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Rosie Colored Glasses
Sometimes even all the love in the world is not enough to save someone.
Willow Thorpe knows friction… The friction between her parents, Rosie and Rex. The friction inside herself as she tries to navigate two worlds since their divorce.
But life has not always been like this.
When Rosie and Rex first met, theirs was an attraction of opposites. Rosie lived life for those heightened moments when love reveals its true secrets. Rex lived life safely, by the rules. Common sense would say theirs was a union not meant to last, but it was genuine love.
Now Willow just wants to be with Rosie, to bask in her mother’s outsize glow and, she thinks, protection. Because Rosie is the only person who can make Willow feel totally alive and completely loved.
But as Willow and Rosie and Rex try harder and harder to stay connected as a family, Rosie’s manic tornado of love continues to sweep up everyone in sight, ultimately to heartbreaking results.
Willow Thorpe knows friction… The friction between her parents, Rosie and Rex. The friction inside herself as she tries to navigate two worlds since their divorce.
But life has not always been like this.
When Rosie and Rex first met, theirs was an attraction of opposites. Rosie lived life for those heightened moments when love reveals its true secrets. Rex lived life safely, by the rules. Common sense would say theirs was a union not meant to last, but it was genuine love.
Now Willow just wants to be with Rosie, to bask in her mother’s outsize glow and, she thinks, protection. Because Rosie is the only person who can make Willow feel totally alive and completely loved.
But as Willow and Rosie and Rex try harder and harder to stay connected as a family, Rosie’s manic tornado of love continues to sweep up everyone in sight, ultimately to heartbreaking results.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published February 20, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 407 reviews
November 4, 2017
I read the description and for some reason I thought it would be a lighter read. Maybe it was the use of the word whimsical. It wasn’t. It's a sad story, sadder even knowing that the character of Rosie and the story in some ways is based on the author's free spirit mother who was addicted to opiates. Sad because this starts out as a love story between two people who are polar opposites and in spite of loving each other, they both know that it won't last . Sad because when the marriage ends, the two children of this broken family are impacted to the core, affected in ways that their mother and father don't see. Sad because eleven year old Willow doesn't know that her rigid, structured father Rex does love her. He doesn't know how to show it, doesn't know how to make her let him in . Sad because, her mother Rosie who is fun loving and lets Willow and Asher eat candy and stay up to watch movies on school nights and paint the walls with their hands, doesn't know or can't know how to parent.
I found this difficult to read at times with parenting that was questionable at the least and irresponsible at times. A timely read as it highlights opiate addiction but it also focuses on depression. The chapters alternate between the present where Willow and Asher are moved back and forth between their parents' houses and the very different worlds they live in and chapters going back to the past when Rex and Rosie first meet. Then the past converges with the present day sad story. I liked this much more than I thought I would. It's a story of people 's flaws, afflictions, a story of redemption. Predictably sad and elevating but worth reading this heartfelt story.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Mira/HarperCollins through Edelweiss.
I found this difficult to read at times with parenting that was questionable at the least and irresponsible at times. A timely read as it highlights opiate addiction but it also focuses on depression. The chapters alternate between the present where Willow and Asher are moved back and forth between their parents' houses and the very different worlds they live in and chapters going back to the past when Rex and Rosie first meet. Then the past converges with the present day sad story. I liked this much more than I thought I would. It's a story of people 's flaws, afflictions, a story of redemption. Predictably sad and elevating but worth reading this heartfelt story.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Mira/HarperCollins through Edelweiss.
February 12, 2020
Rosie Colored Glasses is an emotional and heart breaking read. To be honest, I was not expecting to be so moved and touched by this novel.
Brianna Wolfe delivers a rare and inspiring novel about loss, love, attachment, and relationships. What I loved about this novel is how Brianna was able to create a "story" within a story. I loved this!!
The novel starts off with introducing us to a unique but unhealthy love relationship between Rosie and Rex. What can I say about Rosie?! She's wild and quirky who loves to step out of the lines with life. And then there's Rex... who is the complete opposite of Rosie... a planner, determined, and serious about his life. These two somehow form a love relationship that ironically they both know will not last? (How does this happen).... I guess love can get blurry sometimes right?... YES we all know this.
Let's fast forward to 12 years and out pops their daughter Willow and another son Asher a few years later. Rex and Rosie have now divorced (which isn't a spoiler)... and are sharing time with both children. Willow is a unique little girl that takes after her mother. Willow is a fifth grader that wears the same purple leggings and black t-shirt to school every day. She also has severe trauma/anxiety which causes her to pee her pants. She prefers the love that she has with her mother. Willow and her father Rex don't have the best relationship and attachment has become strained. This is where I was touched the most I think ..... I could see myself in Willow's shoes having the strained and unhealthy relationship that has formed with Willow and her father. I, unfortunately have always had an unhealthy relationship with my father and feel that the love has never been reciprocated my entire life. I wonder sometimes what causes some children to be closer to mothers/fathers?
Both stories slowly emerge as themes of addiction, loss, and mental illness cross this family which ultimately tears them apart but brings them closer in the end. There were multiple times I was holding my heart and aching for this family. This is not a light read my friends. I was touched the most by Willow and the amount of strength that this little girl has and truly how resistant she is.
The ending could not have been better.... oh my gosh what a pleasant surprise between the relationship Willow has with her father Rex. I truly was inspired and touched by their relationship (ironically.... ).
Thank you to Netgalley, Brianna Wolfson, and Harlequin for an advanced arc in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 strong stars! Highly recommended!!! :)
Expected publication date is 2/20/18.
Brianna Wolfe delivers a rare and inspiring novel about loss, love, attachment, and relationships. What I loved about this novel is how Brianna was able to create a "story" within a story. I loved this!!
The novel starts off with introducing us to a unique but unhealthy love relationship between Rosie and Rex. What can I say about Rosie?! She's wild and quirky who loves to step out of the lines with life. And then there's Rex... who is the complete opposite of Rosie... a planner, determined, and serious about his life. These two somehow form a love relationship that ironically they both know will not last? (How does this happen).... I guess love can get blurry sometimes right?... YES we all know this.
Let's fast forward to 12 years and out pops their daughter Willow and another son Asher a few years later. Rex and Rosie have now divorced (which isn't a spoiler)... and are sharing time with both children. Willow is a unique little girl that takes after her mother. Willow is a fifth grader that wears the same purple leggings and black t-shirt to school every day. She also has severe trauma/anxiety which causes her to pee her pants. She prefers the love that she has with her mother. Willow and her father Rex don't have the best relationship and attachment has become strained. This is where I was touched the most I think ..... I could see myself in Willow's shoes having the strained and unhealthy relationship that has formed with Willow and her father. I, unfortunately have always had an unhealthy relationship with my father and feel that the love has never been reciprocated my entire life. I wonder sometimes what causes some children to be closer to mothers/fathers?
Both stories slowly emerge as themes of addiction, loss, and mental illness cross this family which ultimately tears them apart but brings them closer in the end. There were multiple times I was holding my heart and aching for this family. This is not a light read my friends. I was touched the most by Willow and the amount of strength that this little girl has and truly how resistant she is.
The ending could not have been better.... oh my gosh what a pleasant surprise between the relationship Willow has with her father Rex. I truly was inspired and touched by their relationship (ironically.... ).
Thank you to Netgalley, Brianna Wolfson, and Harlequin for an advanced arc in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 strong stars! Highly recommended!!! :)
Expected publication date is 2/20/18.
November 18, 2017
When I was about thirty pages into this book I wrote in the comment section of my updates, that Willow was going to break my heart. She did, but what I didn't expect was that this whole family would. It is not that I am getting marshmellowy, but rather than going into a long discourse on my personal life, I'll just say this was a novel in which I could relate. Plus, as the author tells us this is a semi-autobiographical novel, a novel it took many years to be able to write
Willow, fifth grade, bullied on the bus and in her school, her mom Rosie with all her love, sense of fun, and yes irresponsibility, made Willows life bearable. Rose, a free spirit, and though it doesn't say, my guess is she was bipolar, self medicating with opiates. Gil, found something in her that he needed in his structured, routine following life, at least for a while. Asher, an adorable sounding boy, front teeth missing, causing him to lisp with his R's, the most balanced, just happy to be wherever. This little family comes apart, but there is still so much love between them, these people who tumble into a fate they have little control over. There is so much feeling in this book, despite the rather simple way it is written, hearing from each character. So much love, joy, hurt, pain, want and need. I felt them all in a very visceral way, as I said my connection with this book made it hard for me to read.
There are difficult things, even dangerous moments in this novel. Many things, parenting that is easy to find fault with, but not an absence of love, in the many different ways it can be shown. Most of all it is so realistic, once again believe me I know. A wonderful, but heartbreaking novel, that the author has shown great courage in writing. The healing power of the written word.
ARC from Netgalley and Edelweiss.
Willow, fifth grade, bullied on the bus and in her school, her mom Rosie with all her love, sense of fun, and yes irresponsibility, made Willows life bearable. Rose, a free spirit, and though it doesn't say, my guess is she was bipolar, self medicating with opiates. Gil, found something in her that he needed in his structured, routine following life, at least for a while. Asher, an adorable sounding boy, front teeth missing, causing him to lisp with his R's, the most balanced, just happy to be wherever. This little family comes apart, but there is still so much love between them, these people who tumble into a fate they have little control over. There is so much feeling in this book, despite the rather simple way it is written, hearing from each character. So much love, joy, hurt, pain, want and need. I felt them all in a very visceral way, as I said my connection with this book made it hard for me to read.
There are difficult things, even dangerous moments in this novel. Many things, parenting that is easy to find fault with, but not an absence of love, in the many different ways it can be shown. Most of all it is so realistic, once again believe me I know. A wonderful, but heartbreaking novel, that the author has shown great courage in writing. The healing power of the written word.
ARC from Netgalley and Edelweiss.
June 20, 2017
I LOVED this book!!!!! I was a mess by the end but I loved every single page!
This book reads like a fairy tale which I LOVED!!! Very nice touch.
This book touched on so many things: love, loss, mental illness, addiction, bullying, family, Mother-child relationships, Father-Child relationships, etc.
