Rooster [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Nixon Weaver (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 10, 2001

Rooster has always called Kady his madrina, his godmother. Born in Cuba and brain-damaged at birth, Rooster thinks Kady can protect him from all harm. But 15-year-old Kady doesn’t want to be looking out for Rooster anymore. And she doesn’t want to live in a tiny house, wear tacky clothes, or get stuck with endless chores on her family’s ever struggling citrus farm. She wants to be with her new boyfriend, Jon, and his golden gang, people with money to burn and all the time in the world to indulge themselves. She doesn’t realize, until tragedy strikes, just how much her budding romance costs her. Set in the bell-bottomed and tie-dyed late 1960s, this richly textured novel has moments of high humor, memorable characters, and resonant dialogue.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Fifteen-year-old Kady is tired of everything--her tiny house, her shabby clothes, hard work in the hot Florida sun on her family's struggling citrus farm--especially looking out for Cuban-born, brain-damaged, 13-year-old Rooster, even when he squeezes her hand tightly and says, "Madrina makes bad things go away." Things start looking up, however, when she meets Jon, a charming rich kid from across the lake. Or do they? Jon's world is one of money, marijuana, and Joni Mitchell (this is the 1960s), and Kady learns the hard way that the price of her relationship with him is unbearably high. Hilarious moments (such as when Kady's grandmother is desperate to find her Flames of Fire lipstick before the news comes on because she thinks Walter Cronkite can see her through the TV screen) shine alongside heart-wrenching stories of love and loss. The overall effect is entirely captivating: as Kady finds the strength to become herself, there's no question that she will inspire others to do the same. A wonderful first novel. (Ages 12 and older) --Karin Snelson

From Publishers Weekly

Set in the Vietnam War era, this first novel adds some curves to the age-old theme of a teenage girl falling for the wrong boy. Fifteen-year-old Kady Palmer, who narrates the tale, wishes she could live in a house as grand and well-ordered as her prized Victorian doll house. Instead, she lives with her parents, three siblings and grandmother in an orange grove in a tin-roofed, aqua blue "hovel." Her next-door neighbors, the Rosadas, are Cuban refugees. For years, Kady's only male companions have been Tony Rosada and his crazy 13-year-old brother, Rooster. But all that changes when rich, popular Jon wants Kady for his girlfriend. Seduced by Jon's good looks and expensive gifts, Kady is floating on cloud nine until a devastating accident for which she is partially responsible brings her crashing down to earth. Weaver offers a detailed picture of late 1960s Florida while contrasting the differences between Kady's two worlds, that of her impoverished parents and her carefree, spoiled boyfriend. Though some awkward transitions and overblown passages (e.g., "I could feel his sadness by the way his face tilted back as if to meet a wind that was no longer there") mar the pacing, the crossing of these worlds causes a friction readers will not soon forget. Ages 12-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 250 pages
• Publisher: Winslow Pr; 1st edition (May 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1588370011
• ISBN-13: 978-1588370013
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,310,704 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Richie's Picks: ROOSTER, January 30, 2005

By 

Richie Partington "Richie's Picks" (Sebastopol, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rooster (Hardcover)

Back in 1962 a migrant couple, whose third child has just been born is befriended by the elderly owners of a small Florida citrus orchard. The trees in the orchard have just been destroyed by a major freeze, and the migrant couple are given their American dream opportunity: they get to buy the land at a price they can afford, replace the trees, and wait seven years for the first crop. In the meantime the father supports the family by working at the local citrus processing plant. The mom helps make ends meet by buying cheap, tacky clothes and cans of "surprise" food--the ones which the labels have dropped off of. And the kids have a healthy schedule of never-ending chores in order to make it all work.

"Look over yonder, what do you see, the sun is a-rising, most definitely..."

Living next door are a father and his two sons, the remaining members of a family who had escaped by sea from Cuba. The younger son is the brain-damaged Rooster.

My reaction to ROOSTER is affected by my ability to relate to the main character, Kady, whose mid-1950's fictional birth was within a year of my own. The story, primarily set in 1969, is well ornamented with references to the clothing, music, TV commercials, and news of the day.

But, to me, it is the background tale of Kady's parents which really drives the story. The way Kady "is" and the way she and her brother respond to the culture and consumerism surrounding them can only be understood when you understand the way they have been raised.

"...I see the bad moon arising. I see trouble on the way. I see earthquakes and lightnin'. I see bad times today..."

My first thoughts of ninth grade (1969) are Woodstock and the Chicago 7 trial. But to Kady's parents, 1969 is to be the long-awaited first commercial crop that their orchard will produce.

Rooster has always called Kady his "madrina," his godmother; he believes that Kady can always make everything okay. But Kady is coming of age and becomes girlfriend to the son of a wealthy Florida land developer. The main story here is what happens when Kady and Jon's careless young love affects everyone around them, especially Rooster.

"What does it take to win your love for me? How can I make this dream come true for me?.."

This is a marvelous tale with a wealth of drama, romance, humor, cruelty, drugs, and rock 'n roll. This first novel by Beth Nixon Weaver is a 12 and up which I see as acceptable for classroom use: The romance is sensual, not sexual--the content is limited to kissing and the ambiguous "making out." Marijuana use is central to the story and is bound to be the catalyst for some important discussions.

"...And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make..."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I stayed up all night reading this!, December 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Rooster (Hardcover)

This novel may be set in the Sixties, but it is SO much like high school life NOW. I know girls just as maddening as the girls Kady had to deal with--like Madison who is soooo superior to everyone and Charlotte who is embarrassed to be seen with Kady, unless she needs her for something. Once I got started reading this, I stayed up all night just to finish it. I know guys like Jon, too, who amaze you with their charm and fun-loving ways, then break your heart. Not only are they too cute for their own good, but they never scratch under the surface and get to know who you really are. It was a very moving scene in the hospital when Kady finally had the strength to stand up for what was right, even if it meant breaking up with Jon. She stopped smoking pot, too, not really because of Rooster, but because she realized that life was better when your eyes are wide open, even if it hurts some of the time.

This book made me realize a lot of things. Like, who would believe that rural Florida could be so incredibly beautiful? I can just picture the creaking bamboo and the orange groves and sitting around with my friends in a ravine. It made me realize, too, the importance of family, even crazy families like Kady's. And the importance of taking care of people like Rooster who embarrass and annoy you to death. Mostly, it made me realize that love can be found where you'd least expect it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable but flawed, December 2, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Rooster (Hardcover)

Most of this story is an enjoyable coming-of-age story in which a teenage girl starts to evaluate people on their merits instead of appearances. However, those of you who remember the ridiculous propaganda movies about marijuana they used to show in Health classes will recognize a silly scene right out of those films. A boy inadvertantly eats marijuana brownies and then--remember this?--thinks he can fly and so injures himself badly. I suspect today's readers will see this for what it is--inaccurate and manipulative.