Gingerbread (Cyd Charisse, #1)

Apr 22, 2012 Infinite Playlist rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mine, connected, family-siblings, genre-contemporary, genre-ya, location-new-york

Liebes Gingerbread,
deine Geschwister ( Very LeFreak , You Know Where to Find Me ) und ich sind nicht gerade Seelenverwandte, dabei mag ich die Art wie eure Mama Rachel Cohn euch schreibt eigentlich so gern. Wenn sie mit David Levithan zusammen arbeitet, kommt das beste aus ihnen hervor – aka deine großen Cousins und Cousinen Nick, Nora, Naomi, Ely, Dash und Lily. Aber du kleines Gingerbread hast es vollbracht. Du und ich, wir sind richtig dicke geworden. Es hat zwar einige Kapitel gedauert, aber...more

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Mar 23, 2008 Jen rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-ya, audio-book

1) The main character is annoying and whines her way through the entire book.
2) Teenage "OMG-I'm SO in love" bores and sickens me.
3) The last third of the book wasn't believable.
4) I feel like C.C. did not learn lessons that were much more important than the one that she did learn.
5) I can't believe there is a sequel.

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Jun 05, 2007 Jennie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: required-work-reading

Cyd just got kicked out of her posh east coast boarding school and sent back to San Fransisco to live with Nancy (her mother) and Sid-dad (her step-father). Storming around the house and generally causing trouble, it's a tense situation. The only things that liven it up are her surfer boyfriend Shrimp, her old lady pal Suger Pie, and Shrimp's brother's coffee house Java the Hut. But then she gets confined to her house for bad behavor and Shrimp thinks they need to go on a break.

Cyd finally goes...more

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Feb 04, 2009 Leslie rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Kat!

Shelves: fiction, read-in-2009, ya

This book grew on me. A lot. Points to the reviewer who said Cyd Charisse (the narrator) sounds just like (blech) Juno. At first the quirky factor was really getting to me. Oh and the snarky factor. But look, now I’m saying things like quirky factor and snarky factor. Next thing you know I’ll be saying “Burr-ito” when it’s chilly out.

Why the teen me would like Cyd Charisse: she doesn’t want to go to college; she is frank about her sexuality; she has issues; she’s whip-smart; she is disturbingly...more

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Mar 28, 2008 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-novel

Cyd Charisse is what I sort of was in highschool except I didn't have money, I couldn't decide if I was a total slacker or desperate to "be somebody", and I didn't get into trouble. She's also a lot cooler and thinner than I was and more outspoken. OK, she's nothing like me. I really liked this one, Cyd's voice is funny and genuine and she holds it together pretty well for someone who's aborted a baby and then gets dumped by her dream boyfriend almost a year later (not the baby daddy). She tests...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Lexie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, chick-lit, contemporary, fiction, owned-ebook, realistic, romance, series, young-adult

What can I say? Cyd Charisse was the kind of protagonist I haven't read before. She absolutely bursts off the page. If the book had been more about her, had spent more time developing both sides of her family, it would easily have been four stars.

I mean, how many sex-addicts (the girl spends A LOT of time thinking about boys and sex), doll-touting teenage characters are there?

My biggest problems with this book were
- spelling mistakes. Yikes, my copy was rife with them
- the lack of time spent wit...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Kelly Liang rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 20, 2012 DrewBrees rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: may-goodreads

From where I've abandoned this book, Gingerbread, by Rachel Cohn is about a girl named Cyd Charisse that has been kicked out of her boarding school forced to live back home with her mom Nancy and her step dad Sid. After Nancys been so against Cyd's new surfer-like boyfriend Shrimp, she has trouble living at home with her parents even though Sid tries to back up Cyd about her boyfriend. No matter what Nancy says about Shrimp, he's still Cyd's main ingredient that she can't live without.

