about Christian romance genre is that, as it sidesteps the physical aspect of romantic relationships, it allows the writers and readers to focus on the internal layers and workings - to really delve into the complex process of two complex beings trying to build a something , simultaneously strong and frail, out of thin air.
Personally, I find those dynamics way more interesting to read about than mere mutual rubbing of tits and pecs. :P
But the great part of the climax, here, does.
I find that Regina Doman's writing really comes through in action-packed scenes, and those tightly written near-endings have been the strongest points throughout the trilogy. What I kind of missed in all three titles are epilogues, though (what happens after?! I want to see everybody warm and safe and snug!). :D
Once again, I was amazed with the layered, psychological depths of the characters - especially the author's handling of .
And the relationship developing between Rose and Fish appeared authentic, honest, tricky, imperfect and, thus, believable.
What I like about Christian romance genre is that, as it sidesteps the physical aspect of romantic relationships, it allows the writers and readers to focus on the internal layers and workings - to really delve into the complex process of two complex beings trying to build a something , simultaneously strong and frail, out of thin air.
Personally, I find those dynamics way more interesting to read about than mere mutual rubbing of tits and pecs. :P
June 2, 2022
This is my favorite book by Regina Doman. Rose is just so lively and interesting! Fish seems like her exact opposite, which makes the book even more fascinating. Throughout it you're wondering what will happen. Will Rose fall in love with someone else? Or will Fish overcome his struggles and fall in love with Rose? I've read this book twice now within six months and I could read it again tomorrow if I didn't have other things I have to do. This is an amazing story about love, struggles, failures, accomplishments, the faith, and overcoming fears. I highly recommend to all teens and adults!
EDIT (March 2016):
This book is amazing. I've said this before about Regina Doman, but I have to say it again: her character development is everything...and it's absolutely incredible. Her characters are so real.
Fish. He's her best written character in my opinion. His issues she brings up, but she doesn't explain too fully. Rather than finding that annoying, I find it helpful as the reader. As the reader, it's easier to relate to him when the fine details of his abuse aren't given. It's easier to empathize with his situation when his hurt is the hurt that comes to mind when you read about him. Beautifully written. Bravo, Mrs. Doman!
EDIT (March 2016):
This book is amazing. I've said this before about Regina Doman, but I have to say it again: her character development is everything...and it's absolutely incredible. Her characters are so real.
Fish. He's her best written character in my opinion. His issues she brings up, but she doesn't explain too fully. Rather than finding that annoying, I find it helpful as the reader. As the reader, it's easier to relate to him when the fine details of his abuse aren't given. It's easier to empathize with his situation when his hurt is the hurt that comes to mind when you read about him. Beautifully written. Bravo, Mrs. Doman!
April 5, 2017
Rose Brier is madly in love with Ben Dennison. But her love goes unrequited because Ben, or Fish as he is otherwise known, is preoccupied with his own demons. Having survived a traumatic event, Fish doesn’t know how to move forward, and believes that Rose would be much happier with someone else. In turn, she tries to move on, goes off to college and attempts to immerse herself in her new life with new friends. While at college, Rose discovers that years ago her journalist father was working on a controversial article involving a nearby hospital. Yet despite the passing of time, this story is not dead and by following this story, Rose is putting herself in grave danger.
This is a reinterpretation of Sleeping Beauty and a very good one at that. While the broad brushstrokes of the fairytale are present, the author has painted in her own storyline to make a thoroughly exciting and enjoyable read.
This is a reinterpretation of Sleeping Beauty and a very good one at that. While the broad brushstrokes of the fairytale are present, the author has painted in her own storyline to make a thoroughly exciting and enjoyable read.
January 18, 2013
I finished this book a few days ago and needed time to think before writing a review. Regina Doman's writing isn't the most polished I've ever read, yet her characters are so alive to me! She has a rare storytelling gift. Rose is a spunky, beautiful girl--a character who could easily become cliche and irritating--yet she is genuinely likable. And Fish (Benedict) is great. :-)
This book has an intricate, suspenseful, action-packed plot filled with some wacky, entertaining characters, and some frighteningly evil villains. The spiritual message is earnest and sincere, with a clear delineation between good and evil. I'm quite sure I will read the whole series again. Highly recommended!
This book has an intricate, suspenseful, action-packed plot filled with some wacky, entertaining characters, and some frighteningly evil villains. The spiritual message is earnest and sincere, with a clear delineation between good and evil. I'm quite sure I will read the whole series again. Highly recommended!
January 26, 2009
This last installment of the "Snow White & Rose Red" Trilogy focuses on Fish and Rose. It deals with dark matters and weighty isssues, but very deftly and subtly. It is a beautifully written book, with amaxing and utterly believable characters.
Not to mention, it has knights and nuns. Fires and fairy-godmothers. Escapes and rescues. Dragons and demons and darkness and death. True Love. Miracles.
Not to mention, it has knights and nuns. Fires and fairy-godmothers. Escapes and rescues. Dragons and demons and darkness and death. True Love. Miracles.
May 28, 2013
I really liked this book. Rose is such a fun-loving, cheerful character. I can totally relate to her situation with Fish. I love the reference to the waltz. However, you can only put your main character into a coma so many times! I mean, really? Over-all, a great read. Doman's fairy tales are good reads.
January 30, 2012
Another Regina Doman treasure!! This was an awesome book; the ending was so perfect. I loved it! I'm not going to say any more because I know you don't want me to tell you what happpens before you read it, Mom. ;)
September 23, 2008
By far the best in the series.
May 3, 2012
I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK. It gets better every time I read it....
April 18, 2012
The best one yet! I wish there were more stars than five. I am now officially a Fish fanatic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 1, 2011
Amazing and unique!
January 26, 2016
One of the best book I have ever read, this story retells the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale while placeing it in a modern time and place. A great actions and romance story.
August 30, 2011
Great book for Grades 8 to 12
October 14, 2012
Absolutely fabulous book! The plot is twisted and suspenseful, the characters are likable, and it's filled with excitement, romance, and Catholicism. This was my favorite of the whole series!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews