Customer Reviews

Rose Petal Tea

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

i was lucky enough to read some of the rough draft for this book, and i was absolutely floored.

the finished product exceeded my expectations. when you take into account that this was written by someone so young (the bulk of it was completed when the author was 16), it's astounding. the understanding of human emotion and the feel for the time period is flawless. this is one of my favourite books, and i recommended it to countless people.

if you are interested in a heartfelt story about the human heart and the unsettling reality of group mentality- get this. you will NOT be disappointed.

Rose Petal Tea is a moving book- not only in the depth of the characters, but the reality of the plotline. You can't help but empathize with Marcus and Hayleigh as if they were your own friends, or perhaps just people you watch live their lives, helpless to change their minds no matter what you see coming in their future. This book will stir your emotions, and perhaps open your eyes to an aspect of life that so often is just swept into the shadows. The artist's own illustrations bring an extra dimension of depth to the characters and well worth taking the time to look through.

I greatly enjoyed every page of this book. The narration is flawless. Rose Petal Tea is told in a deeply personal and intimate way, as if Hayleigh is sitting beside you on your couch relaying her story herself. Miss Highfield has a marvelous command of the English language and manages to weave a beautiful, at times eerie tale that grabs you by the heart and holds tight. I HIGHLY recomend this for anyone who enjoys a good story.

'Rose Petal Tea' is in all honesty one of the best books I've ever read (and I'm a rather well-read person). The way Miss Highfield develops her characters, plot and overall story is nothing short of amazing. Upon picking up the book, I was instantly sucked in, and could barely put it down until I was finished. This book made me smile and also moved me to the point of tears. The characters, all of whome are beautifully developed and wonderfully endearing, jump out at you and really make an amazingly real impression.

Cally, I absolutely loved this book. For a first time author I think you did an amazing job. I enjoyed reading it page to page. And I appreciated it as well.

It was a touching story and I look forward to reading your other stories!

I loved this novel by first time author, Cally Highfield. It was so right on, and reflective of the 80's in which the night club culture, music and HIV/Aids became such a part of our lives. Her characters were beautifully developed and so real, that we might all find traces of people we love or have even lost in them.
The story is bittersweet and memorable and I look forward to reading a prequel as was mentioned in the notes from the author. I applaud this creative, imaginative and talented young woman on her first novel. It is not often that an author so young can tell us a story of times we lived in, and have it hit so close to home. Cally Highfield has an amazing ability to intertwine music into her prose and have it create an all around spellbinding effect. I look forward to reading, many more novels by this wonderful young writer!

Kim Redding

This is one of the most peculiar books I've ever read. It is not completely my style (see Saul Bellow, Murakami, Oscar Wilde), but, it touched me deeply. It's the story of an outsider, Marcus, getting AIDS, in the 80s when nobody really seems to know what the disease is about. Even though the author is only 20 years old she has sketched the 80's scene very vividly in front of my eyes.
Not only that, but the story drags you in as you read further. And it reads like a high speed train, I finished the book in merely two days, so go figure. The style of writing is so efficient and skillful, that it gets you hooked and makes you want to keep on reading as the story continues.
Even though the scenery has its flaws (being sometimes a little boring, but I guess that's the key of the 80s life) and some of the characters (feelings) aren't worked out yet quite enough, these are just mere faults that can be overlooked and forgiven because the mystery and delicateness of the emotions is really felt.
This is not just a mere accomplishment and promise for future books, but even a little victory to recreating times long past and having compassion and showcasing kindness to the outsiders in our society...