The Queen of Kentucky

Feb 04, 2012 Fran Chowdhury rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dac-2012, contemp-challenge

*Spoiler Free*

This was a really sweet, contemporary novel!

The Queen of Kentucky is all about growing up, with Ricki Jo wanting to be transformed into the popular, 'cool' Ericka on her first day of high school. Ricki Jo was a really cute character and you do feel sympathy with her and how she just wants to fit in and finally grow up. I liked seeing her character mature and slowly realising that perhaps her 'best friends' were not all that they were cracked up to be. Sometimes it was quite annoyi...more

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Mar 03, 2012 Mesa rated it 1 of 5 stars

Rating: 1.5/5

This book was a disappointment for me. I was SUPER excited when I got it from my library since I was hearing great things about it on Goodreads. I guess I had high expectation, but The Queen of Kentucky was … vapid. It was really hard for me to keep reading it, to finish it.

Rick Jo or Ericka as she wants to be called is a 14 year old who acts like a 3 year old. Yes, she’s a teenager but that’s not an excuse. Luke is 14 too but does he act like Ericka? Nope, and don’t say it’s becaus...more

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May 04, 2012 Cassie Gutman rated it 4 of 5 stars

First of all, I would like to send a GIANT thank you to Alecia Whitaker for personally going to the trouble of getting me a review copy back in January. She was also at a signing in Louisville then, too, which is one of the first exciting signings happening there since the beginning of time, and I couldn't go because I was leaving for England (okay, I guess really not THAT sad since I was going to England and all). But, I'm back now and this was the first book I cracked open.

Because so much of i...more First of all, I would like to send a GIANT thank you to Alecia Whitaker for personally going to the trouble of getting me a review copy back in January. She was also at a signing in Louisville then, too, which is one of the first exciting signings happening there since the beginning of time, and I couldn't go because I was leaving for England (okay, I guess really not THAT sad since I was going to England and all). But, I'm back now and this was the first book I cracked open.

Because so much of it pertained to my own life, I fell right into this book with ease. The writing was light, but not so light that it sounded cliche or overdone. It was just the right amount to make it a great start-of-summer book, but the heavier issues that this book dealt with were done so expertly.

Before posting my own review, I browsed through a few that I found on Goodreads. I would like to counter several of the bad ones. Yes, the main character, Ericka, was annoying at times. She was 14, she was a girl, and she wanted to be popular. But to all those people out there that hated her all the time, this is life in Kentucky. My town is about 40 minutes away from where this book took place. I switched from a private Catholic middle school to the public high school, and people can be brutal. While I never tried to be popular like Ericka, I certainly know why she was annoying for most of the book and wanted to fit in. I thought it was a very well-done, realistic interpretation of life in Kentucky. On one end, people live on farms and work every day of their lives. Then, right down the road, are billionaire mansions with literally picture-perfect southern belles whose only aspirations are to marry and have the perfect man.

Then there's Luke, Ericka's best friend. He was by far my favorite character, and his real-world problems were also a realistic interpretation of life. Though scary, they put Ericka's problems to shame, and I understand why everyone was so upset with her character. But, people, that's kind of the point. It slaps you in the face to get the reader, not Ericka, to realize that whatever your own problems are, there are other people that probably have it worse than you. It was a subtle way to get that message across, and I fully believe it was done remarkably, using a young 14-year-old boy to stand up to his own problems.

As far as the general plot went, it was a very cute little story line. We follow Ericka through her first year of high school, managing boys, church, family, friends, trying to fit in, cheerleading, and eventually joining the newspaper committee. She backstabs people, makes new friends, discovers a little bit about herself, and all that good stuff you have in coming-of-age novels.

I really did enjoy this book, and spent about half the night reading it in one go. I haven't done that in so long, and I had so much fun with this. I was just shocked at how realistic the whole social situation was. The only reason I didn't try to fit in in high school was because I had already tried it in the 7th and 8th grade, when certain girls realized they were rich and beautiful. I tried for about a week, and then got to reading again and realized that I would rule the world one day! This was just insane how much of this kids in my area go through as they grow up.

I would definitely recommend, especially with Derby day being tomorrow and all! Great read about Kentucky!!(less)

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Mar 12, 2012 Cindy Hudson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ricki Jo is determined to move from a plain old country girl into popular, sophisticated Ericka when she starts 9th grade at her local public high school. She figures there will be lots more opportunities at the larger school than the small, Catholic school she attended through 8th grade.

