Ahhh, my first book of 2011. It was a lovely way to start the new year.Sweetie by Kathryn Magendie takes place in smalltown North Carolina, where a young girl named Sweetie occasionally comes out of her rugged, earthen lifestyle in the mountains to attend the local elementary school. The entire town thinks Sweetie is either crazy, evil, or both. The town has been gossiping about Sweetie's family, holed up in the woods, for decades. Melissa, one of Sweetie's classmates, is also an outcast. Although Melissa comes from a well-to-do family with a pretentious, overbearing mother, she doesn't fit in with the other students because of her weight and a nervous stutter. Over the summer, the two girls, against all odds, form a bond that, the story proves, is impossible to break.
This is a classic tale of unconditional friendship. Even though it's the story of two pre-teen girls, the issues are very adult -- it would touch a person of any age. It's definitely a coming-of-age story that teaches an important lesson about where you should put your loyalties. Even though Melissa loves Sweetie more than anything, there are times with the stigma associated with Sweetie and her lifestyle make Melissa turn away in attempts to become more popular. It seems like juvenile subject matter (it's not -- this book is not written for young adults), but it's the underlying message that's important.
It reminded me a little of Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. It's sort of the adult version of the same basic idea. I loved it. Magendie certainly has a way with words, and she tells this story beautifully. I highly suggest downloading this one on your Kindle -- it's free right now, but well worth much more than that.
4/5 Stars
Read from January 1, 2011 to January 3, 2011
--C
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