I picked u...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Bre Bolton rated it 2 of 5 stars

I would not recommend this book if you little patience or care about the quality of book that you are reading.
It took about 24 chapters before I actually started caring about the plotline [and it only had about 37 chapters total] and the last four weren't my favorite either.
It's not very realistic and I found the language to be distracting- as a sixteen year old, it horrifies me that an author would have met somebody my age who would the sort of language that Cyd Charisse does. Not because it's...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Kasia S. rated it 4 of 5 stars

When one thinks of Gingerbread, heady spices and molasses-like sweetness comes to mind, the book however was a literary equivalent of Angel Food Cake - fluffy, light and sweet enough to entertain but not overly filling. It's something that I can read in one sitting and then get up without a headache, possibly ready to begin the next book in the series. Young Adult fiction has come a long way, reading books about disgruntled sixteen year olds are certainly easier than being one all over again and...more When one thinks of Gingerbread, heady spices and molasses-like sweetness comes to mind, the book however was a literary equivalent of Angel Food Cake - fluffy, light and sweet enough to entertain but not overly filling. It's something that I can read in one sitting and then get up without a headache, possibly ready to begin the next book in the series. Young Adult fiction has come a long way, reading books about disgruntled sixteen year olds are certainly easier than being one all over again and even though I am no longer a teen I certainly remember how tough it was. Standing strong against the ripping winds of corruption and negative influences while dealing with feelings for boys, parents and especially how I saw myself was no walk in the beach and even though I had a blast growing up I am relieved to be done with it.

For Cyd, living with her step dad Sid and mother Nancy and her younger half siblings in San Francisco is more an a nuisance than paradise. Her richly decorated home, stylish mother, lenient step father and her relationship with her new awesome boyfriend Shrimp are slowly crumbling up into a black hole that she has dug up in her past, the spoiled relationship with her then boyfriend Justin who got her hooked on his dark lifestyle and got her pregnant without giving her any support. After her life changing decision to write her own future Cyd becomes even more cynical, witty, sarcastic and sometimes warm and human on her quest to fix her broken relations with her parents, Shrimp and her biological father in New York. Her last memory of him was when she was five years old and him giving her a doll that she named Gingerbread, carrying it with her to this day. The visit to the East coast opens her eyes in more ways than she has imagined and it's up to her to either find the light or slink away into the shadows with no helping hands to pull her up. The mystery of her parents split, her other half siblings and potential new boys are lined on up the horizon for the reader to grab onto and enjoy. It's all up to her whether she wants to grow up and change or act like a spoiled brat.

The writing was easy to read and made the book flow like an express train. I enjoyed the brief glimpse of Cyd before she was with Shrimp and how her current situation evolved. This isn't deep fiction but a fun romp though pages filled with growing pains and emerging roots of maturity. I'm all ready reading the sequel "Shrimp" and cannot wait to find out what happens when Cyd is back in San Francisco after her life changing summer in New York. This book is like a nice, light slice of cake; it's no dinner but still fills you up.
(less)

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Dec 07, 2011 Joan rated it 1 of 5 stars

I finished reading this adolescent novel a few days ago, but I delayed reviewing it because I couldn't decide which fault bothered me the most. I think my primary complaint is the constant anacronisms. I realize that anachronisms usually just indicate things that are historically out of place; but I finally settled on this word because as far as I know there is not a word in our language to describe the phenominon of age-inappropriate speech and behavior. Anyway it was very distracting and irrit...more

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Nov 19, 2011 Liza Wiemer added it

I'm glad I read Gingerbread without reading other Goodread reviews first. I'm not sure I would have picked it up. Instead, I got this novel from the library after reading Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. I really wanted to read more by both authors. Other reviewers mention that the main character Cyd Charisse is a whiny, obnoxious, spoiled brat. I could see that perception, because at times that's how she comes across on the surface. But I actually see her...more I'm glad I read Gingerbread without reading other Goodread reviews first. I'm not sure I would have picked it up. Instead, I got this novel from the library after reading Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. I really wanted to read more by both authors. Other reviewers mention that the main character Cyd Charisse is a whiny, obnoxious, spoiled brat. I could see that perception, because at times that's how she comes across on the surface. But I actually see her as a deeply wounded young girl trying way too hard to be grown up and unsure of herself and confused about the love that is clearly in front of her. There are lots of good reasons for these perceptions, some of which are her fault, but most are circumstances beyond her control. She goes through many painful experiences, some that are bound to get under peoples' skins and rattle them deeply. (She has an abortion at age fifteen) I think it's good to ruffle feathers. It makes people think. CC is a flawed character but she most definitely can and is lovable. Her boyfriend Shrimp is truly an interesting character. He is likable with plenty of his own struggles. CC's mom and step-dad are much better people than the way CC portrays them - but a lot of teens have difficulty seeing the positives of their parents and highlight the negatives. She has a dad who has ignored her most of her life and a half-brother and a half-sister whom she's never met until she goes to spend time with her biological dad. She's also confused about her feelings toward her half-brother and half-sister born to her mom and step-dad. Life is truly crazy and confusing for CC. In Gingerbread, CC grows up but doesn't have all the answers. Personally, I find this book takes a lot of tough situations, dumps them on CC and forces her to cope. Given the circumstances, I'm not sure if others would fare so well. Life can definitely be messy.
Since CC's life continues in the second of the series, I'll continue my perceptions in my review of Shrimp.(less)

