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Apr 12, 2008

Jessica rated it:

While this is a good read, its storyline is too pat, its conclusion to easy, and its writing too forgettable to earn more than three stars. Would I read it again? Probably not. Would I want to reread parts of it years from now? Possibly. Would I read a sequel? Quite probably. You can draw your own conclusions from that :-)

Our heroine struggles with self-perception and a lack of self-esteem. Josey is supposed to be a Southern belle...living in a ski resort town in the mountains of Nor More...

0 comments like (14 people liked it)

Sep 15, 2010

Angie rated it:

My lovely book-gifting mother gave me a nice, healthy stack of books for Christmas and among them was THE SUGAR QUEEN. I read and loved Sarah Addison Allen's first novel, Garden Spells, last year on the recommendation of my good friend Michelle. Incidentally, I actually gave my mom Garden Spells for Christmas so there was some fun karmic reciprocity goin' on there. Garden Spells was the perfect autumn read and I finished it itching to get my hands on Allen's second book, which, as it turns out, More...

0 comments like (11 people liked it)

Apr 24, 2011

Kei rated it:

I love this story! It's a very strong character-driven tale with all of the ingredients I personally enjoy in a book, a little magic, a little fantasy, romance, conflict, and dream fulfillment. The author chose a very simplistic style of writing and spent very little page space describing the weather, the people's description, and atmosphere which doesn't bother me one bit, since she mastered the storytelling element. She DID describe the main characters enough for you to get a good picture of e More...

2 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jun 09, 2008

Ewelina rated it:

Josey is a 27 year old that lives with her mother and likes eating sweets in her closet and reading romantic books. At a diner, she meets a waitress, Della, who becomes her fairy godmother and agrees on her closet getaway. When she finds love, Della decides to move on! Fictional!!

6 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 13, 2008

Judy rated it:

I'd really like to give this book three-and-a-half stars if possible! I did enjoy it but took a while to get into it - I wasn't too keen on the beginning, but became hooked about halfway through.

There are a lot of similarities with her other book, 'Garden Spells' - again it is a story with elements of magic realism, where the magic seems benevolent and determined to help people, but this time there are also some darker moments and it isn't pure escapism. I discovered this author bec More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Nov 19, 2011

Polvere rated it:

E' la storia di una ragazza come noi, una ragazza come tante. Josey è intrappolata nel piccolo paesino natale dal senso di colpa verso la madre e dalla necessità di stare con lei e accudirla fino a quando ne avrà bisogno. Josey è una ragazza tormentata dalla madre perchè assomiglia troppo a quel marito che tanto ha disprezzato. Ma Josey è anche una ragazza che ha voglia di vita: voglia di viaggiare, uscire,avere amiche, fare esperienze e invece resta dietro le finestre della sua stanza accontent More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 01, 2011

Belle rated it:

My most favorite Sarah Addison Allen sweet treat so far...

I didn't find Josey's character as charming as Emily and the Waverleys at first. And Bald Slope, not as enchanting as Mullaby and Bascom. The beginning of the story didn't impress me as much as the first ones did. I was afraid this is going to be some typical chick lit with the typical drama queen with their typical problems and all that typical lame stuffs going on. But now I feel guilty. I can't believe I ever doubted Sarah More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 24, 2012

Splash Of Our Worlds rated it:

This is a normal book. Almost normal, for telling the truth. I only knew that after I read it. I had it on my bookshelves for a year and I took it with me when I went on vacation.

It's telling the story of Josey. She's a young woman on her 30's. She's leaving with her mother on her parent's house-her father is dead-and she's dreaming to leave that life, every single day, since she hates it. She is in love with Adam, the postman, but she's to shy to talk to him more than few seconds. Jos More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 17, 2009

Tammy rated it:

Wow! Another magical novel by Sarah Addison Allen. Beautifully written. Much like her debut novel Garden Spells, this book contains a blend of interesting food and magic realism.

Josey Cirrini is a chubby, shy recluse who lives with her overbearing mother. She consoles herself with junk food and romance novels that she keeps hidden in her closet. One day her boring life is turned upside down when she discovers local bad girl, Della Lee, hiding in her closet. Desperate to be rid of De More...