Rosie is eccentric! She doesn't stay in one spot for too long. She wanders around doing as she pleases living here and there, working numerous jobs, never staying rooted for too long. She skips to her own beat. She meets Rex when he orders flowers for another woman and Rosie changes the note on the card. He confronts her about it and finds that there is something so different yet irresistible about Rosie.
Rex is the complete opposite of Rosie. He is grounded, ordered and happy to live a normal life. He is drawn to Roise's quirkiness and energy. She brings a little fun and chaos to his life. Both have their doubts about whether this relationship will last but both love the other and forge forward with their lives. When they get married and have children things go downhill. I don't want to go into this too much as I don't want to give away too much of the plot.
This book also focuses on Willow their daughter. She is quirky herself and has a close relationship with her Mother. She loves her Mother's whimsical way of living. Her Mother is fun, always quick to give love and affection. Her Mother accepts her and loves her. Willow is happiest with her Mother. She views her father as being unloving, cold, distant and never pleased with anything she does. They have a strained relationship and Willow is sad in his home.
This books is told through flashbacks, different perspectives, and has a fairy tale feel to it. This book is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. This is a story about love in various forms: romantic love, love of a child for a parent, love of a parent for a child and also sibling love. This is a really beautiful story that had me reaching for my Kleenex. Sometimes love does not conquer all. Sometimes our good intentions hurt others. Sometimes love cannot save someone on a destructive path. But Love can also heal us and make us stronger.
I highly recommend this book.
I received a copy of this book from Harlequin and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
This book reads like a fairy tale which I LOVED!!! Very nice touch.
This book touched on so many things: love, loss, mental illness, addiction, bullying, family, Mother-child relationships, Father-Child relationships, etc.
Rosie is eccentric! She doesn't stay in one spot for too long. She wanders around doing as she pleases living here and there, working numerous jobs, never staying rooted for too long. She skips to her own beat. She meets Rex when he orders flowers for another woman and Rosie changes the note on the card. He confronts her about it and finds that there is something so different yet irresistible about Rosie.
Rex is the complete opposite of Rosie. He is grounded, ordered and happy to live a normal life. He is drawn to Roise's quirkiness and energy. She brings a little fun and chaos to his life. Both have their doubts about whether this relationship will last but both love the other and forge forward with their lives. When they get married and have children things go downhill. I don't want to go into this too much as I don't want to give away too much of the plot.
This book also focuses on Willow their daughter. She is quirky herself and has a close relationship with her Mother. She loves her Mother's whimsical way of living. Her Mother is fun, always quick to give love and affection. Her Mother accepts her and loves her. Willow is happiest with her Mother. She views her father as being unloving, cold, distant and never pleased with anything she does. They have a strained relationship and Willow is sad in his home.
This books is told through flashbacks, different perspectives, and has a fairy tale feel to it. This book is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. This is a story about love in various forms: romantic love, love of a child for a parent, love of a parent for a child and also sibling love. This is a really beautiful story that had me reaching for my Kleenex. Sometimes love does not conquer all. Sometimes our good intentions hurt others. Sometimes love cannot save someone on a destructive path. But Love can also heal us and make us stronger.
I highly recommend this book.
I received a copy of this book from Harlequin and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
July 27, 2019
Rosie Colored Glasses is Willow Thorpe’s story. She’s been untethered since her parents split up because there are two worlds to navigate now, one with each parent.
We are also told her parents, Rosie and Rex’s, story from when they first meet. They are opposites; Rosie, the risk-taker, while Rex plays it safe. It’s a good balance. They are in love.
After the divorce, Willow wants desperately to be with Rosie. She thinks she’ll be happiest with her. She feels most loved with her mom. She doesn’t sense her father’s love because he is so rigid and firm. Rex has a hard time showing affection.
Rosie is actually the one who is untethered. She struggles with her mental health and drugs, and she isn’t available to be the parent she could or should be.
The story is loosely based on the author’s mother, which I think makes the emotions that much more authentic. It’s a sometimes sad read with important topics like opioid addiction, mental health and parenting, and divorce. It’s also emotional, beautifully and powerfully so.
Overall, Rosie Colored Glasses is a story of love and pain with some hope and redemption sprinkled in. Brianna Wolfson has shared a piece of her heart with us in the words of this book. It took her years to write, and I hope she has many more heartfelt stories to tell us.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
We are also told her parents, Rosie and Rex’s, story from when they first meet. They are opposites; Rosie, the risk-taker, while Rex plays it safe. It’s a good balance. They are in love.
After the divorce, Willow wants desperately to be with Rosie. She thinks she’ll be happiest with her. She feels most loved with her mom. She doesn’t sense her father’s love because he is so rigid and firm. Rex has a hard time showing affection.
Rosie is actually the one who is untethered. She struggles with her mental health and drugs, and she isn’t available to be the parent she could or should be.
The story is loosely based on the author’s mother, which I think makes the emotions that much more authentic. It’s a sometimes sad read with important topics like opioid addiction, mental health and parenting, and divorce. It’s also emotional, beautifully and powerfully so.
Overall, Rosie Colored Glasses is a story of love and pain with some hope and redemption sprinkled in. Brianna Wolfson has shared a piece of her heart with us in the words of this book. It took her years to write, and I hope she has many more heartfelt stories to tell us.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
May 29, 2018
Divorce is bad for kids... but joint custody is suppose to be the best option....
but when mom is undiagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder, self medicating with drugs, and dad is emotionally distant with rigid rules-
both lacking communication parenting skills together -and neither offering a balanced healthy environment... maybe not.
Beneath the surface of this collapsing vulnerable unsettling family...there is Love!
Achingly human story!!!!
but when mom is undiagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder, self medicating with drugs, and dad is emotionally distant with rigid rules-
both lacking communication parenting skills together -and neither offering a balanced healthy environment... maybe not.
Beneath the surface of this collapsing vulnerable unsettling family...there is Love!
Achingly human story!!!!
April 29, 2018
2 ½ stars
This is a good story not very well told.
From the start I didn’t connect with Rosie, I think it’s because the title and book cover made me think I will get a quirky fun read. What I got was a manic woman who is smothering her children with love and letting them run wild.
The kids themselves are in a tug of war between divorced parents with very different parenting styles. Rex is a stickler for rules and order and shows his love by buying his children educational toys and giving them check lists. Rosie shows her love with surprise trips to the beach on a school day followed by dressing up for the Rocky Horror Picture Show followed by ice cream, followed by late night room painting and so forth.
There was a fair level of frustration reading of Willow’s struggles. Did these people not talk to their children? Did teachers not notice how Willow struggled to adapt, to make friends, got bullied?. Did no one notice or care that an 11-year-old still wets herself (in and out of bed)?
But it’s the writing style that bothered me the most. The author has the propensity to repeat words as if she does not trust the reader to get their importance. All the repetition repetition repetition started grating on my nerves nerves nerves.
And Rosie herself was not very well defined. Was she manic depressive? Bipolar? Or just an addict?
The story explores the impact of mental illness on family yet I was left wanting more even if, underneath all the frustration, there WAS a good story.
This is a good story not very well told.
From the start I didn’t connect with Rosie, I think it’s because the title and book cover made me think I will get a quirky fun read. What I got was a manic woman who is smothering her children with love and letting them run wild.
The kids themselves are in a tug of war between divorced parents with very different parenting styles. Rex is a stickler for rules and order and shows his love by buying his children educational toys and giving them check lists. Rosie shows her love with surprise trips to the beach on a school day followed by dressing up for the Rocky Horror Picture Show followed by ice cream, followed by late night room painting and so forth.
There was a fair level of frustration reading of Willow’s struggles. Did these people not talk to their children? Did teachers not notice how Willow struggled to adapt, to make friends, got bullied?. Did no one notice or care that an 11-year-old still wets herself (in and out of bed)?
But it’s the writing style that bothered me the most. The author has the propensity to repeat words as if she does not trust the reader to get their importance. All the repetition repetition repetition started grating on my nerves nerves nerves.
And Rosie herself was not very well defined. Was she manic depressive? Bipolar? Or just an addict?
The story explores the impact of mental illness on family yet I was left wanting more even if, underneath all the frustration, there WAS a good story.
February 20, 2018
!! NOW AVAILABLE !!
”Willow Thorpe knew friction. The heat it created when one thing rubbed against another. When one world rubbed against another.”
From the prologue, we know that Willow’s world is filled with tension, with every “Late again, Rosie.” followed by a dismissive retort from her mother. With every time the walls of her world changed from the fanciful, art-filled walls to generic white ones that scream out that the rules are different here, the children feel the change.
But how did this come to be? And how did her abundantly affectionate mother who lives by what feels right and good to her in the moment end up married to her emotionally distant father who is a stickler for a neat, ordered life, and rules?
When Rosie was in her mid-twenties, she believed with her entire being in love. A magical kind of love where the gift of loving and being loved would change everything, and that love was endless. She wanted it for herself, but she wanted it for everyone, as well. Whenever she would come upon a couple in the park, on the subway, anywhere, she would dream a life for them, inventing conversations, loving touches, the small moments that confirm their love.
And so, when Rosie had the change to take a job at a flower shop, it seemed as if destiny was tapping her on the shoulder. This was her chance to immerse herself in all that love that was being sent as flowers, imagining herself privy to the stories behind the flowers.
And this is how she meets Rex, who calls in an order of flowers to be delivered, and Rosie asks him what he would like the card to say. Rex responds in frustration, as though he has never sent flowers before, a non-heartfelt message, and hangs up. So Rosie takes it upon herself to intercede and send a message that is very unlike anything Rex would have sent.
And so they meet, Rex ranting at her until he stops and stares at her, taking in her willingness to let him rant without letting it affect her.
”Rex was struck breathless by it all.”
And if your heart is melting, it won’t be for long, because this isn’t that love story. This will melt your heart, then chill it, and then smash it until it breaks into little pieces.
When two people who see the world in completely different ways are so determined that their view is the absolutely only one that is right, that it is the only one that their children need, it is heartbreaking. The confusion and division it creates inside of these children who desire only to be shown the same love they’ve always known, and for their world to not be in turmoil, confusion and disarray. To go from a manic world abundant in some frenzied form of love and joy with no rules to a controlled, overly structured world with little joy, no expressions of love and with rules for everything is, at the very least, confusing.
