My Little Pocketbooks: Review: 32 Candles

32 Candles

Author: Ernessa T. Carter

Publisher: Amistad

Genre: Fiction

Release Date: June 22, 2010

Paperback: 352 pages

Source: Purchased from EsoWon Bookstore

Buy the Book: Amazon

Book Description

32 Candles is the slightly twisted, utterly romantic, and deftly wry story of Davie Jones, who, if she doesn’t stand in her own way, just might get the man of her dreams. Davie—an ugly duckling growing up in small-town Mississippi—is positive her life couldn’t be any worse. She has the meanest mother in the South, possibly the world, and on top of that, she’s pretty sure she’s ugly. Just when she’s resigned herself to her fate, she sees a movie that will change her life—Sixteen Candles. But in her case, life doesn’t imitate art. Tormented endlessly in school with the nickname "Monkey Night," and hopelessly in unrequited love with a handsome football player, James Farrell, Davie finds that it is bittersweet to dream of Molly Ringwald endings. When a cruel school prank goes too far, Davie leaves the life she knows and reinvents herself in the glittery world of Hollywood—as a beautiful and successful lounge singer in a swanky nightclub.

Davie is finally a million miles from where she started—until she bumps into her former obsession, James Farrell. To Davie’s astonishment, James doesn’t recognize her, and she can’t bring herself to end the fantasy. She lets him fall as deeply in love with her as she once was with him. But is life ever that simple? Just as they’re about to ride off into the sunset, the past comes back with a vengeance, threatening to crush Davie’s dreams—and break her heart again.

With wholly original characters and a cinematic storyline, 32 Candles introduces Ernessa T. Carter, a new voice in fiction with smarts, attitude, and sassiness to spare.

Review

I loved this book! I had a hard time getting into it in the beginning. Reading about an abusive mother and her drinking habit yet again was not interesting to me at all. But this story is so much better than I ever imaged. Davie (the ugly duckling) takes her fate and life into her owns hands and does not let her situation define her. She loves the movie 32 Candles and just wants to have a "Molly Ringwald Ending". Do you remember 32 Candles?
There were so many moments in this book that I just loved. Without telling you to much about the details, Davie overcomes a few things in her life that most characters would have just sat there and just taken it. Think of all those books were the underdog always stayed the underdog until some outside force kicked in. It is never the inner strength of the character kicking in. Well Ms. Davie's inner strength kicked in and she just took control. I love that!!!
The writing is great too! Ernessa wrote the book in a easy to understand and in an easy to follow along style that I could handle. LOL!!
This book touches on the black communities racist views on their own skin color. Yes! It does exist and it has for hundreds of years. Davie having a dark complexion didn't fall for the "make myself look like them" role so many dark skin characters at a young age do. And I really, really appreciated that in this book. It would have been so easy for Davie to get caught up in the hair, skin, self hating issue but she is much stronger than that. You go Davie!!!
Did I mention I loved this book? :)