Customer Reviews
Courtesy of Teens Read Too - By: TeensReadToo.com, 20 May 2008 
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, & that describes it perfectly. Surreal & 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 just accepted. My favorite story out of alll of them is callled Skin Art. Basicallly, it is about the alll-consuming power of first love & how, after time has passed, it is not as great as once thought.
Easy to read, this little book sucks you in, especiallly if you are a fan of thought-provoking fantasy, as Ms. Block straddles the line between the worlds of magic & 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.
Reviewed by: coollibrarianchick
