Rosy Outlook

Here's a rare and unusual moment for the blog. I'm about to review something, and that review stands at least some chance of actually being read by someone who created the thing I'm reviewing. In this case, it's a book called Autumn Roses, by Kate Blair.

I doubt you've heard of the book or the author. She's a Denver local, making her debut with this novel. My connection is that her father was one of the teachers at my old high school. He was a great teacher, with a great family, and I've been in touch occasionally over the years since. I'm thrilled to support someone I know (even tangentially) having a published novel, even if the book is outside the genres I usually read. I have a friend or two who would love to make the same big break as a published author, and I would love to be there myself some day, so it's sort of a "be the change you want to see" thing. Maybe.

I imagine that if I were forced to put Autumn Roses somewhere in the bookstore (other than just "Fiction"), it would go in the Romance section. But really, it's a modern fairy tale -- and tells you that right on the first page. In some spots, it borrows very directly from familiar fairy tales (chiefly Beauty and the Beast). But in other areas, it evokes the texture and trappings of a fairy tale without specifically lifting from any given source (for example, the protagonist is the youngest daughter of three, who lives in the shadow of her two older sisters).

It's a somewhat oddly paced book, spending around the first half just setting up the flavor of the situation and the characters, without really launching into the meat of a plot. When the plot arrives in earnest, it's quite brisk -- perhaps because the author knew that her readers' familiarity with fairy tales wouldn't really allow for the story to be drawn out for suspense or surprise. Put another way, I felt that I had no idea where the book was going, until the moment halfway through when I suddenly knew exactly where it was going. An odd experience for a book.

But an enjoyable one. As I said, I don't usually read books in this genre, so it's hard to evaluate a book that's probably not "for me." But Kate Blair has a good way with words. She uses just the right descriptive words to paint a picture, evoking not only sights, but sounds, smells, and more. Reading this made me look at my own writing technique, and reminded me of a few things I'd like to incorporate into my own emerging novel. (Very slowly emerging novel.) By that, I mean that even while I wasn't truly enthusiastic about the story, I was taken by the writing. So Kate, if you're reading this, my compliments -- and congratulations.

Honestly, the tastes of people who frequent my blog probably don't sync up well with a book like this. But if you're in the mood for a change of pace, Autumn Roses might be worth a try. And if you do check it out, you can say you know someone who (somewhat) knows the person who wrote it!