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Dairy Queen #1
Dairy Queen
When you don’t talk, there’s a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said.
Harsh words indeed, from Brian Nelson of all people. But, D. J. can’t help admitting, maybe he’s right.
When you don’t talk, there’s a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said.
Stuff like why her best friend, Amber, isn’t so friendly anymore. Or why her little brother, Curtis, never opens his mouth. Why her mom has two jobs and a big secret. Why her college-football-star brothers won’t even call home. Why her dad would go ballistic if she tried out for the high school football team herself. And why Brian is so, so out of her league.
When you don’t talk, there’s a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said.
Welcome to the summer that fifteen-year-old D. J. Schwenk of Red Bend, Wisconsin, learns to talk, and ends up having an awful lot of stuff to say.
Harsh words indeed, from Brian Nelson of all people. But, D. J. can’t help admitting, maybe he’s right.
When you don’t talk, there’s a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said.
Stuff like why her best friend, Amber, isn’t so friendly anymore. Or why her little brother, Curtis, never opens his mouth. Why her mom has two jobs and a big secret. Why her college-football-star brothers won’t even call home. Why her dad would go ballistic if she tried out for the high school football team herself. And why Brian is so, so out of her league.
When you don’t talk, there’s a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said.
Welcome to the summer that fifteen-year-old D. J. Schwenk of Red Bend, Wisconsin, learns to talk, and ends up having an awful lot of stuff to say.
275 pages, Hardcover
First published May 22, 2006
349 people are currently reading
18827 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Gilbert Murdock
13 books817 followersI grew up in small-town Connecticut, on a tiny farm with honeybees, two adventurous goats, and a mess of Christmas trees. My sister claims we didn’t have a television, but we did, sometimes – only it was ancient, received exactly two channels, and had to be turned off after 45 minutes to cool down or else the screen would go all fuzzy. Watching (or rather, “watching”) Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds was quite the experience, because it’s hard to tell a flock of vicious crows from a field of very active static; this might be why I still can’t stand horror movies, to this day.
My sister Liz, who is now a Very Famous Writer with a large stack of books, was my primary companion, even though she was extremely cautious – she wouldn’t even try to jump off the garage roof, which involved crouching right at the edge for ten minutes working up your nerve, and then checking each time you landed to see if you’d broken anything – and she learned early on that losing at games was easier in the long run than putting up with me losing. Now, of course, she travels all over the world collecting stories and diseases, while I stay at home scowling over paint chips, and losing on purpose to my kids. So the cycle continues. (Read an New York Times article by Catherine and Liz.)
People sometimes ask if I played football in high school: no. I ran cross country and track, badly, but I have absolutely no skill whatsoever with ball or team sports. Plus my high school didn’t even have a football team. Instead, I was part of the art clique – taking extra art classes, spending my study halls and lunch periods working on my latest still life. (Please tell me this was not a unique experience.) I didn’t do much writing – my sister was the anointed writer – but I read my little eyeballs out. I was the queen of our library’s YA section.
In college I studied architectural history. The formal name was “Growth and Structure of Cities Program,” but for me, it was all about buildings. I’ve always been fascinated with the built environment – how spaces fit together, how streets work, how they read. And curiously (Warning: Life Lesson approaching), it’s paid off in the oddest ways. For example, several of us in our neighborhood recently got quite upset about a enormous building going in across the street, and while everyone agreed that they didn’t like the way it looked, I was the one who stood up at public meetings and used words like entablature and cornice line and fenestration – all this architectural jargon I’d learned back at Bryn Mawr – and sounded like I knew what I was talking about. And because of that, the building ended up getting redesigned, and – in my humble opinion – now will look much more attractive and appropriate, which is nice because I’ll be looking at it for the rest of my life. So don’t be afraid to study what you love, because you do not know now, and you may not know for twenty years, how amazingly it will pay off. But it will.
Dairy Queen was my first stab at creative writing since high school, not counting several years as a struggling screenwriter (which followed several years as a struggling scholar). I unabashedly recommend screenwriting for mastering the art of storytelling; just don’t pin any hopes on seeing your work on the big screen. But you’ll learn so much in the process that this won’t matter. I also recommend, you know, living. I've been passionate about food pretty much my whole life – first eating it, now preparing and then eating it. And so it plays a pretty big role in my writing, and adds so much flavor . . . not literally, of course, but the more you can add that's true, whether it's emotion or geography or gardening (that’s me in the picture above), then the stronger that story is.
My sister Liz, who is now a Very Famous Writer with a large stack of books, was my primary companion, even though she was extremely cautious – she wouldn’t even try to jump off the garage roof, which involved crouching right at the edge for ten minutes working up your nerve, and then checking each time you landed to see if you’d broken anything – and she learned early on that losing at games was easier in the long run than putting up with me losing. Now, of course, she travels all over the world collecting stories and diseases, while I stay at home scowling over paint chips, and losing on purpose to my kids. So the cycle continues. (Read an New York Times article by Catherine and Liz.)
