Customer Reviews

Winter Rose

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was taken aback by this piece. It was beautifully written, the rhythm and language of the author's word choice was something akin to a stake being pounded into your heart. And yet through the pain, you love it. At first I was bothered by the predictable storyline, the superficial bad guys, the heavy personal conflicts that didn't change...but then the writing swept me in and I forgot all the other similar stories I've read because as I was reading, there was only this story. These characters. This conflict.

I realized through this story that the reason that cliche is overused is that cliche works. We only notice BADLY done cliche.

Winter Rose was not badly done. In fact, it was done SO well that even my cynical I've-read-too-many-stories mind forgot to dissect the story as I was reading. I read because I was horrified and I read because I cared. No matter what criticisms I could come up about the story, those criticisms are mere excuses for a story well told.

Fantastic writing. Honest characters. Five stars.

I opened the first page on my computer, intending to quickly skim it before making lunch. But I was so quickly drawn in to the spell Rachel weaves that before I knew it I was locked fast into the story, unable to tear my eyes away, happy in my confinement.

The character of Rose is so real, the choices she has to make so painful and yet inevitable, that I was hurting and angry right along with her. I loved her emotional arc, and I had tears streaming down my face before the end of the story. I am very glad I took the time to read it in one sitting; lunch just has to wait :).

Minor quibbles: I feel the plot was very predictable. I knew everything in the story that was going to happen well before it did, and I was never surprised. However, I don't think I read it for the plot. The character and emotion and lyricism of the words Rachel uses throughout are more than enough to keep me happy.

I think this could easily be expanded into a full novel if additional plot arcs are added and some of the predictability was switched up, and I would gloriously and happily follow Rose through a novel-length story :).

Rose is a compelling and likable girl in a world of trouble. I was immediately drawn into her life. I felt great pity for her and wanted very much to see her triumph.

The author gave me a character who reacted in a believable way to her circumstances, and acted bravely in an attempt to overcome her difficulties. I love characters like this--they actively work at their goals. They are interesting and easy to root for.

The story worked, the plot worked, the characters worked (I loved them or hated them--they were all well-drawn), and the author's voice is wonderful.

I have one small complaint that I will put in the comments because it may contain spoilers.

I will definitely be looking for more from Ms. Marks. She has a lovely voice and her stark story world matched Rose's inner life, beautifully. The entire story worked to make me ache for Rose and her sister and long to see them triumph.

I was not sure what to expect when I started to read this novella but I was soon drawn into the grimness and grittiness of Rose and Becca's world. The writing was strong and evocative.I will gladly recommend this novella to other readers who want a story of love, hope and redemption.

Marks paints a cold, dark world that had me hooked from the beginning. But in the midst of the darkness, there is hope, love, and future. The author's use of description paints the world in new ways, and she masterfully reveals tidbits of what is to come through excellent pacing. This well-done novela will move you and challenge your thinking. Great stuff!

I love it when a novella reads more like a full size story, and the writing is so good you can't help but get sucked in. This was NOT a fluffy cowboy romance, it was an emotionally charged, gritty American-historical romance that painted a vivid landscape of the hard-times faced during the deep winter months of late 1800's America.

Did I mention that the writing was seriously GOOD?! Ms Marks is an author-to-watch. I'll need to check her out. Written in first-person POV (point of view) by a 15 y/o girl named Rose, we see how life unfolds for her mother, older sister and herself after her drunkard father abandons them to their own survival just as winter sets in. There is a realistic tone to the story, and I don't doubt that this scenario could and did happen. Beware that the author doesn't sugarcoat the time period, but she doesn't get overly graphic either (which I appreciated!)

This is not a paranormal read, but I liked how the sisters get a reputation among the local mining men for being ice witches, and some even claimed to have seen their ghosts at night walking the mines and causing havoc. It made for some great thought provoking moments in the story.

The romance is slow coming and quite tender when it does evolve, which make sense in such hard times. Don't expect a bunch of horny sex-minded characters, the romance was much more of a love story with an happy-ever-after ending.

I highly recommend it to fans of American historicals that don't mind the steam level turned down to low. It's only 80-100 pages, and the heat is only kisses, but it does read like a full size story.

I can't say the plot is terribly unique, but the writing truly makes that not matter. Rachel Marks has voice. And her writing is smooth. I had a complete grasp of the setting and main character from the first paragraphs and the characterization only got stronger as the story continued. I'm very much looking forward to reading a full novel by Marks and seeing what she's capable of when given the space to write an even deeper story.

Addresses issues of extreme hurt and sadness. The story in itself is heartbreaking, yet it is a wonderful read.

I would have liked to see the evil characters expanded a bit more--a little more character development, but I understand that I'm hearing the story from the protagonist's point of view and her mindset affects the telling.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book. My heart hurt (in that good kind of way) and I agonized over every wonderful word.

I'm not sure why because the genre is completely different, but this author's voice reminds me so much of Carson McCullers' in the Ballad of the Sad Cafe. It is smooth, steady, melodic, and pouring-over with tones of sadness.

This is a fabulous read. You won't regret your purchase.

With a beginning as heart rending as its ending is heart warming, Winter Rose, is a must read. Though its very nature (a novella) makes it a quick read, it is not light on content.

Rose has had to face many traumatic events, but there's an inner strength to her that refuses to give up. Her mother's illness, her father's abuse and abandonment, and her sister's subsequent prostitution to feed their family have all culminated into a rage that drives Rose to the brink of destruction. Rose is eventually forced to draw a line between what is self-defense and what is outright murder. Her decision on which side of the line she steps will forever help shape her future.

Marks' telling is beautiful and, at times, difficult in its descriptiveness. She torments you to the point of being uncomfortable as she shows you Rose's beginnings, she creates a sense of frustration as you watch Rose stumble along her path of decision, and she fills your heart with hope for a brighter future for Rose if she'll only take the chance.

If you're looking for a quick read that will stay in your mind and heart long after you've set it down, then you need to go get Winter Rose by Rachel A. Marks. And keep reading!

Disclosures: I received this book for free in exchange for a review.

"Winter Rose" by Rachel Anne Marks is a hauntingly beautiful coming of age story, reminiscent of "Winter's Bone" by Daniel Woodrell. With lush prose and realistic characters, Marks crafts a tale that focuses on the difficult subjects of abandonment and poverty, and yet rises above these dark subjects through the use of magical realism and hope. The end result was a novella that I couldn't put down.