A Review of The Sugar Queen, by Sarah Addison Allen

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is my third Sarah Addison Allen novel and there is a lot here that is familiar from the first two: small town in the North Carolina mountains, star-crossed lovers who need to (choose one or three: to grow up, finally come of age, declare independence from overbearing or overprotective or just plain over, parents, realize they are loved and are in love), family secrets, hidden for years, and some very gentle magic.

Here we are in Bald Slope, a NC ski resort and Josey Cirrini, the daughter of the man who built the resort and tranformed the town) finds herself trapped at home, carrying for her mother, who seems determined to make Josie be her personal servant forever. But Josie has fallen in love with her mailman. And Della Lee Baker, "a local waitress who is one part [her] nemesis--and two parts fairy godmother," is hiding in Josey's closet Della Lee's tough lover forces Josey out of her closet, as it were, and into the life she is letting pass her by. She meets Chloe Finley, who is "hounded by books that inexplicably appear when she needs them. Soon Josey is living in a world where the color red has startling powers, and passion can make eggs fry ..." Plus Jake and Adam (the mailman) complicate things, especially as Josie must learn to love.

Predictable, yes, although there are some plot twists that are surprising. Sweet, yes, just like the sweets that haunt Josey as she becomes her own woman.

If you liked the first two, you will love this one. I did find myself wishing for some meatier stuff, like the gay character in Garden Spells.



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