A Rose for Melinda

by Lurlene McDaniel

Told in letters, journal entries, e-mails, doctors’ reports, and instant messages, the heartbreaking story of an aspiring ballet dancer battling leukemia.

Melinda Skye
Readers
Jesse

Hi! I can’t believe it. What a surprise from Jesse. When he got my e-mail about being accepted by the Washington School of Classical Dance’s summer program, he called to congratulate me! I loved hearing his voice. We’ve been friends forever–could it turn into something more?
Melinda

Jesse Rose
Readers
Melinda

I couldn’t believe the news. Melinda is so young! How could she be sick? How did she get leukemia? She’s got to get better. She’s got to.
Jesse

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Drama, Medical

208 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 2002

About the author

Lurlene McDaniel (born c. 1948) is an author who has written over 50 young adult books. She is well known for writing about characters struggling with chronic and terminal illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, and organ failure.


Other places to find her are...
https://www.facebook.com/lurlenemcdan...
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/aut...
http://www.youtube.com/user/LurleneMc

Reviews

[Marie80 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Прекрасно!Да бидам искрена можеби и начинот на кој е напишана придонесе книгата да ми се допадне и да ме трогне толку многу!Од се' срце ја препорачувам!

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cancer isn't the worst thing that can happen to a person. And neither is dying young. Taking life for granted, living badly-these things seem far worse to me. In many ways-ways that count-I'm the luckiest girl in the world.
-Melinda

Melinda Skye was a bright, intelligent, and driven little girl. To her, Jesse Rose was her best friend, a boy deeply attached to all things Melinda. From first grade and on, these two were joined at the hip. Leaning on and confiding in each other like only best friends do, it was no surprise when they felt something more towards each other later on in the book. This story is one of loss, love, and life beautifully written through "letters, journal entries, e-mails, doctors’ reports, and instant messages."

From a young age, Melinda and Jesse connected with each other. Jesse even attended Melinda's first ballet recital for the Nutcracker, presenting her with a single rose that he bought all by his little self for the end of her performance. When Jesse's parents started to have problems and decided to separate and divorce, Jesse was still young, and the Skye family was there for Jesse and practically took him in as one of their own. The Roses were very grateful towards Lenny and Elana, Melinda's parents, because Jesse's mother had to work while Jesse was supposed to be brought home from school. Jesse was deeply against going to an after school care program and preferred to spend his time with Melinda and her family. The Skyes even made him his own room in their basement. It was because of this arrangement that Jesse and Melinda had a very hard time adjusting when Jesse has to move away with his mother. Separated, the two decide to email each other so that they could keep in touch no matter what.

As they grew up, Melinda became an amazing ballerina, working hard to fulfill her dream of becoming a prima ballerina and work for a huge dance company. As she worked her way up the ranks, she got more important parts in the annual Nutcracker performances and was invited to an elite dance opportunity taking place during her summer vacation. She later became best friends with Bailey, a boy-crazed girl at her school. At the same time, Jesse got into skateboarding and began to have problems with his father who started to want to become more involved in his son's life. Jesse is conflicted with this due to his loyalty to his single mother and her decision to go to college while his now married dad lives in New York with his new family. During all of this, Melinda and Jesse talk about all of the previously mentioned things above contained in their personal messages to each other. Despite their distances, can these two fall in love, especially at such a young age?

Suddenly, Melinda collapses during one of her special dance opportunity classes and is rushed to the hospital. It is here that she finds out that she has leukemia. She is only in her beginning teens and has a promising future ahead of her. Everyone has to bear with it one day at a time, including her and her parents and friends. Melinda wants to see Jesse soon, and he can't wait to get to her, but what will happen after they see each other for the first time in years? Will what they feel for each other make it through all of the e-mails and phone calls, or was it all just a dream? And most importantly, will Melinda make it through these tough days or lose the battle against her disease?

There are certain authors whose books I can continuously read, over and over again, year after year. People like Rick Riordan, Darren Shan, Neal Shusterman, and...Lurlene McDaniel, are just a few. Lurlene McDaniel always seems to amaze me. Despite the fact that this book was only a short novel that consisted of 208 pages, it packed an amazing punch. All of her books do. By punch I mean that her stories leave me thinking about them for days. She puts a lot into those pages, so much so that you wish it was longer. They're beautifully written and full of heart and soul. This is one of my favorites of hers.

