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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not So Spicy After All..., August 11, 2006
This review is from: Sugar Vs. Spice (Paperback)
Tari Shields is overly self-driven in every area of her life. She is a competent, up-and-coming star journalist at a Boston newspaper; she is an aspiring jazz vocalist in a local nightclub on the weekends and she is the best kick boxer in her exercise class at the gym which always lands her a spot in the front row. Melinda, her older sister, is the same kind of driven woman but in different areas of life - as a wife and mother, by thriving in her private practice as a marriage counselor and by being active in her church. Ever since Melinda's husband, Michael, got laid off, he has lost his drive and the ambitious nature that Melinda fell in love with. He traded that for staying home taking care of the kids and more time on the golf course than anything else.
Tari's life changes abruptly when she is diagnosed with breast cancer and has to learn to put her pride aside and rely on her faith. During this time of surgery, chemotherapy and recovery, Tari has a chance to bond with her sister, Melinda and her best friend, Rebecca - an East Indian girl from Trinidad that is an aspiring food writer and engaged to be married. Tari's desire to not let anyone think that anything can ever be wrong with her because she wants to come off as perfect with no defects, makes it more difficult for her to get through her recovery. She spends a lot of time hiding, lying and trying to convince everyone from co-workers to a potential boyfriend that she just has a cold or a two-week virus, instead of trusting them to have her back and support her as much as her family and Rebecca do.
The author originally presented the relationship between Tari and Melinda to be tumultuous; however, she did not provide enough examples from their childhood or the present to illustrate that kind of conflict. Instead, this reviewer interpreted their relationship to be a typical big sister/little sister rivalry that exists between many siblings. This reviewer was also confused about the relationship between Tari and Rebecca. Tari's being a Christian and Rebecca being a Hindu was something that always found them at odds because of their discussions about the differences in their religions. It was difficult for this reviewer to understand what drew Rebecca to Tari and Tari to Rebecca.
Overall, this reviewer enjoyed reading about Tari's journey from her cancer discovery to recovery, it was very enlightening. Anyone that has to go through this unfortunate experience will definitely be able to relate to Tari's trial and enjoy learning how it changes her as an individual.
Lena Willis
APOOO BookClub
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great summer read, June 14, 2006
This review is from: Sugar Vs. Spice (Paperback)
Don't let the "chick lit" classification fool you: Joanne Skerrett's second novel has substance. Sugar Vs. Spice is a powerful story of change, courage, strength and love in the midst of adversity. The protagonist, Tari Shields, is an up-and-coming Boston journalist by day and a jazz singer by night. She's a contrast to her older sister, a perfect wife, mother, psychotherapist and church member. But just as things start looking up for Tari -- the biggest story of her career dominates the front pages of the Boston Standard -- she's diagnosed with breast cancer. Her illness transforms her relationships, her career and even herself. But this book is not a downer. Skerrett's wit, fluid writing style, humor, and dialogue keep the novel moving. Skerrett's first novel, She Who Shops, was a charming debut, but she raises the bar with this one and avoids sophomore slump. I look forward to more work from this author.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sugar vs. Spice...Both are winners, June 14, 2006
This review is from: Sugar Vs. Spice (Paperback)
In "Sugar vs. Spice,'' you'll meet two fiesty, hardworking, ambitious sisters, Tari and Melinda, who are cut from the same cloth but are as different as can be. Tari is an aggressive, don't-get-in-the-way-of-her-biggest-story business reporter at The Boston Statesman newspaper. When she's not writing, she's singing her heart out at Boston area jazz clubs. Melinda is her big sister, aka Super Mom, to two darling young children. She's also a do-it-all wife and die-hard church-goer who struggles with a stay-at-home lazy husband who won't get off his feet and get a job. While the sisters clash in personalities and views on life, they manage to put those differences aside when Tari is diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening disease. Joanne Skerrett takes the reader through every nerve-wracking emotion, gut-churning feeling, mind-numbing frustration, and physically-altering pain as Tari undergoes the most personal, professional and medical challenge of a lifetime. But Tari's true virtue is her resilience and with help from her big sister and their mother Coletta, Tari learns that it's okay to lean on others, especially if they're your family, in a time of crisis.
You can't help but admire each sister (and mother) for her stubborness, which is rooted in a good place.
Skerrett also gives a nod to Boston's more unsung urban neighborhoods (Dorchester and Mattapan) by taking the reader on a literal tour of the communities through each chapter and through each sister.
Overall, Sugar vs. Spice shows that a little bit of both never hurts to have in your life, especially from a loving family.
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