Rosebush by Michele Jaffe

Jane Freeman opens her eyes on the morning after Jocelyn Gunter's epic Memorial Day party and finds herself tangled in a rosebush, pierced by hundreds of tiny thorns, paralyzed, and unable to remember a single detail from the night before.Her mother and the doctors say the hit and run was an accident. ut Jane knows the truth. Someone tried to kill her. Someone from the party. The clues add up - the drink, the slammed door, the kiss, the car, the ring - but with no memory, it's impossible for Jane to tell the difference between what really happened and what everyone wants her to believe.Unable to leave the hospital until she's fully recovered, Jane lets long-buried memories begin to resurface, making her question everything she thought she knew about love, friendship, and loyalty. Her friends come and go, each with a different version of what happened that night. And Jane has to figure out who's really on her side - before the killer strikes again.

I don't even know where to start with this book. Usually when reading a book, I manage to fill up a whole notebook page with notes or more, but that wasn't the case with Rosebush. I found myself so engrossed that I barely managed to take any notes at all.

I'm not sure why I put off reading this. Maybe I was just thinking it would be like so many young-adult mysteries that just didn't do it for me. However, this was definitely not the case. The story was beautifully crafted in a way that had me feeling exactly like Jane - lost and utterly confused. In a fantastic way, of course. Every time I thought I had something pieced together, I was thrown for another loop and nothing looked the same.

The writing was beautiful and though Jane grated on my nerves sometimes with her need for love and approval, it was still understandable. My only major complaint is that there was a character or two who just seemed to be there only to throw us off. I suppose that is a purpose in itself, especially for this type of book, but it just seemed kind of, for lack of a better word, lame.

Final thoughts: Don't put off reading this book. It kept me guessing and I didn't want to put it down. I haven't a feeling you won't either.


Publisher: Razorbill
Date Published: December 2010
Pages: 326
Series: No
Rating: 4