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Aug 24, 2011

K rated it:

Oh, man. This book. “That shit was funny, but it ain’t right.”

We’re introduced to an elementary school aged Davidia. I liked and was nervous for her from the start. She was a combination of a Luna-esque loveable weirdo and smelly kid. It doesn’t get much better as we follow her through to high school. The first 70 pages of the book were interesting, but I really started to enjoy the story when she abruptly transforms into Davie. She paints a picture of her new life in LA, complete wi More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 16, 2011

jo rated it:

if you discount jane austen's Pride and Prejudice this is my first ever romantic novel. actually, i read a couple of queer YA ones, which makes this is my first adult heterosexual romantic novel after P&P (does Emma count as a romantic novel?). i am point this out for the double reason that 1. i am clearly no expert in the genre so my opinion of the book must be read with this in mind and 2. i want to bring to people's attention the fact that i read it and finished it. in fact, i read it fast. a More...

6 comments like (7 people liked it)

Aug 20, 2011

The Black Pearl rated it:

I absolutely loved this book! From page one I was enchanted with Davidia Jones, an ugly duckling who learns to finally be comfortable in the skin she's in. I identified so much with Davidia! I saw the end coming from page one but still I cried and jumped on the phone to call as many people as I could to share the warm and fuzzy feeling I got at its conclusion.

Plenty of laugh out loud moments, memorable characters, and quotes I will forever remember ("I will never let a man hand More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 02, 2012

Shannon rated it:

32 Candles is not my typical read, but every once in a while it's nice to read a book that's pure entertainment. And Davie Jones was not only entertaining, but bold and surprising. Davie's story starts in small town Mississippi, where she is an outcast amongst her peers. Her mother's abusive behavior makes Davie decide to stop talking - a decision she makes when she's 5 or 6 and holds to until her mid-teens.

This is a book that I would probably classify as chick lit, but it offers mu More...

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Aug 09, 2011

Maggie rated it:

Sometimes a book doesn't need to shake up my world to make an impression on me. Sometimes it just needs to make me smile. At least, that's the conclusion I've drawn after finishing 32 Candles, which made me smile more than any book (adult or YA) I've read in recent memory, and has charmed its way straight into a permanent place on my bookshelf.

In the wake of books like The Help by Kathryn Stockett (which I personally thought was disappointing after all the hype), there's been a lot of More...

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Jul 10, 2010

Jennifer rated it:

I swallowed this book whole, skipped a couple of showers and showed up late to work after casually starting to read this two days ago, and being so thoroughly sucked in that my life dimmed a little around the edges. What a wonderful, sparkly surprise this book was! "Chick Lit" is such a nasty phrase that's bandied about and hurled at some of the most politically backwards, uninspired novels I've had the misfortune of reading. Oh, if only there were more novels like 32 CANDLES to rec More...

2 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jul 07, 2010

Roxanne rated it:

Review of 32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter

Ernessa T. Carter's debut novel, 32 Candles is a wonderful ride from the misery and anguish of Davidia (Davie) Jones' upbringing in Glass, Mississippi to a life - eventually of her own making - in sunny Los Angeles.

Davie is an ugly duckling growing up in small town Mississippi. She's never known her father and she wishes she didn't know her mother - a woman who would just as soon beat her senseless as have a conversation with her.

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0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Mar 25, 2011

Rachel rated it:

I found this book in the new fiction section of the library, where I like to look for a new read but don't know where to start looking. This was by far one of the most enjoyable books I have read in awhile. I loved the references to the iconic 80s movies I grew up watching: 16 Candles, Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, etc., and how they influenced Davie, the main character. Carter's writing style flowed from the page much like a movie, complete with flashbacks that shared information to m More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 21, 2010

Toni rated it:

