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Rosebush

3.74 of 5 stars 3.74 · rating details · 1,813 ratings · 351 reviews

Instead of celebrating Memorial Day weekend on the Jersey Shore, Jane is in the hospital surrounded by teddy bears, trying to piece together what happened last night. One minute she was at a party, wearing fairy wings and cuddling with her boyfriend. The next, she was lying near-dead in a rosebush after a hit-and-run. Everyone believes it was an accident, despite the phone...more

Hardcover, 326 pages

Published December 7th 2010 by Razorbill

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Apr 28, 2012 Bernardo rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who like thrillers and great storytelling

Shelves: 2012, coverlust, dark-and-grimy-and-grungy, the-glorious-shelf-of-fabulousness, so-hilarious-my-jaw-came-unhinged, loved-it-to-bits, orgasming-so-hard-i-can-t-even, thriller-thriller-night, ya

Scrolling about Rosebush's page in GR I realize that I am, it seems, one of the few people who actually love this book.
Why that is, I have no idea at all.

Seriously. I've read some thrillers (most of them weren't YA because we all know how shitty those can be) and even though some of them were deemed the best by God knows how many people, to me Rosebush ranks right up there with Justine Larbalestier's Liar and Colleen McCullough's On, Off. This book is good, you guys. Actually, good doesn't be...more Scrolling about Rosebush's page in GR I realize that I am, it seems, one of the few people who actually love this book.
Why that is, I have no idea at all.

Seriously. I've read some thrillers (most of them weren't YA because we all know how shitty those can be) and even though some of them were deemed the best by God knows how many people, to me Rosebush ranks right up there with Justine Larbalestier's Liar and Colleen McCullough's On, Off. This book is good, you guys. Actually, good doesn't begin to describe what a drug induced journey this is but what matters is that it's marvelous and once you start reading it you'll be so enthralled you won't willingly let go of it. And even if you find yourself not reading it due to unfavorable circumstances, you'll be thinking about it, about what's going to happen next and about what just happened - or did it happen, really?

If you look through my reviews you'll easily understand that I love it when thrillers make me doubt myself. It's true most thrillers try to confuse you into thinking it's someone when it's not, after all if you knew who's to blame ever since the beginning, calling it a thriller wouldn't really be appropriate, but few actually manage to be fresh and interesting while doing so. Not Rosebush.

This is the story of Jane, a popular girl with a dark past who went to a party and whose unconscious body was later found sprawled on a rosebush. She wakes up in a hospital with her family and friends all horrified of what happened to her, and she has no recollection of what, when and how it happened. There's also a who, but we'll get to that later.

Personally I've never read a book with such a real character like Jane. You might argue a million things about her but it's impossible to deny all the nuances that make her a wholly believable character. Jane hates her mother for leaving her for her new stepfather when in reality she was the one who decided to distance herself from her family only to later blame them for allowing her to. She's truly selfless and thus is capable of doing things she doesn't want for extended amounts of time because she believes it's what the people around her want. She can be mean sometimes but only when she loses it and every little dark thought swirling through her mind has a very good reason to be there.

That coupled with the great storytelling, presented in a very visual and cinematographic way allows us to perceive her world as she does and to feel for and with her. The revealing of the killer might not have been a total shocker - I for one had thought about it, but then again, i'd been suspicious of almost everyone - but Michelle Jaffe handled it with grace and wit and wrapped everything up in a gripping and lovely way.

This is one of those thrillers that end not with a whimper nor with a bang; when you snap this book shut, all you'll have is a slowly forming smile in your lips and that lame, gushy feeling of rightness.
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Dec 14, 2011 Tori rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Someone who's better at inductive reasoning

Shelves: mystery, young-adult, wait-i-read-this

The only reason I neglected to rate this four stars was because a) this book will probably give me nightmares tonight and b) this book was to say the least...a bit confusing. Yes it was a page turner and a thriller and yes it did keep me on the edge but some things just confused me and left me rereading the page more than I already do. I'm not sure if it was just more or if this wasn't developed well to others too.

*SPOILERS*

Well to start out her memories confused me. It took me a while to figure...more The only reason I neglected to rate this four stars was because a) this book will probably give me nightmares tonight and b) this book was to say the least...a bit confusing. Yes it was a page turner and a thriller and yes it did keep me on the edge but some things just confused me and left me rereading the page more than I already do. I'm not sure if it was just more or if this wasn't developed well to others too.

