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The Sugar Queen [Hardcover]

Sarah Addison Allen (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (189 customer reviews)


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Book Description

May 20, 2008
In this irresistible follow-up to her New York Times bestselling debut, Garden Spells, author Sarah Addison Allen tells the tale of a young woman whose family secrets—and secret passions—are about to change her life forever.

Twenty-seven-year-old Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter in her North Carolina hometown is her favorite season, she’s a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her hidden 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 it harboring none other than local waitress Della Lee Baker, a tough-talking, tenderhearted woman who is one part nemesis—and two parts fairy godmother…

Fleeing a life of bad luck and big mistakes, Della Lee has decided Josey’s clandestine closet is the safest place to crash. In return she’s going to change Josey’s life—because, clearly, it is not the closet of a happy woman. With Della Lee’s tough love, Josey is soon forgoing pecan rolls and caramels, tapping into her startlingly keen feminine instincts, and finding her narrow existence quickly expanding.

Before long, Josey bonds with Chloe Finley, a young woman who makes the best sandwiches in town, is hounded by books that inexplicably appear whenever she needs them, and—most amazing of all—has a close connection to Josey’s longtime crush.

As little by little Josey dares to step outside herself, she discovers a world where the color red has astonishing power, passion can make eggs fry in their cartons, and romance can blossom at any time—even for her. It seems that Della Lee’s work is done, and it’s time for her to move on. But the truth about where she’s going, why she showed up in the first place—and what Chloe has to do with it all—is about to add one more unexpected chapter to Josey’s fast-changing life.

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.

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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

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Bantam; 1st Printing edition (May 20, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0553805495
  • ISBN-13: 978-0553805499
  • Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (189 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #89,504 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

189 Reviews
5 star:
 (118)
4 star:
 (45)
3 star:
 (18)
2 star:
 (6)
1 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (189 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

91 of 93 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A sinfully sweet southern confection, June 26, 2008
This review is from: The Sugar Queen (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.
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33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Magical writing!, May 28, 2008
By 
S. Cave (Puyallup, WA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Sugar Queen (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.
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24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Etherial paranormal, May 28, 2008
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Sandy Rhoad "Insatiable reader" (Branchville, SC United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Sugar Queen (Hardcover)
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.
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
finding forgiveness
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Della Lee, Bald Slope, Nova Berry, Old Love New Direction, Eve Beasley, Mother Josey, Green Cove River, Marco Cirrini, Kyle Yardley, Annabelle Drake, Wade Beasley, Josey Josey, Chloe Finley, Summertime Road, Rawley Pelham, Bald Is Beautiful, Livia Lynley White, Josey Cirrini
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