You want light and sugary? Look no further, The Sugar Queen is the book for you!
But also beware that’s about all you’ll get. I had great fun with Garden Spells (GS) and my impression is that Sarah Addison Allen took all the elements that worked then, put them in the mixer, and voilà! A new novel!
Josey is a sort of local celebrity, the only child of the visionary who turned Bald Slope, North Carolina into the thriving sky resort it is today. She was a difficult child, spoiled, rude and tantrum-prone and now at 27 she’s trying to make up for that time… but no one will let her forget. Least of all her bitter mother, to whom Josey dedicates her life, submissively keeping her company at the cost of her own independence.
One day Josey finds Della Lee Baker, local waitress and occasional prostitute, hiding in the closet where she secretly hoards sweets, travel magazines and romance novels. Della Lee is running away from an abusive boyfriend and decides that closet was the place to be until further notice. Over time she also becomes a sort of “fairy godmother “ to Josey, guiding her in her frail relationship with her mother, and encouraging her to act on the secret love she’s nurturing for the past 3 years (!!!).
The comparison with her earlier book is unavoidable and makes this one feel formulaic and hurried. Just like GS, the themes in The Sugar Queen are also the courage to exit your comfort zone, the magic in day-to-day life and self-forgiveness. Even certain plot details are recycled. For instance, there’s this family in Bald Slope who has a particular trait: they can’t break a promise. Just one family with a magical trait (an element alien and disconnected to the rest of the story), while in GS it happens to a whole community.
Another character – Chloe – is chased by books. At critical moments in her life, certain books just pop up out of no where. Sounds like fun, but I didn’t get the feeling Chloe was particularly fond of books, they were just useful, teaching her how to buy a house and fix a tap. Also, I didn’t appreciate that when Chloe’s boyfriend cheats on her, the books that show up are “Finding Forgiveness” and “Old Love New Direction”. No kick-ass book about independency or moving on… but a book about how SHE can forgive HIM.
Basically, it’s not the perfect book and the spectacular twist a predictable, BUT, sometimes one craves for fluff, just like one craves for Ben & Jerry’s Cake Batter.
It still got me hooked with the fairy-tale atmosphere Sarah Addison Allen masters, and the way she describes relationships: everything is intense, meant-to-be, explosive! I also really like the way she always shows both party’s POV – wouldn’t it be fun to know what Mr. Darcy was thinking throughout P&P?
11 comments
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January 31, 2011 at 6:47 pm
RFW
I agree – Garden Spells is much better.
January 31, 2011 at 6:48 pm
Wallace
I haven’t read any of her books yet, but I’ll keep them in mind for when I need something light and easy.
January 31, 2011 at 7:09 pm
Jackie (Farm Lane Books)
I would love to read P&P through Mr Darcy’s perspective!
I’m not sure this is for me though. I don’t read much fluff – especially if the ending is predictable 😦
January 31, 2011 at 11:52 pm
Nymeth
I’ll save this for when I’m in the mood for ice cream, then 😉 I keep seeing her be compared to Hoffman, whose work I enjoy for the most part, so I think I’d have fun with her books.
February 1, 2011 at 4:02 pm
(Diane)BibliophileBytheSea
Alex, I’ve enjoyed all 3 books by this author, but #1 was my favorite.
February 1, 2011 at 5:07 pm
Alex
@RFW: I wonder how her other novels are? I’d still like to try them!
@Wallace: yes, if you’re in that mood, they are perfect.
@Jackie: I’m sure there’s hundreds of fan-fic of P&P from Darcy’s perspective, but alas, they’re not Austen!
@Nymeth: You cannot NOT compare Garden Spells to Practical Magic, but somehow, it doesn’t come out badly for it.
@Diane: I definitely still want to read more by her… maybe The Girl Who Chased the Moon?
February 1, 2011 at 6:14 pm
Mady
I like the title of this one, very appropriately sugary then 😉
A Tania/Sandra arranjaram-me o Girl Who Chased the Moon, fiquei curiosa em ler mais da Sarah Addison Allen depois do Garden Spells 🙂
February 1, 2011 at 6:58 pm
Kailana
I was surprised how much I love her books when I finally read her in 2009. I am looking forward to her new book out in March!!
February 2, 2011 at 10:54 am
Joanna
I liked GS better, but enjoyed this one too. Maybe because I want a candy closet. And I loved the books chasing Chloe, I wish some advice would chase me like that once in a while!!
February 4, 2011 at 5:04 pm
Alex
@ Mady: Quando vais ler? Avisa que eu leio contigo, mas tens que me dar umas semanas para encomendar do BD, ok?
@Kailana: I still plan to read her others, she is the ultimate comfort read.
@Joanna: I would have killed for one when i was still living at my parents. Right now, there’s no need to hide them,… and I guess that makes it less fun!
February 4, 2011 at 5:27 pm
Mady
Fevereiro parece que vai ser o mes dos calhamacos 😛 (Villete, Mitford Girls, Tea Rose), Marco quero ver se me dedico a minha TBR (ainda nao li nenhum livro meu este ano!), apontamos lá para Abril? Se me apetecer algo leve entretanto, tenho o Sugar Queen! 🙂
And did you know that she’ll publish another book this year? Should be called “The Peach Keeper” 🙂