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Oct 07, 2011 Kasia S. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When one thinks of Gingerbread, heady spices and molasses-like sweetness comes to mind, the book however was a literary equivalent of Angel Food Cake - fluffy, light and sweet enough to entertain but not overly filling. It's something that I can read in one sitting and then get up without a headache, possibly ready to begin the next book in the series. Young Adult fiction has come a long way, reading books about disgruntled sixteen year olds are certainly easier than being one all over again and...more When one thinks of Gingerbread, heady spices and molasses-like sweetness comes to mind, the book however was a literary equivalent of Angel Food Cake - fluffy, light and sweet enough to entertain but not overly filling. It's something that I can read in one sitting and then get up without a headache, possibly ready to begin the next book in the series. Young Adult fiction has come a long way, reading books about disgruntled sixteen year olds are certainly easier than being one all over again and even though I am no longer a teen I certainly remember how tough it was. Standing strong against the ripping winds of corruption and negative influences while dealing with feelings for boys, parents and especially how I saw myself was no walk in the beach and even though I had a blast growing up I am relieved to be done with it.

For Cyd, living with her step dad Sid and mother Nancy and her younger half siblings in San Francisco is more an a nuisance than paradise. Her richly decorated home, stylish mother, lenient step father and her relationship with her new awesome boyfriend Shrimp are slowly crumbling up into a black hole that she has dug up in her past, the spoiled relationship with her then boyfriend Justin who got her hooked on his dark lifestyle and got her pregnant without giving her any support. After her life changing decision to write her own future Cyd becomes even more cynical, witty, sarcastic and sometimes warm and human on her quest to fix her broken relations with her parents, Shrimp and her biological father in New York. Her last memory of him was when she was five years old and him giving her a doll that she named Gingerbread, carrying it with her to this day. The visit to the East coast opens her eyes in more ways than she has imagined and it's up to her to either find the light or slink away into the shadows with no helping hands to pull her up. The mystery of her parents split, her other half siblings and potential new boys are lined on up the horizon for the reader to grab onto and enjoy. It's all up to her whether she wants to grow up and change or act like a spoiled brat.

The writing was easy to read and made the book flow like an express train. I enjoyed the brief glimpse of Cyd before she was with Shrimp and how her current situation evolved. This isn't deep fiction but a fun romp though pages filled with growing pains and emerging roots of maturity. I'm all ready reading the sequel "Shrimp" and cannot wait to find out what happens when Cyd is back in San Francisco after her life changing summer in New York. This book is like a nice, light slice of cake; it's no dinner but still fills you up. (less)

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May 26, 2011 Christina rated it 5 of 5 stars

The book Ginger Bread is displaced as a comedy/Gothic drama, in my personal option. To be honest the reason I picked out this book to read was because of the interesting cover. The moment that I saw the cover I knew I had to read this book the cover just drew me in. Ginger Bread tells the story of a very loving, gothic,and outgoing girl called Cyd Charisse. She has a surfer boyfriend that she loves with her whole heart. She's also a coffee addict and tales her doll gingerbread with her just abo...more The book Ginger Bread is displaced as a comedy/Gothic drama, in my personal option. To be honest the reason I picked out this book to read was because of the interesting cover. The moment that I saw the cover I knew I had to read this book the cover just drew me in. Ginger Bread tells the story of a very loving, gothic,and outgoing girl called Cyd Charisse. She has a surfer boyfriend that she loves with her whole heart. She's also a coffee addict and tales her doll gingerbread with her just about everywhere. The doll means the most to her because as she repeats in the book it was the last thing her dad gave to her when she was a little girl, before he left. She has a very wild and not caring attitude about herself which is what over all becomes her biggest conflict and problem in the end.
When Cyd become too much for her parents to handle she then is told that she is being sent to her dad's, who she hasn't seen since he gave her gingerbread. She has this attitude that she has nothing left and cares for nothing so she doesn't care. When she is told to live with her dad Cyd feels like her life is already spinning out of control. She doesn't know what to do, so maybe some time away from her boyfriend and home will do her good and change her for the better. Not every one is so happy to see her though. She finds out she has half brothers and sisters, some of which don't welcome her in the best way possible. Cyd also becomes very close with her father's personal driver, Luis who isn't all that bad looking if you know what I mean. Cyd learns a lot while she is away from home more then she ever thought she would've, whether she takes it back home with her you have to decide for yourself.
I recommend this book to everyone even guys! The Protagonist Cyd isn't the typical teenage girl she likes to have fun and go wild, but she also doesn't care what people say about her and will make her point to stand out. The way the author writes makes you feel as if she is talking to you, almost like you are having a conversation with her. When you read the book it threw Cyd's point of view, so she makes it feel like you are her best friend and she is telling you everything. (less)

