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God is in the Pancakes

by Robin Epstein (Goodreads Author)

3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 · rating details · 248 ratings · 61 reviews

Fifteen-year-old Grace Manning is a candy striper in a nursing home, and Mr. Sands is the one patient who makes the job bearable. He keeps up with her sarcasm, teaches her to play poker . . . and one day cheerfully asks her to help him die. At first Grace says no way, but as Mr. Sands?s disease progresses, she?s not so sure. Grace tries to avoid the wrenching decision by p...more

Hardcover, 272 pages

Published May 13th 2010 by Dial

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Apr 10, 2011 Nomes rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of Sara Zarr

Recommended to Nomes by: oliviasbooks

Shelves: 2011, books-that-linger, faves-of-2011, i-own, crushing-on-the-writing, hidden-gem-i-love-you-so, quietly-awesome, themes-i-love, tissue-box-books, you-make-me-smile

4.5 stars.

I am continually drawn to Young Adult fiction that feels like the truth> Books such as Kirsty Eagar's Raw Blue and Laura Buzo's GOOD OIL and Sara Zarr's ONCE WAS LOST all resound with me so strongly because their stories are subtle yet complicated, quiet yet resounding and GOD IS IN THE PANCAKES is of the same calibre.

God is in the Pancakes is a stand out read for me due to Grace, such a spunky protagonist who I couldn't help but ache for. Reading about her felt like reading about m...more

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Apr 10, 2011 oliviasbooks rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, ya-contemporary, stays-with-me, read-2010, beautiful-writing

*** contains some smaller spoilers ***
What a brave and beautiful little book. Sarcastic Grace Manning is fifteen and has been living with her mom, who is manager in a branch of "You Say Potato" and her only slightly older sister Lolly in a women-only household since her religious father, who took his daughters out for church and pancakes each Sunday, left the family to move in with a Sunday School teacher. Grace and Lolly have a wonderfully realistic relationship: They cover for each other and t...more *** contains some smaller spoilers ***
What a brave and beautiful little book. Sarcastic Grace Manning is fifteen and has been living with her mom, who is manager in a branch of "You Say Potato" and her only slightly older sister Lolly in a women-only household since her religious father, who took his daughters out for church and pancakes each Sunday, left the family to move in with a Sunday School teacher. Grace and Lolly have a wonderfully realistic relationship: They cover for each other and they both feel the deep bond between them, but there are also walls between them: Popular Lolly believes that Grace is jealous of her boyfriend Jake and refuses to listen, when Grace subtly tries to warn her about Jake's infidelity. Most of her ups and downs Grace shares with her best friend Eric, who recently made the school's basketball team and started to hang out with the other team members and the female groupies his new fame brings with it. I have read several best-friends-turn-into-lovers stories, but I thought the execution in "God is in the Pancakes" sublimely well done: The sudden tingling, the awkwardness, the difficulties to talk about accidental touches, the insecurity in the shadow of other girls' advances. The bitter-sweet love story is not the center around which Grace's narration revolves, though. I am not sure even if one of the several strands can be picked out and labeled as the defining theme. But surely Grace's relationship with Mr. Sands, a spunky senior who lives in Hanover House, an old people's home, where Grace works as a candy striper in the afternoons, is the one that made me think the most. Mr. Sands has turned into Grace's confidant and father surrogate. He knows how to take Grace's humor and moods and teaches her poker but his health is deteriorating quickly: He suffers from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) which shuts down the muscles he still can use. When he hands Grace an envelope and begs her to help him die, Grace digs out old habits: She bakes pancakes and she experiments with praying. The latter connects her with someone old enough to "have been God's babysitter" who loves to answer prayers: Mr. Sand's wife Isabelle ...