*SPOILERS*

Well to start out her memories confused me. It took me a while to figure out the part where she's swimming in a lake is a dream. Then it was even more confusing when she flashbacked again but this time the camp counselor was dying (okay, what?) and she needed her eyebrows to be plucked. That is why when Jane was reliving that memory with Bonnie and the jacuzzi I thought for about a second it was Bonnie she was talking about in the lake, but then I realized a jacuzzi doesn't have weeds and camp counselors!

Some of the dialogue was confusing too. I didn't get what they were talking until about ten lines down. Why can't you just say that now? And why must you not tell us who is saying the dialogue and not describe what they're doing and just let them talk every now and then. Wait I thought they left the room...apparently they didn't.

Another thing I just didn't get was why Langley was talking about David alot even though she was dating Ollie. I knew she was insane and all but she jumped back and forth from "David should come to Europe with me" and "I wanted David to be single" from referring to Ollie as a romance and Pete saying they were making out on the stairwell.

Anyways, besides all the confusion I have one last tid-bit to get off my chest. The characters just...frightenend me. Everyone seemed unstable in their own ways. David creeped me out. He controlled her and always said "I forgive you" instead of "I'm sorry". He gave me that creepy vibe the whole time. And Kate and Jane, that was so random jumping to a lesbian episode then suprising us at the end with Kate and Sloan. Wierd.

Overall it could have been better and Michelle Jaffe could've realized that we may not understand the characters, the dialogue and the writing like you do. We can't just ad-lib half the book.(less)

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Dec 29, 2010 Christiana rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-fic, mystery, high-school

Listen, Michele Jaffe, I like you. I do. Also, I like your books. You are funny. That interview you did? Where they had you play MASH? And you put Santa as one of your husband possibilities? That was hilar. But this book! You were trying to be serious! Why? Why did you do that? It's like when I don't smile in pictures. It just doesn't work so I don't do it. Please don't ever do this again, ok? Just write some more Bad Kitty books so I can lol some. Also, your ending was a tiny bit dumb. Just say...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Sarah added it

I can't rate this. Too many conflicting emotions.

On the one hand, I love, love the premise. I love the way the author told the story, with a prologue of the present and then alternating between the night of the accident and Jane's recovery. It was very effective. I loved a lot of the symbolism in there and the mystery. And the book is truly poignant - within the first 100 pages I was crying so hard I could barely see the page. (Annie. That sweet little girl kills me.)
The heroine is not very admi...more I can't rate this. Too many conflicting emotions.

On the one hand, I love, love the premise. I love the way the author told the story, with a prologue of the present and then alternating between the night of the accident and Jane's recovery. It was very effective. I loved a lot of the symbolism in there and the mystery. And the book is truly poignant - within the first 100 pages I was crying so hard I could barely see the page. (Annie. That sweet little girl kills me.)
The heroine is not very admirable, but she's not really supposed to be. A lot of the book's plot is based on her insecurity and her gradual realization of it and overcoming. I didn't admire her at all - but I did pity her. I felt she was worth pitying and that, eventually, she might become something admirable. I don't think even the author expects anything more than that (maybe sympathy from some). So in the end, I wasn't annoyed by her the way I am in books where the main character never becomes self-aware, or where the author tries to pass off her self-esteem issues as normal or desirable (coughtwilightcough).
And I don't actually mind Jane's obsessive attention to what people wear. In any other book, I would have written it off as too shallow and been unable to continue. In Rosebush, it was a little distracting, but it seemed a natural product of Jane's photographic hobby. She's not just extremely focused on clothes - she describes a lot of things in vivid detail. In fact, the first page of the book is her describing what her body in the rosebush looks like in the police photo. In a LOT of detail. So it seemed less to me like she was extremely fashion conscious (although she is undeniably conscious of her appearance) and more like she's an extremely visual person.
In the end, however, the sex, drugs, and other bits of the book that left me uncomfortable keep me from giving it the four stars I would have liked too. I can't recommend this book to friends because it's got some very sexual content in it. That may not bother everyone, but it does bother me.
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Sep 21, 2012 Ginny rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Jane is found in a rosebush bloody and dying and with absolutely no memory of how she got there.

The police officer informs her that her injuries were from being hit by a car while kneeling in the street. There are only one of two way that could have happened: Either it was suicide or she trusted the driver.
Not a bad premise for a book.

Now comes the spoilery part of my review:

I have to hand it to the author, I did not guess whodunit. I am disappointed in myself, though, because I should have gue...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Josephine Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, made-a-shiver-run-down-my-spine, keep-guessing

This book was fantastically well thought out.
At the first time I set eyes on it the cover drew me to read the back. After finding out what I was getting myself into I just had to read it. It was so gripping that I read it none-stop. Even when it was two in the morning I couldn't put it down.

