Knit Two Together

Chicks with Sticks #2

by Elizabeth Lenhard

Chicago high-school juniors Scottie, Amanda, Tay, and Bella rely on their friendship and their shared passion for knitting to help them as they navigate their relationships with boys. Reprint.

Genres: Young Adult, Knitting, Fiction, Chick Lit, Teen, Romance, Crafts

272 pages, Paperback

First published October 19, 2006

Reviews

[LibraryDanielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was so annoying. I hated, HATED, Scottie in this book. she was so selfish and self absorbed that she was totally unlikable.
I also still hate that they seem to magically aquire yarn and never have problems learning new things. dude, lace is hard. you don't just magically learn it instantly.

[Jenny D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four teen girls – Worrier/boy crazy Scottie, Indie tomboy Tay, rich girl Amanda and new-age child Bella – all love to knit. Pleasant escape read for “tween” – no real sex or violence. Nice chick bonding – value of friendship etc. A little like Bauer.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this second installment of Chicks with Sticks, but I didn't love it. While the first book felt more edgy with each of the Chicks dealing with serious issues in their lives, this time we are treated to a light story about how the Chicks are handling their relationships with boys. Perhaps my vantage point as an adult makes a difference, but the little dramas felt overblown this time around.

Another thing that felt overblown was the magical quality of knitting. (I am a knitter myself, so don't send me hate mail!) Again, in the first book it felt natural because Scottie discovered knitting when she needed something to calm her and make her take the focus off of herself. In this book, it seemed hokey.

The bottom line is that this is a YA book that is probably best left to the kids. My 12-year-old daughter enjoyed the book more than I did and wants me to hunt down the third book. The issues are much more urgent to her age group than they are to a 40-something woman like me.

[Knitology]

As the Chicks with Sticks, they survived plenty of knitty friendship dramas. Now they’re as solid as a fisherman’s sweater. As the Chicks begin their second year together, their tight circle faces its biggest challenge yet: boys.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Funny, sad, - all emotional heartstrings are pulled. Great chick lit. series for teens! Knitting patterns included. The descriptions of the setting are clever. To be a teenager growing up in Chicago!

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

More knitting fun with Scottie, Amanda, Tay, and Bella. Go along with the Chicks as they learn new lessons about themselves, boys, each other, and learn to balance all three (along with knitting of course). Looking forward to book three!

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in two hours while waiting for Jaci to arrive at Heathrow. High school dating angst! Knitting black hole angst! Good fluffy airport reading, but the first one was better.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super easy read. High school girl drama with knitting and friendship and life lessons interspersed. It was lighthearted and fun and the book has patterns at the end. It made me want to knit!

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost couldn't finish this book. SO MUCH WHINING OVER BOYS. Still...I like the knitting.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh my goodness. So much drama. This wasn't bad, exactly, but it was just frustrating and not completely necessary.

[ABookAddictHere · Rating 3 out of 5]

The girls continue their high school years and knitting but now it involves boys. They don’t know how to balance both their knitting and boys ( typical teenager)

[Martha Hart · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was awful. I enjoy YA books but this juvenile - main character was unlikable.

[Caitlyn Lloyd · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was a cute book, I enjoyed it and I think other young readers would as well.

[Dagny · Rating 4 out of 5]

👍

[ephyjeva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect was bad, Scottie knew. Because perfection—or the perception of it, anyway—never lasted.

So, I'd like to clarify right now—giving this book five out of five stars isn't me being an ignorant, silly YA reader who doesn't know better, because (a) I don't read YA much to begin with, and (b) my rating here is entirely and especially subjective. Chicks with Sticks (It's a Purl Thing) (which, for those who don't know, is a prequel to this book) was my absolute favourite book in the world when I was eleven. It might just as easily be the most re-read book I own. Naturally, I've got tons of memories connected to the story and its characters. I think that was the first book I could genuinely relate to in a dozen different ways. And when you're just hitting puberty and navigating your life through all this new and kind of scary stuff, finding comfort in characters with similar struggles is not only helpful, but also extremely important.

Since the rest of the trilogy has never been translated or published here in Serbia, I had to wait until my English was good enough for me to be able to read, write and speak fluently. Also, major shoutout to my dear friends from Arizona who provided me with this gorgeous paperback edition of book #2 and a super cool turquoise T-Shirt with Arizona Dream written on it. Y'all know that one of my biggest dreams is to see Route 66, and one day, I swear, I'll come visit you in Phoenix.

This book. Jesus Christ, it's so heart-warming! I felt as if I were eleven again, curled up on my bed and eating chocolate candy. It simultaneously brought back so many memories & cozy feelings and still got me excited and rooting for the main characters. It was kind of funny, celebrating their little triumphs and commiserating with them when it was called for. Of course, it was cheesy at times, like when the author tried a little too hard to speak "the language" of the younger generation. I know this book is kind of old, but I still can't imagine that the teenagers in the early 2000s spoke like Scottie, Amanda, Bella & Tay. Did kids really call their mom and dad 'rents? And what the heck is L-word?! Nobody uses that, Mrs. Lenhard. Just say love. This way it sounds as if it were a swear word.

Overall, lots of warmth and maybe a bit of nostalgia, too. I enjoyed it immensely.