And then there are the drugs that Rosie has been taking, perhaps in the beginning for physical pain, but then to take the edge off life. Depression: the flip side of her manic, fun-loving self. Eventually she needs them more and more often. Endangering the children, Willow and Asher.
Time shifts throughout this story, from the past to the more recent past until time catches up to the present, and although this is a sad story overall, there is a lot of love sprinkled throughout these pages, and some moving, heartening moments, as well.
And all those broken pieces of your heart will be put back together again, not without their fault lines, their broken jagged edges, but by piecing their cracks together into a new vision made up of the old. Together, when the light eventually gets in, it creates an image that even more beautiful than before.
Pub Date: 20 Feb 2018
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Harlequin US & Canada
”Willow Thorpe knew friction. The heat it created when one thing rubbed against another. When one world rubbed against another.”
From the prologue, we know that Willow’s world is filled with tension, with every “Late again, Rosie.” followed by a dismissive retort from her mother. With every time the walls of her world changed from the fanciful, art-filled walls to generic white ones that scream out that the rules are different here, the children feel the change.
But how did this come to be? And how did her abundantly affectionate mother who lives by what feels right and good to her in the moment end up married to her emotionally distant father who is a stickler for a neat, ordered life, and rules?
When Rosie was in her mid-twenties, she believed with her entire being in love. A magical kind of love where the gift of loving and being loved would change everything, and that love was endless. She wanted it for herself, but she wanted it for everyone, as well. Whenever she would come upon a couple in the park, on the subway, anywhere, she would dream a life for them, inventing conversations, loving touches, the small moments that confirm their love.
And so, when Rosie had the change to take a job at a flower shop, it seemed as if destiny was tapping her on the shoulder. This was her chance to immerse herself in all that love that was being sent as flowers, imagining herself privy to the stories behind the flowers.
And this is how she meets Rex, who calls in an order of flowers to be delivered, and Rosie asks him what he would like the card to say. Rex responds in frustration, as though he has never sent flowers before, a non-heartfelt message, and hangs up. So Rosie takes it upon herself to intercede and send a message that is very unlike anything Rex would have sent.
And so they meet, Rex ranting at her until he stops and stares at her, taking in her willingness to let him rant without letting it affect her.
”Rex was struck breathless by it all.”
And if your heart is melting, it won’t be for long, because this isn’t that love story. This will melt your heart, then chill it, and then smash it until it breaks into little pieces.
When two people who see the world in completely different ways are so determined that their view is the absolutely only one that is right, that it is the only one that their children need, it is heartbreaking. The confusion and division it creates inside of these children who desire only to be shown the same love they’ve always known, and for their world to not be in turmoil, confusion and disarray. To go from a manic world abundant in some frenzied form of love and joy with no rules to a controlled, overly structured world with little joy, no expressions of love and with rules for everything is, at the very least, confusing.
And then there are the drugs that Rosie has been taking, perhaps in the beginning for physical pain, but then to take the edge off life. Depression: the flip side of her manic, fun-loving self. Eventually she needs them more and more often. Endangering the children, Willow and Asher.
Time shifts throughout this story, from the past to the more recent past until time catches up to the present, and although this is a sad story overall, there is a lot of love sprinkled throughout these pages, and some moving, heartening moments, as well.
And all those broken pieces of your heart will be put back together again, not without their fault lines, their broken jagged edges, but by piecing their cracks together into a new vision made up of the old. Together, when the light eventually gets in, it creates an image that even more beautiful than before.
Pub Date: 20 Feb 2018
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Harlequin US & Canada
March 16, 2018
This was a sad story, but at the same time, it was a story so full of love! It’s not often that I come across a book where I love the characters so much, having to let them go in the end felt like a piece of my heart was being taken away as well. I fell so hard for this beautiful, broken, flawed family. I fell hard for Rosie – a free spirit who infused so much life and love into everyone and everything she encountered; who embraced everything around her with exuberance and vitality; who thrived on spontaneity, chaos, disorder; who had an endless capacity for love, for sharing it so naturally and willingly; who knew how to love her children wholeheartedly and unconditionally, yet did not know how to parent or how to be the mother they needed her to be; who, in the end, could not untangle herself from the depths of depression and opiate addiction. I fell hard for Rex – a strict disciplinarian who lived a life full of rules, rules, and more rules; who couldn’t stand disorder and chaos; who, through his formidable presence, always demanded that things be done his way; who was determined, fierce, strong, unwavering; who knew responsibility and how to parent his children “properly” and could be counted on to be there for them physically, yet did not know how to love them in the way they most needed to be loved. I fell hard for 10-year-old Willow – a sensitive soul who felt everything so deeply, so completely; who had unruly hair and wobbly knees and wore the same outfit every single day; who was socially awkward and kept to herself with her purple headphones, CD player, and word search book; who cared for and doted on her little brother as any responsible big sister would; who wholeheartedly embraced her mother’s endless and unwavering love but hated her dad’s rules and checklists and constant demand for order; who resembled her beloved mother so completely in mind and spirit but also unknowingly possessed her dad’s fiery determination and strong will. I fell hard for little 6-year-old Asher – the happy-go-lucky “baby” in the family who had blond hair and big blue eyes and whose innocence and always ready gap-toothed smile were enough to melt even the most hardened of hearts; who loved his mom and his dad and his big sister wholeheartedly, unconditionally, equally; who was easy to please and found happiness anywhere, everywhere; who was equally happy and content playing with his action figures as he was playing the occasional ball game with his dad or going on an all-out “adventure” with his mom and sister; whose adowable lisp (which turned all his “r’s” into “w’s”), exuberance, and constant positive energy lit up every single page he was in, made me smile through the tears, and endeared him so irrevocably to my heart.
As I write this review, I am wiping tears from eyes because every time I think of this family, I feel an inexplicable sadness for what they had to go through, especially the children, but at the same time, I also feel warm and comforted with the way things turned out in the end. Like Willow’s piggy bank, my heart broke into five and a half pieces throughout the time I was reading this book and the tears rarely stopped flowing, but it was a price worth paying to get to spend some time with this family, these endearing characters who found their way into my heart and now have a permanent place there. Through this wonderful story, I learned so many things, but most importantly, I learned that there are different ways to love -- to show love, to be loved -- that even after one too many missteps, after tragedy and heartache, there is still a chance at redemption, as long as the heart is willing.
This was an emotional read for me, but well worth the effort! In addition to the characters, I also loved the writing, which was simple, but yet lyrical in places and at times felt almost magical. I didn’t pick up on this until a few dozen pages in but there was actually an underlying cleverness to the way this story was written – for instance, the sections where the same sentence structure was used but certain words were changed to reflect a particular character’s perspective yet at the same time, showing how it paralleled or contrasted with another character’s perspective. Yet this was used sparingly and blended so smoothly into the narrative that it did not affect the flow at all, at least not for me – in fact, I loved the subtlety of this approach! In her Author’s Note, we learn from the author Brianna Wolfson that, despite this being a work of fiction, it is semi-autobiographical in nature, with the character of Rosie based on her own free-spirited mother who also struggled with opiate addiction -- knowing this enhanced the reading experience for me, as it made the story feel so real. This is an important story, a timely one given the current opiate crisis, a story I encourage everyone to experience for themselves...just have a box of tissues handy!
Received ARC from MIRA Books via Edelweiss
As I write this review, I am wiping tears from eyes because every time I think of this family, I feel an inexplicable sadness for what they had to go through, especially the children, but at the same time, I also feel warm and comforted with the way things turned out in the end. Like Willow’s piggy bank, my heart broke into five and a half pieces throughout the time I was reading this book and the tears rarely stopped flowing, but it was a price worth paying to get to spend some time with this family, these endearing characters who found their way into my heart and now have a permanent place there. Through this wonderful story, I learned so many things, but most importantly, I learned that there are different ways to love -- to show love, to be loved -- that even after one too many missteps, after tragedy and heartache, there is still a chance at redemption, as long as the heart is willing.
This was an emotional read for me, but well worth the effort! In addition to the characters, I also loved the writing, which was simple, but yet lyrical in places and at times felt almost magical. I didn’t pick up on this until a few dozen pages in but there was actually an underlying cleverness to the way this story was written – for instance, the sections where the same sentence structure was used but certain words were changed to reflect a particular character’s perspective yet at the same time, showing how it paralleled or contrasted with another character’s perspective. Yet this was used sparingly and blended so smoothly into the narrative that it did not affect the flow at all, at least not for me – in fact, I loved the subtlety of this approach! In her Author’s Note, we learn from the author Brianna Wolfson that, despite this being a work of fiction, it is semi-autobiographical in nature, with the character of Rosie based on her own free-spirited mother who also struggled with opiate addiction -- knowing this enhanced the reading experience for me, as it made the story feel so real. This is an important story, a timely one given the current opiate crisis, a story I encourage everyone to experience for themselves...just have a box of tissues handy!
Received ARC from MIRA Books via Edelweiss
November 22, 2017
4.5 stars
Heartfelt. Evocative. Poignant. Beautiful.
These are just a few of the adjectives that found their way into my notes as I read this book. A book I loved and which should really be required to carry warnings to potential readers. You should be warned that your heart will be given a workout. It will be stretched, it may be trampled, it will soar and eventually it should fall back into shape but it will be ever so slightly different. Different because this family consisting of Rosie, Rex, Willow and Asher will have wriggled their way in and found a permanent place there. You should also be warned that tissues may be required. Just when I least expected it, another surprisingly tender moment would sneak up on me causing tears to well. (Ok, who am I kidding....tears actually flowed at least once).
Alternating between the past and the present this story is mainly presented from Willows perspective in the here and now. She's an 11 year old girl who idolises Rosie, her zany, fun, unorthadox but completely loving mum. A girl who "knows" her father Rex doesn't love her because he's mean and cold. He's strict, he disciplines and forces structure upon her and her adorable younger brother Asher. Willow just does not fit anywhere (except enfolded in her mum's arms). She's different from other kids and my heart broke a little each time Willow was taunted and teased at school or on the bus.