People sometimes ask if I played football in high school: no. I ran cross country and track, badly, but I have absolutely no skill whatsoever with ball or team sports. Plus my high school didn’t even have a football team. Instead, I was part of the art clique – taking extra art classes, spending my study halls and lunch periods working on my latest still life. (Please tell me this was not a unique experience.) I didn’t do much writing – my sister was the anointed writer – but I read my little eyeballs out. I was the queen of our library’s YA section.
In college I studied architectural history. The formal name was “Growth and Structure of Cities Program,” but for me, it was all about buildings. I’ve always been fascinated with the built environment – how spaces fit together, how streets work, how they read. And curiously (Warning: Life Lesson approaching), it’s paid off in the oddest ways. For example, several of us in our neighborhood recently got quite upset about a enormous building going in across the street, and while everyone agreed that they didn’t like the way it looked, I was the one who stood up at public meetings and used words like entablature and cornice line and fenestration – all this architectural jargon I’d learned back at Bryn Mawr – and sounded like I knew what I was talking about. And because of that, the building ended up getting redesigned, and – in my humble opinion – now will look much more attractive and appropriate, which is nice because I’ll be looking at it for the rest of my life. So don’t be afraid to study what you love, because you do not know now, and you may not know for twenty years, how amazingly it will pay off. But it will.
Dairy Queen was my first stab at creative writing since high school, not counting several years as a struggling screenwriter (which followed several years as a struggling scholar). I unabashedly recommend screenwriting for mastering the art of storytelling; just don’t pin any hopes on seeing your work on the big screen. But you’ll learn so much in the process that this won’t matter. I also recommend, you know, living. I've been passionate about food pretty much my whole life – first eating it, now preparing and then eating it. And so it plays a pretty big role in my writing, and adds so much flavor . . . not literally, of course, but the more you can add that's true, whether it's emotion or geography or gardening (that’s me in the picture above), then the stronger that story is.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,734 reviews
July 17, 2010
*Kat picks up book*
"What the hell is wrong with the cover? What were they THINKING?
*Twenty pages in*
"I'm reading a book about a dumb hick milking cows? Great! What the hell was Tatiana thinking, recommending me this book!"
*Fifty pages in*
"Hmmm, it's kind of interesting I suppose. D.J. is funny and cute... Brian is alright."
*One hundred pages in*
"Oh! I wonder what will happen next! This is really sweet! I didn't realize American football is so interesting and exhilarating!"
*Two hundred pages in*
"No way! No bloody way! Oh my goodness, what was he thinking? D.J. what were you thinking? GAHAHAHAHAA!!!!!!!! Curtis is sweet! I like them all! I wonder if there are any dairy farms around here..."
*Two hundred and seventy-eight pages in*
*Kat wipes away a tear* "OH MY GOODNESS ARE THERE MORE?!"
*Goes online to check*
"YES! MWHAHAHAHAHA! There's more!" *Orders from library*
*Waits around a little*
*Checks clock*
"GARBLEFRIGSCHMARSH! I want to read them now!"
So, this was my version of an interpretive review. Like an interpretive dance, only better because I really feel that this is more gripping to its audience.
And mostly I find positive reviews really hard to write and I'm just lazy.
"What the hell is wrong with the cover? What were they THINKING?
*Twenty pages in*
"I'm reading a book about a dumb hick milking cows? Great! What the hell was Tatiana thinking, recommending me this book!"
*Fifty pages in*
"Hmmm, it's kind of interesting I suppose. D.J. is funny and cute... Brian is alright."
*One hundred pages in*
"Oh! I wonder what will happen next! This is really sweet! I didn't realize American football is so interesting and exhilarating!"
*Two hundred pages in*
"No way! No bloody way! Oh my goodness, what was he thinking? D.J. what were you thinking? GAHAHAHAHAA!!!!!!!! Curtis is sweet! I like them all! I wonder if there are any dairy farms around here..."
*Two hundred and seventy-eight pages in*
*Kat wipes away a tear* "OH MY GOODNESS ARE THERE MORE?!"
*Goes online to check*
"YES! MWHAHAHAHAHA! There's more!" *Orders from library*
*Waits around a little*
*Checks clock*
"GARBLEFRIGSCHMARSH! I want to read them now!"
So, this was my version of an interpretive review. Like an interpretive dance, only better because I really feel that this is more gripping to its audience.
And mostly I find positive reviews really hard to write and I'm just lazy.
September 28, 2021
Oh, the good old times when reading about a teen country girl who had to work on her family's farm didn't bring in a ton of political discourse! In the end, this is a story about learning how to communicate effectively, and it was still good, except for a couple of caveats that didn't age particularly well. (This book is 15 years old!) This series might be the only books about sports that kept me engaged.
