The Sweet Life of Stella Madison [Hardcover]

Lara M. Zeises (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 14, 2009

A warmhearted, delectable novel about what it means to love and be loved.

When Stella Madison's food-loving parents help her land a summer job at the local newspaper, there’s only one catch: she’s expected to write about food. Luckily, Stella has Jeremy, the hot new intern at her mom’s restaurant, who’s more than happy to help. But where does that leave Stella’s boyfriend, Max, who recently dropped the L-word? And could her separated parents be cooking up romances of their own?

“Stella Madison’s summer of food and love is a great read full of broken hearts, broken promises, and broken eggs. A must for anyone who eats.”—E. Lockhart, author of The Boyfriend List

“This book’s got all the right ingredients: friends, family, boys, and food. The perfect summer read!”—Sarah Dessen, New York Times bestselling author of Lock and Key and Just Listen

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up–When Stella Madison's boyfriend says he loves her, those words are not what the 17-year-old wants to hear. Max is adorable, sure; it's just that commitment is not really her thing, and she has a lot on her plate. The daughter of a famous chef and a restaurateur, Stella has a paid summer internship at the local newspaper, and she is sneakily swooning over Kitchen's irresistible new intern, Jeremy. Juggling Max, Jeremy, work, semi-separated parents, and friends is not easy, and Stella learns that you can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs. Sweet Life is brimming with teen appeal. Zeises has created a refreshing protagonist sure to captivate readers, who will enjoy following along as she learns about romance through food, and vice versa.–Emily Chornomaz, Brooklyn Public Library, NY
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About the Author

Lara M. Zeises lives in Wilmington, Delaware.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (July 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385731469
• ISBN-13: 978-0385731461
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 0.9 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,890,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lara M. Zeises is the author of three novels for young adults. Her first, Bringing Up the Bones (2002), was named an honor book for the 2001 Delacorte Press Prize Competition. Her second, Contents Under Pressure (2004), began as her thesis project at Emerson College, where in 2001 she earned her MFA in creative writing. It has been named to the 2006 International Reading Association's Young Adult Choices list (among others) and was voted the 2006 Delaware Blue Hen Teen Book Award winner. Lara's third novel, Anyone But You (2005), was a Teen People Top 10 Pick. An excerpt from that project helped earn Lara a 2005 Emerging Artist Fellowship in Literature-Fiction from the Delaware Division of the Arts.

In addition to writing, Lara teaches part-time at the University of Delaware, where she received her BA in English-Journalism. She also facilitates creative writing workshops for both teens and adults.

You can learn more about her by visiting her website or her blog at zeisgeist.livejournal.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Have Food On Hand!!!, October 18, 2009

By 

princess bookie "Cin" (IL, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sweet Life of Stella Madison (Hardcover)

My Thoughts: I really liked this one. And, the first thing I will say is, have some food on hand because this book will make you want to eat. I really could identify with Stella. The way on one hand she had this amazing boyfriend, Max, the one all girls want, the perfect guy, but on the other she had Jeremy, the new mysterious older guy who she couldn't stop thinking about. I liked the way Jeremy understood that she had a boyfriend but still tried to keep his feelings under-wrap. I even felt myself torn between the two guys because I really liked both of them! I liked the way she related with her parents and finally told them how she felt. It seems like a lot of people go through this with parents. This book was sweet, had more than enough laughs and its just an overall fun read. FYI: Be sure to have snacks on hand before starting this one!

Overall: I really enjoyed this one. I finished it in a day because I wanted to know what happened next. Really really cute!!!

Cover: Its really sweet. I'm not sure if I imagined Stella to look like this girl or not, but she fits ok. What exactly is she eating? it reminds me of pudding. (reviewed by princess bookie)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, October 2, 2009

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sweet Life of Stella Madison (Hardcover)

Stella's not a foodie like her separated parents - but that doesn't stop her from accepting an internship writing about food. She's saving up to buy a car so she doesn't have to bum rides off her two best friends and her current boyfriend.

Stella's not known for long term relationships, but with Max it might be different. She likes spending time with him. Plus, he makes her laugh.

But why does he have to say he loves her? She's not sure how she feels about him, but those words make her want to bolt - especially when she learns his parents were high school sweethearts.

Plus, the new intern at her mom's restaurant catches her eye. He's older, dreamy, and flirty. She's told him about Max, but that doesn't stop her from hanging out with him and wanting to kiss him.

How can she stay true to herself if she doesn't know what she wants?

Stella struggles through finding herself in life and in romance. First she must deal with unresolved issues that surface while taking on a challenging summer internship and learning she knows more about food than she thinks.

Zeises writes an entertaining and thoughtful novel about choices and learning how to be comfortable in your own skin.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Delicious!, July 18, 2009

By 

Mint910 (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Sweet Life of Stella Madison (Hardcover)

The Sweet Life of Stella Madison is an exciting mix of food, friends, family, boys and summer experiences! I had a great time reading it. But seriously, this book will make you hungry! I found the foundation of food this story had rather unique. From the dinner menus at the beginning of chapters to how to order food when eating for the purpose of a review or even really tasting food for the first time. All those pieces are there.

I really liked reading about Stella's summer internship at the newspaper. I only wish she had started it sooner into the story. I feel like she just really got going there and it was over. I would have liked that to be a bigger part of the story.

I loved the character of Jeremy, Stella's mother's young intern. What a charmer, but he really understood Stella I felt. I felt bad for Stella's loving boyfriend, Max, who was oblivious to Stella's crush on Jeremy. I also loved Stella's parents and their jobs, definitely helped enhance the story, put her in a very interesting environment! Stella's friends were also sweet even if they were in the background most of the time.

I could have used a little more from the ending but overall I found The Sweet Life of Stella Madison to be a sweet and delicious story, pun intended!