Waking Rose:
a fairy tale retold - Review
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Publisher's Summary:
Doman, Regina. (2007)
Waking Rose: a fairy tale retold. Front
Royal, VA: Chesterton Press. ISBN #978-0-981-93184-5.
Author recommended age: 16 +. Litland.com also
recommends 16+. See author explanation for parents at
her
website.
Publisher’s description:
Ever since he rescued her from Certain Death, Rose Brier
has had a crush on Ben Denniston, otherwise known as
Fish. But Fish, struggling with problems of his own,
thinks that Rose should go looking elsewhere for a
knight in shining armor. Trying to forget him, Rose goes
to college, takes up with a sword-wielding band of
brothers, and starts an investigation into her family's
past that proves increasingly mysterious. Then a tragic
accident occurs, and Fish, assisted by Rose's new
friends, finds himself drawn into a search through a
tangle of revenge and corruption that might be
threatening Rose's very life. The climax is a crucible
of fear, fight, and fire that Fish must pass through to
reach Rose and conquer his dragons.
Respect for self and others: This
includes integrity (adherence to a code of
conduct or value system), honesty vs. manipulation or
lying, compassion, caring for others (characters not
focused on getting their way no matter what) self
respect--main character does not let others
denigrate him or her; use of self control and
self-discipline ; taking charge of own behaviour;
fairness to others (such as taking turns and
avoiding the blame game). Reader should ask themselves
“How does the protagonist depict their peers?” “Would
you want others to treat you this way? Should everyone
act this way?” This includes true friendships
that do not involve regular lying, deceit or
manipulation; considering consequences of actions
prior to acting; owning up to responsibility once
an action has been taken.
This story in the series expands our collection of
protagonists to a wide and diverse assortment of
personalities. Whether it is passionate activism, silly
yet creative antics and practical jokes, or studious
work, each are forthright and honest with one another,
caring and self-disciplined. Their values are easy to
see because of integrity in behavior. Characters are
truly likeable. We also see the small things that show
care for others: respecting roommates, girls making
efforts not to “lead on” boys with whom they only want
friendship, rules supporting chastity.
Portrayal of Authority
figures: The positive portrayal of parents, teachers, police officers and other “good” authority figures common in a child’s life is a positive influence upon the child’s own moral development. This includes
actively-parenting mother and father figures. Minimization of parental involvement in the character’s activities or the portrayal of authority figures as
inferior present poor role models. Also to be avoided are main characters that
deceive parents and teachers to accomplish goals, and overuse
sarcasm towards authority figures. Ask yourself “Are parents seen as positive or negative influence in the character's life?”
Police and hospital security are portrayed
realistically, having small roles; no bumbling, negative
or stereotypes, so the authority figures play the
necessary part of bringing challenge to the storyline.
Citizenship and
Patriotism: Loyalty to family, team or group, school, community and world; caring for and being considerate of these
groups. Pride to be part of that group or nationality.
While no community or national groups are in this
storyline, the strong family loyalty amongst the Briers
continues and fathers of both families are honored at
the wedding. The family theme is extended to “family of
choice” with the groups of students who form a family of
friends in their respective dorms, while also engaging
collectively in the larger group as Catholics. Each
character demonstrates a fierce belief in, and loyalty
to, their respective groups. This group loyalty permits
them to persevere against all odds and win the battle
against evil.
Justice and Balance: A just distribution between good and evil (with
good outweighing evil in the presence of the storyline);
demonstration of right and wrong; making decisions to enact the above values rather than simply choosing from two bad possibilities; Ask yourself “Is the emphasis on the positive elements or negative?”
The reader could easily
question how so much of the “unfair” could happen to
any one person (Fish) or family (Briers). Yet the
characters do not question the fairness of their
destinies. They accept the challenges life brings, rely
upon discernment for wisdom in choices and actions, and
ultimately good prevails.
The discriminatory
feminist views of female antagonists are realistic and
clearly delineate for the reader the evil which prevails
upon young adults today. Myths and prejudices against
pro-life activists are overcome through action.
Finally, not to be
overlooked is the handling of Donna’s mental illness,
which early on drives her to act harmfully towards Rose.
But through forgiveness and formation, she learns to
control her illness which gives her strength to make the
right choices.
Aesthetic aspects Of
life ExperienceLook for a storyline portrayal of
beauty, health, and selfless love vs. hedonistic behaviours (sexuality, selfishness, obsessiveness, materialism),
profanity, gore and violence. Are nature and environment respected or exploited? Look for
dark elements; watch out for humor that is negative, denigrates others excessively, uses metaphors to
denigrate the sacred.
The entire book is
formatted with back-and-forth views between His (Fish)
and Hers (Rose), rendering it stylistically intriguing.
The three pillars of faith, family and friends is
re-enforced throughout. Descriptors create suspense and
emotions; discernment of characters leads naturally to
wise decisions. When any one of these three pillars are
shaken, internal conflict and unsafe situations arise.
The idea of one’s vocation in life--whether it be chaste
singlehood or married life, career choices, etc.—is part
of the underlying story. Rather than hedonistic
obsession found in literature today, sexuality is dealt
with from its core: at the heart. The confusion created
by conflicting feelings, misunderstandings and trauma
are sorted through so its main character finds his
authentic nature and, with that, hope for a happy
future. With all the threats and deceptions that
undertake the protagonists, and the formation of an
antagonist (Donna) to protagonist, we see ongoing acts
of selflessness, healthy choices, self-discipline and
love, all of which breed Hope.
Other things to
Consider:Other aspects of this book of interest or importance. For example, does it portray Wiccan practices and accurate use of tools of which some parents might object, does it contain
hidden meanings in metaphors that may prove offensive to some families; does it address
personal issues such as puberty or pregnancy.
The storyline deals with mental
illness, inter-relational tension, physical and sexual
abuse and the resulting gender identity conflict,
healing same-sex attraction and developing healthy
authentic relationships. Violence includes arson,
stalking, kidnapping, assault, and attempted murder.
Litland.com does not recommend the story for younger
advanced readers. However, teens and adults will find it
moving and enjoyable. Taking this a step further,
fiction such as this is necessary to combating the
myths and hidden agendas forming the minds and hearts of
kids and young adults today. It is especially good
material for book club and youth or college ministry
discussions, as well as homeschool or classroom
literature courses at the high school and early college
levels. Of course, it is highly recommended just for
good reading too!
So what do YOU think? Read our thoughts on the book and join in the discussion:
Litland's Blog
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