(beware - may contain spoilers)

I always thought that the killer was Ollie, but even though he was partly in the blame it was completely obvious who it was, yet not. When I found out who it was it was only b...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Sophia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

A very quick read! I think the best way to summarize this book is "Gossip Girl"* meets "Veronica Mars" - it's teenage school drama mixed with attempted murder, all carefully dressed in designer labels and portrayed by very pretty people. It's a CW show in the making, basically. I liked the concept and I think there were bits and pieces that I loved mixed with pieces that didn't work as well as I wanted them too. Jane shows quite a bit of development through the book, which worked really well as...more

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Jul 27, 2011 D. rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I picked up this book, I had heard of neither the author nor the book itself. However, I thought that this book was wonderful! It is a great portrait of the apparently popular, has-it-all girl who gets a reality check of the most extreme variety. I loved the mystery aspect in this novel (of course) and coupled with the classic teenage romance and drama makes a terribly wonderful, I couldn't put it down, marvellous and engaging story. I am a totally upstanding, never been-to-a-drinking-party...more

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May 06, 2011 FashionDayDreamer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Didn't get it.

It was too jumpy. One minute we were in the present and then bam! we were taken back to her memory.

Jane Freeman. What can I say? I liked her, but that's about all. She wasn't developed enough for me to remember. I only liked her because of her witty comments and the way she handled things, like with her mum. Other than that she felt, to me, like a cardboard cut-out.

Nothing about this story is memorable. But then again every book you buy can't always be like that. They can't all...more

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Apr 22, 2011 Serena rated it 2 of 5 stars

*Please note that the two-star rating comes from personal opinion on the plot and does not in anyway reflect that superb writing in this book. Please enter "killer" and "it" at the appropriate times for "spoiler" if you have not read this book yet.*

The writing in this books deserves 4 out of 5 stars. It was CREEPY. The horror part was really well-done, a perfect mixture of traditional and modern. The author did an excellent job at making everyone a suspect, so that when the ending came who the...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Allie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jane Freeman is one of the most popular girls in school…so why did someone hate her badly enough to run over her and leave her for dead in a rosebush?

When Jane awakens, paralyzed, in a hospital bed, she has no memory of the accident or the hours before. As time passes with nothing to do but think, she begins to piece together her memories of the night she was nearly murdered—and realizes that just about any of the visitors filing into her room could be the killer. Soon she is receiving thinly-ve...more Jane Freeman is one of the most popular girls in school…so why did someone hate her badly enough to run over her and leave her for dead in a rosebush?

When Jane awakens, paralyzed, in a hospital bed, she has no memory of the accident or the hours before. As time passes with nothing to do but think, she begins to piece together her memories of the night she was nearly murdered—and realizes that just about any of the visitors filing into her room could be the killer. Soon she is receiving thinly-veiled threats that her mother and doctors believe are simply hallucinations caused by her injuries. But Jane knows the killer is out there, waiting for a chance to finish the job. Can she stop him/her in time? And how? Agh!! The suspense!!

Rosebush is un-put-downable. From the moment I opened it until I finished it a couple of hours later, I was completely hooked. Michele Jaffe skillfully switches from present day to flashbacks at just the right moments in the story to reveal necessary information without dampening the suspense.

The premise alone is compelling—Jane is trapped inside a non-fuctioning body, unable to differentiate between what is real and what is a result of her injuries or the medication they’re using to treat her. Worse, once she finally feels like she knows what’s going on, she can’t convince anyone to believe her. Readers will find themselves flipping through pages filled with red herrings to discover who the would-be murderer is.

The characters in Rosebush are all interesting and unique. Jane is particularly sympathetic, not just for the plight she’s in at the opening, but because of the vulnerabilities that are revealed through the flashbacks. She is not always the nicest character, but she is always a believable character, and one I truly cared about. At times I just wanted to shake her for her tendency to always give her dirtbag boyfriend the benefit of the doubt when he was clearly being…well, a dirtbag, but that, too, felt real for a young girl in love.

