This book was downright amazing. I wasn't exactly drawn to this based on the cover or the title, but the reviews I was reading made it sound good, so I decided to read it and see what all the fuss was about.
The book is centered around 3 girls, each struggling in their own ways. We read a chapter about Madeline, then one about Desiree, and then one about Ariel. Always in that order, each chapter is relatively short, and usually leaves a bit of a cliffhanger at the end. Because of the many questions unanswered I found myself unable to put the book down!
Michelle D. Kwansney reveals information at a perfect pace. She never gives too much away, yet never holds too much back. I admire that in an author, because its easy to just dump all the answers on a reader at the end and call it a wrap. It takes an artistic writer to unfold a mystery with such finesse.
I love how relatable the characters are. Though their circumstances are all different, they each have deep insecurities that any girl could relate to on some level. Be it a weight problem, or a pressuring and smothering boyfriend, or an abusive relationship, each of these girls has the task of looking within themselves and finding their way out from under the burdens of their mothers past.
Blue Plate Special is insightfully written. The reader gets an intimate look into the motivations of the characters, leading to a deep understanding of the events that take place throughout the book. The stories are tragic at times, yet the characters persevere and atone for their pasts as they gain a deeper understanding of how their unique circumstances came to be.
Masterfully written, this book is going on my "favorites" shelf, and this Michelle D. Kwansney is going on my "authors to watch" list.
Book description:
Blue Plate Special -- Doomed loves, failed families, nixed dreams—someone else's leftovers are heaped on our plates the day we come into this world.
Big Macs and pop tunes mask the emptiness as Madeline watches her mom drink away their welfare checks. Until the day Tad, a quirky McDonald's counter boy, asks Madeline out for a date, and she gets her first taste of normal. But with a life that’s anything but, how long can normal really last?
Hanging with Jeremy, avoiding Mam, sticking Do Not Disturb Post-its on her heart, Desiree's mission is simple: party hard, graduate (well, maybe), get out of town. But after Desiree accepts half a meatball grinder, a cold drink, and a ride from her mother's boyfriend one rainy afternoon, nothing is ever simple again.
Too many AP classes. Workaholic mom. Dad in prison. Still, Ariel's sultry new boyfriend, Shane, manages to make even the worst days delicious. But when an unexpected phone call forces a trip to visit a sick grandmother she's never met, revealing her family's dark past, Ariel struggles to find the courage to make the right choice for her own future.
As three girls from three different decades lives converge, they discover they are connected ways they could never imagine. Each of them finds strength that brings her closer to healing a painful past, and faith that there is a happier future.
Read the introduction to the first three girls here. You will be hooked!
Check out Michelle's Website here.
Posted by Holly
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2 comments:
Thanks for the great review of this one. I'd seen an ad for it but it didn't really tell me anything about the book. Now it is definitely going on my to read list :-)
Great review! I've heard a lot of good things about this one, but your review has convinced me to put it on my TBR list.
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