I am glad I didn't guess the outcome of Grace's dilemma, but I was very satisfied with the note on which Robin Epstein ends the story. The book deals with difficult questions: The existence of a higher being, euthanasia, hypocrisy, friendship and love, truth and hurt, getting old ... but offers no cheesy solution. Still, there was hope and warmth all over this book. And the part where my eyes misted was pretty unspectacular, but real. Lolly says: "I am not going to tell on you. I'm your sister."
Recommended.(less)

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Jan 10, 2011 Kendra rated it 3 of 5 stars

What would you do if a dear friend asked you for a little help...dying? For Grace, the 15 year old protagonist in this book, that is exactly the decision she must struggle with. Working part-time in a retirement home, Grace strikes up a strong friendship with Mr. Sands. But Mr. Sands is slowly dying from ALS, and he would like to speed the process along. Grace needs some serious advice but doesn't have much support on the home-front since her dad just left (This was a storyline that seemed undev...more

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Dec 22, 2010 Suzanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: peach-consideration

The dust jacket of this book actually compares it (or perhaps the main character Grace Manning) to the movie Juno. "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." "Robin Epstein, you're no Diablo Cody." Come on: can we really compare the wisecracks of this girl struggling with her parents' divorce and the fairly predictable friend-turning-into-more-than-friend boy trouble with the chugging the Sunny D so she can pee on a preggers stick in the convenience store bathroom icon Juno? Nope.

In fact, while I did fi...more

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Oct 28, 2010 Melanie Goodman added it

Camus said, “There is but one truly serious philosophical problem and that is suicide.” Do we have a right to die? Do people suffering from terminal illnesses have a right to end their suffering? If so, should they be able to enlist help in the form of an assisted suicide? Would you help someone end their life if you were asked?

I worked in a veterinary office very briefly and was required to help with euthanasia almost every day. I watched people choose to put down their beloved cats, dogs, guin...more Camus said, “There is but one truly serious philosophical problem and that is suicide.” Do we have a right to die? Do people suffering from terminal illnesses have a right to end their suffering? If so, should they be able to enlist help in the form of an assisted suicide? Would you help someone end their life if you were asked?

I worked in a veterinary office very briefly and was required to help with euthanasia almost every day. I watched people choose to put down their beloved cats, dogs, guinea pigs…and when I was done trying not to cry on the job, I couldn’t help but wonder where or why we draw the line between putting suffering animals “to sleep” and assisting the suicides of chronically ill patients.

Robin Epstein’s fabulously titled God is in the Pancakes explores these questions through Grace, a candy-striper in an assisted living community, who befriends a patient suffering from ALS. Mr. Sands is a spirited, quirky elderly man, and though his disease isn’t taking away his spunk, it is slowly taking away his motor control. It will continue to do so until he is completely paralyzed and unable to even breathe for himself. Sands asks Grace to help him die on his own terms; he gives her the pills that he wants crushed up and baked into a cake and tells her that nobody would ever suspect her involvement, but Grace doesn’t know if she can go through with the plan.

Epstein’s book is spirited, thoughtful, provocative, and ultimately far more uplifting than you might suspect. Grace’s conversations with Sands and his wife are moving, but her life is also full of the normal teenage dilemmas, like her parents’ separation, her crush on her childhood best friend, and fights with her older sister. Grace has plenty on her plate, but when things get a little too tough, all it takes is a mixture of milk, flour, baking powder, and eggs to renew her spirits. As full of weighty philosophical decisions as this book is, it is its grounding in reality that makes it most profound. It is its normalcy that allows readers to envision themselves in Grace’s shoes and contemplate what choice they would make.(less)

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May 14, 2010 Robin Epstein rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Here's the review from Publisher's Weekly:

In Epstein's (the Groovy Girls series) powerful and poignant novel, her first for teenage readers, 10th-grader Grace narrates her exploration of life's conundrums as she faces difficult choices in every close relationship, some of which are literally a matter of life and death. Reeling from her father's sudden departure from their family and adulterous relationship with a church friend, Grace feels abandoned by him and by God, left to confront complex is...more

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Dec 13, 2011 ALPHAreader rated it 5 of 5 stars

Grace Manning isn’t having the best year. In a wholly ironic twist of hypocrisy, her father did not practice what he preached and left the family for a woman he met at bible group. Six months have passed and Grace’s mother swings between blistering hatred for Grace’s deserting father, and constant complaining about her thankless job.