3 comments like (15 people liked it)

Mar 08, 2009

Leslie rated it:

Let’s see…a story about a young single woman who hoards sweets and trashy romance novels in a cache hidden in her closet. Hmm...I’m on board! I’ll take chocolate and passion on the page over my problems any time. And so we have Josey Cirrini, the twenty-seven-year-old heroine of The Sugar Queen. She’s an almost over-the-hill Southern belle without a life or a date, no privacy from a domineering mother, and now has the town harlot camping out and black-mailing her in her bedroom closet. What’s a More...

0 comments like (6 people liked it)

Jul 26, 2008

Grace rated it:

I requested this book at the library when a friend informed me it had been released. I didn't read anything about the story beforehand...I just knew it was a new book by the author of _Garden Spells_. I'm glad now that I didn't read any information or reviews, because it made the whole story all the more fresh.

Allen seems to be developing a theme between her novels in regard to characterizing a non-human object and giving it a magical and charming life and influence on the other More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jun 16, 2008

Britt rated it:

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

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 13, 2008

Abby rated it:

27-year-old Josey Cirrini lives with and takes care of her elderly mother in their expensive house. She's docile and obedient. And any spare moment she gets she spends in her bedroom closet where she's hidden a stash of romance novels and candy. Having no friends and no life outside the oppressive house in which she lives, the novels and food are her only comfort. Then one day an unexpected visitor arrives. Della Lee, a somewhat trashy woman who has obviously run away from someone, takes up resi More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 04, 2008

Jeanne rated it:

I have really mixed feelings about this novel. On the one hand, I almost quit reading it after only a few pages. The writing is so over the top cheesy. In the first two pages, the author mentions the "feathery frost" and the "sugary frost." Too much.

But then the silly descriptions decreased (or I just skimmed them, I don't know), and the story picked up. This is the story of Josey Cirrini. She is 27, her mother's personal slave, and extremely wealthy due to More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 02, 2008

Jennifer rated it:

This treacly romance was lauded by reviewers, but I found it as difficult to swallow as a spoonful of raw sugar. Two young sheltered women in their twenties struggle with their pasts and their current romantic relationships in a small North Carolina resort town. Nothing unusual there, except the author adds elements of magical realism that are not quite successful. For example, there is a strange woman living in the closet of one of the women who may or may not be real. When her presence is hurr More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Aug 27, 2008

Liisa rated it:

Quite simply, I adored "The Sugar Queen" by Sarah Addison Allen. It was an absolutely delicious read and I was bereaved when it finished.

I stumbled upon Sarah Addison Allen quite by accident after being "drawn" to the cover of her debut novel, "Garden Spells". I enjoyed her debut so much, I pre-ordered "The Sugar Queen" but it was still with hesitance that I picked it up. I LOVED "Garden Spells" ~ what if this wasn't up to par?
More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 25, 2008

Elisa rated it:

The more days that go by, the more I realize how much I liked this book. The right mixture of magic (books that show up just when a girl needs them...my kind of magic), romance, community, messiness and mystery.
I have thought about these characters often since finishing it. They are well developed and friendly. A 28 year old girl stuck with a society loving mother, a dead father who owned the town and a stranger in her closet. That is not even talking about the maid, who calls her " More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

May 27, 2011

Jeanette rated it:

This one wasn't as magical and playful as Garden Spells, but I still enjoyed it. I'm not into romances, but Sarah Addison Allen throws in some magical and humorous elements, and she doesn't get too mushy or graphic with the romance stuff. The pieces of the puzzle fit together a little too neatly in this story. It could have used a little more complexity.

I especially liked the way books intervene in Chloe's life in a magical way. They won't leave her alone! And she never has to pa More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 08, 2009

Lisa rated it:

Another satisfyingly sweet read by Allen, but not too saccharine. How can I resist a character that keeps a secret cache of candy and romance novels and another character has books that magically appear in her presence? I like the touches of magical realism, where water boils and eggs fry in the company of a couple in love. The story was a wonderful contrast between innocence and understanding. I wanted to let out a satiated sigh when I finished The Sugar Queen; it was lipsmacking good. More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 18, 2010

Capri rated it:

I really enjoyed this book. It was silly at times, made me laugh, but still had enough depth of characters and plot to not seem shallow. I read a few other people's reviews of the book and was suprised by how poorly they rated it. I loved how the chapter titles were all candies and treats that somehow related to the events in the chapter. I loved how Josey thinks of everything in terms of which food it is like and how that makes her feel. I enjoyed the other characters as well. (I don't want to More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 13, 2008

Amanda rated it:

I enjoyed this a lot. There are two things that stood out - first that although it was pretty obvious how this would end - that it was really fun to get there. Also, one of the characters has books that follow her around - the right book at the right time... I love that. I wish the right books would follow me around!