However, no sooner than my heart was breaking over Willow, as quick as a flash it was happy again as we travelled back 12 years and fell into her parents backstory. A sweet love story between Rex and Rosie. They are poorly matched and they know it, yet it's their differences that attract. They are both well aware this relationship is highly unlikely to last even though they'd like it to. They had " an unlikely beautiful love"... "a nuanced and special complementary love"
The author Brianna Wolfson did a magnificent job of successfully weaving many themes into this fictitious story. Family, love, depression, love, family, drug addiction, family, love, parental mistakes, misunderstandings, misconceptions, bullying. Did I mention family and love? A story she based firmly on her memories of a mother who for all intents and purposes was Rosie. As she wrote in her letter to the reader "It is a work of fiction, but still, to me, this novel is told from my perspective, which will forever be that of a little girl trying to understand the thoughts, feelings and choices of her parents.
If you've read all the way to the end of this lengthy review you must surely get the picture. All that's left to say is I strongly encourage you to read this book. My utmost thanks to Brianna Wolfson, the publishers MIRA books and Edelweiss for this digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Heartfelt. Evocative. Poignant. Beautiful.
These are just a few of the adjectives that found their way into my notes as I read this book. A book I loved and which should really be required to carry warnings to potential readers. You should be warned that your heart will be given a workout. It will be stretched, it may be trampled, it will soar and eventually it should fall back into shape but it will be ever so slightly different. Different because this family consisting of Rosie, Rex, Willow and Asher will have wriggled their way in and found a permanent place there. You should also be warned that tissues may be required. Just when I least expected it, another surprisingly tender moment would sneak up on me causing tears to well. (Ok, who am I kidding....tears actually flowed at least once).
Alternating between the past and the present this story is mainly presented from Willows perspective in the here and now. She's an 11 year old girl who idolises Rosie, her zany, fun, unorthadox but completely loving mum. A girl who "knows" her father Rex doesn't love her because he's mean and cold. He's strict, he disciplines and forces structure upon her and her adorable younger brother Asher. Willow just does not fit anywhere (except enfolded in her mum's arms). She's different from other kids and my heart broke a little each time Willow was taunted and teased at school or on the bus.
However, no sooner than my heart was breaking over Willow, as quick as a flash it was happy again as we travelled back 12 years and fell into her parents backstory. A sweet love story between Rex and Rosie. They are poorly matched and they know it, yet it's their differences that attract. They are both well aware this relationship is highly unlikely to last even though they'd like it to. They had " an unlikely beautiful love"... "a nuanced and special complementary love"
The author Brianna Wolfson did a magnificent job of successfully weaving many themes into this fictitious story. Family, love, depression, love, family, drug addiction, family, love, parental mistakes, misunderstandings, misconceptions, bullying. Did I mention family and love? A story she based firmly on her memories of a mother who for all intents and purposes was Rosie. As she wrote in her letter to the reader "It is a work of fiction, but still, to me, this novel is told from my perspective, which will forever be that of a little girl trying to understand the thoughts, feelings and choices of her parents.
If you've read all the way to the end of this lengthy review you must surely get the picture. All that's left to say is I strongly encourage you to read this book. My utmost thanks to Brianna Wolfson, the publishers MIRA books and Edelweiss for this digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 1, 2019
In many ways, Rosie Colored Glasses was the most heart-wrenching book I think I’ve ever read, but in a really good way because it managed to thumb its nose at tropes and explore the havoc of mental illness in a way that rang so true that at one point I actually had to put the book down and cry for a while.
It started out as an excellent story about mental illness from the point of view of a child. We follow the love story of Rosie and Rex, two polar opposites (he’s buttoned-up, she’s a free spirit) who meet when she takes it upon herself to craft her own note to attach to the flowers he’s ordered for someone else from the flower shop she works at. He confronts her. Sparks, chemistry, relationship. Before they know it, Rosie is pregnant, they’re married, and have moved to the Virginia suburbs that Rex grew up in. to have a second child.
And then, they get divorced.
This is not a spoiler, by the way. Wolfson lets you know pretty early on that this is going to happen. She tells the story in alternate chapters, bouncing back and forth from the present, told from ten-year-old Willow’s point of view, and the past, which shows what happened to cause the marriage to fall apart and, eventually, what happens to Rosie once it does.
This is where things get a bit spoiler-y, so bail now if you don’t want to know what happens.
The thing that I loved most about Rosie is that at first glance, she appears to be your typical manic pixie dream girl. But then the problematic aspects of that archetype are revealed as, well, problematic: she’s struggling with what appears to be bipolar disorder, and Vicodin addiction. What’s normally presented as the charming, quirky “manic” part of the MPDG is actually the “manic” in manic depression. And Rosie uses Vicodin to deal with the depression, which is the final straw for Rex.
And then you've got Willow, their daughter.
Willow has longed been charmed by her mother’s free spirit side, which makes her feel showered in love. It has allowed Willow to be the weird girl despite her peers’ rejection. Rosie lets Willow and her young brother Asher stay up late watching Rocky Horror and blasting Prince albums. She lets Willow sneak into the tree house on the nights she’s supposed to be staying with her father.
Willow’s relationship with Rex is fractious, in part because his belief in routine and structure is so uptight and unfun that she interprets is as an absence of love. There are few things in this world that feel as hurtful as when a parent seems not to accept you for who you are. It’s hard if you are a gay kid, it’s hard if you don’t subscribe to your parents’ religious beliefs, and it hurts when it’s just that you are a weird kid who wants to follow in your mother’s flighty footsteps instead of following the rules.
And so that’s what Willow is dealing with when Rosie’s depression kicks in. As a ten-year-old, she has no idea what’s going on with her mom or what to do about it. All she knows is that it hurts. A lot. And she desperately wants to fix it, because the only other option--her father--is too painful for her.
And then everything falls apart for real. In a big and awful, and permanent way.
Wolfson’s exploration of Willow’s hurt is just absolutely stunning. It’s heartbreaking and honest and it reminded me so much of my relationship with my own father. It really got to me. It made me want to call my therapist to talk it out. And I probably would have described this book as perfect.
But then, the last forty pages or so...just didn’t work. It kind of felt like Wolfson wanted to bad to have a happy ending that she essentially just waved a magic wand and made everything better, just like that. Characters made spontaneous personality changes and it instantly solved long-lingering problems. And that was frustrating to me. Maybe more so because of how much I was enjoying the book up until then. I think that the first 90% of the book was strong enough that I’m still going to give it a full five stars, but with a little asterisk next to it.
It started out as an excellent story about mental illness from the point of view of a child. We follow the love story of Rosie and Rex, two polar opposites (he’s buttoned-up, she’s a free spirit) who meet when she takes it upon herself to craft her own note to attach to the flowers he’s ordered for someone else from the flower shop she works at. He confronts her. Sparks, chemistry, relationship. Before they know it, Rosie is pregnant, they’re married, and have moved to the Virginia suburbs that Rex grew up in. to have a second child.
And then, they get divorced.
This is not a spoiler, by the way. Wolfson lets you know pretty early on that this is going to happen. She tells the story in alternate chapters, bouncing back and forth from the present, told from ten-year-old Willow’s point of view, and the past, which shows what happened to cause the marriage to fall apart and, eventually, what happens to Rosie once it does.
This is where things get a bit spoiler-y, so bail now if you don’t want to know what happens.
The thing that I loved most about Rosie is that at first glance, she appears to be your typical manic pixie dream girl. But then the problematic aspects of that archetype are revealed as, well, problematic: she’s struggling with what appears to be bipolar disorder, and Vicodin addiction. What’s normally presented as the charming, quirky “manic” part of the MPDG is actually the “manic” in manic depression. And Rosie uses Vicodin to deal with the depression, which is the final straw for Rex.
And then you've got Willow, their daughter.
Willow has longed been charmed by her mother’s free spirit side, which makes her feel showered in love. It has allowed Willow to be the weird girl despite her peers’ rejection. Rosie lets Willow and her young brother Asher stay up late watching Rocky Horror and blasting Prince albums. She lets Willow sneak into the tree house on the nights she’s supposed to be staying with her father.
Willow’s relationship with Rex is fractious, in part because his belief in routine and structure is so uptight and unfun that she interprets is as an absence of love. There are few things in this world that feel as hurtful as when a parent seems not to accept you for who you are. It’s hard if you are a gay kid, it’s hard if you don’t subscribe to your parents’ religious beliefs, and it hurts when it’s just that you are a weird kid who wants to follow in your mother’s flighty footsteps instead of following the rules.
And so that’s what Willow is dealing with when Rosie’s depression kicks in. As a ten-year-old, she has no idea what’s going on with her mom or what to do about it. All she knows is that it hurts. A lot. And she desperately wants to fix it, because the only other option--her father--is too painful for her.
And then everything falls apart for real. In a big and awful, and permanent way.
Wolfson’s exploration of Willow’s hurt is just absolutely stunning. It’s heartbreaking and honest and it reminded me so much of my relationship with my own father. It really got to me. It made me want to call my therapist to talk it out. And I probably would have described this book as perfect.
But then, the last forty pages or so...just didn’t work. It kind of felt like Wolfson wanted to bad to have a happy ending that she essentially just waved a magic wand and made everything better, just like that. Characters made spontaneous personality changes and it instantly solved long-lingering problems. And that was frustrating to me. Maybe more so because of how much I was enjoying the book up until then. I think that the first 90% of the book was strong enough that I’m still going to give it a full five stars, but with a little asterisk next to it.
January 8, 2018
Gotta go against the grain here. I feel like no one else was thinking when they read this book, just feeling. I really wanted to like it, and started out liking it, but just ended up frustrated, trying to burn through to the end.
I couldn't stop thinking: WHERE ARE ALL THE OTHER ADULTS?? There are 2 parents doing a terrible job with their children and somehow there is not one other family member, teacher, therapist, etc present (and with no explanation as to why not). Are you trying to tell me that Rex didn't call up his mom when his life starting crashing down?? Or that he (a wealthy, very rational human) didn't get Willow a therapist? That no teacher intervened with all Willow's issues? It drove me nuts.
And this also means there's no one around to address Rosie's mental illness. This mental illness that was confusing in the first place- is she supposed to be bipolar? If so, why is she only manic for so long? Where were the depressive episodes before she had Asher?