Grace’s older sister, Lolly, continues to date a boneheaded boy called Jake, even though all signs point to heartbreak. And Grace’s best friend, Eric, is rising in...more

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Jun 11, 2010 Kris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Final Verdict First:

Pancakes takes one of the most intriguing premises of 2010’s YA debuts and mixes the serious and delicate subject matter with wit and humor; character introspection on par with E. Lockhart and John Green; and an extraordinary heroine that you will root for from the moment you meet her turning Mr. Sands’ hair into a faux hawk-inspired gelled updo. This remarkable story will suck you in and keep your eyes riveted to the page, trying to read as fast as you can to find out what G...more Final Verdict First:

Pancakes takes one of the most intriguing premises of 2010’s YA debuts and mixes the serious and delicate subject matter with wit and humor; character introspection on par with E. Lockhart and John Green; and an extraordinary heroine that you will root for from the moment you meet her turning Mr. Sands’ hair into a faux hawk-inspired gelled updo. This remarkable story will suck you in and keep your eyes riveted to the page, trying to read as fast as you can to find out what Grace’s ultimate decision will be: to help, or not to help, a very dear friend die?

I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of YA contemporary and doesn’t mind heavy subject matter. I’d also recommend this book to MG readers looking for a quality YA read.

The Full Review:

The premise, as you probably suspected, is what initially drew me to God Is In the Pancakes. From the first time I’d read the synopsis, I was curious as to how Robin was going to address Grace’s tough decision to assist or not assist Mr. Sands’ euthanasia request. Then, when I read the first chapter on the book’s website, I was drawn in by Grace’s voice and the friendship she’d built with Mr. Sands, which was plain to see just from that first chapter.

Grace is everything I want in a YA heroine: she’s witty, spunky, and smart, but she’s also flawed; she’s courageous and good-natured, even when she’s confused and scared; she’s confident, despite her vulnerabilities. Can you imagine being fifteen and being forced to make a life or death decision? Think of the ramifications, both for yourself and for everyone else involved. One one hand, you could help ease someone’s suffering. On the other hand, you love this person and will miss them like crazy — as will all the rest of that person’s loved ones that are left behind. Oh yeah, and then there’s THE LAW you have to worry about.

I was completely immersed in Grace’s complicated story and empathized with her like she was a close friend. And even though Mr. Sands is an adult and should know better than to ask so much of Grace, I couldn’t help but feel for him, too. I was already familiar with the term “Lou Gehrig’s disease,” but I didn’t know exactly what it did to the body before reading Pancakes. I felt my blood run cold when Jeff, the nursing home’s activities director, explains to Grace that the disease basically shuts down the brain’s ability to communicate with the muscles, thereby ceasing all control over basic functions (including the ability to breathe and swallow), while the mind remains intact, leaving the victim “locked in” their own body. *shiver* It’s no wonder that Mr. Sands is desperate to end his life.

As if that wasn’t enough for a sophomore high school student to deal with, Robin makes the point that the world keeps spinning, life goes on. Any new dilemma, no matter how difficult and life-altering, doesn’t negate what’s already problematic in one’s life. It just gets added to the rest of Problem Pile. So not only does Grace have to figure out what she’s going to do about Mr. Sands, but she also has to contend with the issues she had before Mr. Sands, such as her father’s recent abandonment of the family for a younger woman, her mother’s exhausting work schedule and new role as a single mom, her older sister’s relationship with a boy that cares less about her and more about “getting some,”and the romantic feelings Grace now has for her best friend, Eric. In each of those situations, Grace has even more tough decisions to make.

What Pancakes boils down to is choices. In life, we make countless decisions every day, and they are best made with the realization that nothing is black and white, that most decisions are neither “right” or “wrong.” Is it right to let someone suffer in pain, slowly deteriorating physically and losing their dignity? Is it right to help someone die, which basically means that you’ve assisted a suicide? Decisions aren’t always easy, and any decision comes with consequences. That’s a fact of life that cannot be escaped. You just have to make the best choice that you can and deal with the fallout as best as you can. And just as important — you have no control over, nor are you responsible for, the choices that others make.