______
After being burned MANY times by crap YA books, I made a decision to only read those that at some point earned critical recognition (if I judged books by GR reviewer's ratings, I suspect I would have to work my way through nonsense like Hush, Hush, Evermore, and The Luxe and I am not sure I am up for it any more). Dairy Queen made it to ALA's list of best YA books in 2007, so I decided to give it a try in spite of the awful cover and title. I was not disappointed.
15-year-old D.J. is forced to take over the lion's share of work on her family's small dairy farm after her father is injured. She is overwhelmed by milking, cleaning out the barn, mowing and haying, with almost no help but her younger brother's. In fact she is so overwhelmed, that she doesn't realize that her life at the moment has no direction or point. This is pointed to her by a lazy and arrogant Brian, the rival high school's quarterback, who is sent to D.J.'s farm to help her out, learn work ethics, and get some football training. Strangely enough, Brian has something to teach D.J. too - to look at her life style closer, to do some soul-searching, to become a better communicator.
I can't say that Dairy Queen is a mind-blowing kind of book. It's not really edgy or a dark "issue book." And that's a good thing. This is a novel about balancing family responsibilities and personal desires, about what it is to be a good person, and about importance of open communication in a family. D.J. is a very likable narrator, self-deprecating, hard-working, honest. She, along with the rest of the characters, feels very real and relatable. The teen romance is very well done too. It is realistic, doesn't overwhelm the story and never becomes cheesy or sappy, which is very important to me. I will undoubtedly read the next book in this 3-part series.
______
After being burned MANY times by crap YA books, I made a decision to only read those that at some point earned critical recognition (if I judged books by GR reviewer's ratings, I suspect I would have to work my way through nonsense like Hush, Hush, Evermore, and The Luxe and I am not sure I am up for it any more). Dairy Queen made it to ALA's list of best YA books in 2007, so I decided to give it a try in spite of the awful cover and title. I was not disappointed.
15-year-old D.J. is forced to take over the lion's share of work on her family's small dairy farm after her father is injured. She is overwhelmed by milking, cleaning out the barn, mowing and haying, with almost no help but her younger brother's. In fact she is so overwhelmed, that she doesn't realize that her life at the moment has no direction or point. This is pointed to her by a lazy and arrogant Brian, the rival high school's quarterback, who is sent to D.J.'s farm to help her out, learn work ethics, and get some football training. Strangely enough, Brian has something to teach D.J. too - to look at her life style closer, to do some soul-searching, to become a better communicator.
I can't say that Dairy Queen is a mind-blowing kind of book. It's not really edgy or a dark "issue book." And that's a good thing. This is a novel about balancing family responsibilities and personal desires, about what it is to be a good person, and about importance of open communication in a family. D.J. is a very likable narrator, self-deprecating, hard-working, honest. She, along with the rest of the characters, feels very real and relatable. The teen romance is very well done too. It is realistic, doesn't overwhelm the story and never becomes cheesy or sappy, which is very important to me. I will undoubtedly read the next book in this 3-part series.
March 30, 2012
When I finally found a spare two minutes to sit down and start reading this book, I suddenly ended up drawn in for a couple of hours discovering that Dairy Queen is just as ridiculously funny, silly, and heartwarming as everyone had told me it was. And strangely inspirational too - I love anyone who dares to break the mold, especially young females who challenge gender stereotypes and go their own way.
I will admit that I am not the biggest fan of chick lit novels, so I should warn you that this would probably never have got five stars from me, and the fact that it got four stars should not be taken lightly when I'm dishing it out in this genre. This book has all the elements you could want from a light-hearted, teen read: a funny, likeable and slightly snarky protagonist, cute boys, some family troubles - nothing too heavy, romance, friendships, insecurities and overcoming them... this stands out for me amongst others of its kind and I will give it the best compliment I can by saying that if you're a fan of Louise Rennison, E. Lockhart and/or Stephanie Perkins, I can see no reason why you wouldn't love this.
D.J. Shwenk is a great character. You know why I think she is such a great character? Because she does sport and farming - two things that interest me about as much as Kim Kardashian's "novel" - and yet she still manages to keep my attention from the very first chapter. It takes A LOT to literally make someone laugh out loud while reading, as in, to actually pause and giggle stupidly to oneself and think if Big Brother was watching right now I would be arrested and locked away forever (am I paranoid? are these weird thoughts?). Anyway, this novel does this repeatedly and I'm glad I didn't read it in public.
I put this book off for two reasons, 1) I never thought I would enjoy a book about either sport or farming, never mind both! And 2) I've been busy reading the dark, disturbing, depressing, supernatural and fantasy books, which is all very well but sometimes we need a little bright happiness from our novels. This delivers, trust me, this delivers.