Right away she makes friends with a few popular girls and she feels she has to start changing to keep up with her new group, particularly since good-looking David Wolfenbaker (Wolf) hangs out with them too. As s...more Ricki Jo is determined to move from a plain old country girl into popular, sophisticated Ericka when she starts 9th grade at her local public high school. She figures there will be lots more opportunities at the larger school than the small, Catholic school she attended through 8th grade.

Right away she makes friends with a few popular girls and she feels she has to start changing to keep up with her new group, particularly since good-looking David Wolfenbaker (Wolf) hangs out with them too. As she morphs into “Ericka 2.0,” she begins to wonder if she can keep what she likes most about her old self while also becoming someone different.

The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker will resonate with anyone who has ever felt the desire to change her circumstances. Ricki Jo is a down-to-earth girl who is best friends with her neighbor Lucas and who spends time working to help out around her farm, even if she doesn’t feel like it. Ericka wears more stylish clothes, studies hairstyles and advice columns in Seventeen magazine, and will do things she’s uncomfortable with if it means going along with the crowd.

It’s not easy for her to keep up: her new friends are wealthier than she is, which means they spend money more freely on clothes and entertainment. Ericka goes back and forth between feeling like she’s making friends and feeling like they’re making fun of her. Plus, she finds herself ignoring all the crass remarks Wolf makes just because she’s dazzled by his good looks.

As she navigates the halls of her high school, Ricki Jo makes some mistakes, but she also gets a better feeling for what’s important to her. I liked that each of the characters was nuanced, and didn’t fall into a stereotype. Wolf has a lot of bad points, but Ricki Jo can also see some of the good points and vulnerabilities he tries to hide. Some of her new girlfriends seem shallow much of the time, but they also show they’re capable of being there for her when times are rough.

While the outcome at the end of The Queen of Kentucky may not be a mystery, the journey to get there goes down as easy as a glass of ice tea on a hot day. Ricki Jo is a protagonist you can root for, identify with and ultimately cheer on. I recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 13 and up.
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Mar 10, 2012 Rachael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ricki Jo is starting high school, and something’s got to change, starting with the name. How can she be the new and improved version of herself if she’s still going by Ricki Jo? She doesn’t want everyone to think she’s just some country bumpkin; she wants to be cool and sophisticated—to be called Ericka. Armed with the latest teen magazines, some seriously cute new clothes from the mall, and a fearless attitude, Ricki Jo is determined to make things work in her favor. But as the year progresses,...more Ricki Jo is starting high school, and something’s got to change, starting with the name. How can she be the new and improved version of herself if she’s still going by Ricki Jo? She doesn’t want everyone to think she’s just some country bumpkin; she wants to be cool and sophisticated—to be called Ericka. Armed with the latest teen magazines, some seriously cute new clothes from the mall, and a fearless attitude, Ricki Jo is determined to make things work in her favor. But as the year progresses, things start to change, and not necessarily for the better. Where Ricki Jo didn’t really care about what others thought and wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself, Ericka is completely self conscious and lets herself be subjected to the whims of Wolf, the class bad boy. With help from a few friends, both old and new, Ricki Jo will learn that it means to be a true friend while also staying true to yourself.

The Queen of Kentucky is a lovable story that tackles the age-old theme of coming of age in a fresh and engaging way. What drew me first into the story was by far Ricki Jo’s voice; it’s so distinctive, vivid, and strong that it’s hard not to care about her. The reader gets to see everything through Ricki Jo’s eager eyes, which is honestly a real treat since Ricki Jo is such a humorous, unique, and all around lovable protagonist. Whitaker does a good job of balancing the plot between slightly more frivolous, though always entertaining, dramas and real tension at home or between friends. The plot as a whole is entirely satisfying, although I would have liked the ending to be a little less open ended. In all, I found The Queen of Kentucky to be a wholly enjoyable and entertaining debut with strong writing, characters, and voice, and I greatly look forward to whatever Whitaker puts out next!

