|
 |
Watching the Roses
Adele Geras Harcourt Children's Books © 2005 |
Alice has remained in her
room since her eighteen birthday. She shows no signs of life other than eating
and breathing. Her mother will put the daily meals inside the door and will
come back a few hours later. The food will always be gone, but it doesn't
look like she's moved at all from under the bed sheets. She'll talk to
Alice and tell her that the doctor thinks the coma's almost over. That's what
they all think, she's in a coma. Alice wants them to think that; she wants to
be left alone. She doesn't want to talk about what happened that day.
Alice has a journal
where she records everything that's been happening to her for quite a while
before her party. She writes about her friends and classes at school. She also
talks about her thirteen aunts. The thirteenth aunt, Aunt Violette, removed
herself from the family years before Alice was born. She is said to have
walked in at Alice's christening and said that Alice would be extinguished
like a candle on her eighteenth birthday. The remaining twelve aunts try to
undo any damage that may have been done, but they won't know the success of
their attempts until that day. Unfortunately, Alice is extinguished.
During her coma like
state, she writes in her journal about all that's happened to her. She writes
about a boy she met and the letters they share. She talks about all the
planning and preparation for the party with her friends and family. She tells
the pages of the journal about her dress and her hair. She writes about
all the events that happen before, during, and after the party when she
confined herself to her room. Will she every return to the normal life she had
before and forget about what happened on her birthday, or will she remain
silenced forever?
I thought this was a
very good book. I enjoyed reading about Alice's group of aunts. The book also
kept me on the edge because part way through, it would lead up to what
happened but then wouldn't say. Later on it would do the same thing. I really
wanted to know what happened that made her remain in her room and do almost
nothing except sleep and write. I also hoped that she would come out of the
isolationism and become a part of the world again. My mom read it too and said
it reminded her a lot of Sleeping Beauty, and in a way I can see that too. The
beautiful princess awaits the kiss of her prince to bring her back after the
evil witch curses her when she's a tiny baby. I really enjoyed this
little novel and I would recommend for ages 14 to adult.
~ Kayla Aldan, 10th grade, Boardman High School