The parents are just such overblown exaggerated types I found them completely unrelatable.
It would have been better if told exclusively from the child's perspective, like Where'd You Go Bernadette. Then these ellipses that so frustrated me could be understandable and left to the reader to theorize. I also would have then appreciated some of the more artful writing more- it would have made more sense and been more charming coming from exclusively a child's brain.
I couldn't stop thinking: WHERE ARE ALL THE OTHER ADULTS?? There are 2 parents doing a terrible job with their children and somehow there is not one other family member, teacher, therapist, etc present (and with no explanation as to why not). Are you trying to tell me that Rex didn't call up his mom when his life starting crashing down?? Or that he (a wealthy, very rational human) didn't get Willow a therapist? That no teacher intervened with all Willow's issues? It drove me nuts.
And this also means there's no one around to address Rosie's mental illness. This mental illness that was confusing in the first place- is she supposed to be bipolar? If so, why is she only manic for so long? Where were the depressive episodes before she had Asher?
The parents are just such overblown exaggerated types I found them completely unrelatable.
It would have been better if told exclusively from the child's perspective, like Where'd You Go Bernadette. Then these ellipses that so frustrated me could be understandable and left to the reader to theorize. I also would have then appreciated some of the more artful writing more- it would have made more sense and been more charming coming from exclusively a child's brain.
August 30, 2017
I received an ARC copy of Rosie Colored Glasses in exchange for an honest review. Thanks goes to NetGalley as well as Mira Books for this advanced copy which is expected to be released February 20, 2018.
Rosie Colored Glasses from author, Brianna Wolfson is, straight to the point an evocative, heart-wrenching, heart-breaking read. I was not expecting to be so incredibly moved by this book. I’ve been reading a lot of books pertaining to touchy themes such as depression and suicide given the bleak mood I’ve been in lately and of all that I’ve read so far, including 13 Reasons Why, this book took me so far over the edge that I fear that I just may break down again just writing this review.
Rosie Colored Glasses is a story within a story, and neither can do without the other.
Twelve years ago, according to story time we have a dreamy, yet troublesome love story between two unlikely figures: Rosie – a quirky and carefree gal working in a flower shop who can’t seem to remain in one place for long enough to be settled. And then there’s Rex who is the absolute antithesis of Rosie – serious, determined, and completely ‘with it.’ Rosie and Rex both know their relationship will not end well, but neither have the will power to disengage themselves from the other. So just as expected, we have a harmonic yet sentimental relationship that unfolds, beginning with Rosie’s decision to attach a Cummings poem to Rex’s girlfriends flower bouquet against Rex’s will. Result? Rex’s girlfriend gets dumped in a heart beat and it’s all Rosie and Rex. And the occasional pill-popping an weed-inhaling to turn love against itself and into fatal, and I mean fatal in the literal sense of the word, catastrophe.
Let us fast forward twelve years to the present. Action: Rosie gives birth to a girl, Willow and then later a boy, Asher. Willow and her brother are shared by her divorced parents. Willow prefers her mother over her father while her brother is content just about anywhere and does not seem to tell the difference whether he is at his mom or his dad’s home. Willow is a fifth grader who is a loner at school, still wets her pants, and wears the same purple leggings and black t-shirt to school everyday. She is wholeheartedly attached to her mother and share’s her mom’s sweet tooth for Pixy Stix and Thursday Pizza Night.
Told in the third person, both stories slowly converge as the author traverses such themes as mental illness, addiction, and suicide – all which tear this family apart only to bring them closer together by the end. I loved the structure of this stories and the chill I felt in some of the chapters. Wolfson portrayal of mental illness and the turmoil it can cause a family beautifully. There were multiple moments where I found myself gasping, aching, and longing to reach out for the family. The perspectives are diverse and do not leave any questions unanswered – be it Rex, Rosie, or Willow. Wolfson dives into the character’s minds and illustrates their suffering in such an evocative manner that it was impossible for me not to get choked up at certain parts.
Love in Rosie Colored Glasses is defined in the most obscure sense of the word. There is romance, mother-daughter love, friendship and even love masked by hatred. Emotions that I never even know could be dug out of my conscious rose to the surface in the parts describing Rosie’s mental decline and her ultimate decision to escape fro m the world that had at the same time caused her pain and joy. Willow’s strength and determination comes, ironically from her father as she witnesses her mom’s highs and lows. She amazingly holds herself together and finds the courage to take care of her brother and ignore the stares and brutal comments about her on the school playground. All Willow wants is love. She tries desperately to hold onto her mother and no matter how had she tries, she finds herself lost in a maze of circumstances which are altogether dangerous and risky for her young heart.
Wolfson’s writing is raw and deep. I felt as though I was entering into the character’s minds and perceiving events as they were happening – in real time. Taking that this book alternates narrative voice, I was very impressed at the way in which Wolfson was successful in adapting the story’s tone to the character of focus. Rosie’s parts were scattered, depressing, and fairy-tale like. Rex’s was serious, logical, and altogether made the most sense. Willow’s was just so real and spiritual that I loved her’s the most. There were times in this book that I found myself skipping ahead to find out what happens to the characters. It’s hard to believe that this book is a work of fiction – it all just seemed so real to me as my tears were as I read.
Between Rosie’s dependence on opiates, Rex’s struggle with expressing his love for his daughter, and Willow’s sole desire to love and be loved, Rosie Colored Glasses is a delicate and shattering tale about the meanings of love and the multiple paths one takes and stumbles upon to achieve it. I recommend it to all my readers – young and mature for the simple reason that it will affect you mentally and emotionally, and change the way you perceive yourself in relation to your loved ones forever.
Rosie Colored Glasses from author, Brianna Wolfson is, straight to the point an evocative, heart-wrenching, heart-breaking read. I was not expecting to be so incredibly moved by this book. I’ve been reading a lot of books pertaining to touchy themes such as depression and suicide given the bleak mood I’ve been in lately and of all that I’ve read so far, including 13 Reasons Why, this book took me so far over the edge that I fear that I just may break down again just writing this review.
Rosie Colored Glasses is a story within a story, and neither can do without the other.
Twelve years ago, according to story time we have a dreamy, yet troublesome love story between two unlikely figures: Rosie – a quirky and carefree gal working in a flower shop who can’t seem to remain in one place for long enough to be settled. And then there’s Rex who is the absolute antithesis of Rosie – serious, determined, and completely ‘with it.’ Rosie and Rex both know their relationship will not end well, but neither have the will power to disengage themselves from the other. So just as expected, we have a harmonic yet sentimental relationship that unfolds, beginning with Rosie’s decision to attach a Cummings poem to Rex’s girlfriends flower bouquet against Rex’s will. Result? Rex’s girlfriend gets dumped in a heart beat and it’s all Rosie and Rex. And the occasional pill-popping an weed-inhaling to turn love against itself and into fatal, and I mean fatal in the literal sense of the word, catastrophe.
Let us fast forward twelve years to the present. Action: Rosie gives birth to a girl, Willow and then later a boy, Asher. Willow and her brother are shared by her divorced parents. Willow prefers her mother over her father while her brother is content just about anywhere and does not seem to tell the difference whether he is at his mom or his dad’s home. Willow is a fifth grader who is a loner at school, still wets her pants, and wears the same purple leggings and black t-shirt to school everyday. She is wholeheartedly attached to her mother and share’s her mom’s sweet tooth for Pixy Stix and Thursday Pizza Night.
Told in the third person, both stories slowly converge as the author traverses such themes as mental illness, addiction, and suicide – all which tear this family apart only to bring them closer together by the end. I loved the structure of this stories and the chill I felt in some of the chapters. Wolfson portrayal of mental illness and the turmoil it can cause a family beautifully. There were multiple moments where I found myself gasping, aching, and longing to reach out for the family. The perspectives are diverse and do not leave any questions unanswered – be it Rex, Rosie, or Willow. Wolfson dives into the character’s minds and illustrates their suffering in such an evocative manner that it was impossible for me not to get choked up at certain parts.
Love in Rosie Colored Glasses is defined in the most obscure sense of the word. There is romance, mother-daughter love, friendship and even love masked by hatred. Emotions that I never even know could be dug out of my conscious rose to the surface in the parts describing Rosie’s mental decline and her ultimate decision to escape fro m the world that had at the same time caused her pain and joy. Willow’s strength and determination comes, ironically from her father as she witnesses her mom’s highs and lows. She amazingly holds herself together and finds the courage to take care of her brother and ignore the stares and brutal comments about her on the school playground. All Willow wants is love. She tries desperately to hold onto her mother and no matter how had she tries, she finds herself lost in a maze of circumstances which are altogether dangerous and risky for her young heart.
Wolfson’s writing is raw and deep. I felt as though I was entering into the character’s minds and perceiving events as they were happening – in real time. Taking that this book alternates narrative voice, I was very impressed at the way in which Wolfson was successful in adapting the story’s tone to the character of focus. Rosie’s parts were scattered, depressing, and fairy-tale like. Rex’s was serious, logical, and altogether made the most sense. Willow’s was just so real and spiritual that I loved her’s the most. There were times in this book that I found myself skipping ahead to find out what happens to the characters. It’s hard to believe that this book is a work of fiction – it all just seemed so real to me as my tears were as I read.
Between Rosie’s dependence on opiates, Rex’s struggle with expressing his love for his daughter, and Willow’s sole desire to love and be loved, Rosie Colored Glasses is a delicate and shattering tale about the meanings of love and the multiple paths one takes and stumbles upon to achieve it. I recommend it to all my readers – young and mature for the simple reason that it will affect you mentally and emotionally, and change the way you perceive yourself in relation to your loved ones forever.
April 14, 2019
This book has been done before: a carefree mother, a stiff father, and a broken daughter that feels she doesn’t belong. The daughter, Willow, reminded me so much of Eleanor from Eleanor & Park without Park. What made this book different is how the author captured Willow’s tentative awkwardness. It was heartbreaking, realistic, and had me rooting for Willow the whole time. The ending....ugh....beautiful! After I turned the last page, Willow stayed with me. She’s the reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 3.
December 16, 2017
Boy meets girl and they fall in love, except they're totally wrong for each other.