The Queen of Kentucky will be enjoyed by readers who also liked Paradise by Jill M. Alexander, Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern, and Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com (less)

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Mar 06, 2012 Cathi rated it 4 of 5 stars

A coming of age story about a small town Kentucky girl, named Ricky Jo, or Erika, as she prefers to be called as she enters the complicated social scene of high school. Her name isn't the only thing she wishes were different. Ricky trades her Bible for Seventeen magazine, the gospel of teen girls. She wants nothing more than to fit in and feels a total transformation is key. Ignoring the advice of her best friend and neighbor Luke, she becomes involved headlong in the dynamics of fitting in with...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Aimee (Coffee Table Reviews) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-ya-contemp-challenge, 2012

I really wanted to love this one, but for most of the book, I really had to force myself to keep reading. I couldn't connect to Ricki Jo, or Ericka, at all. As Ericka, most of the time I wanted to smack her upside the head for the stuff she did and the people she hurt. I do realize that the storyline was realistic. That some people will do anything, even go against their own beliefs, to be popular. But watching Ericka push those people who would truly care for her was hard.

I liked Luke a lot mor...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Robin Cicchetti rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, cliques, fiction, friendship, relationship, school-fiction, romance, young-adult

This solid, fun novel about the trials and tribulations of the high school social landscape will appeal to many girl readers. As a student transferring into her local high school after years in a private school, Kentucky teen Ricky Jo is determined to reinvent herself as a popular, cool kid, symbolized by her changing her name to Erika.
All the issues of the social minefield are there: clothes, family wealth, "coolness", and of course, BOYS.
The reflected glory of a romance with a"cool boy" are re...more

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Jan 18, 2012 Taylor Long rated it 4 of 5 stars

Taylor Long
18 January 2012
English 10
Mr. Rich
Book Review E

Whitaker, Alecia. The Queen of Kentucky. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2012.

Being the new girl is hard at first, and all that new kid wants is to fit in and be known. In The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker, Ricki Jo is the new girl at a new school and she is trying desperately to fit in. One major problem for her is that she hasn’t hit puberty yet, and that devastates her. Ricki Jo tries to start off the school year right, by...more Taylor Long
18 January 2012
English 10
Mr. Rich
Book Review E

Whitaker, Alecia. The Queen of Kentucky. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2012.

Being the new girl is hard at first, and all that new kid wants is to fit in and be known. In The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker, Ricki Jo is the new girl at a new school and she is trying desperately to fit in. One major problem for her is that she hasn’t hit puberty yet, and that devastates her. Ricki Jo tries to start off the school year right, by changing her identity. Ricki Jo decides that she wants to be called Ericka because it is a lot more sophisticated and sounds better than Ricki Jo. So now Ericka has to learn how to roll with the big kids on her first day of high school.
Lucky for Ricki Jo, her best friend since they were kids, Luke, is going to the same high school. Luke has always been by her side, so Ricki Jo is really glad to have someone to talk to. On her first day she walks into homeroom and sits across two girls named Kimi and Sarah who were having their own converstation and didn’t even acknowledge her existence. Ricki Jo was so involved with listening to the girls conversation, that she didn’t even recognize that another girl had sat down right next to her. “Hi. My name is Mackenzie. I’m new” (Whitaker 17). Kimi and Sarah finally introduce themselves, when Ricki Jo’s man of her dreams walks through the door. His name is David Wolfenbaker, and he is the essence of cool. Every girl wants to be with him and every guy wants to be him. Ricki Jo has fallen in love.
Later that day Ricki Jo meets her 4th new friend, Laura. All together they call themselves the “Fab Five.” They start to become the best of friends, then when she thought they had her back, something terrible happened. Ricki Jo’s dog Bandit was attacked by the evil dogs that live down the street. Ricki Jo was devastated and the only friend that was there for her was her best friend Luke. The next day Ricki Jo cam to school and all of her friends were really worried about her. “Oh my gosh, Ericka!’ Mackenzie says, rushing toward me. She sets her books on the table and sits down next to me as our homeroom fills up. ‘I heard about your dog. I am so sorry. Are you okay?” (Whitaker 202) Ricki Jo was pleased that she was concerned but confused because she didn’t understand that if Mackenzie found out about it yesterday, then why didn’t she call? “Wait a minute,’ I begin. ‘So you all knew. And none of you called?” (Whitaker 203) Ricki Jo was furious with them because they knew about it, and when she needed her friends, they weren’t there. Sure, she has Luke, but Luke was going through some trouble of his own. His dad is a raging alcoholic and beats his mother, so Ricki Jo wasn’t going to be getting any emotional support from him. Ricki Jo’s friends turn out to be exactly what she was hoping they wouldn’t be.
Ricki Jo’s experience was full of a lot of up’s and down’s, but she remains strong and proves that she can be the woman she wants to be, even without hitting puberty. The reader will find that they can relate to some of the issues that Ricki Jo is going through and that will increase the reader’s overall satisfaction with the book. The Queen of Kentucky will keep reader on their feet and leaving them wanting more.
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Jan 11, 2012 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars

