Blood Roses

I adore Block's work. Although it sometimes seems very abstract, the imagery and flow of her words is absolutely gorgeous. My favorite story in this particular book was Skin Art.

That said, I wouldn't recommend this to people who weren't fans of Block already. In some ways, it's more difficult to read (although shorter) than her other works.

Block's short story collection paints portraits of troubled teens: girls worshipping a recently-suicided rockstar, a girl in love with a too-old tattoo artist, a boy whose father and girlfriend both have died and has decided to live underground. But Block puts a twist on these stories by adding fantastical elements. In My Boyfriend is an Alien, a girl recounts all the evidence she has seen that he is not from here - his accent, his giant round eyes, the way he says "your" instead of "our" when speaking about the government. In My Haunted House, a child deals with the realization that her doll house is haunted by death and is distraught that no one could possibly believe her. A series of four stories are intertwined, each of the show more characters unaware of the troubles the others are facing: a desperate sadness that causes Rachel to grow to ungodly proportions, falling in love with someone from the wrong side of the tracks, tattoos appearing all over the body without an artist in sight, a vampiric mother. Most touching is the story of Lincoln and Audrey, the boy with wings and the girl who found him with these wings torn off and kept him safe while he healed. These stories are sexy and frank. The truth in Block's writing sings over the elements of fantasy that serve as a platform for the anguish that is adolescence. This book is cathartic, passionate, and lovely. show less

i liked it, but i didnt love it. it was a quick read, only 129 pages although goodreads says its 164. it seemed a little tossed together. sometimes things didnt make sense. but her imagery is impeccable and she is an extraordinary writer. definitely wouldnt recommend this book to those who have never read a book by her.

Reviewed by coollibrarianchick for TeensReadToo.com

On Francesca Lia Block's website, there are a bunch of words lumped together, reminding me of magnetic poetry that has been used to describe her work. I couldn't agree more with the words reviewers have used. The one word that kept jumping out at me while reading this was lyrical. I was looking for a word to describe what I thought about her newest literary novella, BLOOD ROSES, and that describes it perfectly. Surreal and dreamy would be good adjectives to use, as well.

The book is broken up into nine short stories. All of the stories deal with a transformation of some sort, whether it is physical or emotional. Not once in any of her stories is the magical element questioned - it is show more just accepted. My favorite story out of all of them is called Skin Art. Basically, it is about the all-consuming power of first love and how, after time has passed, it is not as great as once thought.

Easy to read, this little book sucks you in, especially if you are a fan of thought-provoking fantasy, as Ms. Block straddles the line between the worlds of magic and reality. The stories seem very personal, emotional; even, at times, irrational. You definitely can't argue with the quality of writing - Francesca Lia Block is a very good writer, but with that said she is not for everyone.

People that are into the art scene will enjoy her work, as well as those who like to analyze dreams, as the stories are rich in sensory detail. Hail to the queen of magical realism. show less

These stories are richly imagined, intense and passionate. Fantastical and honest, the teenage characters are portrayed with honesty, with beautifully crafted words that flow, bringing an intense feel to the whole book. While the book can be confusing, sometimes brutal, it is a gorgeous read. Not for everyone, but those who enjoy it will savor it for long after.

Whenever I read Francesca Lia Block I see vivid, very familiar images of my own life. Many times she writes about growing up in Los Angeles during the 1970's and 80's. In Blood Roses, she combines elements of those past decades with present day, in a collection of short stories. This is young adult literature for high school students. Most female young adults to adult can relate to at least one of themes discussed in the nine short stories. This book has themes of female sexuality, love, friendship, mental illness etc. I love how she combines reality with fantasy with the main character in each story. My favorite story is the one in which a young girl who wants to be veteranian meets a boy centaur, falls in love with him, and in the end show more isn't able to fix his wounds. show less

Susan says: This is a book of slightly interconnected short stories that are all based in Block’s trademark magical realism. It is our world, only there is more to see than meets the eye. Some of the stories have to do with a group of friends, one story focuses on each one. While the stories are definitely very Block, I don’t think they are unusual enough to earn a Printz, but this is the first actual Printz book I’ve read, so I may change my mind later. This is for older teens – much of the magic covers up sex, drugs, and things that younger teens may not want to read. But Block does a good job of leaving things vague enough that most readers will be able to read whatever they want into it.