The other day on Twitter, a friend asked my how do I fit in time to read with all of the television that I watch. In an earlier post I talked about doing most of my reading on my commute, which pretty much guarantees me about 10 hours of reading a week. When I get home I am usually watching tv and surfing the 'net (is that term still relevant?). Rarely do I pick up a book at home because the television will always distract me. But last Thursday & Friday, I was so engrossed in 32 Candles, tha More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jun 04, 2010

cheryl rated it:

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Jul 06, 2010

Sarah rated it:

Davie grew up with a mean, alcoholic mother in Mississippi. Between her mother and the kids at school who call her Monkey Night (ugly as a monkey, dark as night), Davie receives so much emotional abuse that she shuts down and stops talking. All the while, Davie dreams of finding love and happiness like Molly Ringwold in 16 Candles.

This book shifts between past and present, and we come to know Davie the ugly duckling child and Davie the beautiful singer swan. What is billed as a ro More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 11, 2011

Jeanette rated it:

Davie Jones broke my heart while reading this book from the beginning to the end. There were times that I felt so sorry for her and others when I wanted to throttle her. I went into this book w/ preconceived notions and they were all flipped within 50 pages of this novel. I don't know how she did it, but Carter manages to tell an unpredictable tale that is comprised of predictable subject matter. Definitely one of my favorite books I've read this year.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 10, 2010

Stacie rated it:

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0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jul 09, 2011

Alexis rated it:

This should be a mini-review because I can't talk about the book much without giving anything away. However... I don't follow my own rules sometimes. Davidia, or Davie, Jones has a rough upbringing and much of her child and young adulthood isn't fun. She escapes her life by watching a few 80s movies like 16 Candles and hopes for a similar ending. Unfortunately life happens and Davie realizes that these endings aren't easy to come by. Claiming to move on, she attempts to pick up the pieces More...

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Oct 20, 2011

Heidi rated it:

i have so many issues with this book. i liked how it was divided into sections, though not chronological sections. i thought the story was really well-written and the 80s movie references were superbly fun. i read the whole first section in one sitting. the 2nd section almost lost me. i feel that the author lost the original personality of davie jones. i wanted more tina turner. i think davie felt complacent in that section. plus, it got pretty crude. i don't blush easily but i think a lot of th More...

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Oct 05, 2011

Necia rated it:

A book that compelled me to leave a review. 32 candles is the story of Davie Jones, a girl being raised by an abusive alcoholic mother. Davie was always the ugly/weird girl growing up, and the butt of many merciless and cruel jokes. Like most girls, Davie develops a crush on a guy in high school. Unfortunately the guy doesn't know she exists. Davie spends her time escaping reality by watching mushy romantic movies like 16 candles, which is her absolute favorite. She ultimately desires her More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 26, 2011

Jennifer rated it:

I picked this book up a couple of days before my 32nd birthday purely because of the title. I am very picky about the books I read, as you can tell....

32 Candles is the story of Davidia (Davie Jones), a girl who has had a very hard childhood with a mother who is a prostitute and has very little interest in being a mother. As a result of her horrible home life, she stops talking. In high school, she falls in love with the richest and most popular boy in school. His evil and beautiful More...

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Aug 11, 2010

Ari rated it:

32 Candles is my favorite adult fiction read of the year and one of my favorite books of the year. Everyone should read it. I don't know what else to say. Can I just leave it at that? I wish I could list 32 reasons you should read 32 Candles but I'm not that creative. The list would end up simply saying 'read it' 32x. Instead I'll do 16 reasons

1. Davie is one of the most unforgettable heroines ever. She's funny, crazy, a bit vindicative and vulnerable. I was so proud of her (you can More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

May 10, 2011

Fani rated it:

The heroine is a girl growing up in a small Mississipi town with her abusive mother. Her mother doesn't care for her at all, she has no friends in school and everyone laughs at her because she's black as the night and ugly compared to her beautiful mother who's more or less the town whore. At some point she even stops talking and she becomes known as the town's weirdo. Her only consolation is Mollie Ringwald's movies, where the ugly duckling may suffer and get ridiculed, but in the end she alway More...