If this all sounds a bit depressing, I guess in a way it is. Disease, dying, and suicide are not exactly fun topics, obviously. But like I mentioned earlier, there is a lot of humor to Grace’s story as well (Robin used to be a stand-up comedian), that effectively lightens the mood, and Robin’s use of certain ideas, such as the bubbles in pancakes, trompe l’oeil, and surprises, lends depth to the story and further illustrates what Grace is going through. Grace herself is very thoughtful, reflecting on the duality of certain words, such as pride and heroism — looking beyond the common definition to discover a more thorough meaning in order to shed light on the complexity of her situation and the decisions she must make.

Pancakes is both an easy read and a tough one. The plot itself will have you speed-reading to the very end to find out what happens, but there are times where you’ll linger on a page, soberly considering the decision each character makes, and what you think you’d do in their positions. This is a book that will have you laughing, crying, cringing, and applauding. It will remain in your mind — and your heart — long after the last page, and will no doubt have you analyzing your own feelings about assisted suicide and perhaps even discussing this topic with your family and friends. I am so impressed with Robin’s YA debut and I am dying to read whatever she publishes next!

You can read more of my reviews at www.rebloco.com (less)

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Aug 03, 2012 Andrea Mullarkey rated it 3 of 5 stars

I’m still on a YA fiction kick and the latest read was Robin Epstein’s God is in the Pancakes. It was a fine book, though didn’t blow my mind the way some YA lit has recently. The protagonist, 15-year-old Grace, is a candy striper at a nursing home and faces some pretty typical YA lit situations. Her parents are recently divorced, her best friend might be her dream date, her older sister suddenly ignores her in favor of the bad-boy boyfriend, and Grace is struggling with whether she should pay m...more

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Apr 23, 2011 Tracy Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: EVERYONE

Shelves: read-2011, ga-peach-nom-2011-2012

My school library had this on display and the cover caught my eye and the title caught my curiousity. Then when I read the blurb I was sold and the book gained a high spot on my to read list.
Some of the books I've been reading for the past week have let me down so I was beginning to doubt that I would be able to find a book anytime soon that was amazing for every reason. Epstein has creating a story that is straight general ficion with a dash of humor and a sprinkle of romance, that is both ligh...more

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Jun 19, 2010 Jody rated it 4 of 5 stars

15-year-old Grace Manning is struggling to make sense of her life after her father has left and she realizes she might be having feelings for her best friend. Surprisingly, her job as a candy striper at a local nursing home has become the highlight of her day. Which is primarily due to her friendship with one of the ailing patients, but when he asks an impossible favour of her, Grace’s world is shaken even further.

Grace, the main character of God is in the Pancakes is a smart, funny, and insight...more

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Jul 28, 2010 Brandi Kosiner rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book really caught my attention. Grace is a believable teenage girl, who is struggling to make sense of the big questions in her life. And they really are challenging- she is dealing with her dad who left, a rocky relationship with her mother, and a special patient she works with asks her to help him end his life.
I love the repertoire between Mr Sands and Grace- it is awesome, and reminds me why I just love old people sometimes.
It forced me to think about what I would do in Grace's positi...more

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Sep 29, 2010 Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, for-review, tour-1-arc-tour, read-sep-2010

Why I read this: The title was very intriguing as well as the write-up about what the book was about. It seemed more serious than a lot of books I've been reading lately and I wanted to read it.

How is the novel driven: Character. This is about Grace and decisions she has to make and how she learns more about life as a 15-year-old.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. Ms. Epstein took an interesting premise and way able to pull off centering the book around that premise while adding more layer...more

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Nov 12, 2011 Sandy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Young adult book, Grace is a candy striper at a nursing home and befriends Mr Sands. The banter between the two is funny and they truly care for each other. But he's sick and really wants to die. Premise of the book is interesting, as Grace turns to God for direction in this matter and relationship issues, etc. In fact, lots of relationship issues: with mother, father, sister, boyfriend, folks at nursing home. I had expected more spirituality in the book but it was very subdued. I was also disap...more

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Jun 02, 2010 Rachel Bussel rated it 5 of 5 stars

God is in the Pancakes looks at an intergenerational friendship and a girl who's asked to do something that is both far beyond her years and the ultimate ethical dilemma: help an old man with Lou Gehrig's disease die peacefully. Epstein presents all her characters as fully realized people and most especially highlights the lessons Grace learns from Frank and his wife, as well as vice versa.