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Mar 24, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This was an entertaining story about a character that feels true and realistic. Cyd Charisse (CeeCee), is the somewhat cliched wild child with the heart of gold. If I were to describe the basic storyline, it would sound very much like a story you’ve heard before. However, the author does an excellent job of bringing a character to life and making you care about them which is what makes the book a worthwhile read.

I found CeeCee to be entertaining and charming and pretty well rooted in common sen...more

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Jan 21, 2011 Nicole Spiegel added it

"Gingerbread" by Rachel Cohn tells a story of a not so average high school girl living in San Francisco struggling through both friend and family issues. Rachel Cohn skillfully describes the main characters, Cyd Chariss' chaotic life in three different cities. The book demonstrates her growth from starting in boarding school, returning home, and in New York City. The book focuses on her attitude and her relationship with her parents. Cyd's character was very unique but still one that readers cou...more

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Dec 23, 2010 Bree T rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

After reading Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares recently and loving it, I decided to investigate each of the authors a little more. I chose Rachel Cohn first simply because my library has quite a few of her books. Gingerbread is the first in a trilogy so I nabbed that one.

Cyd Charisse has just been kicked out of her prestigious east-coast boarding school and is now back living with her parents in San Francisco. Her mother Nancy is a thin, non-eating type and Sid-dad (stepfather) is a wealthy CEO t...more After reading Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares recently and loving it, I decided to investigate each of the authors a little more. I chose Rachel Cohn first simply because my library has quite a few of her books. Gingerbread is the first in a trilogy so I nabbed that one.

Cyd Charisse has just been kicked out of her prestigious east-coast boarding school and is now back living with her parents in San Francisco. Her mother Nancy is a thin, non-eating type and Sid-dad (stepfather) is a wealthy CEO type. Cyd Charisse is rebelling against everything at the moment – rattling around the house and greater San Francisco causing trouble and acting out. The only things she seems to enjoy are hanging out with Sugar Pie at a nursing home and her boyfriend Shrimp, a surfer of small stature. She also has Gingerbread, a doll her real father Frank bought her the one time they met in her life, an all too brief meeting in an airport.

As kids who haven’t met/had much to do with their real parents, Cyd Charisse idealises Frank and acts out against Nancy and Sid, who she is actually living with, who take care of her. She pushes boundaries simply to see if they notice and it hurts her when they don’t. When they finally do notice and punish her accordingly, all she can do is throw in their faces that hey, she’s already been doing it for quite a while now. So why punish her? It’s a very real teenager thing to do (I may have done it myself once or twice!) and so Nancy and Sid think that it might be best if Cyd Charisse does actually go and spend time time with Frank – 3 weeks. Frank was married when Cyd Charisse was born but his wife died a few years ago and now it seems like he’s finally willing to get to know Cyd Charisse.

Her boyfriend Shrimp tells her that he thinks they should take a bit of a break and so Cyd Charisse, although upset about Shrimp, still heads off to New York with stars in her eyes, dreaming of her reunion with her real father. She’s brought back to Earth with a bit of a thump – Frank isn’t even there to pick her up and also seems reluctant to announce that she’s his daughter. He tells people that she’s his niece (although the two are so similar looks-wise that it seems it would be impossible for Frank to deny paternity) and his god-daughter. He spends hardly any time with Cyd Charisse, other than carefully orchestrated and organised “quality time” which usually is limited to dinner. It is left to Cyd Charisse’s older, gay brother Danny to take her under his wing and show her New York. Cyd Charisse is a lover of coffee and Danny and his partner run a cafe/cake shop so Cyd Charisse starts working some shifts there as a barista. She’s very happy doing that and realises that just might be what she wants out of life. With Shrimp around though, preferably.