12 comments like (4 people liked it)

Sep 07, 2010

Kate rated it:

This was a fun, light read. The initial portion of it seemed somewhat dismal because of the narrator's difficult childhood, but that added a little needed weight & substance to it, and helps readers care more about the narrator, even as she pushes people away later in the book. The voice of the book was enjoyable. It was relatable for me, yet at the same time, gave me a fresh perspective, as some of the tidbits in it were more specific to the African-American experience. The title refers to More...

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Jun 28, 2010

Jacqueline rated it:

John Hughes's Sixteen Candles has long been a favorite of mine. When I heard that Ernessa Carter's debut novel would be a take on it my initial reaction was elation. Anything Sixteen Candles-related had to be good, right? Then, I started thinking about the few encounters that I've had with re-tellings, adaptations and spin-offs lately. That's when dread entered the picture and caused me to put of reading, for a little while, a novel that I had been itching to get. All of that's to say that Carte More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jul 02, 2010

Nandi rated it:

First of all, I came across the book by accident, but promised myself once I read the synopsis that I had to have it; Davidia's story is like mine except without some of the aspects. I was brought up in love; My mom and I clashed from time to time, but she had my best interest at heart. In this Davie had NO ONE. The one person who she could turn to, her mother, she only beat and accused her of stuff. On the night of the big party by the home of her secret crush, she buys a pretty dress, gets to More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Dec 14, 2011

Latiffany rated it:

I was so disappointed after reading this book. The reviews sounded great. The blurb on the inside jacket of the book seemed promising and Terry Mcmillan tweeted that it was a great read. I don't agree. At. All. The book starts off kind of interesting, but midway through the reader is handed an invitation to crazy (you have to read the book to understand the reference). I cannot recall ever reading a book where I started off liking the main character and was totally annoyed with him/her by the fi More...

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Mar 04, 2011

Laura rated it:

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Jul 15, 2011

Maegen rated it:

Well-written, smart, engaging, quirky, romantic, sad, yet funny from start to finish. I absolutely loved this book. 32 Candles is easily one of my favorite reads of 2011 and hands down tops my list of all time favorites. I can't wait to read more from Ms. Carter.

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 16, 2011

Michelle rated it:

This book sounded intriguing.
I was really skeptical about reading it because for me, most books of this genre are consumed with highly sexual content without any good plot or writing to make the reading worthwhile. that was not the case concerning this book.

davie is an interesting, sympathetic charachter and her story pulled me in and held me to the end of the book. I literally did not put it down until i was done. The writing is not thin and the charachters were well develope More...

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Nov 18, 2010

Terri rated it:

Thanks to a great (or not so great) PR, including a Twitter mention from Terry McMillan, Carter's book was in my line of sight well before it was released. My hesitation at picking it up right away was that the subject matter didn't seem to fit the genre (Black Chick Lit, Brain Candy with Soul, etc.). And the reviews! I'm fascinated that someone wrote, "If you love the Shopaholics series, you'll love 32 Candles!"

The writing was very good and there was a line here and the More...

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May 27, 2011

Michelle rated it:

Wow, I have never read anything like this. I decided to read it first off because, I myself, am 32. I thought it might be interesting to read a book about someone my own age to shake things up.

This book looks like it is going to be some fluffy coming of age romance about a girl who was obsessed with the movie 16 candles while she was growing up, but it is NOT. It is so much more, and it is quite the page tuner. I would be pretty freaking proud of this book if it were mine.

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Jul 19, 2010

Victoria rated it:

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Nov 20, 2011

Beth rated it:

This was such an enjoyable read! I wasn't sure at first how well the "Molly Ringwald Ending" premise could carry an entire novel, but Ernessa T. Carter does it with style. Davie Jones was such an engaging heroine: no small feat, considering some of her actions in the book. She is far from a saint "In Between Then and Now," yet I found myself cheering for her anyway. I love that fact that, although this is a book about love, Davie is able to find a happy, content life outside More...

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