The Espressologist [Hardcover]

Kristina Springer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 27, 2009

What’s your drink of choice? Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you’re lots of fun and a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it’s a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie. Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it’s not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane’s Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee. Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She’s the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right?

With overtones of Jane Austen’s Emma and brimming with humor and heart, this sweet, frothy debut will be savored by readers.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up—High school senior Jane Turner works part-time at a Chicago coffeehouse with her friend Em. She begins to notice that people order drinks that fit their personality, and soon she has created a notebook of entries for nearly all coffee orders. On a whim, she begins matching drinks, and therefore couples, together, and the matches are a hit. But when her competitive boss finds out, he decides to use Jane's matchmaker talents to rev up business, causing confusion in her personal life. This debut is compulsively readable in spite of a predictable plotline and dialogue that is contrived at times. Springer has created a lovable, naive young woman in Jane, and even those who don't drink java will enjoy the frothy story.—Melissa Moore, Union University Library, Jackson, TN END

Review

“Frothy, not too sweet and full of strong character and delicious flavor. Jane is a barista at a coffee shop and makes the connection between people’s drink styles and their love interests. In the style of Jane Austen’s Emma, Jane can make matches for everyone but herself. This is a wonderful romantic book with a new twist on the matchmaking theme.” –KIWI magazine

“Satisfying . . . Jane’s quirky and sympathetic voice give this cheerful, breezy romance a unique touch.” — Publishers Weekly

“A breezy and fun vibe . . . best enjoyed over the holidays with a hot drink.” —Booklist

“Springer has created a lovable, naive young woman in Jane, and even those who don’t drink java will enjoy the frothy story.” —School Library Journal

“Candid.” —Kirkus Reviews

"The Espressologist is a well rounded, easy going, fun book."—Logan, age 14

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); First Edition edition (October 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374322287
• ISBN-13: 978-0374322281
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,281,307 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kristina Springer is the author of THE ESPRESSOLOGIST, MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS, and the forthcoming JUST YOUR AVERAGE PRINCESS (fall 2011). She has a Masters in Writing from DePaul University and she resides in a suburb of Chicago with her husband and children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun read for your Christmas break, November 15, 2009

By 

The Children's Book Reporter - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Espressologist (Hardcover)

Jane Turner is more than your average people-watcher; as a barista at her local "Wired Joe's" coffee shop, she's made a science out of analyzing people based upon their beverage of choice. She calls is Espressology, and it becomes the basis for a match-making endeavor that becomes the holiday promotion (tons-of-profits-earning, cool-enough-to-be-on-TV promotion) for the coffee shops. Everyone seems to be really happy--especially Jane's best friend Em (a hot chocolate) who was matched up with a cute guy from Jane's English class (a toffee nut latte). Everyone, that is, except Jane. How is it that everyone ends up with true love except for her?

So...I'm just waiting for this book to be turned into a movie, because it is perfect "chick flick" material. The plot, to be honest, isn't very complex (there's about half a subplot); this doesn't make it an astounding piece of literature, but it does make it a great, relaxing read that teenage girls will love. I found myself wishing my Christmas tree were up, so I could snuggle up in a fleece blanket with a cup of hazelnut cappuchino, and read by the tree lights--it was just that cozy. The idea is excellent, the characters are lovable and entertaining, the story is easy-to-read, sweet, and funny.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cute, fall read!, October 27, 2009

By 

The Book Scout - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Espressologist (Hardcover)

The Espressologist was adorable. It was such a sweet, fall read. I really needed a light read after some of the darker books I've been reading lately. I loved everything about this book- from the cover, to the plot, to the main character. Jane Turner was a great main character. Anyone could relate to her and she just fit the role so well. Kristina Springer's writing style really draws the reader in, and The Espressologist is short (under 200 pages) that you'll want to finish it in one sitting. The best thing about this book was the unique plot. Espressology is really cool, and I love the matchmaking idea. There were twists in the plot, but everything worked out in the end. I'm not a big coffee drinker so it was cool to read about the different ones people drink. Working at Wired Joe's sounded so fun, I want to be a barista at a coffee shop now!

The quote on the cover, "Get a little love with your latte" was perfect for the book. It was romantic and funny and I really enjoyed reading it. The other characters were great too, although the book mainly focused on Jane and I think some of the characters didn't need to be there. I've been reading a lot of debut novels lately, and I just keeping getting more and more impressed. I'm so glad I've found so many great books to read lately. One of the best things about The Espressologist is that it took a unique idea and made it into something I want to read about again. I'm definitely looking forward to more books by Kristina Springer.

If you haven't seen the cover until know I bet you agree with me that it's so cute. I love the heart in the coffee and all the colors just flow together so well. It will definitely draw in a lot of new readers its so eye catching. If you haven't already I highly recommend you pick up a copy of The Espressologist today (it's release date!)

Rating;

Plot: 10/10

Characters: 9.5/10

Ending: 10/10

Enjoyment: 10/10

Cover: 10/10

Overall: 49.5/50= 99%

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Espressologist, October 28, 2009

By 

Yana V. Rodgers "econkids.rutgers.edu" (New Brunswick, NJ) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Espressologist (Hardcover)

As a barista at a local Wired Joe's coffee-shop franchise, Jane Turner made it a point to observe her customers and keep notes about their personalities and their favorite drinks. One day it occurred to her that the personality type who drank a medium iced vanilla latte (smart, sweet, gentle, sometimes soft-spoken) formed a perfect match with the personality for a medium dry cappuccino (smart, simple, a good friend). Why not act as matchmaker and introduce these customers to each other? The match made in coffee heaven turned out to become a happy and compatible couple, thus sparking Jane's new role as the Wired Joe's espressologist.

The franchise's manager recognized a good idea when he saw it, and after just a little marketing, Jane's reputation as a talented and unique matchmaker quickly grew. New customers poured into the store and coffee sales ballooned, particularly when the espressologist was in. However, the ultimate challenge of appearing on television wound up rattling Jane's nerves. She would need to confront some of the insecurities and blind spots in her own life, particularly with her attitude about school and relationships, in order to get her mojo back.

Sit back and relax with your favorite mocha drink and enjoy this satisfying novel for young adults. Blended into the fun is a good dose of economics, particularly with the focus on sales and marketing. With the sweet love stories and the substantive lessons, the book makes for a nice, refreshing pick-me-up.