Melinda and Jesse were so cute together when they were little. The letters that they wrote to each other from first grade started out with Jesse signing his name from "Signed, your friend" to "Your friend" changed to "Your very good friend." It's really adorable. As they get older, you really get to see more into their lives, their dreams, and their struggles. While it may sound that you only get to hear from Jesse and Melinda, you also get to read things from each of their parents' perspectives. This was really interesting. Not only did you get to see the hardships that the two teens face through Melinda's treatments, but you are also able to see into the eyes of what parents must go through in these situations. I can't even imagine what people must go through when their children get sick. It's unthinkable. However, I think that Lurlene McDaniel does a great job portraying this. She's an amazing author whose written over fifty young adult books. That's a huge achievement!

I felt like Jesse and Melinda were real people. The problems they went through were what people today have to experience all the time, divorce, sickness, relationships, and loss. While this type of writing, in letters, conversations, and the like, may seem odd or unapproachable, but it was brilliantly executed in this book. McDaniel outdid herself with this one. Melinda just felt so real. She never gave up on her dreams and desires, no matter what happened to be thrown in her path. She was a true fighter, a true hero. Jesse was also a true hero. He fought for what he wanted and for Melinda, giving up so much so that he could give her things that would make her happy during the rough patches, including his skateboard.

A Rose for Melinda was ultimately awe inspiring. It was heartfelt and a truly great read. I think that many teen girls would love this story and all that it represents. It definitely deserves a roaring five stars for its unique voice and inspiring presence in literature today. I hope you have the chance to read it because if you do, I think that you won't regret it. Maybe, you'll love it as much as I have and share my same feelings!

You can see reviews like this one and more at http://knightingalereviews.blogspot.com/.

(http://knightingalereviews.blogspot.c...)

[Meri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet and sad... This book just remind me that all life stories do not finish with happy ending...

[Monika · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3/5

[Raegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is good. Really, really, really good. The way it's told in diary entries, notes, e-mails, even doctors' reports and audio transcripts, is really creative and refreshing. The characters were even pretty realistic, something that's often not true in books of this genre.

However.

This book is sad, more than that-- heart-wrenching, and is the reason I will not be reading books like this in the future. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but when Melinda died, I almost lost it. In this book, we didn't only see the pain of the significant other of the person who died. We saw a mother's grief at losing her only child, a father's helplessness as he watched cancer destroy his family, a ballet teacher missing her best student's presense in the studio, a fifteen-year-old girl losing her best friend, and, of course, the heartbreak of the boy who's loved Melinda for years. After Melinda's death, we get to see these characters grieve for different reasons and in different ways. It's heartbreaking, though. It really is. I don't think I'll be reading this book again, but I don't think I'll ever forget it, either.

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ This is a classic example of why you should never judge a book by its cover, although to be fair the cover is horrific like I’d NEVER have picked this up, someone needs to talk to their marketing department! But my friend and I chose this as our Reading Women Challenge pick for “a book about someone with a chronic illness” as it got really good reviews. And yeah it doesn’t sound like a cheery topic but this book, it’s style, format, writing, characters where just all brilliant. Such a poignant story for adults and young readers. It made me smile and sob (very few books make me do that!). And although I’d never heard of the author before (she has a big fan base apparently) and unlikely to read any of her other books (not really my bag!) this is an absolute gem of a read. Don’t let the cover or the topic put you off!

[Kat Hammock · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, i could not put this book down. i read it in just 2 hours time. I was given this book to read from my dear friend Danika. She told me it was one of her favorite books and after reading it I can see why! It was a beautiful story of love and fighting your way through an awful disease. It left me with uncontrollable tears after reading this and the story will definitely remain in my heart. Thanks Danika for bringing this book into my life.

[Mary Bronson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was AMAZING!!!! I really enjoyed reading it. It was such a heartwarming and sweet book. By the end of the book I was crying pretty hard. One of my all time favorites of Lurlene McDaniel.

[Ronnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

A Rose for Melinda is an epistolary novel, told through letters and notes between Melinda and Jesse, who are five at the start of the novel and fifteen by the end, e-mails between family and friends, and private diary entries, which chronicle Melinda's life as she discovers a love for ballet and her goal of becoming a prima ballerina, her deepening relationship with childhood best friend Jesse, and her diagnosis of leukemia at the age of 13.

I remember reading Lurlene McDaniel's novels in elementary school, probably around 3rd or 4th grade -- there were lots of them in my elementary school library, and I loved them. I loved that they were heartbreaking. I loved that they didn't always have happy endings, because life didn't always have happy endings.

I don't know how she ended up on my bookcase as an adult -- I assume that someone I know must have given me the novels at some point, since I've got more than one person in my life who goes "I don't want these books anymore; Ronnie will take them."

Anyway, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I've grown out of novels that are sad just for the sake of being sad (though I'll always love any book that makes me cry), and McDaniel's books are very much intended for younger readers, so I worried that the writing would be too juvenile for my tastes.

And it was, at first. I decide to stick with the novel because I knew it would be a quick read -- the font is large, and every character has a different font choice, which likewise changes depending what medium they're writing in (there's letters, journal entries, e-mails, instant message exchanges, etc.). I did, in fact, finish the novel quickly: it was less than a two-hour read for me.

I'm glad I stuck with it though. The beginning is juvenile, but that's because most of it is written in letters notes exchanged between five-year-olds. As the novel progresses, so does the writing ability, and while I didn't actually cry, my eyes did sting at points.

This would be an excellent novel for any young readers who are looking for something to make them cry, or who are looking for books about chronic illness or cancer. And it's not a slough for any adult who wants to read a book about the same thing, either.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book hits you right in the feelers. I cried. I remember reading this book in middle school and decided to reread it since its a quick and read. I was sucked into the story the whole time. I think Melinda and Jesse are so cute and wish they could have had a HEA!

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rose for Melinda is a book that shows you that you can't always get what you want. This girl gets leukemia but still doesn't give up her dream of becoming a prima ballerina. I would say that this book is a book of hope and love. It keeps you wanting to read more but mainly it will inspire you to go for what you want. It's great when there's nothing wrong with you and you can still pursue your dream. This girl had the opposite of that but she still didn't give up. I never wanted to put this book down. I would recommend this book to anyone who has dreams and has little faith that they can achieve them.

[Aspen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so Inspiring!! I cried so much! But in a way they were happy tears. I love how Melinda and Jesse love eachother so much and how they were there for the other through it all. That's real love. Who cares if they were so young, it was real. This will now and always be one of my all time favorite books.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book was really good. It was also very sad at the end. The book is about fighting leukemia and Melinda has a little bit of romance with an old bestfriend.I do recommend this book to everyone!

[Melenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book

[Jessica Sedlak · Rating 5 out of 5]

It will make you cry!

[Terri Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a little hard to read because it jumped around a lot, but once you got used to the way it was put together, the story was incredible.

[Leslie Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved! this book

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lurlene McDaniel does it again, creating hope where there is loss. I adored this novel, it shows us that even during the worst outcome there is light.

[Lashante · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one of my favorite books ever, when I was a child. It made me cry because it was so sad. This book is the reason why I love Lurlene McDaniels books.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, and yes I cried.

[Chasisty Willhite]

It was so sad, i cried at least 5 times, but it was a good book

[Samantha Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

very sad I wish things worked out different but still a good read

[Jennie Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I read from Laurlene McDaniel. I continued to read the rest of the books she wrote and was even waiting for new ones to come out.

[Ivana Oltovska · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it wonderful book 5 stars

[Наташа Алексовска · Rating 3 out of 5]

Мелинда Скај уште од прво одделение ќе започна да го запиша својот живот во дневник, којшто ќе и биде подарок од баба и. Од 5 год. Мелинда ќе оди на часови по балет, бидејќи желба и е кога ќе порасна да биде балерина. Џес Роуз откако ќе ја забележил Мелинда во прво одделение, тој веднаш ќе се заљубил во нејзе. Тој го сака бејзбол. Посака кога ќе пораснал да играл во негов омилен бејзбол клуб. Во претстава каде што Мелинда ќе игра, ќе дошол и Џес, на покана на мајка на Мелинда Елана. На крај на претстава Џес ќе и поклони роза на Мелинда. Откако родители на Џес ќе се разведат, тој и мајка му ќе заминат во Санта Круз. Но, Џес без разлика на тоа, тој постојано ќе биде во контакт со Мелинда.