Michele Jaffe is one of the most-skilled YA authors today in writing natural dialogue that feels real. This is huge for me because stilted, awkward language pulls me right out of a book. I can’t believe this is the first book of hers I’ve read, but it won’t be the last.
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Mar 02, 2011 Saryu rated it 3 of 5 stars

Rosebush Penguin Group, 2010, 326pp, $16.99
Michele Jaffe ISBN978-59514-353-2

“The image is stark yet beautiful. In the foreground and slightly to the right, set in blue-gray grass, is a fantastic bush. It looks like something from a fairy tale, a witch cursed into an alternate form, gnarled fingers reaching for the sky. In the center lies a girl.”
That girl is Jane Freeman. In Michele Jaffe's, Rosebush, a dramatic mystery novel, Jane awakens in a hospital and finds out that a car hit her and some...more Rosebush Penguin Group, 2010, 326pp, $16.99
Michele Jaffe ISBN978-59514-353-2

“The image is stark yet beautiful. In the foreground and slightly to the right, set in blue-gray grass, is a fantastic bush. It looks like something from a fairy tale, a witch cursed into an alternate form, gnarled fingers reaching for the sky. In the center lies a girl.”
That girl is Jane Freeman. In Michele Jaffe's, Rosebush, a dramatic mystery novel, Jane awakens in a hospital and finds out that a car hit her and someone left her for dead in a rosebush. With only fragments of that night remembered, she has no clue who did this to her. However, Jane quickly realizes, this killer isn't done with her yet. She keeps seeing death threats, hidden in get-well presents and written on mirrors. Everyone around her is saying that she’s just hallucinating. Even though her sanity seems questionable, Jane can’t believe that these are just hallucinations. Jane delves deep into her past, unearthing things she’s kept tucked away for years, and try to remember the events of that night, in order to figure who is trying to kill her.
Going into this book, I was aware that the writing might leave something to be desired. I wanted it to be a riveting, heart-pounding, twisty-turny experience. It wasn't. Though the writing was draped with cliches and did a weak job of maintaining much suspense, it had its occasional moments of beauty. The first person narrative and the flashbacks helped elevate the story. The action, unfortunately, had an annoying predictability. It seemed like Jaffe was taking formulaic twists and turns: Jane has a past that's riddled with secrets and mistakes, she's torn between three guys, her friends seem to be more like enemies, and all of this come back to haunt her in deadly ways. Still, there were moments towards the end where my heart was pounding and I thought,“Oh my god, what's going to happen?” Although I thought the ending was not well supported by anything leading up to it, this book had enough gripping moments to make most people overlook it's imperfections.
If you're looking for an enjoyable yet substance-less read, this book is not a bad choice. Aimed towards girls, Rosebush is best suited for people who are in 8th grade or high school. There is some phenomenal young adult literature out there and this isn't it. However, sometimes okay is good enough.
Saryu Chennat(less)

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Feb 16, 2011 Larissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

She looked like something out of a fairytale, a beautiful princess lying dead amidst a rosebush. Luckily she wasn't dead, but she soon would be if one of her 'friends' had anything to say about it.

Waking up in hospital Jane found she could remember nothing of the night before, slowly over the next few day however her memory was returning to her, but her memories were not matching up to the story her friends had told her about that night. Was she going crazy or where her friends lying to her?

It's...more

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Jan 20, 2011 Lesley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, popularity

It's been a while since I've stayed up this late to finish a book because I couldn't put it down! There are so many different layers but the author does a great job of not letting them get too tangled up. There's the mystery of who hit Jane with their car, knocking her into a rosebush, and is still trying to kill her as she lies recovering in the hospital, which is truly, truly mysterious with lots of red herrings and clues and potential villains. There's the gap in Jane's memory of what happene...more It's been a while since I've stayed up this late to finish a book because I couldn't put it down! There are so many different layers but the author does a great job of not letting them get too tangled up. There's the mystery of who hit Jane with their car, knocking her into a rosebush, and is still trying to kill her as she lies recovering in the hospital, which is truly, truly mysterious with lots of red herrings and clues and potential villains. There's the gap in Jane's memory of what happened the night she got hit and the explanations others offer which might or might not be lies. There are other details about Jane's life leading up to that night, including how she got popular and what happened to her best friend back in Illinois, that she gradually shares with the reader. And it's all wrapped up in a layer of wondering if a) Jane is pretty clueless about the people in her life, b) Jane is fully aware but unreliably narrating to us, and/or c) Jane is crazy because of the trauma she's experienced and the serious pain-killers she's on. And all the while she's lying there paralyzed in her hospital bed--her ability to speak and then move gradually returns while the layers of her story are peeled away.