She also doesn't make Grace's decision an easy one, and while her choice surprised me, so did the conclusio...more

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Apr 20, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

A gripping story about a teenage girl who finds herself facing some very difficult decisions. Grace Manning works at a local nursing home as a candy striper. Working in such a dismal environment is difficult but one particular patient makes this job not only only bearable but actually enjoyable. Mr. Sands has an amazing sense of humor which helps Grace deal with the divorce of her parents and the loss it has created in her life. This novel touches on many aspects and difficulties that many of th...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Alexandra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Wow. Judging by the title of this book, you'd never be able to tell just how serious the subject matter of the story is. I've never read anything quite like this before. In a nutshell, it's about a girl named Grace who has a job as a candy striper in a local nursing home. She befriends an old man named Mr. Sands and he asks her to do something for him as a favor that is illegal and to some people, immoral. I read through this book in about two hours, it had me that hooked. The cover of the book...more

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Jul 18, 2011 Audrey (holes In My brain) rated it 4 of 5 stars

full review on my blog, holes In My brain

I’m so glad I found out about book blogs, because I think this is the biggest, most obvious reason why I love it. I discover books. Plain and simple, because this seems like one of those books I would never think to pick up, but after seeing a glowing review at Inkcrush, I borrowed it and ended up loving it!

Easily the most enjoyable aspect of God is in the Pancakes (man, what a title!) is the beautiful narration. It’s not beautiful in that poetic style, i...more full review on my blog, holes In My brain

I’m so glad I found out about book blogs, because I think this is the biggest, most obvious reason why I love it. I discover books. Plain and simple, because this seems like one of those books I would never think to pick up, but after seeing a glowing review at Inkcrush, I borrowed it and ended up loving it!

Easily the most enjoyable aspect of God is in the Pancakes (man, what a title!) is the beautiful narration. It’s not beautiful in that poetic style, it is beautiful in its simplicity and conversational tone that made the reading experience feel like a dream. I never realized I was flipping pages because Grace’s voice flows incredibly well, not to mention she’s an extremely relatable character. I was surprised by how true that statement was; I empathized with her high school experiences, but more importantly, to her teenage feelings of self-doubt, identity, insecurity, and slightly (but not too much) rebellious attitude.

The plot was what I would think as “perfectly structured”. It’s not predictable by any means, but I felt that everything had its own place in the story—a good thing! There’s no WTF moments, or those “Why is that even relevant” scenes, everything played some sort of role, whether it was Grace’s family, love interest, or Frank Sands. The questions and moralities raised with Mr. Sands’ request for euthanasia had me thinking, but thank goodness, it never felt preachy.

Sometimes books are only as good as their secondary characters and may I say the supporting cast is excellent. My favourite parts of the book involved Grace and her family, they feel so alive. Her sister… gah, she is exactly how I would picture my sister: stubborn, self-righteous, annoying, but still at the end of the day, lovable. An amazing portrayal of family and effects divorce in my mind. I also highly enjoyed the fact that this is Grace's story, not some love story or some family story, and the author never lost sight of that.

God is in the Pancakes is a charming, witty, and still emotionally sincere read that definitely deserves more attention.

4/5 - because it's the type of book that reminds me why I read Young Adult. It doesn't have the oppressing dystopian government, but it does have the realistic portrayal of those nuanced teenage emotions that I could relate to all too well. It both witty and heartwarming, Grace's voice feels authentic, and the plot is commendable. I find writing this review a few days later, it's not the most memorable book; but I can still remember how I felt when I was reading it-- I was just happy to be immersed. If you got the chance, try this one :)
(less)

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Apr 19, 2011 Kristy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Street Corner TBR Reduction Challenge
April #2 per Nic.

Well, it was heart-warming and bittersweet, but something about the writing style was just a little bit off for me. I think it was the pacing, it was too slow. It's one of those that feels like it's dragging.... don't get me wrong though the story was beautiful, serious and moving.

Grace is a high-school student working at a Nursing Home as a candy-striper. She falls in love (not goo-goo eyed, let me have your baby love) with one of the old...more Street Corner TBR Reduction Challenge
April #2 per Nic.

