The Sugar Queen and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more



or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Start reading The Sugar Queen on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Color:
Image not available

To view this video download Flash Player

 

The Sugar Queen (Random House Reader's Circle) [Paperback]

Sarah Addison Allen
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (237 customer reviews)

List Price: $15.00
Price: $11.88 & FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $3.12 (21%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Only 19 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Want it Tuesday, May 28? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
Image
Save on Popular Books This Summer
Browse our Bookshelf Favorites store for big savings on popular fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and more.

Book Description

April 14, 2009 Random House Reader's Circle
In this irresistible novel, Sarah Addison Allen, author of the New York Times bestselling debut, Garden Spells, tells the tale of a young woman whose family secrets—and secret passions—are about to change her life forever.

Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter is her favorite season, she’s a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her closet. For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother’s house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night…. Until she finds her closet harboring Della Lee Baker, a local waitress who is one part nemesis—and two parts fairy godmother. With Della Lee’s tough love, Josey’s narrow existence quickly expands. She even bonds with Chloe Finley, a young woman who is hounded by books that inexplicably appear when she needs them—and who has a close connection to Josey’s longtime crush. Soon Josey is living in a world where the color red has startling powers, and passion can make eggs fry in their cartons. And that’s just for starters.

Brimming with warmth, wit, and a sprinkling of magic, here is a spellbinding tale of friendship, love—and the enchanting possibilities of every new day.

Best Value

Buy The Sugar Queen (Random House Reader's Circle) and get Garden Spells (Bantam Discovery) at an additional 5% off Amazon.com's everyday low price.

The Sugar Queen (Random House Reader's Circle) + Garden Spells (Bantam Discovery)
Buy together today: $23.43

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: The Sugar Queen (Random House Reader's Circle)

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Garden Spells (Bantam Discovery)

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details



Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ariadne Meyers's warm and whimsical performance invigorates a colorful cast of characters. Since most of them come from the same small North Carolina town, nearly all carry Southern accents, yet Meyers makes each voice uniqueand believable: the elderly yet forceful and intimidating tone of imperious Margaret; the initially soft, timid voice of Josey, which grows stronger and more confident as the book goes on; the sassy, brassy twang of feisty Della Lee; the lazy, sexy drawl of charming-but-dangerous Julian. The abridgement is seamless. Meyers' rich, nuanced performance adds an extra dimension and will keep listeners captivated from beginning to end. A Bantam hardcover (Reviews, May 5). (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Like the most decadently addictive bonbons, once started, Allen’s magically entrancing novel is impossible to put down."—Booklist, starred review

“Bewitching…. Such a pleasurable book.”—Publishers Weekly


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 294 pages
  • Publisher: Bantam; Reprint edition (April 14, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0553384848
  • ISBN-13: 978-0553384840
  • Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (237 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,731 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sarah Addison Allen is the New York Times Bestselling author of Garden Spells (2007) The Sugar Queen (2008) The Girl Who Chased the Moon (2010) and The Peach Keeper (2011). She was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina.

Customer Reviews

This book was a quick and fun read. BookChick  |  50 reviewers made a similar statement
I enjoyed both the characters and the story. liilrach  |  35 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
103 of 105 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A sinfully sweet southern confection June 26, 2008
Format:Hardcover
Much like her charming debut novel Garden Spells (Bantam Discovery), Sarah Addison Allen's Sugar Queen is a blend of food and magic. Josey Cirrini is fast approaching thirty. She's a plump, painfully shy recluse who hides in her closet stuffing herself with junk food and reading romance novels to find solace from her overbearing mother (the two live together). While her mother Margaret was a classic Southern belle, Josey is mousy and timid, with no friends, no love life, and no dreams. She's expected to stay and care for her mother.

But Josey's dull, predictable life is turned upside-down when bad girl Della Lee mysteriously appears in her closet, smack-dab in the middle of her stash of moonpies, pecan rolls, and Little Debbie snacks. Della Lee is Josey's opposite: she lives fast and hard, has been arrested for solicitation, and seems to be on the run from someone. The only problem is that she refuses to leave the closet.

Desperate to be rid of her, Josey agrees to do several favors for Della Lee, which starts her on a journey of self-discovery regarding her family's past. Della Lee becomes a sort of fairy godmother responsible for giving Josey a newfound sense of confidence, and encouraging her to pursue her infatuation with hunky, injured mailman Adam, who's hiding out from his own secret.