I'm deducting 1/2 a star because all the teens are exhaustively described as being incredibly gorgeous and sexy and their designer labels are name-checked in great detail. Although it's entirely possible this is part of the whole superficiality vs. real substance thing. If it was, it needed to be a bit more defined for me. Also, (almost) everyone is super rich and I don't get vicarious pleasure from reading about lavish lifestyles and the whole poor-little-rich-girl rubs me the wrong way. Fortunately, Jane herself is enough outside of this world.

I think this would make a great discussion book--there are references to drugs, losing virginity, possible date rape, and various articles of underwear, but nothing too graphic. Other than, you know, the attempted murder. (less)

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Jan 10, 2011 Noémie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Voilà un roman que j'avais hâte de lire, je n'ai pas été déçue!
Vous aimez trembler de peur, vous posez 1000 et une questions? Ce livre est fait pour vous.
Jane jeune femme magnifique et populaire se retrouve au coeur d'un complot qui a pour but de tout simplement l'éliminer.
Michelle Jaffe que nous avions déjà rencontré dans "nuit d'enfer au paradis", peint ici le tableau de jeunes américains bourgeois aux lourds secrets qui entre amour et amitiés cachent bien leur jeu.
L'écriture ou plutôt le styl...more

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Jan 09, 2011 Stormi (Lightning Book Promotions) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really wasn't sure about this going into it, sounded a bit like some other books I had read lately. I wasn't sure if I would like it but I got wrapped up in the whole whodonit atmosphere that the author creates.

Jane is one of the popular girls with the great friends and handsome boyfriend, but it that really any reason to want someone dead? I am not really sure that I liked Jane all that much, but I did feel a little sorry for her when nobody would listen to her about someone threatening her....more

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Dec 21, 2010 BookChic Club rated it 5 of 5 stars

I must start off this review by saying how much I've been waiting for a new Michele Jaffe book, so I may be a bit biased when it comes to how much I loved it. Like, I may have been starving so much for Jaffe's awesome writing that I loved it more than I should. I highly doubt that though.

Anyway, this book sucked me in from the beginning. There's a prologue that sets the stage and takes place right before the climax, with Chapter 1 going back in time several days earlier. I really enjoyed Jane's...more

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Dec 11, 2010 Gecky Boz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ravishing Rosebush

*I received this book via Different Area Codes tours

This book gets a resplendent 4 out of 5 gnomes for being full of drama, mystery and some seriously messed up characters. The cover of the book tells you a lot of what you can expect I especially love the line that was added to her arm, it really adds to the mysteriousness of it all. Jane is pretty much the ultimate mean girl she changes her entire identity just to fit in and be popular.

The book opens with Jane waking up in th...more Ravishing Rosebush

*I received this book via Different Area Codes tours

This book gets a resplendent 4 out of 5 gnomes for being full of drama, mystery and some seriously messed up characters. The cover of the book tells you a lot of what you can expect I especially love the line that was added to her arm, it really adds to the mysteriousness of it all. Jane is pretty much the ultimate mean girl she changes her entire identity just to fit in and be popular.

The book opens with Jane waking up in the hospital after being hit by a car and found in a rosebush. Then the story backs up to show what happened up to that point and after. Jane used to be an unpopular girl but had enough and changed everything about herself to fit in. She becomes best friends with Kate and Langley the two most popular people at her school. Being friends with them means that she's automatically in the popular crowd.

Jane makes some horrible choices even though she has her own reasons for making them. She sees her mother as uncaring. She is one of these characters that you just want to have a serious talk with about her boyfriend, he has abuser written all over him. He's a character that has well, no redeeming qualities. The guy tries to control everything that Jane does and makes everything bad happen seem like her fault.

It seems that everyone has a secret to hide and that makes them seem even more like suspects. Well almost everyone is a suspect except for my favorite character her sister Annie, who has a barbie doll that she thinks is a man trapped in a woman's body. All the clues come together and the answer to the mystery surprised me.

The beauty in this book is that Jane is slowly being driven mad but at the same time discovering important information about people she thought she knew. Jane seems to learn more about herself in the hospital room then she ever did among the popular crowd. This is a truly engrossing mystery with a flawed but beginning to change narrator. I would highly recommend this book for anyone that likes a mystery along with a lot of high school angst.(less)

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Aug 14, 2011 David rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kurz zur Aufmachung des Buches im Inneren: Passend zum Tatort – wurde die Protagonistin Jane doch in einem Rosenstrauch aufgefunden – befindet sich vor jedem Kapiteltag eine Seite, welche mit Rosenranken verziert ist, was sehr cool ausschaut. Ebenfalls sind einzelne Abschnitte ab und an mit einer Rose unterteilt.

