The Summer of Cotton Candy (Sweet Seasons Novel, A) [Paperback]

Debbie Viguié (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sweet Seasons Novel, A | Publication Date: April 29, 2008

Most people think The Zone is an amusement park, but Candy Thompson knows it's really a slave labor camp. What else would you call a summer job that requires a sixteen-year-old girl to set aside her whole social life for the privilege of standing out in the hot sun selling cotton candy? Still, there are perks---particularly the mysterious hunk in the Lone Ranger costume. Behind that mask are the most amazing eyes Candy has ever seen. Who is that masked man? But someone else is just as interested. And romantic competition isn't the only problem. Besides being hard work, The Zone is eating up major time. How is Candy supposed to stay involved in church? Worse yet, will she lose her best friend, Tamara, who resents how Candy's job limits their time together? This is NOT the summer Candy hoped for! But as she is about to discover, the summer of cotton candy will be the greatest summer of her life.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Most people think The Zone is an amusement park, but Candy Thompson knows it's really a slave labor camp. What else would you call a summer job that requires a sixteen-year-old girl to set aside her whole social life for the privilege of standing out in the hot sun selling cotton candy? Still, there are perks---particularly the mysterious hunk in the Lone Ranger costume. Behind that mask are the most amazing eyes Candy has ever seen. Who is that masked man? But someone else is just as interested. And romantic competition isn't the only problem. Besides being hard work, The Zone is eating up major time. How is Candy supposed to stay involved in church? Worse yet, will she lose her best friend, Tamara, who resents how Candy's job limits their time together? This is NOT the summer Candy hoped for! But as she is about to discover, the summer of cotton candy will be the greatest summer of her life. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Debbie Viguie has been writing for most of her life and holds a degree in creative writing from U.C. Davis. Debbie loves theme parks and has worked at both Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland in California. When Debbie is not busy writing she enjoys traveling with her husband Scott. Debbie grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and now lives in Hawaii.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (April 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031071558X
• ISBN-13: 978-0310715580
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #798,983 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Debbie Viguié has been writing for most of her life and holds a degree in creative writing from U.C. Davis. Debbie loves theme parks and enjoys traveling with her husband, Scott. Debbie grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and now lives in Florida.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You are my candy girl, October 23, 2008

By 

Deborah "Books, Movies and Chinese Food" (Fairfax, VA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Summer of Cotton Candy (Sweet Seasons Novel, A) (Paperback)

Summer's arrived and instead of kicking back with her best friend, Candace must find a summer job. Unfortunately for her she's a little bit late in choosing the best jobs at The Zone, the nearby amusement park She's left with being the cotton candy dispenser. What seems like a slack summer job ends up being an eye opening experience of a lifetime. Not only does Candace have to learn the ropes of passing out sugary sweetness but she has to deal with her best friend who is jealous that she can no longer waste her free time. A dashing masked Zorro, a sugar addict, an angry ex-girlfriend and a crazy train driver just adds to the chaos. Then add in random drug tests, sleazy customers, and the scavenger hunt of the century. Looks like it's going to be one crazy long summer...

I really wish that an amusement park like The Zone existed. It sounds like an awesome place to not only visit but to work as well. The job doesn't sound too hard and the perks are great. I wish this could have been my summer job! I really liked how Candace evolved throughout the story. She starts off dreading everything and wishing she was somewhere else. She sort of self-centered in the beginning with no drive or motivation. As the story continues, she grows up, makes friends, and begins to see her herself as someone with a purpose. Working at the amusement park is chaotic but it's a colorful and exciting ride. I could totally picture the park with the great descriptions the author had made. I could see the costumes, hear the rides, smell the food, and immerse myself in the crowd. The book was a total sensory experience, the next best thing to actually being there. The only thing that irked me was the whole Becca situation. I personally would have reacted exactly the same way Candace did whenever someone would only casually warn her about Becca. If it was such a life threatening issue, she really should have been officially warned by the park. I also didn't like Tamara's attitude throughout the book. She was being VERY petty in my opinion. Just because she has money to throw around doesn't mean everyone else does. I understand her being jealous of Candace having new friends but for Tamara to keep giving her a cold shoulder for obeying her parents just really irked me. This series is a great alternative to fans of Gossip Girl and other trashy teen lit series. There's nothing offensive at all in the books, but teens will relate to reading about people just like them in real situations. I'm looking forward to enjoying the rest of the seasons with Candace and the rest of The Zone gang!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book!, June 4, 2008

By 

Stacey (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Summer of Cotton Candy (Sweet Seasons Novel, A) (Paperback)

My 14 year-old daughter adored "The Summer of Cotton Candy". In fact, I was almost unable to pry it from her hands to review it, myself. But I feel this was a wonderful thing because of the moments I spent with my teenager discussing the story of Candace and her job working the cotton candy cart at the colorful amusement park. I enjoyed hearing about the friends she made and the dates she went on.

This author really captured my daughter's attention and kept her reading! And that's a tough thing to do with teenaged girls. The characters engaged her right away, and kept her interested through to the last page of this wonderful novel! In fact, not only did my daughter tell me about the book as she read and enjoyed it, she also read to me! Debbie Viquie has a crisp writing style that captures the readers attention to the point that even a teenager doesn't want to put the book down. We can't wait to see the rest of the books in this series.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I want to step inside this novel!, March 15, 2009

By 

Susy Flory (Bay Area, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Summer of Cotton Candy (Sweet Seasons Novel, A) (Paperback)

The Summer of Cotton Candy is a sweet and lighthearted story that brings to life the summer adventures of Candace Thompson, a 17 year old who is forced to leave her comfort zone the summer between her junior and senior years to work at The Zone, a gigantic and amazing amusement park.

Assigned to work a cotton candy cart (that is mechanized and unexpectedly takes off at will to zoom to new locations throughout the park), Candace must learn how to deal with rowdy customers, best friend problems, the challenges of holding down a summer job, and, best of all, the joy and pain that comes with having a boyfriend for the very first time (who, by the way, has bright blue eyes and plays Robin Hood at The Zone).

A wholesome and engaging coming of age tale, Cotton Candy shows us a young woman of faith coming to terms with who she is, and who she wants to be in the future, as she grapples with a wealthy best friend who always wants to buy her things, even though she can't return the favor, and a high school dropout boyfriend who is gorgeous but only lives for the moment, although he is bright and talented. Will Candace be who her friends want her to be? Or will she find her own path?

Highly recommended for teen and pre-teen girls, and those who want to remember exactly what it's like to be that age, with all the worries, concerns, and simple pleasures that entails.