February 28, 2017
A very cute story about a 15 turning 16 year old girl named DJ who has only ever known life in her dad’s farm. She’s responsible, does what everyone expects of her, obedient and hardworking. Not much different from the cows she milks every day.
“And that’s what put me to sleep. Thinking about cows or elephant poops.” (LMAO!)
One day she decides she doesn’t want to be a cow anymore (and I mean this in a completely metaphorically way, so chill!)^^ and that’s where the plot becomes really interesting.
Written in a very candid and genuine manner in the POV of DJ herself as a journal for her English requirement to redeem her flunked grade, the story, I think, is very genuine and the voice of the narrative truly sounded as if it’s written by a young farm girl and this is probably what made the entire story simply adorable. It's also heartwarming and inspiring. As Uncle Walt Whitman once said: “Simplicity is the glory of expression.”
“And that’s what put me to sleep. Thinking about cows or elephant poops.” (LMAO!)
One day she decides she doesn’t want to be a cow anymore (and I mean this in a completely metaphorically way, so chill!)^^ and that’s where the plot becomes really interesting.
Written in a very candid and genuine manner in the POV of DJ herself as a journal for her English requirement to redeem her flunked grade, the story, I think, is very genuine and the voice of the narrative truly sounded as if it’s written by a young farm girl and this is probably what made the entire story simply adorable. It's also heartwarming and inspiring. As Uncle Walt Whitman once said: “Simplicity is the glory of expression.”
October 1, 2015
That's one advantage to not talking. After a while people stop talking back.
I swear, I swear to you....I am not a snob. Really!! Swear!! But come on...look at this cover. It's a cow. In a tiara. With a blue sky in the background and named after a restaurant I love. What's a girl to think when she sees this? Oh well, guess it's a moot point...
Because this book was fabulous. (okay, I was guna use that GIF anyway because duh, friends, but it just worked out so well ;) )
Basically what it came down to was that my life sucked. It sucked even more than it had before Brian showed up, because now I knew it.
This book, while funny and outwardly mocking in and of itself, was also surprisingly deep, full of values that aren't always put first in a teenager's life. D.J.'s voice is one that, while a little different at first, is one that I think many young girls could relate to. Hell, I could relate to it.
Think about it-No, I'm not a farmer, and no, I wasn't totally socially awkward ever, but I had trouble finding my voice. And not everyone runs into this problem, I know that. But, hey, I grew up in the country, and I went to a school where driving your tractor there wouldn't raise eyebrows. It was Hick City people. The kids were very kind, very well brought up for a public school, so it should come as no shock to you that when my parents ripped me out of that happy (and horrible academically wise) school away from all my friends just as I was getting my braces and figuring out who I was (thanks mom and dad, really), I had trouble finding my place at the elite schools in town. I bet you're asking why they pulled me out. I'll tell you why in a few words: Soccer program (as in, ours was nonexistent and I was REALLY GOOD) and academics. I couldn't go into high school without a better level of academics and not knowing the in town program and it's people and coaches. ANYWAY.
I hate it when people make fun of me and it turns out they're right.
So, when I started in town at a tiny private school with a totally different grading scale and girls that were far more advanced than I in 7th grade, I found that I was standing on the outside of the circle with very little to say besides a literal smile and nod of the head for everything they deemed important. Ah, youth. I want to incinerate some of those moments. But that's my whole point-I knew what I wanted to say, and I rarely agreed with what they were going on and on about. I had my own opinions, but I was both too shy and too backwards (at the time) to express them...so I just looked wild-eyed at them and nodded my head so as to fit in. Yeah. That worked out great. But, again, the point-I am just like D.J. in this instance...and I think many young girls are, as well.
How could a guy who was such a jerk, how could he act so nice?
And that's why I loved this cute little story so much. Yeah, the writing was great and the boy was great (Brian!!!!) and it was so so funny...but I fell for D.J.. She's this girl who thinks so little of herself, yet she's so very strong and smart and determined. She has trouble expressing herself, even though she has so much to say. And I loved that. I loved her voice and her thoughtful sentences and the way she spoke to you as if you were a friend. It was a journey of discovering herself and finding out that not everybody is what you'd imagine them to be. And...most importantly, this chick tries out for football. And then she falls for the rival team's quarterback. Be still my star-crossed heart.
I couldn't help wondering if maybe it had something to do with me, like our water fight and all. But then I realized that I was totally stupid and there's no way it could ever be about me, not in a million years, not if I was the only girl on the entire planet.
Now, I know what you're thinking: What a weird concept. I know, I thought so too. But when she decides to try out for football, it actually became my favorite part...because, you know, she has to play that rival football team MUAHA! lol. I'm weird today. Anyway! She decides to train Brian all summer after some prompting from a family friend because she trained with her brothers who are now big names in college football. What starts out as reluctant training and working together on the farm becomes a highlight of each of their weeks, and something so much more.
