Waking Rose: A Fairy Tale Retold (3) (Fairy Tale Novels) Paperback – October 17, 2008

Book came in a timely manner and was in great shape!

This amazing book is the 3rd in the Regina Doman series and for me, the best. I bought it for my son but ended up reading it, into the wee hours of the morning, in a few days, before he even picked it up. It is a fantastic read full of surprises, humor, and edge-of-your-seat suspense, but it packs the additional punch of heroic characters who are self sacrificing and altruistic. What a great influence for teenagers! And what is more, it is not at all stuffy or preachy or annoying in its presentation of the devotion of its characters to their Catholic faith, which breathes forth from them in their every action. These college kids are comfortable in all their modern world settings. These are realistic and fun, silly and interesting and human, young people. And who would have thought that I would end up liking Fish just as much as (more than?) Bear! Or Rose as much as Blanche? The characters really came to life in this believable and fascinating ride that Ms. Doman takes her readers on; I think this is the perfect plot for a Hollywood movie! (Ahhh, if only Spielberg were Catholic!)

Rose Brier is hopelessly in love... with a man who doesn't return the affection.But that problem takes backseat as Rose enters Mercy College. There she encounters a group of student 'knights' who habitually stage dorm fights, a fellow actress in the play 'King Lear' who seems to have it out for Rose, and, of course, the inevitable 'Monster Research Paper.' Her topic? The Abuse of Comatose Patients.Her recently deceased father, who had also gone to Mercy college, had evidently done quite a bit of research on the particular topic, especially in relationship to the local hospital, which was rumored to illegally sell organs. Rose's research leads her to her father's notes... before an unfortunate accident renders Rose herself a comatose patient.Had Rose encountered foul play? If she had, who wanted the secrets her father had discovered about the hospital locked away forever? At what lengths would they go to ensure secrecy?Waking Rose is the third instalment of the Fairy Tales Retold series. Due to thematic elements, this book is best suited for teens age 16 and older.

I’ve read this over and over. It gives context to so many things in a maturing girls life.

I found Regina Doman's books through a message board I used to go to about 5 years ago and purchased them. I subsequently got rid of them; but recently decided to reread them.Most reviews I've read of this author and her work are brimming with praise, exclaimation points and statements like "Love this book!" I found them decent, good but not great. The heroes are always Catholic, always get step on some terrible plot by athiest bad guys, always prevail after sustaining multiple attempts on their life...That's not to say Ms Doman is rewriting the same book over and over again...I just wish she could expand her writing world and get out of her comfort zone. Write a book where her personal beliefs and her characters are not the same. Maybe have a sad ending, where not all the pieces fall into place so easily.Waking Rose is, perhaps, her best book, in part because she does try new things writing-wise. Fish/Ben is a compelling narrator, broken but healing, and doing his very best not to fall in love. I found Rose flat after reading his sections. My favorite sections are his, after the fall, but before the sting operation. In particular, his interactions with guys from Sacra Cor felt real, true, not contrived, like so many of the situations in the Fairy Tale books felt to me.Like I said before, good but not great.

Regina Doman completes Rose and Fish's story beautifully.

This was personally my favorite book in the series. I love how this series because it takes fairy tales (which i love) and turns them into real life situations. I definitely recommend this book for the ages 12 and up. It was very moving and I actually cried. I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!! It is a great book for all teens and young adults. And I love how they bring the Catholic faith into all of it. I am excited to read Midnight Dancers adn I hope that Rose and Fish are in it too.

Doman is a fantastic author. She makes her characters believable and (gasp!) likeable. I really felt compassion for Fish's predicament and I was rooting Rose's determination to earn Fish's love through until the end. Rose is so stubborn that I really liked her and admired her character. Doman puts the right mixture of reality and fantasy in her novels, and they are such a relief to read after all the typical teen fiction I've read. A flawless ending to a great series.