While I was reading: I thought this was a cute book that had all of the elements for a great after school special. Plain country girl, wants to be popular, meets hot new guy, gets in with popular friends, best friend is a guy, makes cheer squad and everybody knows that in the end she'll get burned and go back to her roots, right? Maybe not exactly like that but something similar. The truth is that is what extremely painful for an author to relive my freshman year for me in detail, hitting my own...more While I was reading: I thought this was a cute book that had all of the elements for a great after school special. Plain country girl, wants to be popular, meets hot new guy, gets in with popular friends, best friend is a guy, makes cheer squad and everybody knows that in the end she'll get burned and go back to her roots, right? Maybe not exactly like that but something similar. The truth is that is what extremely painful for an author to relive my freshman year for me in detail, hitting my own popularity quest spot on sans Wolf and alcohol. I didn't do the drinking thing.

When I was finished: I realized the book was a carefully disguised book about bullying and societal tolerance. I was totally swept up in the Ericka story and the painful reminders that I only put the pieces together at the end and recognized the brilliance of it. The book carefully addresses different kinds of bullying, the way society tolerates it, and the way one person can make a difference. Just to clarify, Ericka/Ricky Jo does not do the stand-up-at-a-school-assembly and give a shame-on-you speech. It's not cheesy like that.

Traditional domestic bullying involves Luke's father. He's an alcoholic and it is established early on that he beats Luke's mother. The children are all uncomfortable with this arrangement but, in the past, they've all been too powerless and small to make a difference. It is ignored. Ricky Jo recognizes what it is and takes her cues from Luke.

Symbolic bullying that mirrors a couple of the situations is the Gumbel's dogs. They are wild and ferocious. When they are not chained up, they attack random people. Ricky Jo is instructed to never show fear. They can smell fear and, as a pack, might attack. There is foreshadowing as Ricky Jo rides her bike to Luke's and finds herself pinned under the bike as the dogs circle. She is saved by Luke who hears the ruckus and beats them away. Again, many people know about the dogs but hesitate to rock the boat because the Gumbels are so mean, themselves. Without giving away the story, this situation escalates and damage is done before it is resolved. More foreshadowing, by the way.

On the first day of school, Ricky Jo/Ericka finds herself with a group of pretty and popular girls who are all cheerleaders. She's just a redneck but they take her on as a project. Note the pack-like behavior. Then Wolf saunters in. He's beautiful, athletic, rich and a royal pain in the butt. He has his good qualities but these are hidden in his obnoxious attempts to look cool (and fit in, like the rest of the grade). Wolf's antics embarrass and humiliate. It is interesting to watch how he bullies and manipulates through his many antics and how his so quickly forgiven by many because he's "cool." At the same time, the reader sees through Ricky Jo's eyes how insecure he really is and how he does see areas not having to do with himself with incredible clarity.

The best examples of intimidation, manipulation and bullying are within the Fab Frenemies. There is feigning of a BFF club, guilt, giving special treatment to the "project," hiding cruel comments in back-handed compliments, ganging up on one, engaging in peer pressure to invoke behavior against her better judgment and beliefs, playing the best friend to someone's face while stabbing them in the back.

The story also redefines courage and friendship for Ricky Jo. The hero of the book is Luke. He recognizes the underdog and does whatever it takes to take a stand or step into the middle of the dogfight. I can't say more than that without explaining how he did this in different situations. He stands up for what is right both metaphorically and physically (he's the one who steps into the real dog attacks). He stays true to himself, never wavering, regardless of the cost.

As for Ricky Jo (one small spoiler), she saves herself.

Best nugget - In order to be a best friend, one has to first be a good friend.

This could be used in a high school literature class to demonstrate different masks of bullying.