Allen cleverly themes each chapter title around Josey's love of sweets, with the candy names reflecting various plot points: SweeTarts, Sno Caps, Sugar Daddy, Mellowcreme Pumpkins, Candy Hearts, and Mr. Goodbar all make guest appearances. Her talent lies in the clever interplay of characters and fate, with a strong Southern sensibility.

I could identify with the cowed Josey slowly coming out of her shell as she creeps out from under her mother's shadow; but Allen deftly paints Margaret as more than a cardboard caricature of an ice queen. We discover why she is so bitter, and while it doesn't make her likeable, it does make her a more believable character. Likewise, the supporting cast (including the North Carolina ski resort setting) is equally well-drawn.

As I mentioned in a review of Allen's Garden Spells, she possesses that unique brand of magic found in Joanne Harris's Chocolat and Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies, blending sensuality, food, and little sprinkles of magic to create a luscious read.
Was this review helpful to you?
41 of 41 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Magical writing! May 28, 2008
By Scave31
Format:Hardcover
I adored Garden Spells by this author and admit to fearing she wouldn't be able to replicate in The Sugar Queen that same quality of writing that makes me feel as if I'm floating through the story. But she definitely did! I have a hard time defining how Allen's writing differs from other authors. Her characters are so well drawn you fall for them instantly and root for them, even with their flaws. The smattering of magic she includes just works for her, where it might seem contrived if used by another author. I think each of her characters has a bit of magic inside them, whether they know it or not.

I found the book to be surprising in some places, including the ending, which I had only partly predicted, and the part I didn't predict left me in tears. A wonderful, highly-recommended book! I truly wish the author could write faster, as it was over far too soon.
Was this review helpful to you?
28 of 30 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Etherial paranormal May 28, 2008
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
If this author continues writing in this shimmery other world way I could become her most avid fan. I thought Garden Spells was wonderful and if you suspend your staid, logical way of thinking and just flow with the story of this book you will hate for it to end. This was excellent reading and not nearly long enough. I will buy all of the author's books as long as she continues in this mystical way.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Everything Is Not All Sugar & Spice....
The Sugar Queen - Sarah Addison Allen

The novel is based in the North Carolina mountains in a ski resort town as its backdrop. Read more
Published 5 days ago by Kathleen M. Lucey
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent feel-good book!
It was such an unexpected delight! The magical elements don't detract from how well the relationships and character struggles mirror reality.
Published 9 days ago by Rajwant Kaur
4.0 out of 5 stars Magical and sweet.
While very predictable this book was a fun read.
I always enjoys Allen's characters. Even though they have been through a lot, they are never victims. Read more
Published 18 days ago by Carmen Blankenship
5.0 out of 5 stars Love, Love, Love & so enchanting!
I can't say enough about what a wonderful author Sarah Addison Allen is. She's written only a few books but each one is completely amazing and enchanting. Read more
Published 20 days ago by M. Hays
5.0 out of 5 stars Wife loves it..
...and that's good enough for me. She's almost done and cant put it down. Try to find a local buyer!
Published 1 month ago by Scott Scholz
2.0 out of 5 stars After Reading Garden Spells... I expected so much more.
I loved Garden Spells. It was whimsical with a touch of magic. An easy summer read. Having said that I expected a similar experience when I picked up the Sugar Queen. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Shelly Rae
4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet and Well Written
I liked this book and the characters. Could not give it 5 stars because Josey seemed a little too normal for a girl in her situation. Read more
Published 2 months ago by IronGarden
1.0 out of 5 stars Trite and Unsophisticated
This was a mind candy type if book. The characters were widely drawn and the situations were silly. The premise was preposterous, but not enough to be considered satire. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Holly in Manhattan
5.0 out of 5 stars Another magical story by a great author
I have read all of Sarah Addison Allen's books. Each story contains a unique element of magic. I am very much looking forward to her new novel.
Published 2 months ago by Avid Reader
2.0 out of 5 stars Kid's Book?
When I started reading this and saw the 'food' descriptions, I immediately thought of my 5th grade son's Harry Potter book. Read more
Published 3 months ago by B. S. Diederich
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Forums

Have something you'd like to share about this product?
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions




Look for Similar Items by Category