Review: Rose Sees Red by Cecil Castellucci

Release Date: August 1, 2010
Received From: Publisher
Other Books by This Author: The Plain Janes, Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd, Boy Proof, See the full list Here.
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
IBSN: 9780545060790
Blurb:
Rose has given up. She’s given up on friendship, on happiness, on life being anything other than black, black, black. Yrena wants out. She’s a dancer…more Rose has given up. She’s given up on friendship, on happiness, on life being anything other than black, black, black. Yrena wants out. She’s a dancer who doesn’t want to dance, a prisoner in her own home, a resident of New York who never gets to see the city. To Rose, Yrena has always been the Russian girl who lives next door, seen through the window but never spoken to. At least not until Yrena crashes into Rose’s room-and Rose’s life-and sets in motion a night in New York City that none of them will ever forget. From YA superstar Cecil Castellucci, this is the story of cold hearts and cold wars warmed by simple human connection and the liberty of being young and free in the early hours of a new day

Rose Sees Red is a fast but compelling read. It really gets to the heart of people stuck in situations out of their control. The book takes place in 1982 in New York City. The Cold War is in full effect. Rose shares her neighborhood with people from the Soviet Union. The CIA and KGB are on every corner. That makes it a little difficult to see NYC and have a little fun. But when the Russian girl from next door pops in her window, they might just have to find a way.

I read this book in a few hours and had a lot of fun in the process. It was a wild ride through the streets of NYC in the middle of the night. At the heart of the story are Rose and Yrena. Rose has had some trouble with friends in the past, so she has decided to give up on them. Yrena has lived in New York for years and never seen it. Their connection and adventure will change their minds and hearts.
Rose was a great protagonist. She was just the right amount of reserved in the beginning and she definitely started coming out of her shell toward the end. Yrena just wanted to have some fun. I really felt for her the entire book. I had fun just because she did!

All in all, this was a exciting read! I love that it took place in 1982, but I didn’t realize this in the beginning. So I was a little confused, but it was no big deal. If you are looking for a fast, heartwarming read, I recommend this one!