Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

When I picked up Briar Rose, I really anticipated reading a version of Sleeping Beauty.  I had no idea I'd be reading a book about the Holocaust.  That said, it took nearly 150 pages to get to the portion of the book about the Holocaust.

First the good . . .  The last fifty pages or so were quite gripping.  Gemma's story was horrifying and tragic.  I was completely engrossed.  

Then the bad . . . The first one hundred and fifty-ish pages were boring.  I didn't like the style of writing.  It seemed very amateurish and way too detailed.  Details can be lovely but not when the author describes the main character bending over to get a magazine.  That's not important.

The book got rave reviews for the most part.  I'm afraid I can't contribute to those.  While I feel the story of the Holocaust is important to tell, I don't think this book was good enough to really do that.  It is listed as a novel for young adults and yet the subject matter was quite adult and there are scenes of homosexuality that may not be appropriate for younger readers.