Што ќе се случи понатаму со нив двајцата, кога едно пријателство ќе се претвори во вистинска љубов? Низ какви пречки судбината ќе им ги замрси конците, тогаш кога тие не ќе се подготвени на нив? Можеби, не ќе биде ниту место и време, а сепак ќе дојдат како ненајавен гостин што им тропнал на нивните порти. Како ќе се справат за да ги поминат полесно и да се вратат во некаква нормала? Љубовта победува се, секоја невозможна пречка ќе ја направи возможна, а за тоа е потребно пред се поддршка и разбирање од нивните семејствата, пријатели ...

[Hanna Sellner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in like 8th grade in 1 day after school and i SOBBED. it’s the book that made me love reading as a hobby and not just because we had to I’m school. It’s definitely a lower reading level but i had to recommend because this book has a special place in my ❤️ forever and ever.

[Kaitlyn Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

So nostalgic 😭

[Lexie Okal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Made me cry. That’s all.

[Allison]

The book A Rose For Melinda is about a girl who has been in ballet since she was six years old and has had a friend who was a boy and he went to her first performance and gave her a rose. This book was very sad because Melinda finds out she has cancer and can no longer do ballet which is the most important thing in her life besides her best friend Jesse. The most captivating part of the book was when Melinda was rushed to the hospital without her parents there because she was accepted into a summer dance program. What kept me reading this book was the book was made into all the emails and letters that were sent between Jesse and Melinda. It was kind of hard to predict the ending of the book because parts I guessed were right and other parts were wrong. My favorite character in the book was Jesse because he’s depressed the entire time because first she moves away then he finds out she has cancer and can’t do ballet any more. In my opinion I think he had the hardest time dealing with everything. My least favorite character is Bailey because at times she’s cool but other times she’s kind of annoying and that’s what makes me dislike her as a character. I think the author wrote this book because she wanted to tell a story about how life altering things can happen in a teenagers life, and to tell how hard life can be if you have a disability. I would recommend this book to anyone who can relate to the struggles that happen when you have a disability and also to people who are okay to cry while reading a book. My favorite line from the book is “I’ll be your eyes and ears, Jesse” because Bailey is confirming that she will tell him everything that happens to Melinda. If the book was made into a movie I’d choose Dakota Fanning as Melinda, Abigail Breslin as Bailey, and Josh Hutcherson to play the role of Jesse.

[Bant · Rating 3 out of 5]

McDaniel, L. (2002). A rose for Melinda. New York, NY: Laurel Leaf.

Melinda has one wish: to be a famous dancer. Jesse has one wish: to be with Melinda. Both their dreams are derailed when 13-year-old Melinda discovers she has leukemia. Told in letters, emails, and diary entries, this epistolary novel is sure to appeal to future and present Nicholas Sparks fans. While McDaniel never manages to make her different character voices unique enough, the lovesick Jesse comes across as genuine and heartfelt. Jesse grounds the novel, and makes it less manipulative or monotonous. So while Melinda's life is the story's tragedy, Jesse's reactions are the real tearjerkers.

Other thoughts:

So a teen patron asked me to read this. I hated it for about 50 pages. Then it got better. Maybe I just submitted to it, or maybe it really got better. McDaniel doesn't have an ear for dialogue. All her characters, young or old, sound exactly the same. Melinda and her friend Bailey come off as whiny little teenagers. At least Melinda is driven, what is Bailey's excuse? Oh, and Melinda gets cancer so she gets off a little easier. That said, everything about Jesse is surprisingly honest and heartwarming. When he sells his skateboard to buy Melinda roses, well, that got me. Maybe his undying devotion isn't realistic, but plenty of young boys obsess over childhood friends. And McDaniel does bring home the ending. If I wasn't invested in the characters, one-dimensional and whiny or not, I wouldn't have cried.

Similar titles (read-a-likes):

If I Stay by Gayle Forman, Anything by Nicholas Sparks, The First Part Last by Angela Johnson, Anything by Melody Carlson