The whole book D.J. is trying to prove her worth to herself, that she's not just some cow that does what everybody says, and when she finally finds a purpose, playing football for her school's team, it helps her to feel vindicated and strong and worthy of people's admiration. I think that's where my admiration came in for her...what a brave (and hilarious) thing to do.
I saw something I wanted to do and I decided to do it. The feeling of freedom this gave me-I can't even describe it. It was my decision. I chose it. I am not a cow.
So, you know, despite my earlier trepidation of how this story would be, I got just as many feels from this as any other book: Angst, fear, butterflies, sadness, giddiness, family issues, this book had it all. Near the end my stomach was in such a big bundle of nerves I almost couldn't sleep. And I guess that's my other life lesson...you can't judge a book by it's cover. Sometimes you find the best stories with the worst covers...it just happens. But I'm sure I'll continue to make that mistake...but I'll do my best to shake the habit.
For more of my reviews, please visit:
************************
Surprisingly deep with wonderful values...I can't wait to read more of this series.
And, you know...
Just sayin'
RTC
June 28, 2011
Dairy Queen has got to be the best book hidden behind the worst cover/title ever. This isn’t a book I would have given a second glance at if it weren’t for so many Goodreads friends raving over it. Even looking past the cover, the synopsis here doesn’t sound great. One special summer in which our young protagonist, D.J. Schwenk spends time with a guy who is “out of her league”, figures out some family issues and goes out for the boys football team? This has the potential to be quirky in an oh-so-annoying way. But it isn’t. Not at all. And I am kicking myself for not reading this book sooner than now.
To start with, D.J. is refreshing and a pleasure to read about. Author Catherine Gilbert Murdock writes D.J. in the Sookie Stackhouse style. That is, she just happily rambles about her day, her thoughts and feelings on just about everything in such a friendly, conversational manner that before you know it you are completely hooked. Unlike Sookie though, D.J. is figuring out her purpose and goals in life. Also, this series will not be more than a trilogy, so we know her blathering will have a point and eventually lead us to (hopefully!) a satisfying conclusion. D.J. is every bit the tomboy who lives and works on a dairy farm, is athletic, and much like any boy, is very uncomfortable experiencing and expressing emotions. We get to meet her family who are just as tough, strong, sensitive and emotionally unenlightened as D.J. is. Of course YA covers are misleading, but I still think it’s odd for this book to have such a weird, whimsical cover when there really isn’t anything weird or whimsical about D.J.
Dairy Queen is simply one of those books which gets so many things right, it’s hard to articulate what makes it so special. I love that D.J. follows her desires not in an effort to prove a point, or impress someone or rebel. She merely attempts to figure out what she wants in life and endeavors to follow her dreams. There is a great message in this novel of being true to yourself.
And did I mention this book is also about football? Lots and lots of football (oh yeah!) Murdock does a fantastic job of describing the sport, but it’s clear that she really isn’t a fan when she mentions D.J.’s old brother/football hero Bill attending Minnesota. Yeah, it’s cool he’s playing for a NCAA team and all, but really Minnesota?? Just about the worst team in the Big Ten. I could understand if the book was based in Minnesota, or Murdock had special ties to that school (who knows, maybe she does?) But Dairy Queen takes place in Wisconsin, which has a perfectly respectable state university and football team of their own. A team that is so good, I always have a tight knot of anxiety in my stomach when my beloved Buckeyes play them. Ah, well.
Besides being proud of her brother for attending Minnesota (because for fucks sake, they are terrible!) Dairy Queen is a flawless and enjoyable book. It is definitely one I recommend, even for people who are not football fans. Really, the sports stuff isn’t so overwhelming for those of you who just aren’t into it. For the rest of us, it’s got just enough to make you count down the days till kickoff. That is, if you aren’t already =)
UPDATE: This series rocks! Just finished the final installment,
Front and Center and loved it. Going back to rate each book in this trilogy 5 stars (8/22/11)
To start with, D.J. is refreshing and a pleasure to read about. Author Catherine Gilbert Murdock writes D.J. in the Sookie Stackhouse style. That is, she just happily rambles about her day, her thoughts and feelings on just about everything in such a friendly, conversational manner that before you know it you are completely hooked. Unlike Sookie though, D.J. is figuring out her purpose and goals in life. Also, this series will not be more than a trilogy, so we know her blathering will have a point and eventually lead us to (hopefully!) a satisfying conclusion. D.J. is every bit the tomboy who lives and works on a dairy farm, is athletic, and much like any boy, is very uncomfortable experiencing and expressing emotions. We get to meet her family who are just as tough, strong, sensitive and emotionally unenlightened as D.J. is. Of course YA covers are misleading, but I still think it’s odd for this book to have such a weird, whimsical cover when there really isn’t anything weird or whimsical about D.J.