Although Rosie is playful, cute and fun, she's flitted from job to job, place to place never able to settle herself down anywhere or anytime. Not unusual for a twenty-something, but eventually most people coast to a grown-up spot of responsibility. Rosie seems to always be in double-time, never able to turn her brain off at night or put her restless body on pause. (A first hint of ADHD, anxiety) Rex was her exact opposite, still with decent energy, but a man with a plan. He had lists for his lists and he loved to check off each completed task. Structure, order, and control is what drove Rex's life. Then he met Rosie; she was not like any girl he'd ever met and he was fascinated. Her spontaneity scared him.
It's a well written story, charming at points, frustrating at others. The main event however, could have been prevented. The mental disorders evident in Rosie: anxiety, ADHD, depression, bipolar, post-partum depression, self-diagnosis & self-medication, addiction, should have been addressed and helped with good therapy, psychiatry, and counseling. Her stay at rehab was too short.
Communication within the family, especially with the children was extremely lacking. Yes, it's fiction with an irresponsible example to all those struggling with addiction, especially opiod, .Get help, you cannot do it on your own, Don't end your life. There is another way!
Although Rosie is playful, cute and fun, she's flitted from job to job, place to place never able to settle herself down anywhere or anytime. Not unusual for a twenty-something, but eventually most people coast to a grown-up spot of responsibility. Rosie seems to always be in double-time, never able to turn her brain off at night or put her restless body on pause. (A first hint of ADHD, anxiety) Rex was her exact opposite, still with decent energy, but a man with a plan. He had lists for his lists and he loved to check off each completed task. Structure, order, and control is what drove Rex's life. Then he met Rosie; she was not like any girl he'd ever met and he was fascinated. Her spontaneity scared him.
It's a well written story, charming at points, frustrating at others. The main event however, could have been prevented. The mental disorders evident in Rosie: anxiety, ADHD, depression, bipolar, post-partum depression, self-diagnosis & self-medication, addiction, should have been addressed and helped with good therapy, psychiatry, and counseling. Her stay at rehab was too short.
Communication within the family, especially with the children was extremely lacking. Yes, it's fiction with an irresponsible example to all those struggling with addiction, especially opiod, .Get help, you cannot do it on your own, Don't end your life. There is another way!
February 20, 2018
Rosie Colored Glasses was a truly sad, and yet beautiful book.
I chose it because the blurb gave the impression of an emotional story, but I never thought it would be this emotional. Maybe not best to read if you have a sensitive heart, but a very moving and special story nonetheless. Read the full review here.
Rosie colored glasses is a novel based on the authors own experiences and relationship with a mother with an addiction. It's a heart-breaking tale of a mother's and daughter's love, and the mother's crippling inability to give it, although she's so good at being loving and emotional. It's a tale of how damaging depression and substance abuse can be, and how much a hurting person needs others to help them out, because when you're in that state, you are unable to help yourself, and it's a mistake if others think you are. It's also a novel about how differently a child can see the world and how many things aren't the way they appear to be when you are growing up.
At first, it was a hard story to get into, but then I just couldn't stop going. It evokes empathy, sadness and longing. It makes you admire how colorful and alive Rosie is, and it crushes you how a person so vibrant and attuned to living fully can crumble under the weight of it all, the force of so much ‘living’. And how she's expected to get herself out from under it all alone. How her husband goes on without trying to help her, not really - you don't offer help to a depressed person ONCE and then never again.
The story of the wife and husband in this book is fairly complicated too. Two people who should have never been together fall in love. One lives in a strict world of rules, and the other - in a fluid world of possibility. It could have never worked. And it ultimately brings so many problems.
Willow's story is a story about love, motherhood and fatherhood, even childhood, and it's also a story of letting go. I believe it won't leave you cold or indifferent. Chances are, you might even shed a tear or two. It's also a tale about how different love can be - every kind of person has a different kind of love. But every kind of person expects and needs a different kind of love as well. And especially children might not be able to understand your love, if you can't offer than one particular kind they've been thriving on all their life.
Content warnings: substance abuse, suicide, divorce, incapability of taking care of children, bullying.
I thank Mira Books for giving me a free copy of the book in exchange to my honest opinion.
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Rosie colored glasses is a novel based on the authors own experiences and relationship with a mother with an addiction. It's a heart-breaking tale of a mother's and daughter's love, and the mother's crippling inability to give it, although she's so good at being loving and emotional. It's a tale of how damaging depression and substance abuse can be, and how much a hurting person needs others to help them out, because when you're in that state, you are unable to help yourself, and it's a mistake if others think you are. It's also a novel about how differently a child can see the world and how many things aren't the way they appear to be when you are growing up.
At first, it was a hard story to get into, but then I just couldn't stop going. It evokes empathy, sadness and longing. It makes you admire how colorful and alive Rosie is, and it crushes you how a person so vibrant and attuned to living fully can crumble under the weight of it all, the force of so much ‘living’. And how she's expected to get herself out from under it all alone. How her husband goes on without trying to help her, not really - you don't offer help to a depressed person ONCE and then never again.
The story of the wife and husband in this book is fairly complicated too. Two people who should have never been together fall in love. One lives in a strict world of rules, and the other - in a fluid world of possibility. It could have never worked. And it ultimately brings so many problems.
Willow's story is a story about love, motherhood and fatherhood, even childhood, and it's also a story of letting go. I believe it won't leave you cold or indifferent. Chances are, you might even shed a tear or two. It's also a tale about how different love can be - every kind of person has a different kind of love. But every kind of person expects and needs a different kind of love as well. And especially children might not be able to understand your love, if you can't offer than one particular kind they've been thriving on all their life.
Content warnings: substance abuse, suicide, divorce, incapability of taking care of children, bullying.
I thank Mira Books for giving me a free copy of the book in exchange to my honest opinion.
Read Post on My Blog | My Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
March 2, 2018
I scoured the reviews on this book looking for others bothered by the style of writing as I was and found few. Obviously, this book went over better with most than me. So, I rounded up to2. I got so very tired, yes tired. More than tired, very, very tired of repetitive incomplete sentences.
And one line paragraphs.
This went on throughout the book, over and over and over and then over again. And again. (I quote!). Rarely did words contain more than two syllables. And why use a complicated idea when a simple one will do?
Hidden in this childlike writing (think Good Night Moon) there was an extremely sad little story that was thinly told.
And one line paragraphs.
This went on throughout the book, over and over and over and then over again. And again. (I quote!). Rarely did words contain more than two syllables. And why use a complicated idea when a simple one will do?
Hidden in this childlike writing (think Good Night Moon) there was an extremely sad little story that was thinly told.
February 18, 2018
Finally! A solid 5 star read in 2018!
I had a feeling I would love Rosie Colored Glasses. It's the story about a mentally ill mother with the story telling coming from the 5th grader, this sounded right up my alley. What I didn't expect was to have such fierce love for the father and brother, not to mention I never thought I'd find myself wiping so many tears from my face, I mean I was sobbing. The tears aren't because it's a heartbreaking story, I read plenty of those without tears but because the writing is so creative and so beautiful you are completely immersed in the story.
I can not recommend this book enough!!!!
Thank you Harlequin for the advanced readers copy.
I had a feeling I would love Rosie Colored Glasses. It's the story about a mentally ill mother with the story telling coming from the 5th grader, this sounded right up my alley. What I didn't expect was to have such fierce love for the father and brother, not to mention I never thought I'd find myself wiping so many tears from my face, I mean I was sobbing. The tears aren't because it's a heartbreaking story, I read plenty of those without tears but because the writing is so creative and so beautiful you are completely immersed in the story.
I can not recommend this book enough!!!!
Thank you Harlequin for the advanced readers copy.
June 25, 2018
Este é um livro extremamente poderoso com uma mensagem poderosa. Fala do mundo das drogas, do bullying, do divórcio que pode ser complicado e da perda de uma mãe numa fase de desenvolvimento essencial onde as crianças não conseguem entender o porque. Este livro emocionou-me em tantas maneiras possíveis e impossíveis.
July 15, 2019
“Rosie Colored Glasses” by Brianna Wolfson is a novel that is far more than it seems on the outset. At first I thought I was reading a YA novel and rechecked the genre. The writing seems too simple, too basic for an adult novel. Half way through the novel, I saw that Wolfson used this writing as a device to portray emotions on a basic human level.
It’s a family story of healing, forgiveness, and understanding. Rex and Rosie fall madly in love with each other, being drawn to each other’s differences. It is a case of opposites attracting. Rex is rule oriented and goal setting. Rosie is artsy, fun, and carefree. Both need each other to balance each other out. Rosie’s highs though, go unchecked when she has children. Not only that, but she cannot sustain her highs. Often after her highs and fun, crazy behavior, Rosie withdraws. This erratic behavior is confusing to her young children, especially Willow. The story is told from three perspectives: Willow, Rosie, and Rex. Rosie and Rex eventually divorce with equal sharing of Willow and her brother Asher.
Because Willow is seven and Asher is five, they find Rosie far more fun. At Rosie’s house they can have ice cream for breakfast. They can paint on the walls. They can eat cookies before healthy meals. There is no milk, just soda. At Rex’s home, there is structure. Although children need structure, obviously they’d rather live in a 24/7 party atmosphere.
The story is the struggle Willow has with her father’s love (structure/discipline) and her mother’s love (party). It’s also about Willow’s struggle with understanding her mother’s wildly changing behavior: kind/fun to withdrawn/sleepy.
It’s a story of a father’s growth in empathy and understanding. Rex is well meaning, reading the entire child rearing books out there. And it takes a tragedy for him to see that love also needs softness.
Be prepared: this novel will bring tears to your eyes. Author Brianna Wolfson writes from her own experiences, which brings validity to the story. It’s raw and heart wrentching. It’s most likely a story that children of divorce can relate to. Trying to understand parent’s marriages and why they dissolve is a journey for many children. I look forward to her next novel.
