Desert Rose

Coming-of-age stories are usually full of character growth, and some youthful drama. This book certainly has both of those, centering around a young, somewhat naive sixteen year-old girl, who feels as though she's trapped in the shadow of her older sister.

I found this book to be full of ironies - many that are very realistic, and probably happen more than we realize. I don't want to give away spoilers, so I won't mention the ironies specifically, but I will say they made me laugh, and really showed the growth of several characters involved with this 12-step drama.

This book was very well written, and the characters were all very easy to connect with. They seemed completely realistic, and I clearly pictured the scenario laid out in this book. It probably happened in my high school, as well as most other schools. I enjoyed the ending, the setting, and the personal dynamics between all the teenagers finding their way through life and love.

For fans of realistic fiction and coming-of-age stories, this is a good one. I would recommend it, and will probably end up reading it again.

*I was given an eCopy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.