In New York Cyd Charisse will finally have to confront and get past the ghost of the event that has changed her life. The thing that has made her act out, crave attention, crave something. She’ll realise that what she did was hard and that she did it all by herself and that she is a stronger person for being the one who could deal with it, the one who had to.

Cyd Charisse is not always a likable protagonist but I loved reading this novel. She’s selfish and she’s wilful and she’s hurting and does silly things and she also spends a lot of time talking to a doll. And I loved her. I felt for her when she told her story and I felt for her that she had no one to really tell it to properly and be there for her at the time. She was funny and smart and although sarcastic and often a bit childish, that was real and believable. I’m sure I was still plenty childish when I was 16-17 and her voice for me is a true one. I would’ve liked to actually see more of Shrimp – we see very little of their relationship and then Shrimp requests a break and Cyd Charisse heads to New York. I assume the second novel (called Shrimp!) is going to be all about her attempt to get back together with him, so I might get a bit more of an idea of what he’s like when I read that. Shrimp wasn’t really important in this novel, he was more a bit of background information on Cyd Charisse in that she makes different relationship choices now. She just needs to learn to make different choices for herself in other areas and New York is the first step to that.

The other characters are skilfully portrayed – Nancy is a strict but also slightly unconventional mother and I very much liked Sid-dad, Cyd Charisse’s tolerant and loving stepfather. Frank was a distant parent, unsure how to go about forging a relationship with his now grown-up daughter and Danny was fun and interesting. Lisbeth, Cyd Charisse’s half-sister was drawn well, having trouble coming to terms with her new teenage sibling but putting on her best game face and making the effort. The subject matter was no where near as light as I first thought just from reading the blurb on the back of the book and the fun surface read successfully explored some darker and more complex topics and issues.(less)

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Sep 07, 2010 Jeanne added it

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Jul 25, 2010 Karin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teenagers, teenage-pregnancy, abortion, relationship-problems, relationships, families, mother-daughter-relationships, depression, high-school, problem-teens, friendship, realistic, borrowed-from-the-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Cyd Charisse has been returned to her family’s house in San Francisco after being expelled from boarding school. Her boyfriend Justin was beautiful, but he was trouble - and he got her into a whole lot of trouble too. Needless to say, Cyd’s parents aren’t too thrilled when they discover Cyd was caught having sex with said boyfriend. They aren’t happy, either, when Cyd immediately finds someone new in San Francisco. Shrimp, however, is nothing like Justin and Cyd’s folks just don’t seem to unders...more Cyd Charisse has been returned to her family’s house in San Francisco after being expelled from boarding school. Her boyfriend Justin was beautiful, but he was trouble - and he got her into a whole lot of trouble too. Needless to say, Cyd’s parents aren’t too thrilled when they discover Cyd was caught having sex with said boyfriend. They aren’t happy, either, when Cyd immediately finds someone new in San Francisco. Shrimp, however, is nothing like Justin and Cyd’s folks just don’t seem to understand. After they ground her, though, Shrimp tells her that maybe it’s a good thing for them to have some space since they’ve been spending every waking moment together. This throws Cyd into a deep depression. No one seems to love her or want her. Her mom has had enough and decides that Cyd needs to do something to shake her out of her funk, so she sends her to New York to meet the father she’s never known. Her biological dad, Frank had an affair with Cyd’s mom, but didn’t leave his wife when he found out that she was pregnant. He has basically kept Cyd a secret. She doesn’t really get on with him all that well, but does find a niche of sorts with her half-brother and his boyfriend in their coffee shop/café where she ends up being their barista while she’s in the city. She even makes some headway getting to know her difficult half-sister, Rhonda Lisbeth. What the time in NYC does give her is a sense of independence and time away from the events that happened in boarding school. What no one knows is that she had an abortion – and Justin didn’t help her pay for it, and he didn’t even bother to go with her. She’s crushed over that. When she randomly runs into Justin in NYC just as she’s finding her feet again, everything crashes down. Coincidentally, Cyd’s mom picks this time to fly out and visit, and in a weak moment Cyd tells her everything – expecting her to lash out at her. Mom doesn’t. She actually understands – especially as she went through a similar difficult patch in her own life when she decided to have Cyd. Instead of criticism and anger, Cyd suddenly has support, and this makes all of the difference. The book closes on Cyd thinking about where her life might take her with some tentative plans in the works – maybe not like the American expectations of college and career, but something that will make her happy and something that temporarily will suit her. She also realizes that she needs to make some other changes as well, especially regarding her relationships with other people – less hostile, more friendly, make new friends. Things are looking up!

