Customer Reviews

Squashed (Dolphin Books)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Unlike the title, the book Squashed by Joan Bauer is completely the opposite.

Ellie goes through the typical problems of normal teenagers; being overweight, lusting over a new kid in town, and growing giant pumpkins for competition isn't exactly easy, you know.

But, despite the startling plot ("A girl who grows pumpkins. Gee, that'll go far!"), Joan Bauer really makes this book flow; Ellie's feelings, her communication problems with her father (who, actually, dislikes the agricultural side of life, despite living in the middle of Iowa), and the gentle evolution of confidence Ellie has for herself (mainly due to her getting a boyfriend, even being overweight) really makes this book unique. This book is amazing; I cannot stress how little my praise truly means until you read the book - trust me, a complete stranger; once you read the first page, you'll be in love with Ellie for the rest of - and after - the book.

The writing is stunning; I still find myself laughing every few minutes, even though I've reread the book about six times. Joan Bauer made this book as if she was Ellie, living her life and her emotions; one thing that really made me roar with laughter included how Ellie told Max [her pumpkin] parts from motivational tapes of her father's.

Several problems in this book, that I could find, included how the ending never seemed to come - you think, "Gee, this HAS to be the ending!" and in fact, you're nowhere close to it. That is, however, a good thing, considering Ms. Bauer's writing abilities.

Another problem was how, sometimes, the book got slightly 'mushy'; all romance-filled and sad and such. But then again, I AM a teenage male - we think these things.

To stress Ms. Bauer's talents, the whole party scene made me embarassed for Ellie; all of her feelings were mine, for that point in time. I had to constantly look away from the book - this rarely happens, unless the book is so horrible I want to fling it against the wall. This was, however, fantastic; I love it when I feel true empathy for characters in books.

This book is fantastic for all ages, as well; I forced my mother to read the book (seeing as we have similar tastes in books) and she agrees with me: Ellie is a true heroine.

The five stars were, pretty much, all explained; I advise you to buy this book - this is one buy you will never regret.

squashed was another example of joan bauer's hilarious, scarcastic, down-to-earth writing style. this book is about a girl named ellie who strugles with self-confidence the thought of approaching her crush, wes, and then there's max: her soon-to-become champion sized pumpkin which she is entering in the county fair. her main competetor is a grungy, disgusting man named cyril pool (who has a sign reading "home of the whopper" over his surprisingly large pumpkin entitled "big daddy".) i found myself laughing out loud at all ellie's cynical remarks. also, the story draws you in, and i got really excited and even a little bit nervous for ellie and max as the big competition drew closer and the tension mounted. joan bauer took a common young adult plot and put a fun spin on it that made it more intereting and hard to put down. congrats to bauer on another great book!

Joan Bauer's books have a few things in common: a spirited, talented protagonist, an unusual quest, a family obstacle, and good triumphant. In Squashed, the first and, IMO, best of her books, this formula works to great effect - you'll laugh, you'll rejoice, and you'll never see pumpkins the same way again.

Ellie Morgan has just two goals: to lose 20 pounds, and to grow a pumpkin big enough to win the Annual Rock River Weigh-In, the pumpkin festival to end all pumpkin festivals. Unfortunately, a few things stand in her way: her motivation-obsessed father, who despises agriculture ("the Absolute Dead-End of Existence"), Cyril, the 35-year-old grower (with a heart of evil) who usually wins the competition, and her history teacher, who, strangely, thinks that school is more important. On Ellie's side she has her cousin Richard, baseball semi-star and pumpkin spy, her Grandmother, a pillar of growing wisdom and strength, and her friends.

From the beginning, the reader knows it's all going to come together in a major showdown at the Weigh-In. But the question is - how will Ellie make it that far? And the answer is purely hilarious. Sprinkled with humor and agriculture wisdom, Squashed is a highly appealing novel for young adults and adults alike.

Ellie's whole life is pumpkin growing. On the small patch of land in the yard of her home where she lives with her widower father, Ellie tries to grow giants big enough to win the town's annual pumpkin growing contest. The fall festival is the biggest holiday of the year in town, and even though Ellie is still a teenager, she has been entering the adult growing division for years.

The problem is Cyril, a nasty and mean-spirited grower who also aims to grow the town's biggest pumpkin and has taken the fair's first-place title for many years. Ellie always seems to be second place to this despicable man, who enjoys rubbing his victories in her face. This year, though, Ellie is more determined than ever. She is confident that Max, the biggest pumpkin she's ever grown, will be a champion.

That is, she is confident until she sees Cyril's giant.

Ellie continues to nurture her pumpkin while trying to do well in school, convince her father that growing pumpkins is important, and attempting to gain the attention of the new boy at school, the president of his former school's agriculture club. It is a stressful life for Ellie, but will it all be worth it?

I liked how Ellie was able to relate everything going on in her life to growing. She used the analogy to explain everything to the reader, which showed just how important it was to her. The characters in this story were really good. I liked the way they interacted with each other and stood up for each other. I especially liked Richard and the way he supported Ellie.