Dairy Queen is simply one of those books which gets so many things right, it’s hard to articulate what makes it so special. I love that D.J. follows her desires not in an effort to prove a point, or impress someone or rebel. She merely attempts to figure out what she wants in life and endeavors to follow her dreams. There is a great message in this novel of being true to yourself.
And did I mention this book is also about football? Lots and lots of football (oh yeah!) Murdock does a fantastic job of describing the sport, but it’s clear that she really isn’t a fan when she mentions D.J.’s old brother/football hero Bill attending Minnesota. Yeah, it’s cool he’s playing for a NCAA team and all, but really Minnesota?? Just about the worst team in the Big Ten. I could understand if the book was based in Minnesota, or Murdock had special ties to that school (who knows, maybe she does?) But Dairy Queen takes place in Wisconsin, which has a perfectly respectable state university and football team of their own. A team that is so good, I always have a tight knot of anxiety in my stomach when my beloved Buckeyes play them. Ah, well.
Besides being proud of her brother for attending Minnesota (because for fucks sake, they are terrible!) Dairy Queen is a flawless and enjoyable book. It is definitely one I recommend, even for people who are not football fans. Really, the sports stuff isn’t so overwhelming for those of you who just aren’t into it. For the rest of us, it’s got just enough to make you count down the days till kickoff. That is, if you aren’t already =)
UPDATE: This series rocks! Just finished the final installment,
Front and Center and loved it. Going back to rate each book in this trilogy 5 stars (8/22/11)
August 10, 2011
I never thought I’d have fun reading about a belching contest of all things, but that’s exactly what happened. Murdock’s Dairy Queen is just the kind of YA I can truly enjoy: loads of fun on the surface, yet if you remember to look a little deeper, for the most part it’s not funny at all.
I noticed a long time ago that authors often have problems with creating characters that are quite average. On one side, most of them don’t even want to because they’re convinced that nobody likes to read about average people. On the other, even when they try, they usually don’t know how. Sometimes you can just see that’s what the author intended to do, especially in YA, but the characters end up being either too smart or too stupid to live, thus remaining completely unrealistic and two-dimensional. That is not the case with Catherine Murdock. In my opinion, she was successful. D.J. always does the right thing for herself, but that doesn’t mean that she’s too smart. She’s not very pretty or very social, either. But Murdock knows how to make you care for her and see her in a completely different light. The thing I liked most about D.J. is that she never once made me feel frustrated or angry because I always knew that she was doing her best, even when it wasn’t enough.
Stylistically speaking, at first glance, the writing was a little strange. I was bothered by it at first, but then I started discovering things about D.J. and I realized that it needed to be adapted to the narrator. D.J. flunked her English class because she was too busy working on the family farm. All those awkward sentences (kind of like mine, but worse) and words that kept repeating again and again made things sound more authentic. In other words, once I realized that Murdock did it on purpose, and it DID take me a while, I liked it.
Phew. Let me tell you, flirting is never easy, but having any sort of romantic conversation while shoveling cow poop is next to impossible. And yet D.J. and Brian managed to do it, and it was awkward, adorable and everything else it was supposed to be. I loved the two of them together and I loved that the focus wasn't on the romance at all.
I can’t wait to read the next two books!
I noticed a long time ago that authors often have problems with creating characters that are quite average. On one side, most of them don’t even want to because they’re convinced that nobody likes to read about average people. On the other, even when they try, they usually don’t know how. Sometimes you can just see that’s what the author intended to do, especially in YA, but the characters end up being either too smart or too stupid to live, thus remaining completely unrealistic and two-dimensional. That is not the case with Catherine Murdock. In my opinion, she was successful. D.J. always does the right thing for herself, but that doesn’t mean that she’s too smart. She’s not very pretty or very social, either. But Murdock knows how to make you care for her and see her in a completely different light. The thing I liked most about D.J. is that she never once made me feel frustrated or angry because I always knew that she was doing her best, even when it wasn’t enough.
Stylistically speaking, at first glance, the writing was a little strange. I was bothered by it at first, but then I started discovering things about D.J. and I realized that it needed to be adapted to the narrator. D.J. flunked her English class because she was too busy working on the family farm. All those awkward sentences (kind of like mine, but worse) and words that kept repeating again and again made things sound more authentic. In other words, once I realized that Murdock did it on purpose, and it DID take me a while, I liked it.
Phew. Let me tell you, flirting is never easy, but having any sort of romantic conversation while shoveling cow poop is next to impossible. And yet D.J. and Brian managed to do it, and it was awkward, adorable and everything else it was supposed to be. I loved the two of them together and I loved that the focus wasn't on the romance at all.
I can’t wait to read the next two books!