Sofort von Beginn an hat mich der wundervoll einfache und zugleich flüssige Schreibstil begeistert. Die Autorin versteht es, ein sehr angenehmes Leseklima zu schaffen, sodass ich super g...more Kurz zur Aufmachung des Buches im Inneren: Passend zum Tatort – wurde die Protagonistin Jane doch in einem Rosenstrauch aufgefunden – befindet sich vor jedem Kapiteltag eine Seite, welche mit Rosenranken verziert ist, was sehr cool ausschaut. Ebenfalls sind einzelne Abschnitte ab und an mit einer Rose unterteilt.

Sofort von Beginn an hat mich der wundervoll einfache und zugleich flüssige Schreibstil begeistert. Die Autorin versteht es, ein sehr angenehmes Leseklima zu schaffen, sodass ich super gut in die Story hinein kam. Ich war direkt gefangen in der Story rund um Jane, denn nicht nur die Beschreibung der Geschichte klang spannend für mich, sondern eben auch der packende Schreibstil machte Lust aufs Lesen.
Jane war mir ein netter Charakter, den man als Leser gut kennen lernt, denn das ganze Buch ist aus ihrer Sicht geschrieben. Hinzu kommen dann noch viele Freunde, Krankenhauspersonal und besonderes ihre Familie, welche aus Mutter, Schwester und neuen Freund der Mutter besteht.
Man erfährt über die Kapitel hinweg immer mehr Hintergrund Informationen und Geschehnisse und geht quasi zusammen mit Jane auf Entdeckungs- und Erinnerungsreise, denn Jane kann sich nach dem Aufwachen an nichts mehr vor dem Unfall erinnern. So dachte sie all die Jahre, sie wäre beliebt bei all ihren Freunden und nun muss sie scheinbar all dies als eine große Lüge sehen? Dieses Abenteuer war sehr packend und so blieb ich auch gerne beim Lesen. Besonders spannend fand ich es zu erfahren, wie Jane nach und nach durch all ihre Krankenhausbesuche, die sie von Freunden bekam, hinter der Sache mit dem Unfall kam. Denn ihre Freunde sind nicht so unschuldig, wie sie tun. Aus verschiedenen Sichtweisen zu lesen, wie jeder einzelne zu Jane steht und was über sie gedacht wurde, hat mir wirklich gut gefallen.
Obwohl das Buch sich so schnell weg gelesen hat, habe ich es mir extra ein paar Tage aufbewahrt. Dies fiel mir wahrlich nicht leicht, denn fast jedes Kapitel endete mit einem fiesen und super spannenden Cliffhanger, sodass einem eigentlich gar nichts anderes übrig blieb, als sofort weiter zu lesen.

Ein paar kleine Längen weist das Buch allerdings auch auf, jedoch haben die meinen Lesefluss kaum gestört. Ich empfinde dieses Buch auch nicht wirklich als „Psychothriller“ und würde ihn wenn als Thriller, dann auch eher in den Jugendbereich einsortieren.
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Jun 20, 2012 Ema rated it 2 of 5 stars

I have such mixed feelings towards this book.
I couldn't decide whether to rate it 1, 2, or 3 stars.. I decided on 2.
You see, until about the book's plot started really picking up I loathed this book with a passion. I sort of hate it still. If my heart wasn't pounding right now from all the intensity (I just finished it and I still feel excited! Crazy how reading a book can make you feel that much adrenaline) it would have got a one star. I must admit, this author does know how to keep you on you...more

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Feb 04, 2011 Andria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-fiction

Booktalk: They found her, broken and unconscious in the middle of the night, in a rosebush. Jane woke up in the hospital unable to remember anything about the hit-and-run accident that landed her in the middle of the shrubbery, or the party that had come before it. As the days go by, some memories come back but none of them make sense. Her friends visit her in the hospital but they all act kind of strange and shifty. She's getting weird gifts and vaguely threatening notes from a "Secret Admirer....more

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Jan 11, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I didn't love this book but...I didn't hate it either. It was just okay. There were a lot of parts where I was like "yeah right...that so wouldn't happen" but about halfway through it got to be pretty interesting. However, it took me quite a long time to get into the book at all. There were times at the beginning that I didn't think I'd be able to finish it at all.