Swearing - mild/moderate
Violence - moderate
Alcohol use - moderate
Sex - mild implied(less)

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Jan 03, 2012 Kelly Hager rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ricki Jo is about to start high school and she's determined to reinvent herself. Yes, she's a farmer's daughter and yes, she is very country but that doesn't mean she can't be popular too, right? So she starts going by Ericka and starts reading Seventeen and quickly gets popular friends, becomes a cheerleader and captures the attention of the cutest guy in school...well, at least 25% of the time when he's not too busy noticing other girls or being a jerk to her.

You know exactly how this story w...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-hardback

The Queen of Kentucky has so many things going for it. First is the cover, which is one of my favorites I've seen come in the mail. It's not that often we see covers in yellow- it jumps out at you. The second thing is the fun trailer and third is the author. I admire authors who take time our of their busy schedules to tweet you and thank you for reading their book. The setting is the deep south which wide open spaces, dusty dirt roads,a pond and acres and acres of tobacco. I became immediately...more The Queen of Kentucky has so many things going for it. First is the cover, which is one of my favorites I've seen come in the mail. It's not that often we see covers in yellow- it jumps out at you. The second thing is the fun trailer and third is the author. I admire authors who take time our of their busy schedules to tweet you and thank you for reading their book. The setting is the deep south which wide open spaces, dusty dirt roads,a pond and acres and acres of tobacco. I became immediately immersed in the rural roots of Ricki Jo Winstead and her best friend Luke. It's the summer before Ricki Jo's freshman year, her first year in high school. She's determined to reinvent herself, ditch the two names for a sassier version- Ericka. Fortune falls on her side when the four most popular girls end up in her homeroom and the school's stud muffin sits next to her in Spanish. Wolf looks like he just stepped out of an Abercrombie ad and smells like it too. He's the guy everyone is vying for, the top of Ericka's wish list. Get some new clothes, make the cheer leading squad, get asked to homecoming and go through puberty then Ricky Jo might just pull off the new and improved Ericka.

A coming of age tale of a 14 year old girl, this book brought back so many memories of ninth grade year (we were still in junior high). As Ericka moves up the social chain she begins to shed some of her most important friends and values. She also gets repeatedly made fun of and mistreated by her "friends." It was painful for me to read. She has fabulous parents, a religious upbringing and the perfect boy next door but she's willing to give it all up for a chance at popularity. Soon a middle grade lifestyle turns much more YA- sneaking out, lots of talk about sex, streaking, drinking, cheating on school work and belittling her once closest friend. While I can sympathize with the fact that Ericka is young and has a mission, I would have liked to have seen more development of character as the book progresses. Time and time again she is mistreated by her love interest and group of new friends. Instead of standing up for herself or rebuilding those whose names she has defamed ...in her upward climb, she takes it all in stride. The ending was just what I wanted to see, but too little too late for me to sympathize fully with the the main character.

Alecia Whitaker is a very talented writer. You can tell she weaves her knowledge and love for the South into her story. Her characters were well fleshed out and vivid. I like that she handles the very hard issue of alcoholism of a parent and domestic violence as it influences the children in the home. I also really liked her references to reading the bible and the importance of sticking to your roots. I could have lived in the county with Ricky Jo before she became Ericka and Luke forever. He is everything you'd want and more. I savored the innocence and closeness of their friendship. Thanks so much to Poppy for a chance to read Queen of Kentucky.
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May 27, 2012 Heather rated it 1 of 5 stars

i like the whole "country girl" storyline, because there are few books out like this. however, i think the "trying to popular" storyline is overused and outdated. like does anyone actually wanna be popular nowadays?! i mean, i never have, because i never wanted to hang out or be like popular people.
this book is a little predictable, and i feel like i can already guess what's going to happen.
i like having similarities between a character in me-like we both have freckles and hazel eyes. &use...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Lara rated it 2 of 5 stars

Ricki Jo Winstead has gone to the tiny Catholic elementary school in her small Kentucky town all of her life. She is now going into the 9th grade at the local high school and wants to make a big change. No longer does she want to be called Ricki Jo; Ericka sounds more sophisticated. No longer does she want to be on the fringes of what’s going on; she wants to be popular, become a cheerleader, and have a popular boyfriend. Her best friend and closest neighbor, Luke, thinks she’s just fine the way...more

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Jan 15, 2012 Justin rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Queen of Kentucky turned out to be one of those books that left me thinking, how in the world am I going to review this? It's an extremely cute book, and has a powerful message for not just people around the age of the characters but for anyone that reads it. But I also felt that some of the things in the book were taken to the extreme, and that kind of ruined a few things for me.