August 16, 2011
Back in the good old days when Net Galley was a bountiful god instead of the clutch-fisted miser it is becoming, I used to go wild requesting every galley I could find. One of the books I requested was a novel about a girl who plays baseball on a boy's team. I never did read more than fifty pages of that one - it was pretty dry, but it did make me a little apprehensive about reading sports-related stories. Which is weird because I LOVE sports-related movies. I couldn't tell you the rules of American football if you held a gun to my head, but something about the intensity and excitement with which a bunch of men toss a ball around just gets me all happy. So it's pretty amazing that Catherine Gilbert Murdock managed to induce the same excitement in me without visual aids and eye candy.
There are just so many reasons to love Dairy Queen. I could go on and on all night and still not capture the magic of D.J. Schwenk. But I'm sure as hell gonna try.
The Schwenks are not what you'd call a talkative family. They're hardworking and "athletically gifted", but verbosity is not one of their talents. There's a lot of currents flowing under the still water, but it's not until Brian Nelson swaggers into DJ's life that she really begins to think about where her life is going.
That summary might give you the impression that luuurve changes our heroine like a butterfly from a chrysalis, or whatever, but that's not how it goes. What really, really works for Dairy Queen is how unbelievably real it is. DJ has a very distinctive voice. She's a hick, through and through, and it comes through very clearly in her words and her attitudes. But she's smart and more interestingly, she's introspective. I love introspective heroines... I don't mean the ones who angst endlessly without ever growing up, but the ones who use the incidents in their life to grow and develop as a person. Nobody does this better than DJ Schwenk. She handles her hard life (and it is HARD, believe me!) with grace and panache.
Every character in this book could be someone you meet on the street. Who says Everyman can't be interesting. Murdock takes the concept of perfectly ordinary people leading perfectly ordinary lives and makes you beg for more. And if that's not talent, I don't know what is. The characters in this story are flawed, amazing and interesting, simply for being so relatable.
There's Brian - he could have turned out to be a cardboard-cutout handsome jock, but there's more to him than that. There's the nasty, snobby, spoiled side, with the whining and the unwillingness to take responsibility. And there's the admirable, friendly side, with the willingness to apologize and the slowly developing friendship with a girl from a rival school who's not the most attractive, amazing girl on earth.
The same applies to DJ's father, the cause of so much turmoil in her life, her almost mute brother, her ultra-busy mother, the brothers who abandoned her, her mixed-up best friend. With a few anecdotes here and there, Murdock manages to make these people come alive in all their flawlessly flawed glory.
And at the heart of it all is DJ Schwenk. Big and bold and beautiful, even when she barely realizes it, so very ordinary, and yet extraordinary in her sweetness and her thoughtfulness and her ability and desire to change and think outside the box. DJ is a heroine that I might henceforth measure all heroines by - take that, you nasty size zero princesses!
As DJ says herself, although the book might be about football, football is just a metaphor for all the things that change over the course of one summer. And yet, I can't deny that I thoroughly, in a very pop-movie way, enjoyed the thrashing Red Bend gives Hawley under DJ's direction. The scenes are tightly paced and excitingly written and I felt like I was SO ready to go out there and wear a foam finger and cheer my heart out for this little high school football team.
I've already made my way through the second book in the series, and I gotta tell you, it only gets better. This is coming-of-age like no coming-of-age before, romance like no romance before, family drama like no family drama before. If you haven't read this book, I would wholeheartedly recommend that you go get it right this minute, because every second you waste thinking about it is a precious second you could be spending getting to know the one, the only, DJ Schwenk!
There are just so many reasons to love Dairy Queen. I could go on and on all night and still not capture the magic of D.J. Schwenk. But I'm sure as hell gonna try.
The Schwenks are not what you'd call a talkative family. They're hardworking and "athletically gifted", but verbosity is not one of their talents. There's a lot of currents flowing under the still water, but it's not until Brian Nelson swaggers into DJ's life that she really begins to think about where her life is going.
That summary might give you the impression that luuurve changes our heroine like a butterfly from a chrysalis, or whatever, but that's not how it goes. What really, really works for Dairy Queen is how unbelievably real it is. DJ has a very distinctive voice. She's a hick, through and through, and it comes through very clearly in her words and her attitudes. But she's smart and more interestingly, she's introspective. I love introspective heroines... I don't mean the ones who angst endlessly without ever growing up, but the ones who use the incidents in their life to grow and develop as a person. Nobody does this better than DJ Schwenk. She handles her hard life (and it is HARD, believe me!) with grace and panache.
Every character in this book could be someone you meet on the street. Who says Everyman can't be interesting. Murdock takes the concept of perfectly ordinary people leading perfectly ordinary lives and makes you beg for more. And if that's not talent, I don't know what is. The characters in this story are flawed, amazing and interesting, simply for being so relatable.
There's Brian - he could have turned out to be a cardboard-cutout handsome jock, but there's more to him than that. There's the nasty, snobby, spoiled side, with the whining and the unwillingness to take responsibility. And there's the admirable, friendly side, with the willingness to apologize and the slowly developing friendship with a girl from a rival school who's not the most attractive, amazing girl on earth.