8/12/19
Just a quick re-read because I was in the mood for something light. I may or may not pick up the book #3 soon—we'll see.

On a different note, I realized how little school-caused stress is present in these books. It's like all teenage struggles have to do with friends and love interests, and meanwhile I'm agonizing over all the upcoming tests, which kind of made me snort, you know.

And then it dawned on me—they go to a private school, duh!

[Elizabeth Lehto · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me the longest time to get into, possibly because I hadn't read the previous one and it took time to become familiar with the characters.

Like any teenage "drama" book it is filled with angst and worry. Four best friends who, according to the back cover since I haven't read the other books, have survived through "it all" are now faced with their biggest challenge ever...boys. That's how you know its a teenage "drama" book, boys are involved.

This book was a nice little escape into the world of first loves, where dating this one boy seems like its the most important thing in the world. Its been some time since I felt that way, and it was a nice reminder how how "simple" things were. Interesting character choices, and some fun mini drama. Sure the lead messes up, but she learns her lesson in the end and everything is back to normal, and that's the best kind of ending right?

[Kath · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a nice fun read. You really get attached to the dour main characters. This book made me want to pick up my pair of knitting needles that I haven't used in a while and try knitting again. I love how the girls have a really tight bond like any gal with her friends. And I likes how she showed how boyfriends can breakup your friendship if you are too involved with him. I thought that was a really nice message to have balance between boyfriend and friends to keep both relationships.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second in what I've come to understand is a trilogy. Written as young adult literature they series follows four girls: Scottie, Amanda, Bella, and Tay as they become friends through knitting. As much as I like knitting, this was just not a series that spoke to me. I found Scottie, the primary character, a bit too whiny and focused like teen girls on all the wrong things that are not important in life. Perhaps if there had been an element of mystery instead of just typical high school teen angst I would've embraced this series, but for me, it's just ho-hum.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is book 2 of a wonderful young adult book about a group of 4 high school girls who bond and become friends when they meet and get involved learning to knit. Not only do they learn to knit, but they use thier friendship and thier knitting to develop their personalities and grow, working through teenage angst of school, relationships, boys and first love. I would highly recommend it for preteens as well as teens. As a 50 something adult, it was a great read and brought back a lot of memories of the difficulties of being a teen.

[Julie Hughes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring.

And I get annoyed that these "Friends" books, along the lines of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, insist on bringing together four people who are SO different. I realize you can't populate a book with four similar characters, but now way would these girls be friends in real life. A vegan hippie with dreadlocks, a gorgeous socialite, a chick-flick-scorning tough girl, and an uninteresting regular girl. Give me a break.

[Piper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't one of my favourite books this term but this book was still pretty good even though it did get a little bit boring . This book was about a Knitting club that knits every week . But when a new boy moves in beside one of the main characters Scottie they become really close , but when the new boys mom want the girls to Knit for her does the relationship between Scottie and the new boy fall apart . I would recommend this book to anyone who want a long read .

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you remember the days where you felt like the only one who hadn't had a boyfriend yet? You so much wanted a boy to ask you out on a date? and had imagined your first kiss? Come join the girls who are the best of friends, despite the vast differences, who love to spend time together as much as they love knitting.
Chicks with Sticks is sweet, innocent, and funny. Can't wait to read the other books.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teen knitting part two. I liked the first book better, but this one was still fun to listen to on audio. The characters seemed younger this time, or I am aging more rapidly. This felt like more of a teen book than the first did. I guess that was because it was less about knitting and coming of age and more about boy/girl relationships.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a cute little read. It's aimed at the YA crowd and not the middle aged lady crowd, but I still enjoyed the book.

I was disapointed that when I gave these books to my teenaged niece who knits - she didn't like them. I thought they would be perfect for her and she couldn't get through them. :( Oh well. I still thought they were cute.

[Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knitting community is new for me. i always hated talking to knitters and their pretentions about yarns. (poor people knit, too.) so teenagers= cool and poor, and makes for a knit community something like the one i am glad to be a part of. i love trashy YA anyway, so a little yarn makes it even more fun.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the first book in the series cause it got me to start knitting again and I liked how the friendship between the 4 girls formed and progressed. This second book however, bored me with the angst. Scotty's perplexity about relationships, though it rang true, got very old. She "brooded" at least once in every chapter. The boys are too perfect. I wish I knew boys like that.

[Inkylizard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the characters, especially Scottie, sometimes seem too melodramatic, Lenhard sucks the reader in and continues to maintain interest throughout the narration. The characters are rather realistic, as is the plot. I love the constant thread of knitting throughout the novel, and it is great to see the friendship between the Chicks develop further.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Definitely YA fic, a lot of "boy crazies" and not exactly what I was hoping for (another commenter made a reference to adult/YA crossovers, and I agree, this one doesn't work for that audience). I would definitely recommend it to an actual young adult, but it just doesn't work for this knitter in her 30s.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

so, much like the traveling pants series which I shamelessly loved... cute teen chick lit... this is absolutely an easy read and is inspiring me to explore more knitting... and makes me want to form a stichin' group :)

[Robyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ok. It was a good piece although it was kinda slow and not very exciting. There is a kniting club inwhich the main character Scottie meets a boy. The boys mom wants the girls to knit for her, although will it turn out badly.