First of all, I love the basic concept of the story. It's basically a story about finding who you are, and the th...more The Queen of Kentucky turned out to be one of those books that left me thinking, how in the world am I going to review this? It's an extremely cute book, and has a powerful message for not just people around the age of the characters but for anyone that reads it. But I also felt that some of the things in the book were taken to the extreme, and that kind of ruined a few things for me.

First of all, I love the basic concept of the story. It's basically a story about finding who you are, and the things that matter most in life. But it's how you go about those things that will shape you into the person you become. Which is one of the things that really annoyed me about this book, and which I will discuss further later on. Trying to fit in is one of those things that pretty much everyone goes through in life, just as Ricki does in this book but like I said before, it's all about how you go about doing it. You should never change who you are just to fit in with a group.

Ricki is a well written character, and I think she fits the role that I assume Alecia was trying to achieve in the story. But when you're reading a story with teenage characters, you go into it knowing there will most likely be that teenage angst. This story is no different, and I am not saying that it's a bad thing. I just feel like that teenage mindset can be taken a little to far, even if she is only 14 that is old enough to have some common sense. I can't even begin to explain how annoyed I was at some of the choices Ricki made throughout the story, especially when she knew it was the wrong choice to make. She just thought it would make her "Cool". As for "Wolf"... Let's just say I didn't care for his character.

The one character I did really enjoy was Luke, I felt he was the most well rounded character out of the group. I wish more of the characters would of had his way of thinking, considering he is the same age as the other characters.. But alas, he was the one character that I felt truly brought the story together and made up for the major annoyances of some of the other characters.

I gave this book 4 stars, because I just couldn't get over some of the characters. I adored the concept of the story, and I feel like it speaks true to anyone no matter how old you are. And I feel like it's a book people should read, considering that. If you can look past some of the annoyance from some of the characters, and actually see the story for what it is you will see that Alecia has created an amazing story that in the end will make you realize just how important being yourself can be. So I really hope you will give this book a chance, if you've been thinking about reading it. Don't let the whole teenage angst thing keep you from reading it, I was just simply voicing my own personal opinions.

This review is from my blog, you can click on the link provided to see the original post: http://www.justinsbookblog.com/2012/0...(less)

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Jan 03, 2012 Elizabeth (Elizziebooks) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dac-2012

3/5 stars for sure. It was one of those books that was a checklist of a YA novel. You had the love triangle (and then some), the friends she got along with every once in a while, and the list goes on. There was a heart wrenching twist here and there (bring the tissues), but it wasn't much different from Mean Girls with a bit of an ode to the south.

I did enjoy this book for what it is. It's about a girl who thinks she has to change herself to become popular and to get the "right" boy. Ultimately...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Sara Kovach rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, debut, contemporary, completely-contemp, contemps-to-be-published-in-2012, a-to-z, a-to-z-challenge

It's the first day of high school for Ricky Jo, and she wants to recreate herself to fit in. She will be a new-kid at school even though she has always lived in Breckinridge, KY (she has attending Catholic school until now). As they are cutting tobacco, she tells her best friend Luke that he is to call her Ericka at school, it is more mature.

As Ericka tries so hard to make new friends: trying out for cheerleader, wearing different clothes, doing/saying things she would not normally say, she runs...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Kris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, ya-books, books-reviewed, favorites

This is such a fun read! Most of us at one point or another worried about fitting in, with any crowd, and Ricki Jo is the same way. She wants to be popular, date a hot guy, and be liked. The way she goes about it is hilarious and sometimes nerve-wracking and over-the-top. I mean, a fourteen-year-old girl sneaking out and drinking? There are limits to what I'd do. Ricki Jo is willing to sacrifice to some of her moral qualms in order to belong.

Of course, Ricki Jo's actions, their consequences, and...more This is such a fun read! Most of us at one point or another worried about fitting in, with any crowd, and Ricki Jo is the same way. She wants to be popular, date a hot guy, and be liked. The way she goes about it is hilarious and sometimes nerve-wracking and over-the-top. I mean, a fourteen-year-old girl sneaking out and drinking? There are limits to what I'd do. Ricki Jo is willing to sacrifice to some of her moral qualms in order to belong.

