Saturday, July 8, 2017

RoseBlood by A.G. Howard - OPTIONAL

Howard, A.G RoseBlood, 423 pages. Amulet Books (Abrams), 2016. Language: G (0 swears) Mature content: PG (some mature thematic elements) Violence: PG-13 (attempted murder) 

Rune has always had a passion for singing, but ever since her father died, that talent has taken on some dire consequences. Every time Rune hears an aria, she must compulsively sing until the song is complete. This leaves her very drained. Her mother, fearful of her daughter’s new malady, sends her to a prestigious music school, where a sinister man in a mask begins to haunt Rune’s dreams.   

I would have at first labeled this novel a guilty pleasure read. The first chapters had not much depth but nevertheless, the writing is addicting and I was intrigued by the setting. However, the pleasure of reading RoseBlood was significantly lessened by the endless descriptions, repetitive scenes, and stereotypical characters. The Phantom of the Opera is turned into your run of the mill villain with absolutely no complexity and reasonable motive for doing the things he does. Rune as a character was not irritating or unlikeable, but she had no defining characteristics. The love interest was broody and quite attractive, but that’s all you’ll ever know for sure about him. The rest of the cast were completely unmemorable. Overall, this novel is fluff without that addictive quality to keep you reading. It’s not horrid and it is very clean, but I only recommend it to hardcore Phantom fans. 

HS- OPTIONAL. Student Reviewer: Jewels, 12th grade


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