This book kinda reminded me of the old classic movie "Gaslight". A young woman gets married and then thinks she is going crazy only...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Lightblue rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rosebush
Ho preso questo libro in biblioteca perchè su anobii veniva paragonato ad After della Warman (che a me è piaciuto moltissimo, conseguentemente le aspettative erano alle stelle). Il libro racconta la storia di Jane, giovane adolescente che fa di tutto per farsi accettare dalle ragazze più popolari della sua scuola ed entrare nel loro giro pieno di vestiti, shopping, chiacchiere e ragazzi "in". Dopo una festa, Jane verrà trovata mezza morta in un cespuglio di rose, piena di graffi e ferite...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Jaqueline rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Tutti amano Jane... O almeno così sembrerebbe.
Eppure Jane una mattina si risveglia in un letto di ospedale, non ricordandosi di ciò che le era successo. Ha subito un incidente. Una macchina l'ha investita. Ma quello che agli occhi di tutti è stato solo un brutto incidente, per Jane non è così.
Qualcuno sta tentando di ucciderla. E a confermarlo arrivano telefonate minatorie, regali misteriosi e minacce.
Ma nessuno le crede. Tutti pensano che stia diventando pazza. Credono che le sue siano solo pa...more

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Jan 13, 2011 Karin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, youngadult

Jane goes to a party on the Jersey Short expecting to have fun with her friends and a romantic night with her boyfriend. Instead she is run down by a car and left for dead – tangled in a rosebush on the side of the road.

Waking up in the hospital, Jane realizes she has no memory of what happened at the party and that she is paralyzed. With snatches of memory coming back at random moments and accounts from her friends, Jane attempts to piece together what really happened that night and who wants h...more

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May 05, 2013 Tia rated it 3 of 5 stars

There were a lot of characters and throughout the whole book, you're constantly going back and forth between present time and the past. It got annoying 'cause the story didn't flow super well.

It got kinda ridiculous how no one would ever believe her about how she says someone's out to kill her. I mean, her mom, a psychiatrist, doctors, nurses. Not one of them believed her. And she's getting really weird secret admirer presents along with calls. I mean, come on!

I didn't like any of the character...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Jory rated it 2 of 5 stars

DO YOU KNOW HOW PAINFUL IT WAS FOR ME TO FINISH THIS BOOK??? Do you know how much I was looking forward to reading this, after reading the back of it and thinking 'Oh, this is going to be good!'??? Do you know how BORING this is?!

To answer all three of those questions: very very painful, extremely excited to get my hands on it, and so boring that I wanted to claw my eyes out.

The premise of this book is intriguing. Girl gets run over and is found in a rosebush left for dead. Girl stays in hospi...more DO YOU KNOW HOW PAINFUL IT WAS FOR ME TO FINISH THIS BOOK??? Do you know how much I was looking forward to reading this, after reading the back of it and thinking 'Oh, this is going to be good!'??? Do you know how BORING this is?!

To answer all three of those questions: very very painful, extremely excited to get my hands on it, and so boring that I wanted to claw my eyes out.

The premise of this book is intriguing. Girl gets run over and is found in a rosebush left for dead. Girl stays in hospital trying to piece together what happened to her. Girl realizes someone she knows and loves is trying to kill her. It all seems very interesting when you think about it. Well take it from me, it isn't. At all. This book is so jumpy and utterly confusing, I still don't know what the hell I just read. And I was a masochist about it, thinking that it would get better and better as I read on. And it did for a few pages with a lesbian encounter with one of the main characters best friends, who just so happens to be a lesbian. And then it fell right back in its funk. The reveal of the killer was actually pretty good too, but other than that...SNOOZEFEST.

And can I just complain about the main character Jane for a minute? I mean, I know shes going through some things just being almost killed and all, but GURL. Could you be more annoying? And also SLUTTY? I mean, what kind of pheromones is this girl putting off that so many guys are attracted to her like this?? I mean one even STALKED HER. I just could not feel bad for her. I don't know if she was written in a way that I couldn't stand or what, but I just did not like her at all.

I know a lot of people like this book and I'll probably get some haters for putting my actual opinions out there, but I don't care. I thought this book was just terrible. And I know, I know, you are probably thinking "Well then why the hell did you read the entire thing?" and to be honest...I don't know. Like I said a couple paragraphs ago, I just wanted this book to be good. Actually, I wanted it to be fantastic. Maybe even a little too much. I had such high hopes that this was going to be a good, suspenseful read that I was seriously let down. I'm kind of depressed about it if I'm being honest. (less)

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May 01, 2011 Hayden rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of the Pretty Little Liars series

Shelves: abuse-rape, alcohol, chick-lit, fitting-in, mystery, suspense, teen

Jane wakes up in the hospital the day after the party and finds that she is paralyzed. But she can't remember the events that led up to her injuries--was it really an accident, or did one of her friends try to kill her? And if so, what if that person is still trying?