Well, it was heart-warming and bittersweet, but something about the writing style was just a little bit off for me. I think it was the pacing, it was too slow. It's one of those that feels like it's dragging.... don't get me wrong though the story was beautiful, serious and moving.

Grace is a high-school student working at a Nursing Home as a candy-striper. She falls in love (not goo-goo eyed, let me have your baby love) with one of the old men living there, Mr. Sands. He's quirky and off-beat. He is adorable. But, he has Lou Greig's disease. There is no cure and he asks Grace to step-in and do him a HUGE favor. We go through her struggle, she doesn't know if she should/could/is going to do it. Honestly it is sad. Watching someone you love and care about deteriorate is not a pleasant thing. She is confused.

Not only does she have Mr. Sands' problem to worry about, now things have gotten awkward between her and her best friend Eric. She likes him and wants to be with him, but doesn't want to lose their friendship. It's a little 'nails-on-chalkboard' to read the beginnnings of their romance and even the end as well. They might fit together eventually, but the writing is just, well... awkward.

After reading this I can't help but wonder if someone who was not a Christian would like it or not?!? I still am at a loss, I just don't know. It's not preachy or anything, but at the same time God is mentioned throughout as well as prayer.

3.5 stars

Quotes:
"You can't let what other people say about you affect the way you go about your business, You know why?"
"The reason, Mr. sands continues, "is because people get things wrong. All the time. The get things wrong over and over again, and once you've got that figured out, their judgements or what they say about you seems a lot less important."

"So you think someone hears us or is listening when we pray?"
"He smiles and I can see both the top and bottom rows of his teeth. I've had moments of doubt. Of course I have. I don't know how anyone can live in this world where, let's face it, injustice takes place all the time and not wonder if anyone is paying attention." He shrugs."But what I keep coming back to is the fact that life is so fragile, someone has to be looking out for us. At least in the most basic way. So for me, prayer is not just asking of a favor- like 'please God, let my mother be okay'-but more as a thank you. A thank you for every minutes I've had with her. I;m sure that kind of sounds corny, but it does help me appreciate the good things in my life. So when I say yeah, prayer works, it's because I think that if all I'm doing here is expressing gratitude for her life, that's okay. That's important."(less)

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Feb 01, 2012 Cass - Words on Paper rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: debut-novels, author-love, favourites, read-2012, this-book-has-my-heart, desperate-for-reread

4.5/5

LOVE!!! I cried. More importantly, I laughed. A lot.

So I threw this book up to the top of my wishlist, thanks to Nomes' review, and it stayed there for the longest time. And then christmas 2011 rolled along and it made it on my wishlist so hooray I got to finally read this book! And what a piece of work it is.

Plot-wise there's nothing too complicated to it. You won't be banging your head trying to make heads or tails of the situation, you won't have to figure out the ins and outs of the soc...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars

On one hand, this book has all the makings of a cliche - girl and her family abandoned by their father, tenuous relationships with that family but on the mend, best friend becoming something more...really it could have been quite predictable. And in many ways, it was. But what I love about Grace is that she is 15. Things don't just fall into place and overnight she doesn't just know what to do. She suffers through high school like many of us did - in the shadows - and secretly enjoys that her mo...more

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Oct 31, 2010 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, young-adult

Grace works at the local nursing home, which may be surprising, but what's an even bigger surprise is the fact that she actually likes it. This is mostly due to Mr. Sands, an ex-marine with Lou Gehrig's disease whom she befriends. He and Grace constantly try to out-wit one another with their playful and often hilarious banter. Despite Grace's family and best-friend-who-is-a-boy issues, she spends her time at Hanover House learning about life and how to play cards until one day when Mr. Sands ask...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com

15-year-old Grace is having a hard time pulling her life together. Her sister's boyfriend is two-timing her and she wants to have sex with him; Grace's parents' divorce is taking a toll on the family; her father is trying to get in contact with her; and Grace's guy friend is kind of becoming a boyfriend.

