Rose Rivers (World of Hetty Feather)

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I thought this would be a good time for you to start sketching seriously, sweetheart. I know you’ve been feeling rather mopey since Rupert left for school,’ said Papa. The character I didn’t like was Rose’s brother, Rupert. He is vain and doesn’t think about anyone but himself. He doesn’t listen to what Rose is trying to tell him and he always acts like the perfect child in front of everyone but Rose and won’t admit when he is wrong. He laughed again. ‘Perhaps, when you are eighteen or so, I might send you to Paris to be properly trained, though I know Mama will object!’ One thing that stood out to me was the relationship between Rupert and Rose – they are twins but despite this they were completely different. Rose was way more tolerable against Rupert then she is with everyone else even though he was a liar and can be very self-centred.

I think I would definitely recommend it to friends and pupils because of how enjoyable it is with the amazing plot twist at the end of the book. I’m sure they would have the same positive overall comments as me.Rose is the privileged eldest daughter of the artist who sketched Clover in Clover Moon. Rose is jealous that her twin brother, Rupert, has gone away to school. Her younger siblings aren’t much fun and she feels trapped between childhood and adulthood. She wonders why Rupert is allowed to grow up, but her mother still expects her to be a child. She knows her father is also a talented artist though he once had a love whom posed for a portrait which her mother detests. Will Paris help Rose finally achieve her dreams? And will she be able to help Clover find her own dream? Read more Details

I really enjoyed Rose Rivers as it is an interesting story. It is set in the Victorian times and is very well written. What I liked about the book is how all the characters behaved in the style of the time. Another thing I liked was Rose's protestations about Beth being called stupid and not right in the head. Something I found interesting about it was that the lower class and upper class are friends, something unusual for the times. My favourite character was Beth, as I found her interesting and sensitive. I would recommend the book to anyone, but it may not be suitable for younger readers, as it has references to bodies. The only think I would change would be not seeing Hetty more. I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it has a bit of history and it has problems that people in that time struggled with. The main character, Rose, has 6 other siblings including her twin brother Rupert. A series of different things happen and she does lots of things to help her troubled sister Beth. The book includes the characters Hetty Feather from the books Hetty Feather, Sapphire Battersea, Emerald Star, Hetty Feather’s Journal, and Hetty’s Christmas. And it also includes Clover Moon from the book Clover Moon. I would rate this book 9.5 out of 10 and I would say it is for people between 10 – 14. She strives to become better at drawing throughout the novel to follow in her father footsteps. She does not have much natural talent for true to life sketches but finds talents in satirical comics.The time the story is set in changed the way everyone talked and the manners and social etiquette of parties and other occasions. One other big change is what is expected for women and men and their different rolls: Rose was expected to stay at home and have no education, where as her brother went to school and was expected to inherit his granddad’s business. I thought of the workforce toiling away for twelve hours a day in this nauseating stench. Some are girls my age. It makes me feel ashamed. Our grandmother once worked in this very mill. Not as a mill girl, but in the accounts office, filling little brown envelopes with wages for Friday payday.

I would recommend this book to anybody who is curious about the Victorian era and the discrimination and struggles of those who lived in it. She didn’t tell us this, of course. While Grandpapa was sorting out some problem with a mill hand, the foreman took Rupert and me for a cup of tea and a slice of Keiller’s Dundee cake. He asked after our grandmama and told us that he’d known her when she was ‘a wee lassie working here’. We boggled at the thought, but neither of us quite dared question Grandmama about this later. Rupert suggested that she wears such strong perfume now because she’s determined to smell sweet. I dare say those waistcoats are bulging with purses of gold coins,’ Mama responded tartly. ‘It would be a great help if you cared to contribute to the household finances.’

Young Quills reviews

Rose Rivers is the most recent book from the world of Hetty Feather by Jacqueline Wilson. In fact, it’s from the world of Clover Moon. We first meet Rose in Jacqueline Wilson’s earlier novel, Clover Moon. Then Hetty, Clover and Rose all come together in Hetty Feather’s Christmas. Rose Rivers is one of the best Jacqueline Wilson books I have ever read. I love the fact that it didn’t have to be set anywhere that exciting, just the streets of London, but it was very interesting to read. I found the character of the dad very interesting in the way he was the kindest in the family. They were really rich but not that happy and it made me sad when Rose went off to boarding school and her dad did not say goodbye. She wouldn’t listen to Papa, and insisted that her sons had to be properly educated, which meant sending them to Kilbourne. Grandpapa insisted too, though he didn’t go to public school himself. Grandpapa generally has the final say, because he is the provider. Papa calls him the Great Provider. He doesn’t say it in a very Christian way. How can I wait five whole years anyway?’ I said instead. ‘Couldn’t I go to a boarding school where they have a good art teacher?’ It has so many interesting elements. I always appreciate historical fiction, especially when it is so child friendly and relatable. Children in the 21st century can easily relate to Rose and other characters, such as Sebastian.