Review: Briar Rose by Jana Oliver

Briar Rose by Jana Oliver
Publisher: Macmillan
Publication date: September 12th, 2013
Number of pages: 470 pgs
Format: Paperback
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository

For Briar Rose, life is anything but a fairy tale. She's stuck in a small town in deepest Georgia with parents who won't let her out of their sight, a bunch of small-minded, gossiping neighbours and an evil ex who's spreading nasty rumours about what she may or may not have done in the back of his car. She's tired of it all, so when, on her sixteenth birthday, her parents tell her that she is cursed and will go to sleep for a hundred years when the clock strikes midnight, she's actually kind of glad to leave it all behind. She says her goodbyes, lies down, and closes her eyes . . . And then she wakes up. Cold, alone and in the middle of the darkest, most twisted fairy tale she could ever have dreamed of. Now Briar must fight her way out of the story that has been created for her, but she can't do it alone. She never believed in handsome princes, but now she's met one her only chance is to put her life in his hands, or there will be no happy ever after and no waking up

I admit I have never read any of Jana Oliver's work, so this was my first time with her writing. Briar Rose is basically an enchanting modernized fairytale.
Briar has been having dreams of fairytales for years and always wished for a prince to come and save her, take her out of her town to someplace else. Someplace that does not suck.
This is a very clever idea Jana has portrayed and I absolutely loved the world she created, her characters and the taste of forbidden love.

A magical world full of monsters,romance, trickery, heroes and mayhem. It's not your average fairytale, but it is one that is unforgettable and a definite page-turner.

It starts off with Briar, whose family has a troubled history with another, who, the son of she is forbidden to talk to, less alone, look at.
Joshua I adored from off the bat. He doesn't understand why he is forced to stay away from Briar, but that does not mean he can't look at her from afar, which is basically the only thing he can do. It doesn't help matters that their best friend happens to be the same girl, so how does one stay away from someone when they are close to the very same person?

When Briar gets told of her curse that has been throughout their family for generations, she believes it. And it's not until it does take place the fun really starts.
In her dream-state, Briar gets involved in a world, not like her imagination always wanted, but real all the same.
Briar changes a lot throughout the story, she has to do lots of things she normally wouldn't, but that comes with not having a chance in her curse. She has to find a way out, and for that to happen she has to conquer certain things.

I loved seeing the relationship between Briar and Joshua develop. It is one I was rooting from the very beginning and it was obvious these two were meant to be, it was just a matter of them finding that out. I feel their relationship really begins to blossom during her dream-state after he goes in after her. Whether that's to save her, or just to protect her from whatever may be out there. But it's because of this that enhances the story so much more.  The romance between the two of them was done so beautifully. It was almost like a romeo and juliet thing --  except for a different outcome ;)

While Briar might have wanted a prince to come and rescue her in real life, she may discover that what she wanted has been standing in front of her the entire time, she was just too obsessed with a fairytale to notice --- until now.

We get introduced to other characters. Ruric, who was an actual prince, to Aurora herself, who is not what you imagined, but all important just the same. Every character has a role to place if they want to survive the things that happen. Sacrifices need to be made, and hope they can make things a better place.

I loved every bit of this story, and could not recommend it enough.

Rating: 4.5/5