It's no wonder that her job as a Candy Striper at Hanover House is something she enjoys so much. While there, she meets an older gentleman named Mr. Sands w...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Meagan Masters rated it 3 of 5 stars

Grace is a high school kid working at a nursing home / assisted living community. One of her favorite residents is Mr. Sands ... a nice and lively old man with a unique request. He wants Grace to help him die. Mr. Sands has ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), and Grace is faced with a challenge no one - least of all a teenager - should have to deal with.

Her journey with Mr. Sands is not the entire focus of the book. Grace is a typical teenager with typical problems: recently divorced parents, a sister...more

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Mar 08, 2011 Patricia Lusher added it

Good teen book. Written in 1st person teenage voice, lots of self-analysis of feelings and thoughts, indecision on what is best thing to do concerning a boy, an old patient/friend at a nursing home, her separated parents, is there a God. Realistic outcomes, no all happily ever after, but uplifting and hopeful. Only negative comment is would a teenage girl really assist an old man in dying so he won't suffer from his terrible disease that is killing him?

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May 14, 2010 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 15-year-old-girl, aging_elderly, death-and-dying, ya, religion

I liked that Grace seemed like a normal, typical, realistic teenager -- she wasn't over-obsessed with boys, or extra quirky just for the fun of it. She works as a candy-stripper at a old folks home, and has made friends with a quick-witted old resident. She also is coming to terms with feelings for her boy best friend.

Themes of religion, praying, questioning, etc.

Clean except for swearing - shit, damn, etc. ;)

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Sep 18, 2011 Jo rated it 3 of 5 stars

this is a young adult book with a very big question... I listened to the book, and I truly enjoyed it... I've thought a lot about it over the last week... It raises the question as to what is merciful vs. what is legal... It speaks of quality of life vs. quantity. And because it's a teen book - it deals with the complications of friends as boyfriends... Probably could have given it 4 stars...

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Nov 22, 2011 Sue rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Grace is 15 and works at Hanover House, a nursing home. She is great friends with Mr. Sands, one of the residents of the nursing home. And her best friend, Eric, has just made the varsity basketball team as a sophomore. These friends have helped her deal with her dad leaving her mother for another woman. Now Mr. Sands is getting much sicker from Lou Gehrig's disease and things are getting weird with Eric. Mr. Sands has asked Grace to help him die. Grace thinks about what it means to be a good pe...more

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Aug 06, 2010 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, realistic

This had a lot going on it. I could have used one less "issue" for the main character. Seriously, she was dealing with a best boy friend who wanted more, a sister who had a bad, cheating boyfriend, a father who left, and a mother who didn't have time. Not to mention the biggest issue of all, which you find out about real soon. But overall I did enjoy it and liked seeing Grace's growth.

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Nov 13, 2011 Bethany Sapp rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a good book about a girl named Grace who worked as a candy stripper at the Hanover House.While working at the Hanover House Grace helped Mr. Sands, he had ALS.Oneday Mr. Sands asked her a question one day that will change her life.However while there are the problems she is facing with Mr. Sands, there are problems that she is facing with her best friend Eric,too.

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About Robin Epstein

Robin Epstein is a stand-up comic and television sitcom writer who lives and writes in New York, New York. She earned her MFA at Columbia University and teaches sitcom writing at NYU.

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Books by Robin Epstein

The First Pajama Party: Slumberrific Six (Groovy Girls Sleepover Club, #1)

Sleepover Surprise: A Twin-sational Birthday (Groovy Girls Sleepover Club, #3)

Pranks A Lot: The Girls vs. The Boys (Groovy Girls Sleepover Club, #2)

Girls of Summer: Bon Voyage (Groovy Girls Sleepover Club, #8)

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Quotes from God is in the Pancakes

“I hate to say it, but all that stuff they try to tell you about women being empowered and how it's fine for a woman to ask a man out, well, it's crap.'
I look down at my watch. 'Seven fifty-three p.m.'
'What does that mean?'
'Official time of death of feminism,' I reply, and mom laughs.” — 9 people liked it

“Having an answer is a comfort. It's when you start asking questions and those questions pull threads in the larger fabric, you're forced to wonder what you're left with. And for people of any age, it's scary to think the fabric of the universe - or the universe as you've always believed it existed - can just unwind, you know?” — 8 people liked it

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