However, Ellie took everything too seriously and overanalyzed everything. If she were a real person, I don't know if anyone would ever want to be around her. It also bothered me that Ellie was constantly obsessing over her weight and then overeating. Someone strong enough to do all of the work it took to grow those pumpkins should have been strong enough to go on a diet, if her weight was such an issue to her.

I picked up this book because I have enjoyed Bauer's previous books, and the cover design with a big pumpkin on it got my curiousity up. I wasn't disappointed. Ellie, the main character, is very lovable. She has faults, which she realizes, but also has good qualities, which she has more trouble realizing. Richard, her cousin, is a "partial baseball star," a sophomore who lives like he's a step away from the big leagues and relates everything back to baseball. Ellie's father is a motivational speaker, and has a winning line for everything. And then there's Wes, the new kid in town, who is a award-winning corn grower and immediately attracts Ellie's attention. So this cast of characters come together to try to convince Max, a giant pumpkin, that he can go all the way and win the annual pumpkin weigh-in. But unfortunately there's a competitor, Cyril Pool, who has won the past four years and has no intentions of handing the title over to a 16-year old. Adventures ensue, the characters grow along with the pumpkin, and the whole story is very relatable. I'd be surprised if you weren't cheering Ellie on as the competition draws nearer.

In another of Joan Bauer's funny teen novels, sixteen-year-old Ellie Morgan is faced with 2 problems: getting her prize giant pumpkin, Max, to put on some major bulk, and losing some of her own in order to approach Wes, the cute new guy at school. Ellie, who learned everything she knows from her consuming love of growing pumpkins, is set to become the youngest winner of her town's festival's Pumpkin Weigh-In. In her way is her father, who definitely thinks farming is a waste of time, and Cyril Pool, a truly detestable being who wins the weigh-in every year despite his stupidity and odor. Ellie, armed only with her common sense and special secret pumpkin booster solution, must touch the inner strength in her roots in order to suceed against adversity, Cyril, and pumpkin thieves.

In classic Bauer style, the story is odd, but you never doubt a word. Ellie is very real to readers, and the story is interesting, funny, and thoughtful the whole way through. My only problem with the book is that Ellie seems shy and unable to defend herself at times, and relies on her friends to speak for her. Come on, Ellie! As she says, "To grow giant pumpkins, you've got to be tough."

"Squashed" takes on a different kind of teenage life that takes us into the world of an Iowa teen that sees the world through a farmer's eyes. Ellie is a teenage girl, who loves nature and the joy of growing her powerful pumpkins. We follow her through her struggles to grow a prize-winning pumpkin, please her farm-hating father, try to get the body-image she wants, catch the eye of fellow agriculture lover Wes, and all the while hold onto the ideals and life lessons that she has grown up with. Some may be turned off by the character's love and respect for growing and nature, but even I, a suburban teen myself, found myself laughing out loud at the wit and the blunt descriptions of Ellie's life and the people who make it interesting. You can't help but relate somehow to Ellie.

This book was okay, but a BIT too unreal. It kind of makes you think that real life isn't good enough to be like that. Nothing like that really happens to REAL people and I know I would be in a big mess and nothing could ever "save the day" like that, but I would reread it if there was nothing new lying around to read so it's O

Before the Sisterhood's pants started traveling, before princesses started keeping diaries, Joan Bauer was touching hearts with her novels. Her novels are about young people who are vulnerable but courageous and find pride and strength in a central focus in their life. In 'Hope was Here,' Hope strives to be a uber-professional waitress in the diners where her Aunt Addie cooks. Jenna in 'Rules of the Road' can fit and sell shoes better than anyone else on the planet.

The Bauer book that my own daughter seems to return to again and again is 'Squashed.' Ellie is a grower. She grows pumpkin giants. She is the winner of second place in last year's Rock River Pumpkin Weigh-In and is determined to win first place this year. Her father is worried about her obsession with her pumpkin, Max, and thinks she is missing the normal "fun" of high school as a result. Ellie's mom is dead and they are both working through life without her. The story is not dreary but is full of humor.

Ellie wishes she could lose 20 pounds while she is doing everything she can to add weight to Max. She is also keenly aware of Wes, the new guy in school who is also a grower, though his area is corn. I was routing for Ellie and Max to triumph at the fair even though everyone in her family reminds her (and me) that winning is not everything. Ellie has "issues" but it working hard to survive them. Her story is uplifting. I am so grateful that there are books that help our kids through challenging times and are just plain fun to read.

What a fantastic book! Funny, touching, interesting... all jam-packed into another great story by Joan Bauer. 16 year old Ellie is growing a giant pumpkin who she named "Max," all the while trying to beat Cyril in the pumpkin weigh-in, trying to lose twenty pounds and get her crush, Wes, to notice her. It's a great read for anyone. I'm eleven and I loved it, I'm sure older kids would like it to, as would younger ones. "Squashed" was on my reading list and it was one of the ones I looked up on Amazon (but unfortunately didn't choose for required reading!). I ended up picking two books I despised (ah, woe is me). However I still enjoyed rewarding myself with Squashed every time I finished a few chapters in a book I had chosen. Everyone who's interested, please, please read this book! You'll be glad you did.