There’s not a whole lot of discussion of what Cyd was like before she went to boarding school. You get the impression, however, that she was no cup of tea – that she’s been kind of difficult from the very beginning. She’s obviously very affected by the abortion that she’s had, but she also seems so young that sometimes it’s hard for her to wrap her mind around it. She carries around this doll that she named “Gingerbread” who she got after her biological father met her once at the airport with a piece of fresh gingerbread. The doll is like her connection with her childhood and her innocence and occasionally Cyd has these conversations with Gingerbread in her head like they’re talking telepathically. She’s obviously hurting the whole time, and trying to find some way out of it and some way to express it.

A very honest book.(less)

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Apr 22, 2010 Bethany Miller rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ms-miller-s-book-list, summer-reads-for-teens

Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn is a book about a sixteen-year-old girl, Cyd Charisse, who has returned home to live with her family in California after getting kicked out of an east coast boarding school. Cyd admits that she had made some very bad decisions and is now trying to be "good". She has a complicated relationship with her parents. Her mom and "real dad" were never married, and her father was married to another woman at the time she was conceived. At the outset of the book, she has only had...more

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Jan 29, 2010 Lauren rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who don't mind stereotypical and underdeveloped characters.

Recommended to Lauren by: No one. It was just sitting there.

Shelves: chick-lit-teen-lit, series, young-adult-lit, had-potential-but-didn-t-deliver

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ahead of time- sorry for sounding like a negative nelly. Where do I start with Gingerbread, by Rachel Cohn? Do I start with the underdeveloped and massively annoying main character, the off writing, or the strange plot?
I shouldn't say strange. It had some sustenance -Cyd, who had problems with her mother, wished to meet her biological father and half siblings, and did so- but it was ruined by the 2D characters. Cyd is an unappreciative, selfish, and troublemaking teenager. Kicked out of a fan...more Ahead of time- sorry for sounding like a negative nelly. Where do I start with Gingerbread, by Rachel Cohn? Do I start with the underdeveloped and massively annoying main character, the off writing, or the strange plot?
I shouldn't say strange. It had some sustenance -Cyd, who had problems with her mother, wished to meet her biological father and half siblings, and did so- but it was ruined by the 2D characters. Cyd is an unappreciative, selfish, and troublemaking teenager. Kicked out of a fancy New England boarding school, she lives back with her parents, Nancy and Sid-dad (her stepfather) in San Francisco. Her only true friends are her boyfriend Shrimp and Sugar Pie (the only two pleasing characters in the SF portion of the book) and her doll, Gingerbread. Gingerbread is her only tie to her father, whom she hasn't seen since an airport meeting when she was 5. Though sweet, and it carries over as an actual and acceptable character trait (she longs for the relationship most girls have with their bio-dad), it's still a little creepy that she carries the rag doll around -and wears platform shoes?-
Now, building off of that, what really bugged me was how stereotypical Cyd was. Yeah she had a bad past, with her absent dad, butthole boyfriend, and an unexpected pregnancy/subsequent abortion, but she is a whiny brat. All she talks about is Shrimp, the alleged "love of her life OMGRLY?" and how she hates her mother, Nancy. She tries to pull off this "supergoth" label (even asking for a futon on the floor instead of the nice, but apparently, pink, bed that her mother bought her) that isn't good for young girls to see. Labels are bad. End of story. Also, eventually, EVERYONE likes her. EVERYONE. Even her ex-boyfriend, who mind you left her to get an abortion by herself, seems to harbor feelings for her still. What is going on? She's INSUFFERABLE. Aside from Cyd, the characters also seem to have no character depth. Rhonda, her half-sister, thinks all teens shop at the gap, and refuses to marry a man with no money. Danny is all INSTA-LOVE with Cyd, letting her work at his and his boyfriend's coffee shop, not even considering that she may have been a thief, a pyro, what have you. Frank-real dad is barely even in the book, so I can't really comment on him, Nancy is...Nancy, Sid-dad is ok, I suppose, and the rest of them barely deserve a mention.
This book had the potential to be good. But because Cohn neglected to take time to truly develop her characters out of the Mary Sue stage and make them more likeable, it unfortunately ruined it for me. Could have been much better.
And, I dare say, there are plenty of good places to get coffee in New England other than DD. Harumph.(less)