Pros: Just a good, trashy mystery. No well-developed characters (mainly because there are so many of them), but a really fun whodunit, of which there are too few in YA fiction. Was it her semi-abusive boyfriend? His best friend who n...more

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Apr 04, 2011 Lisa (Badass Bookie) rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Long Story ? - I'm not much of a mystery/suspense reader because they're usually too mysterious and too suspenseful to keep me from peeking at the ending. Which is exactly what I did, I peeked, I saw and it took the mystery out of it, now you know why I usually stick with predicable contemporaries or wacky paranormals. However, I really enjoyed it, like I really, really, really liked this book.

Honestly, I'm very fascinated with this concept of high school where teenagers would do anything t...more The Long Story ? - I'm not much of a mystery/suspense reader because they're usually too mysterious and too suspenseful to keep me from peeking at the ending. Which is exactly what I did, I peeked, I saw and it took the mystery out of it, now you know why I usually stick with predicable contemporaries or wacky paranormals. However, I really enjoyed it, like I really, really, really liked this book.

Honestly, I'm very fascinated with this concept of high school where teenagers would do anything to be popular, quite frankly I like reading books about social hierarchy and designer clothes and great parties ( no, I'm not a loser who has no friends). I found all of that, with a deadly twist, in Rosebush. The plot was really quite excellent. Interesting, suspenseful and full of twists and turns. It's face-paced and keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Original and wait for it...unpredictable. The art of thrillers, I would never have pick "that person" to be the murderer or attempted murderer.

With Rosebush it just keeps getting better and better, you think you know who the killer is and then something happens and you doubt yourself. You think you know the full story and then something happens that changes your perspective. It's unpredictable and exciting to read because you don' know what's going to happen next!

My second pick for best highlights would be the characterisation. Realistic characters that we can all connect to on some level. These rich, popular adolescents harbour the same fear and insecurities as the rest of us. Worse, they harbour deadly secrets could ruin everything. Jane, the main character is easy relate to, she's nice, insecure around her friends and a people-pleaser. I'm definitely not a people-pleaser or insecure around my friends but I have felt that way before I changed cliques. High school really is a nasty place, it's predator and prey. Each of the characters in this novel may seem tough and carefree on the outside but each have their personal demons whether it be family issues or other "stuff".

Last but not least, the writing. Gosh, some of the best writing I have ever read! I envy your ability to write Michelle Jaffe! I loved the writing in this novel, it was serious yet relaxed. Reader can feel completely at ease, understand every word, every description and every example even when the topic is serious, a matter of life and death. It was comfortable to read, even when we're talking about attempted murder and dirty little secrets. It's also interesting to read a thriller in first-person where there isn't the omniscient narrator spilling all the secrets but Jane, makes you wonder....

Overall, Rosebush is one of the best thrillers I have ever read. Fantastic plot, great characters and beautiful writing! Amazing cover and an even more amazing book, filled with twist and turns and dirty little secrets. Rosebush would be my pick for a perfect Friday night read! Ditch your date, pick up this book!

Rating - 5/5
(less)

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Mar 22, 2011 Julia Driscoll rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: appropriate-for-high-school, crime, death-grief, friendship-school, mystery, realistic-fiction, romance-dating

Jane has managed to work her way into the popular crowd at school. She's got two close girlfriends and a boyfriend she adores. She can't imagine why anyone would want to hurt her, even after she wakes up in the ICU unable to talk or move.

Overall, this is an enjoyable mystery/thriller. Jane, while stuck at the hospital, has to figure out who is trying to kill her - or whether she's delusional about the threats she sees.

My one complaint is that Jane isn't that likeable at the beginning simply be...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
What's The Name o...: A girl is hit by a car and is found in a rose bush [s]	4	19	Apr 28, 2013 07:21am
Who has read this Book?	7	14	Sep 06, 2012 04:40pm
Whos your favourite character?	2	7	Aug 21, 2012 02:30pm
SPOILERS!! Questions??	5	24	Jul 01, 2012 12:14am

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“So let me see-you've got a boyfriend, a not boyfriend, and a secret admirer.

" He shook his head at me. "Girl, no wonder someone tried to run you down.” — 11 people liked it

“Popularity can be a real headache.” — 9 people liked it

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