It’s a family story of healing, forgiveness, and understanding. Rex and Rosie fall madly in love with each other, being drawn to each other’s differences. It is a case of opposites attracting. Rex is rule oriented and goal setting. Rosie is artsy, fun, and carefree. Both need each other to balance each other out. Rosie’s highs though, go unchecked when she has children. Not only that, but she cannot sustain her highs. Often after her highs and fun, crazy behavior, Rosie withdraws. This erratic behavior is confusing to her young children, especially Willow. The story is told from three perspectives: Willow, Rosie, and Rex. Rosie and Rex eventually divorce with equal sharing of Willow and her brother Asher.
Because Willow is seven and Asher is five, they find Rosie far more fun. At Rosie’s house they can have ice cream for breakfast. They can paint on the walls. They can eat cookies before healthy meals. There is no milk, just soda. At Rex’s home, there is structure. Although children need structure, obviously they’d rather live in a 24/7 party atmosphere.
The story is the struggle Willow has with her father’s love (structure/discipline) and her mother’s love (party). It’s also about Willow’s struggle with understanding her mother’s wildly changing behavior: kind/fun to withdrawn/sleepy.
It’s a story of a father’s growth in empathy and understanding. Rex is well meaning, reading the entire child rearing books out there. And it takes a tragedy for him to see that love also needs softness.
Be prepared: this novel will bring tears to your eyes. Author Brianna Wolfson writes from her own experiences, which brings validity to the story. It’s raw and heart wrentching. It’s most likely a story that children of divorce can relate to. Trying to understand parent’s marriages and why they dissolve is a journey for many children. I look forward to her next novel.
August 29, 2017
I'm going to have to go against the grain here on this review. The blurb about for fans of Where'd You Go Bernadette feels completely off. I do feel the author is a great writer. I just wasn't that captivated by how the story was unveiled. It was a little too "once upon a time". I didn't like Rosie from the start and honestly I had a hard time connecting to Willow. Perhaps if we knew why Rosie was like she was I might have had some bit of understanding. Who I did feel bad for was Rex. He really got such a raw deal in this. None of us are perfect but at least I felt what he did was from the heart. Willow seemed to have some deep rooted issues that would require a lot of therapy. To go from where she was at the end and then flash forward to 15 years later with the way it was wrapped up didn't feel realistic.
December 8, 2017
Willow's parents are complete opposites. Rosie is a free-spirit who believes in the power of colors, the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and not keeping to a schedule, and seems to exist solely on Pixie Stix, cream soda, and pizza. Rex is firm and regimented and believes in balanced dinners and to-do lists. Opposites may attract, but they can also explode. And what happens to the kids when the attraction ends? Willow can tell you, but it's not pretty.
This book had the potential to be an interesting exploration of a child's experience of navigating divorced parents. Unfortunately, Rex and Rosie are both such complete caricatures of their types that it felt like reading about cardboard cut-outs. They are almost exclusively written to type, except when they do something so wholly out of character that it's nearly inexplicable.
This book had the potential to be an interesting exploration of a child's experience of navigating divorced parents. Unfortunately, Rex and Rosie are both such complete caricatures of their types that it felt like reading about cardboard cut-outs. They are almost exclusively written to type, except when they do something so wholly out of character that it's nearly inexplicable.
May 2, 2018
Como exprimir a minha opinião sobre este livro que tanto me emocionou, quer pela alegria quer pela tristeza... Uma história contada por Willow a filha de um casal que se divorcia, no meio ficam os filhos. Ora entre o amor absoluto, a alegria contagiante e as vivências de conforto da mãe, ora na rigidez e as regras do pai, é assim que se inicia a história, de uma procura constante de estabilidade, protecção e afetos desta menina. Tinha vontade de falar mais sobre esta história, mas deixo que alguns de vocês o leiam e aí possamos trocar impressões. Simplesmente lindo!
April 18, 2018
An excellent book especially for a debut - a bit hard to read emotionally with themes of motherhood, mental illness and growing up but very well written
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February 16, 2020How different the world looks when you take off your Rosie Colored Glasses.
Two very different worlds collided when Rex met Rosie. The couple couldn't have been more different, her a whimsical spirit, and him, firmly grounded by rules. Yet the polar opposites fell in love. Right?
Years later, life's not all that golden. Despite living their separate lives, Rosie and Rex are doing their best to keep the family together, but it's not meant to be. Willow and Asher, their children, are struggling. Willow wants nothing more than stay with her mother, the only person who helps her feel alive. However when Rosie's problems get to be too much, Willow and the rest of her family are left to wonder where their sunshine went.
A story of a family made of puzzle pieces, warped and twisted by time, internal and external forces. A tale of self destruction and how it demolishes everything in its path.
Trigger warning for drug use, death of a parent, addiction, grief, depression, postpartum depression, domestic violence, divorce, and bullying.
Free spirited, risk taking Rosie floated through life on a breeze. Whenever an idea struck her or one of her loved ones, she pursued her goal until she saw it through. Rosie lived moment to moment, and that wasn't necessarily a good thing. It was abundantly evident she loved her kids, even if she didn't always have their safety in mind. As her story unfolded, her happy, shiny veneer was finally poked through, unveiling what was going on underneath. Unfortunately for her, her depression and other problems took away the glitter and sprinkles.
Temperamental, straight laced Rex was most content when he lived within the constructs of rules. His aggression made him a force to be reckoned with, someone not to upset. I really struggled to like him as he seemed to be perturbed for the sake of being perturbed. Later on in life, when he truly had reason to be upset, he was painted to be this misunderstood, vulnerable guy. I just didn't buy it. However, I'm thankful he was a steady rock for his children, even though he did a questionable job of showing it.
Playful, determined Willow had a mix of both of her parents' traits. The first few years of her life certainly weren't easy. The fallout of her parents' marriage affected her not only at home, but in other areas of her life. From her favorite outfit to pixie sticks, the poor girl clung onto ideas of happiness. Through her childish eyes, it was easy to see why she saw the world the way she did.
From spousal too parental, the Thorpe's floundered as they tried to right their relationships. My heart broke as each of the family relationships were fleshed out, given time to flourish or wilt. Rosie and Rex couldn't rekindle their fire no matter how hard they tried, and the sparks they emitted as they tried shot out, hitting their kids. Early on it was easy to see how their wildly differing parenting styles created biases within themselves and in how their children felt about them. Between the four of the Thorpes, they seemed to pair off, only creating stronger feelings against the other pair. Sometimes it was shown in a very heavy-handed way, but nonetheless it effectively conveyed senses of both despair and hope.
Shifting between each of our three main characters, Brianna Wolfson successfully embodied Willow, Rosie, and Rex's voices, letting the reader don spectacles that let them see the situations play out exactly as the characters perceived them. Often overly descriptive, the contemporary painted a picture of just how traumatizing addiction, depression, grief, and lack of communication can be to an individual, their family, and especially their children. Flashbacks eventually converged with the present-day narrative, but at first I really questioned the role they would play throughout the whole story. A look at family, the strains of a broken relationship, heartache, and ways of looking at the world, the novel tried to create a meaningful impact, and it did. It tenderly covered the previously named topics, as well as bullying, postpartum depression, divorce, and loss of a loved one. However, the abundant repetitiveness of certain phrases overwhelmed the story, lessening its effect on the whole. Light and lovely moments were coated in a gray film of reality that was all too true to life. Yet I still couldn't truly indulge in its realism, especially some of the decisions Rex and Rosie made in regards to parenting. I was also constantly wondering why it was never mentioned that anyone else saw this for the awful situation it was. The ending absolutely broke me, but I just expected so much more from the book.
While my Rosie Colored Glasses didn't stay on the whole time I was reading, this book did pull on my heartstrings.
Two very different worlds collided when Rex met Rosie. The couple couldn't have been more different, her a whimsical spirit, and him, firmly grounded by rules. Yet the polar opposites fell in love. Right?
Years later, life's not all that golden. Despite living their separate lives, Rosie and Rex are doing their best to keep the family together, but it's not meant to be. Willow and Asher, their children, are struggling. Willow wants nothing more than stay with her mother, the only person who helps her feel alive. However when Rosie's problems get to be too much, Willow and the rest of her family are left to wonder where their sunshine went.
A story of a family made of puzzle pieces, warped and twisted by time, internal and external forces. A tale of self destruction and how it demolishes everything in its path.
Trigger warning for drug use, death of a parent, addiction, grief, depression, postpartum depression, domestic violence, divorce, and bullying.
Free spirited, risk taking Rosie floated through life on a breeze. Whenever an idea struck her or one of her loved ones, she pursued her goal until she saw it through. Rosie lived moment to moment, and that wasn't necessarily a good thing. It was abundantly evident she loved her kids, even if she didn't always have their safety in mind. As her story unfolded, her happy, shiny veneer was finally poked through, unveiling what was going on underneath. Unfortunately for her, her depression and other problems took away the glitter and sprinkles.
Temperamental, straight laced Rex was most content when he lived within the constructs of rules. His aggression made him a force to be reckoned with, someone not to upset. I really struggled to like him as he seemed to be perturbed for the sake of being perturbed. Later on in life, when he truly had reason to be upset, he was painted to be this misunderstood, vulnerable guy. I just didn't buy it. However, I'm thankful he was a steady rock for his children, even though he did a questionable job of showing it.
Playful, determined Willow had a mix of both of her parents' traits. The first few years of her life certainly weren't easy. The fallout of her parents' marriage affected her not only at home, but in other areas of her life. From her favorite outfit to pixie sticks, the poor girl clung onto ideas of happiness. Through her childish eyes, it was easy to see why she saw the world the way she did.
From spousal too parental, the Thorpe's floundered as they tried to right their relationships. My heart broke as each of the family relationships were fleshed out, given time to flourish or wilt. Rosie and Rex couldn't rekindle their fire no matter how hard they tried, and the sparks they emitted as they tried shot out, hitting their kids. Early on it was easy to see how their wildly differing parenting styles created biases within themselves and in how their children felt about them. Between the four of the Thorpes, they seemed to pair off, only creating stronger feelings against the other pair. Sometimes it was shown in a very heavy-handed way, but nonetheless it effectively conveyed senses of both despair and hope.
