A CONSTELLATION OF ROSES By Miranda Asebedo

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A Constellation of Roses by Miranda Asebedo
Published by HarperTeen on 11/5/19
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 336
Source: Publisher
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Ever since her troubled mother abandoned her, Trix McCabe has preferred to stay on the move.

But when she lands with her long-lost relatives, she finds out that the McCabe women have talents like her own that defy explanation: pies that cure all ills, palm-reading that never misses the mark, knowledge of secrets that have never been told.

Before long, Trix feels like she might finally have found somewhere she belongs. But when her past comes back to haunt her, she’ll have to decide whether to take a chance on this new life . . . or keep running from the one she’s always known.

Short and Sweet

Ever since her mother abandoned her Trix has been living on her own and she uses her gift of stealing to get by. But when Trix does get caught she is given an ultimatum; go live with relatives she didn’t even know existed or go to jail. When Trix decides to go to Rocksaw she meets her family members who also have gifts and just when Trix thinks this might be where she belongs her past comes back to haunt her.

Characters

Trix: Trix has lived a hard life, her and her mother would bounce around from place to place and in the end her mother ended up abandoning her. Trix had to get by the only way she knew how to which was to use her gift and to steal valuables. Trix was a hard character to like, I knew that she had a difficult life and that she was used to being on her own but when she went to live with the McCabes she wasn’t so great to them and that bothered me.

Ember: Ember is Trix’s cousin and she usually keeps to herself because of her gift. Ember has the ability to see someones deepest secret just by touching them. I liked that Ember made an effort to put herself out there and to stop hiding and in the end she realized that putting herself out there may not be so bad.

Mia: Mia is Trix’s Aunt and Ember’s mother. I loved Mia she was so patient with Trix and truly loved and cared for her despite the fact that they barely knew each other. Mia also has the gift of baking pies that make people feel better afterwards.

Auntie: Auntie is Trix’s great aunt and her talent is reading palms and Auntie and her palm readings are never wrong. I loved Auntie she was brutally honest and didn’t sugar coat anything and she usually put everyone in their place with a dose of reality.

Jasper: Jasper lives in Rocksaw and he usually delivers pies for Mia when he’s not working at his families farm. Jasper was sweet but he also had a lot of things that he was dealing with that he hasn’t shared with many people. I felt for him but I was also glad that he was finally able to be honest about everything that is going on in his life and try to figure out how to approach things.

Romance

Trix and Jasper: Trix and Jasper meet when Trix is told to go on deliveries with Jasper. I really did like these two together he wasn’t put off by how unfriendly she was. I liked their friendship and how they were able to tell each other about their lives and things that they’ve been through and in the end they were just good for each other.

Trix and Shane: Shane was Trix’s boyfriend until he went to jail and dumped her. Anyway Trix feels safe with Shane and they had plans to leave town and do something better with their lives. Honestly Trix thinks about Shane a lot but Shane doesn’t actually make an appearance until we’re 70% through the book. I didn’t like Shane he obviously didn’t learn his lesson from his first visit to jail and he just wasn’t that great of a guy. I think the only thing Trix saw in him was the fact that she was used to him and it was comfortable being with him and it reminded her of her old life.

My Thoughts

~ Trix was a hard character to like, yes she had a hard life and her feelings were valid, but the McCabes took her in with open arms and would try to make her feel apart of the family and they were so patient with her.

~ I did like how Trix did have some growth and tried to put down roots in Rocksaw. There were certain times when she wanted to revert back to her old ways but she realized that she didn’t have to.

~ Each of the McCabe women have gifts and I liked that aspect of the book. It reminded me of Deepest Roots and there’s also some mention of the town from the book Deepest Roots. I liked how each gift is special and how Trix learns that she doesn’t have to use her gift to get by anymore and how Ember learns that hers isn’t a burden.

~ There’s a lot that is dealt with in this book, Trix was abandoned, Jasper’s brother committed suicide and he’s also depressed. In the book each character eventually faces their demons. I do like how these hard subjects are tackled and dealt with.

~ I did like how Ember and Trix’s relationship evolved, they became friends and in the end they were there for each other. I liked how Ember also encouraged Trix to put down roots in Rocksaw, and how Trix got Ember to leave her comfort zone.

~ The book also gives us a few scenes from the past which was nice because we get to see what Trix’s life was like before having to go to Rocksaw and some of her memories especially of the “good year” gives us an insight on why she thinks that things can still go back to how they were.

Overall

A Constellation of Roses is heartfelt and I really liked the journey that Trix went through and how she eventually put down roots. I would recommend this book it’s a great book about rebuilding your life when you think you’ve hit rock bottom, and finding people who will always try to help you get back on your feet.