Of course, Ricki Jo's actions, their consequences, and her re-actions, are what make her a bundle of joy to read about. There are times when I was frustrated with her lack of awareness of how she's hurting good people like Luke and Candace, and I pitied her, wanted to set her on the right track. Ricki Jo is a country girl at heart, trying to find her place, and she grows a lot over the course of the novel. I adore the country setting. I love country settings in general. Offer me a book with a rural setting, and I'll snatch it up. Whitaker ties in Ricki Jo's country roots into some incidents, some of which are laugh moments, some of which made me gasp.

The Queen of Kentucky is more than a book about a country girl wanting to go country club. There are some dark clouds looming close to home, and Ricki Jo struggles to bring together who she is on the inside and who she is trying to become on the outside. The serious incident takes place close to the end of the novel, which was slightly disappointing because I was hoping to find out what exactly comes out of it. However, I appreciate how Whitaker concludes the novel while leaving it open for Ricki Jo to take the next step.

While Ricki Jo pines for the resident bad boy and deals with a new awareness of a boy she's known all her life, these are part of the process of her self-discovery. This book is not centered on romance. If you are looking for a light, fun contemporary read that is focused more on character growth, I strongly recommend this novel. It is a breath of fresh, country air for the YA genre.

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Jan 09, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ricki Jo Winstead, 14, is entering her first year of high school, and she wants to reinvent herself, leaving her 4-H and farm girl persona behind. Thus, she decides that she is to be called Ericka since the name sounds more sophisticated than her other name, and she changes the way she dresses and talks and allies herself with four freshman girls who seem to be at the top of the social food chain. She also falls head over heels with Wolf, the flirtatious basketball star in her Spanish class. Eri...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Kailia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned, read-in-2012, young-adult, review-book

4.5 on blog

I really love contemporaries that are fun and cute but have a deeper message. Queen of Kentucky by Alicia Whitaker was just that! It was fun, cute, lighthearted, full of drama but an excellent book! But it's so much more than that. Alicia Whitaker skillfully showed that there are many sides to life than meets the eye, or in this case, what you see.

Ricki Jo was a girl I knew I was going to love from the very beginning. She was quirky and weird and different and not as sophisticated as...more 4.5 on blog

I really love contemporaries that are fun and cute but have a deeper message. Queen of Kentucky by Alicia Whitaker was just that! It was fun, cute, lighthearted, full of drama but an excellent book! But it's so much more than that. Alicia Whitaker skillfully showed that there are many sides to life than meets the eye, or in this case, what you see.

Ricki Jo was a girl I knew I was going to love from the very beginning. She was quirky and weird and different and not as sophisticated as she wanted to be which was so awesome. She really and truly was herself, a quirky country girl with an accent and cowboy boots who has that sophisticated side of her too.She just wants to fit in which is totally relatable. I still remember how freaked I was when I was going to the 9th grade. I mean, it was high school for crying out loud! Not only was Ricki Jo perfectly written, she was relatable too. She grew as a character throughout the book and I loved see ing Ricki Jo to Ericka to Ricki Jo again. I loved Luke, her best friend and a totally sweetie and I even liked the "mean girls" who were, really, just high school girls. I did not like Wolf at all. What a jerk!

The plot focused a lot on Ricki Jo trying to figure out who she is and who she wants to be but there was a lot more going on. It had a lot to do with how life throws you something scary and you have to figure out what you can do with it. She not only has to deal with changing herself, but with peer pressure and the drama going on in her life and her friends' lives (especially Luke). Though there were so dark times in this novel, Ricki Jo took it all with a awkward, funny way and I loved that it wasn't all sad and gloomy during those times.

Overall, Queen of Kentucky is a quirky, fresh story about a girl who is trying to figure out who she is and taking life with a smile on her face, even when things turn scary or unwelcome. Alicia Whitaker's debut if a funny take on a fourteen year old way of getting through high school and life in general. (less)

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Jan 27, 2012 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Everybody wants to fit in. So while reading this book and seeing what Ricki-Jo is going through, I can relate. High School is hard and life changing. I adored this book cause of the way the author writes about real things that goes on in life. High school, boys, drama, family. All of these elements play an important part in Ricki-Jo's life.