Shifting between each of our three main characters, Brianna Wolfson successfully embodied Willow, Rosie, and Rex's voices, letting the reader don spectacles that let them see the situations play out exactly as the characters perceived them. Often overly descriptive, the contemporary painted a picture of just how traumatizing addiction, depression, grief, and lack of communication can be to an individual, their family, and especially their children. Flashbacks eventually converged with the present-day narrative, but at first I really questioned the role they would play throughout the whole story. A look at family, the strains of a broken relationship, heartache, and ways of looking at the world, the novel tried to create a meaningful impact, and it did. It tenderly covered the previously named topics, as well as bullying, postpartum depression, divorce, and loss of a loved one. However, the abundant repetitiveness of certain phrases overwhelmed the story, lessening its effect on the whole. Light and lovely moments were coated in a gray film of reality that was all too true to life. Yet I still couldn't truly indulge in its realism, especially some of the decisions Rex and Rosie made in regards to parenting. I was also constantly wondering why it was never mentioned that anyone else saw this for the awful situation it was. The ending absolutely broke me, but I just expected so much more from the book.
While my Rosie Colored Glasses didn't stay on the whole time I was reading, this book did pull on my heartstrings.
July 19, 2018
Levei uma bofetada com este livro. 《Vou pegar numa história suave》 pensei eu, e no início parecia isso mesmo. Duas almas tão diferentes que se apaixonam mas cujas diferenças não conseguem vencer. Pois nem tudo é o que parece. O livro a menos de meio muda, arranca-nos umas lágrimas, olhamos para as personagens de modo diferente e apanha-nos pela ternura inevitável de sentir pela Willow. Não vou dizer sequer sobre o que relata, mas no fim ficam várias lições, sobre como cada um tem o seu jeito de amar, como cada ser, lida com as situações a seu modo e como tudo o que uma criança quer é sentir-se amada. Gostei muito. 4 estrelas.
March 25, 2018
Nope. This one really didn't do it for me. I read it based on a Goodreads interview with the author where, as I remember, she said the book was loosely based on her own childhood. I surely hope not. These were two of the most dysfunctional parents that I can ever remember reading about. They were so over the top dysfunctional that they came across as caricatures. That would have been enough to turn me off to the book but their treatment of their daughter Willow just finished it for me. Add to that Wolfson's unrelenting use of literary device; constant repetition and echoing character traits. Nope. Not for me.
Rex and Rosie never should have gotten married. They both knew it was not a relationship either one of them were going to be able to sustain. Rex was staid and straight-laced. Rosie was frivolous and fun-loving - translate: bipolar. Rosie was pretty much miserable from the start and when her second child, Asher, is born she spirals into severe post-natal depression which she then compounds with an addiction to Vicodin. This had to be at least a gallon jug of Vicodin. Rosie never left her bed from all reports and it wasn't long before Rex realized she was taking it - it was his old unused prescription. Rex works at home. So where is she getting it? Anyway... Rex does absolutely nothing to help Rosie and one day decides he wants a divorce.
So they set up housekeeping separately and it seems like Rosie kicks her Vicodin addiction - temporarily - and enters a manic phase. Rosie is Disneyland Mom and Rex is Drill Sergeant Dad. Kids love Mom. Kids hate Dad. Meanwhile, Willow is having horrible problems at school. She is an awkward, extremely uncoordinated ten year old who wears the same clothes every single day and wets herself at the first sign of conflict. She is bullied by everyone and spends recess hidden under the slide on the playground. No one addresses this! No one! Her parents, her teachers, a school psychologist - NO ONE. Oh wait - Rex hides pixie stix in a hole in the bus seat Willow sits in. There's a way to meet a problem head on... Good job, Rex.
Rosie sinks back into depression and takes up her Vicodin habit again - this time she has a proper dealer. No more Disneyland Mom. And here is my biggest problem with the book. That is pretty much the last time anyone speaks to Willow. No one ever attempts to explain anything to her. Not that Willow asks, mind you, but she's 10. She allows herself to be dragged from pillar to post and no one ever tells her why. Her mother disappears for a week or so - rehab? A trip to the vacant apartment they keep in NYC? Who knows. The point is no one ever says to Willow, Mommy is going to be gone for a few days. She's not feeling well and needs to get better. Nothing. She's just left to cry alone all week.
On more than one occasion Rex drags the kids out of Rosie's house and NEVER tells them why - and by the way how did he know the kids were in trouble at Rosie's? One time he watches Rosie drive off from his house, obviously under the influence, with the kids in the car. He is not going to stand for that! And yet Rosie has time to get the kids home, set them up in the driveway with some chalk, and go upstairs and pass out before Rex speeds up to the house to drag the kids away yet again. Did he, what, check his e-mail first? Stop at the store for a couple of things? Why wasn't he right behind them???
One night, for reasons too convoluted to go into here, Willow decides she is going to have a one girl bake sale the next day at school. She sets herself up in her father's kitchen at 9:00 at night to make chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, and a cherry pie and her father never once wanders in to ask what she's doing? And he has peppermint chips and cherry pie filling in his cabinets?
Another night Willow doesn't come home from school. She's off in the woods somewhere, crying, until dark at which point she sneaks in the house and goes to bed. So to the best of Rex's knowledge, Willow is unaccounted for. Never looks for her. She's 10. Maybe her brother might have wondered, Hey, where's Willow? Nope.
This kind of thing happens again and again. I could go on and on. And if you stick it out to the end, the resolution is even more absurd. Spoiler alert - it involves those pixie stix. Where was Wolfson's editor? It just didn't make sense and nothing rang true. The only saving grace was that it was a quick read so there wasn't a lot of time invested. Definitely not for me. I hope, if nothing else, that writing this book was a cathartic experience for Wolfson if, in fact, this was her childhood. God bless you for getting yourself through it.
Rex and Rosie never should have gotten married. They both knew it was not a relationship either one of them were going to be able to sustain. Rex was staid and straight-laced. Rosie was frivolous and fun-loving - translate: bipolar. Rosie was pretty much miserable from the start and when her second child, Asher, is born she spirals into severe post-natal depression which she then compounds with an addiction to Vicodin. This had to be at least a gallon jug of Vicodin. Rosie never left her bed from all reports and it wasn't long before Rex realized she was taking it - it was his old unused prescription. Rex works at home. So where is she getting it? Anyway... Rex does absolutely nothing to help Rosie and one day decides he wants a divorce.
So they set up housekeeping separately and it seems like Rosie kicks her Vicodin addiction - temporarily - and enters a manic phase. Rosie is Disneyland Mom and Rex is Drill Sergeant Dad. Kids love Mom. Kids hate Dad. Meanwhile, Willow is having horrible problems at school. She is an awkward, extremely uncoordinated ten year old who wears the same clothes every single day and wets herself at the first sign of conflict. She is bullied by everyone and spends recess hidden under the slide on the playground. No one addresses this! No one! Her parents, her teachers, a school psychologist - NO ONE. Oh wait - Rex hides pixie stix in a hole in the bus seat Willow sits in. There's a way to meet a problem head on... Good job, Rex.
Rosie sinks back into depression and takes up her Vicodin habit again - this time she has a proper dealer. No more Disneyland Mom. And here is my biggest problem with the book. That is pretty much the last time anyone speaks to Willow. No one ever attempts to explain anything to her. Not that Willow asks, mind you, but she's 10. She allows herself to be dragged from pillar to post and no one ever tells her why. Her mother disappears for a week or so - rehab? A trip to the vacant apartment they keep in NYC? Who knows. The point is no one ever says to Willow, Mommy is going to be gone for a few days. She's not feeling well and needs to get better. Nothing. She's just left to cry alone all week.
On more than one occasion Rex drags the kids out of Rosie's house and NEVER tells them why - and by the way how did he know the kids were in trouble at Rosie's? One time he watches Rosie drive off from his house, obviously under the influence, with the kids in the car. He is not going to stand for that! And yet Rosie has time to get the kids home, set them up in the driveway with some chalk, and go upstairs and pass out before Rex speeds up to the house to drag the kids away yet again. Did he, what, check his e-mail first? Stop at the store for a couple of things? Why wasn't he right behind them???
One night, for reasons too convoluted to go into here, Willow decides she is going to have a one girl bake sale the next day at school. She sets herself up in her father's kitchen at 9:00 at night to make chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, and a cherry pie and her father never once wanders in to ask what she's doing? And he has peppermint chips and cherry pie filling in his cabinets?
Another night Willow doesn't come home from school. She's off in the woods somewhere, crying, until dark at which point she sneaks in the house and goes to bed. So to the best of Rex's knowledge, Willow is unaccounted for. Never looks for her. She's 10. Maybe her brother might have wondered, Hey, where's Willow? Nope.
This kind of thing happens again and again. I could go on and on. And if you stick it out to the end, the resolution is even more absurd. Spoiler alert - it involves those pixie stix. Where was Wolfson's editor? It just didn't make sense and nothing rang true. The only saving grace was that it was a quick read so there wasn't a lot of time invested. Definitely not for me. I hope, if nothing else, that writing this book was a cathartic experience for Wolfson if, in fact, this was her childhood. God bless you for getting yourself through it.
March 16, 2018
What a book. I really enjoyed this one- it was really hard to put it down. This book is not as whimsical or quirky as the first few chapters would suggest. Instead you’ll find a harrowing story of a young family torn apart by opioid addiction. My heart breaks for all of the Willows and Ashers out there. Five easy stars- this one will stick with me.
March 28, 2018
Rosie is an Asshole. Rosie has some serious issues. Rosie is the reason I kept reading this book.
This turned out to be a very sad tale and I felt so bad for Rosie. My afternoon with her was perplexing, wonderful, sad and very entertaining.
I can't say anymore without giving anything away. I can't do that. You need to read it. I will say that I did shed tears while reading this. A lot of tears.
Thanks to Harlequin (US & Canada) and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
This turned out to be a very sad tale and I felt so bad for Rosie. My afternoon with her was perplexing, wonderful, sad and very entertaining.
I can't say anymore without giving anything away. I can't do that. You need to read it. I will say that I did shed tears while reading this. A lot of tears.
Thanks to Harlequin (US & Canada) and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
November 3, 2017
This book which I read in two days has touched my heart and opened my eyes. This book really went in depth on mental issues. The author made you feel the hurt Willow was going through. I cried the last 30% of the book. This is a novel that I will encourage others to read. This really is an outstanding piece of work
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