Blue Plate Special [Hardcover]

Michelle D. Kwasney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 23, 2009

Doomed loves, failed families, nixed dreamssomeone 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 thats 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.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up—Three generations are portrayed in this compelling novel about complicated relationships between mothers and daughters. Overweight Madeline, growing up in the 1970s, has taken care of her alcoholic mother for as long as she can remember. Food is her crutch, until she meets Tad, who changes her life. But a tragic accident leaves her pregnant and alone. Desiree, growing up in the 1990s, tells her story in free verse. Her mother's boyfriend rapes her in the backseat of his truck. After a falling out with her mother, the pregnant teen runs away. Ariel's story begins in 2009. Her father is in jail; she lives with her workaholic mother who offers little guidance, allowing Ariel to make her own decisions. But, as her relationship with her boyfriend becomes more troubling, Ariel realizes just how much she misses and needs her mother's support. As the stories develop, readers begin to see clues as to the relationships among the teens. Of the three stories, Ariel's is the weakest compared to the palpable emotions conveyed in Madeline's and Desiree's stories. But, it's Ariel's insight ("We all inherit someone's leftovers") that gets to the crux of the book. Life lessons abound in this grim look at how decisions can have lasting effects. Short, alternating chapters among the teens and authentic voices make this a good choice for reluctant readers.—Kelley Siegrist, Farmington Community Library, MI
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Review

VOYA
The overall picture is of hope and affirmation, and readers will applaud these flawed but resilient women.

BOOKLIST
"...[A] moving novel narrated in alternating voices....a larger tale of love, abuse, understanding, and forgiveness. The women aren't all likable, but they are authentic, and each story explores single motherhood, body obsession, and the search for meaningful love. Each woman's hard-fought journey towards self-respect makes for difficult yet compelling reading."

KIRKUS REVIEWS
"...Kwasney effectively develops her characters into multidimensional personalities, convincing in their strengths and weakness..."

LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION, STARRED REVIEW
This book is impossible to put down and would be especially appreciated by older teen girls. It would also make a great discussion book for a mother and daughter to share.

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Kwasney's protagonists are distinctive and empathetic, her narratives meticulously structured and realistic, exposing the unpredictability--and sometimes unfairness--that life can bring."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
"Short, alternating chapters among the teens and authentic voices make this a good choice for reluctant readers."

TEENREADS.COM
"the kind of novel that mothers should give to their daughters or, even better, read and discuss together.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 23, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811867803
• ISBN-13: 978-0811867801
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 1.2 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #426,190 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, the oldest of three girls. I was a quiet, bookish kid who was always drawing. In high school I took creative writing classes and began writing poetry, something that continued into college. I've taught art in the public schools for over twenty years-first in New York, and now in western Massachusetts, where I live with my partner and two spoiled cats. I began writing for kids and teens over ten years ago, and my first novel, Baby Blue, was published in 2004. Since then I've written five more, the second of which, Itch, was published in April 2008. As a writer, I always root for the underdog. I feel a great deal of satisfaction when I'm giving a voice to the voice-less.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Impressive November 1, 2009

By Mint910 VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Blue Plate Special is best if you go into it knowing nothing more than what you read on the jacket flap. It will reveal itself to you bit by bit until you are left sitting there stunned and extremely impressed, at least I think so. Unfortunately for me I knew a bit more than what the jacket tells you but it didn't matter. It just gave me a few more clues to work with. I was still very very impressed with Kwasney's ability to weave these three stories together. It's heartbreaking, honest, raw and real.

All three girls have rough lives for one reason or another. While there was just a tad bit of overlapping in their struggles (a dilemma or two were similar for two of the girls) I thought Kwansney did a great job of distinguishing their voices and making them all likeable. I thought it was a nice touch that Desiree's part was written in verse. She used far fewer words but you get to know her just as well as the other girls.

I think Blue Plate Special is a book that begs to be read a second time. Once reading it you know a lot more than when you started and reading it a second time would allow you to put together the pieces as you read, more so and start to notice things you might have missed the first time.

This is a book that will stick with me and I was extremely impressed by it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars a deftly woven tale February 27, 2010

By Tabitha VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

This is a quieter book than some of the other YA available, and at first glance, it doesn't differentiate itself from the rest. But if you stick with it, you will be pleasantly surprised.

I am fascinated with many of the themes and concepts introduced in this story. And I love how these three girls tell their stories in a way that gives the reader so much more insight than you get in most novels. When I started to see the connection between these girls, the geek in me got all excited about the possibilities.

The resolution wasn't as strong or thorough as I'd hoped, and endings are important to me so that was a bit of a let down. And, I was initially put off by the title. But neither of these diminished my enjoyment of the story, and I am glad I read it.

If you like quiet books with an interesting twist, then this is definitely the book for you.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific YA novel! February 24, 2010

By L. K. Messner

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading BLUE PLATE SPECIAL. After the first chapter, I had pretty much decided that I was reading a typical, if particularly well-written, teen problem novel. But this book is just so much more than that. Much more.

It's tough to review without giving any spoilers, and the last thing I want to do is spoil this journey for anyone. What I will say is that it's three stories (two written in prose and one in verse, and all with distinct voices) woven together. Each one is about a mother and a daughter, about love and mistakes and forgiveness, and that they all come together in the end. BLUE PLATE SPECIAL, as the title suggests, is about the way we take what life gives us, the leftovers even, and create something beautiful. And as the broken plate on the cover suggests, it's about putting together broken pieces, and the way things sometimes fit when we least expect it. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time - it's beautifully written, unique, and thoughtful. Highly recommended.