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Nov 24, 2009 Jessica Ng rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: senior-year

This book was in our bookshelf, courtesy of Laura U. This book started off pretty slow and I actually stopped in the middle and read the Twilight books instead. I started off again in the middle, where things were picking up. This girl named Cyd Charisse seemed like a troubled teenager, who was too into her boyfriend and who didn't listen to her parents (her mom and her step dad). Her parents got fed up with the way she acted, and so they decided to send her off to her real dad, in New York. I r...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Jillian rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn is not your average, everyday young adult novel. This book throws real life in your face in the most comforting way possible. One word to describe this novel: unique. That word could describe the characters and/or the whole story itself.

This young adult novel is about a rebellious teenage girl (who still carries her old rag doll around with her) named Cyd Charisse (and yes, that is also the name of a famous dancer). Cyd has just been kicked out of boarding school beca...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Alice rated it 3 of 5 stars

A quick, quirky read about 16 yr old Cyd Charisse (NOT the movie star/dancer) trying to figure out what love is and where she fits within her two families. She is the secret love child of Frank- real dad whom she has met once and she has returned home to her "true" parents Sid and Nancy (NOT the rocker and his lover) after some trouble at an elite boarding school. Her best friend and confidant is her ragdoll Gingerbread which she is not prepared to give up, reagardless that everyone thinks she i...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Ali Schellhorn rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is seriously one of the greatest books I've ever read. I am in love with Cyd Charisse's character. I get kind of tired of those books where the main girl goes on about how different she is, when in reality she's really normal but considers herself weird because she likes Pokemon or something. Cyd Charisse actually is different, but doesn't act like she's entitled to anything because of it. She doesn't act as if her combat boots she wears and her doll she carries around makes her anything mo...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Kendall rated it 1 of 5 stars

Gingerbread

When you read the news online or in the paper it’s usually about things like murders or car crashes or people who died. I only have one question; why is everybody wasting their lives reading all the bad news in life? I mean the news could be about good things like veterans or about things like what kids are learning about in school, even about things that are currently going on in our town. We should stop wasting the news on the negative things in life and focus on the positive. Just...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Lyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

At sixteen, she has already had an abortion, been caught shop lifting and been kicked out of a preppy Eastern boarding school. In spite of that, she is such a mixture of naiveté and wistfulness that you can't help but be in her corner.

After returning to San Francisco and her family, Cyd is sent to an alternative high school for her junior year. There she meets Shrimp, a surfer and artist and her soul mate. Her mother disagrees as she does so often about things important to Cyd. Cyd ends up under...more

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Nov 13, 2011 Alicia Scully rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, gr-8-10, young-adult-lit, realistic

A true coming of age story. Cyd is mature in many ways, already having had experience with drugs and sex at a young age. She knows how to manipulate people to get what she wants and she understands most people’s motives. Regardless, she is very selfish and hides behind her childhood memories of her father who remains with his “real” family on the other side of the United States. Cyd doesn’t feel like she fits with her own family and instead entertains the idea that life would be much better with...more

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Feb 18, 2008 Keris rated it 4 of 5 stars

I wasn't actually too excited to read Gingerbread, since a while ago I read the next book in the series and didn't enjoy it as much as I expected too, but Gingerbread was thrust upon me and I was urged to read it, so I did. And I was glad I did, because I loved it.

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Jul 11, 2012 Ivy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Two stars because, while I felt that it had many, many downfalls, it was readable.

Pros:
- A quick read.... and I can't think of anymore.

Cons:
- A main character that is written as a completely vapid and stereotypical teenager.
- Lack of character development. Like, yes I get the point that one [minor] character is a dancer, or that the maid is a maid... do they have anything interesting to say? Anything that stands out about them, a reason they are in the book? Nope, not really. Even with CC, I ke...more

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title link	preview: Gingerbread
avg rating	preview: Gingerbread Goodreads rating: 3.64 (6082 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28106.Gingerbread?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1167922762l/28106.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28106.Gingerbread?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn[/url]

Gingerbread (Cyd Charisse #1)

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