About the Book:
Davie Jones—an ugly duckling growing up in small-town Mississippi—is positive her life couldn’t be any worse. She has the meanest mother in the South, and on top of that, she’s pretty sure she’s ugly. Just when she’s resigned herself to her fate, she sees a movie that will change her life—Sixteen Candles. But in her case, life doesn’t imitate art. Tormented endlessly in school and hopelessly in unrequited love with a handsome football player, Davie finds it bittersweet to dream of Molly Ringwald endings. When a cruel school prank goes too far, Davie leaves the life she knows and reinvents herself in the glittery world of Hollywood—as a beautiful and successful lounge singer. Just as she’s about to ride off into the LA sunset, a million miles from where she started, the past comes back with a vengeance, threatening to crush Davie’s dreams—and break her heart again.
With wholly original characters and a cinematic storyline, 32 Candles introduces Ernessa T. Carter, a new voice in fiction with smarts, attitude, and sassiness to spare.
About the Author:
Ernessa T. Carter has worked as an ESL teacher in Japan, a music journalist in Pittsburgh, a payroll administrator in Burbank, and a radio writer for American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest in Hollywood. Carter’s also a retired L.A. Derby Doll (roller derby). A graduate of Smith College and Carnegie Mellon University’s MFA program, she now lives in Los Angeles. 32 Candles is her first novel. She blogs at www.fierceandnerdy.com
My Review:
Ernessa Carter has got some rockin’ MAD skills! Whew! Let me tell you! I sat down on Wednesday morning to crack the spine on this novel, and by Wednesday night, bam. I’m done. WOW! Her character, Davidia, though African American, really connected with me, or should I say, I really connected with her.
Without giving away spoilers, I’ll tell you all about Davidia. Davidia is also known as Davie Jones. Yep. Davie Jones. Pretty cool huh? Well, I thought so. And, this Davie Jones did NOT have the best of childhoods. She had a mother who drank all the time and had oodles of men come home. Davie would sleep on the couch and have to listen to the things her mother and those men did. She also had to endure beatings from her darling mother, not to mention being made fun of at school for being “ugly”. So, what happens to Davie when she heads to the theater and the only moving showing at that time is Sixteen Candles with Molly Ringwald??? Well, she learns alot about herself and her life.
I’ll stop there. If I don’t, I’ll spoil it for you all. I will say that this is an interesting twist on a coming of age novel, mixed with a finding oneself novel. Davie’s character is quirky, sassy and altogether awesome. Her life story is told in 5 parts, alternating between “then” and “now”. Very unique style of plotting.
I highly suggest this to all the chick lit, coming of age, humor, soul searching novel lovers. This is a novel that will get you thinking about how you feel about yourself, and what you will do about it. It’s un-put-downable, 5 star worthy and definitely a fast read full of entertainment! Great job, Ernessa!
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