Ricky-Jo is like every country girl. T-shirt, jeans, hair messy and always up to something. Ricky-Jo is ready for her life to change and she takes charge. New...more

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Mar 16, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ricki Jo has such a strong voice that I really felt like I was there in her shoes. I also loved the setting. I've never really been to the out west (except Iowa and then the West Coast, but never the middle states) and I definitely got a good sense of what Kentucky/that area was like. I think she really captured the early teenage girl completely. Although I am not Catholic, I could relate to Ricki Jo/Ericka in the fact that I too went from going to a small religious (Jewish) school to a larger h...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Amy Dreger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chic-lit, realistic, romance

The new girl at Preston County High School, 14-year-old Ricki Jo Winstead is determined to shed her Kentucky tomboy image, find a spot in the popular clique and land the perfect boy. Along the way, she learns that popularity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and that perfect boy has been right next door all along. Ricki Jo’s witty voice and small-but-mighty attitude make her the perfect narrator for this sweet teen romance.

I was afraid this book was going to be the typical one-dimensional teen bu...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: advance-readers-copies, chick-lit, romance

I picked up this Advance Reading Copy at ALA Annual last summer and am just now getting around to reading it! I always pick up "rural reads," mainly to see if the author/publisher/editor got it right. I've lived in rural areas all my life, so it's a pleasure to see some YA novel that isn't set in a large city!

Ricki Jo is trying to re-make herself as she enters high school. She wants to be called Ericka, tries out for cheerleading, doesn't go out for band, and falls in love with the cutest boy in...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Caro rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ricki Jo, or Ericka as she likes to be known, is a 14 year old girl just about to start high school. And yes, the premise sounds cliched and trite, with lots of high school coming of age stories.
But you know what. I loved this. I loved Ricki Jo, with her difficulties about what to do about the dark, mischievous, bad boy Wolf and her friend hooty-tooty high flying new girl Mackenzie.
Adored every second of unfortunate mistakes and decisions Ericka made.
My only qualms is the ending.
The novel's str...more

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Jan 24, 2012 Page Passion rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ericka (aka Ricky Jo) just wants to fit in when she begins high school. All shes ever dreamed of is being popular and having her very own boyfriend. So when high school starts, she realizes that if she wants what shes been yearning for then she needs to step up her game. From there on in she begins her transformation into the desired girl of her dreams. She becomes a cheer leader, gets some new “friends”, and her crush on Wolf (the school sleaze-ball/hunk) grows rapidly. Only once shes landed th...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, contemporary

The Queen of Kentucky is a charming coming-of-age contemporary with a spunky main character you'll love to root for.

I really liked Ricki Jo, her voice is authentic for her age and funny. She's someone who wants to stay true to herself but also make new friends and fit in, which isn't the easiest combination for her. Even though she doesn't always make the right choices, she does tries to learn from them. She's very resilient, which is great for someone her age and means she's quick to bounce bac...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Considering I LIVE in Kentucky (like an hour from where this book is set) and I'm going to a Kentucky high school I can really relate. I relate to how Ricki Jo's high school is because I go to one just like it. But unlike her, I wasn't popular or try to be. I understand the dangers and trust me, I hear about them. The parties, drinking and drugs just aren't me. Not in my nature nor my heart so I stay away from all that PLUS the drama that c...more

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Jan 27, 2012 AnQi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club-books, books-in-review, chick-literature, debut-novel, realistic-fiction, recommended-young-adult-fiction, romance-romance-romance, young-adult

Alecia Whitaker's 'The Queen of Kentucky' is sweet like the quenching splash of lemonade on a hot summer day. But for Ricky Jo (or Erika, if you must) summer is dry and gone and the school year is here for her to repaint herself as popular, likeable, and looked up to. Ricky Jo, country and devout Catholic girl, is gone: here comes Erika, beautiful, smart, and stylish.

Who was gonna tell her that molding herself into a different person was going to be so dang hard???

I LOVE Ricky Jo. Sure, she can...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Jackie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction

I really didn't expect to like this book. I'm from Kentucky so I thought I'd give it a shot. It sounds like dozens of other coming of age books where an outcast has to decide to be true to herself and her roots or join the in crowd and be popular. But I really got swept up in this story of Ricki Jo Winstead. I found her to be very likable and her story to be very realistic. These characters are only 14 so I didn't expect them to act like adults. Even the "in-crowd" kids had their good moments so...more

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