Sometimes I read a book that has a plot twist (say, a special unstated relationship between the characters) and I can see it coming a mile away. This one snuck up on me More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Nov 29, 2011

Michelle rated it:

Josey is 27 years old. She lives at home and takes care of her mother. One morning she wakes up and Della Lee Baker is hiding in her closet. Della Lee says she needs a place to hide for a few days before she leaves town. Josey reluctantly lets her stay. That one small act starts to change her life. Della Lee sends her to a deli to pick up a sandwich and she meets Chloe who becomes her friend. She starts spending time with Chloe, leaving the house more, and gaining some independence. This More...

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Jul 17, 2011

Hilary rated it:

Lonely, frumpy, bullied Josey looks into her closet one day and finds, alongside her secret stash of sweets and romance novels, local waitress and bad-girl Della Lee Baker, who promptly sets about helping Josey fix her life, starting by introducing her to the sister she never knew she had. It occurred to me, as I was reading this that, with its characters who set water boiling through the sheer strength of their passion, or who are constrained by their nature to keep every promise they make, how More...

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Mar 17, 2009

Princess rated it:

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

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Mar 13, 2009

Perryville rated it:

The Sugar Queen is the sweet sophomore offering of novelist Sarah Addison Allen. Nestled away in the sleepy southern resort town of Bald Slope, three young women find themselves in trouble up to their necks. Della Lee, the town bad girl, is on the run from her abusive boyfriend. Chloe is broken up over the betrayal of her lover, unsure she can forgive or if she should. Her special ‘talent' of finding books just when she needs them has been more of a nag then a help this time. Finally, Josey More...

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Jan 17, 2009

Jill rated it:

I am a huge fan of magical realism. I love those books that deal with real life situations in real life settings but add just a smidge of magic. In this book the magic is subtle but delightful. A character has books that magically appear and then follow her until she reads them or learns what they want to teach her (e.g. a book on home ownership appears as soon as she buys a house).

The main story in this book concerns Josey, a mouse of a woman beaten down by her aging mother. Jos More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 12, 2012

Rowan rated it:

Una favola delicata come lo zucchero a velo e fresco come il sorbetto al limone..

Che cosa fareste, voi, se una mattina come tante altre trovaste nascosta nel vostro guardaroba una donna? E se la donna in questione avesse scoperto il vostro segreto e vi stesse ricattando?
Questo è esattamente ciò che succede alla 27enne Josey Cirrini. Qual è il suo segreto? Dentro al suo guardaroba c'è una porta scorrevole che nasconde montagne di dolci: cioccolata, muffin, biscotti alla crema e More...

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Dec 21, 2011

Alexandria rated it:

So I read this book when it came out in 2009. I remember picking it up and immediately relating to the protagonist, Josey Cirrini. Josey, a 28 year old woman lives alone with her cold, wealthy mother. She is guilty of her horrendous behavior as a child, so as repentance she stays to care for her overbearing mama. Over the years she becomes a Dikenson of sorts, very reclusive, pining over gorgeous mailmen, gorging herself on her secret candy treasure to make herself feel better. The story gets in More...

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Dec 13, 2011

megan rated it:

I am undecided on magical-realism books. On one hand, I think the genre can make implausible situations or relationships plausible without much of an explanation for why. Kind of seems like a cheap shot. Say, for instance, in "The Sugar Queen". Two women, one the daughter of the deceased Italian patriarch of the town and the other the counter-girl at the courthouse sandwich shop, befriend each other over a grilled cheese sandwich. Wut? I mean, food is powerful (and the power of More...

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Oct 08, 2011

Tanbanan rated it:

Enjoyable book. The author mixes some magical aspects that kind of seem a bit out of place in a book set in today's society, but it does give the book charm. I did feel like a few characters were underdeveloped and I really wanted to author to tie-up Josey's candy addiction. Either have her overcome that addiction as she becomes more involved in developing outside relationships that seem to heal and change her or just give the reader a more clear direction as to what happens with that addicti More...

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