Rose Sees Red - Hardcover

Cecil Castellucci grew up in New York City and is the author of the young adult novels Rose Sees Red, Boy Proof, The Queen of Cool, and Beige, as well as the comic books The Plain Janes and Janes in Love. Currently, Cecil Castellucci lives in Los Angeles. You can learn more about her at www.misscecil.com and via her blog, castellucci.livejournal.com.

Gr 7-10–Rose wears all black, drinks her coffee black, and views the world as black during her friendless fall semester of ninth grade. She only feels truly alive when she dances, but dancing doesn't come easily in New York City's high-pressure High School of Performing Arts. It's 1982, with political tensions between the U.S. and USSR running rampant. When her neighbor whom she has never spoken to, a Russian teen named Yrena, sneaks into her bedroom window, Rose embarks on an adventure that not only brings new friendships, but also opens her eyes to the world around her and to the value of her own talents. The protagonist is a complexly layered character who suffers from crippling sensitivity, and her difficulty feeling at home in her body will resonate with teens. She is honest, funny, and completely authentic, and it is magical to see her dark world bloom with color. Her former best friend is similarly well drawn; Castellucci depicts Daisy's unbelievable meanness and manipulation, and the pain it causes Rose, without giving their story a happy ending. Unfortunately, the 1980s setting is unclear in the early chapters, and some youngsters might feel at sea when Reagan-era politics pops up in a novel that feels contemporary. Aspects of the plot seem undeveloped, such as Yrena's near-imprisonment in her own home. However, the prose is poetic and rich. Advanced readers will glide and pirouette through this delightful novel.Jess deCourcy Hinds, Bard High School Early College Queens, Long Island City, NY
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