The same applies to DJ's father, the cause of so much turmoil in her life, her almost mute brother, her ultra-busy mother, the brothers who abandoned her, her mixed-up best friend. With a few anecdotes here and there, Murdock manages to make these people come alive in all their flawlessly flawed glory.
And at the heart of it all is DJ Schwenk. Big and bold and beautiful, even when she barely realizes it, so very ordinary, and yet extraordinary in her sweetness and her thoughtfulness and her ability and desire to change and think outside the box. DJ is a heroine that I might henceforth measure all heroines by - take that, you nasty size zero princesses!
As DJ says herself, although the book might be about football, football is just a metaphor for all the things that change over the course of one summer. And yet, I can't deny that I thoroughly, in a very pop-movie way, enjoyed the thrashing Red Bend gives Hawley under DJ's direction. The scenes are tightly paced and excitingly written and I felt like I was SO ready to go out there and wear a foam finger and cheer my heart out for this little high school football team.
I've already made my way through the second book in the series, and I gotta tell you, it only gets better. This is coming-of-age like no coming-of-age before, romance like no romance before, family drama like no family drama before. If you haven't read this book, I would wholeheartedly recommend that you go get it right this minute, because every second you waste thinking about it is a precious second you could be spending getting to know the one, the only, DJ Schwenk!
July 5, 2008
I debated for a long time whether I wanted to put this one in my five star section, because I didn't think the ending was as strong as I thought it could have been. But ultimately, the insanely true voice (by turns very funny and very touching) and nice working of common themes through the book (saying this is a realistic YA novel about cows and football is at once the truest and least true thing you could every say) makes me give this five stars.
Definitely just -- great voice.
***wondering why all my reviews are five stars? Because I'm only reviewing my favorite books -- not every book I read. Consider a novel's presence on my Goodreads bookshelf as a hearty endorsement. I can't believe I just said "hearty." It sounds like a stew.****
Definitely just -- great voice.
***wondering why all my reviews are five stars? Because I'm only reviewing my favorite books -- not every book I read. Consider a novel's presence on my Goodreads bookshelf as a hearty endorsement. I can't believe I just said "hearty." It sounds like a stew.****
January 11, 2011
DJ Schwenk is a teenage girl growing up on a dairy farm in rural Wisconsin. Her family suffers from a lack of communication and the departure of her two older brothers, along with her father's hip surgery, have put even more strain on DJ. Her workload at school is overwhelming when she adds in all the work she has to do to keep the family farm running. Dairy Queen chronicles a few weeks of her summer vacation...if you can call it a vacation.
If you have to listen to professors talk about stuff like substantive due process and prescriptive easements for 3-4 hours a night, this is the type of audiobook to listen to on the way there and back. Honestly, my heart was so warmed up by the time I got there every night that I could handle it with no complaints. And the narrator had a pretty good (not perfect)Wisconsin accent. It made me miss my friends from the midwest a ton. (Especially you, Maureen-who-only-occasionally-signs-on-goodreads-and-who-I-promise-to-call-back-soon!) It also made me miss my NCCC days, where we worked hard, worked out a lot, and sweat a ton. I miss going out to do something where I could see visible results and feel good after the fact. I miss working outside and I was (dare I say it) jealous of the farm work DJ had to do.
Anyway, this book is adorable. DJ is adorable. And I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a realistic YA book.
If you have to listen to professors talk about stuff like substantive due process and prescriptive easements for 3-4 hours a night, this is the type of audiobook to listen to on the way there and back. Honestly, my heart was so warmed up by the time I got there every night that I could handle it with no complaints. And the narrator had a pretty good (not perfect)Wisconsin accent. It made me miss my friends from the midwest a ton. (Especially you, Maureen-who-only-occasionally-signs-on-goodreads-and-who-I-promise-to-call-back-soon!) It also made me miss my NCCC days, where we worked hard, worked out a lot, and sweat a ton. I miss going out to do something where I could see visible results and feel good after the fact. I miss working outside and I was (dare I say it) jealous of the farm work DJ had to do.
Anyway, this book is adorable. DJ is adorable. And I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a realistic YA book.
August 13, 2011
....why couldn't Murdock just continue to write YA instead of delving into middle grade? Sorry, Ms. Murdock, I am not saying Wisdom's Kiss was bad but this is SO much better. Actually it was pretty great, as soon as I finished it I went online to order the other two books in the series.
All because of DJ.
DJ Schwenk is no Barbie doll. She is tall, big, strong and runs her family's farm. Despite being in high school, she is overwhelmed by the daily chores required for the normal upkeep of a farm, a burden she acquired after her father injured himself and is therefore unable to do hard work. Aside from being farmers, the Schwenks are also good at playing football and DJ is no exception. So when Brian Nelson, the quarterback of a rival school is coerced by his coach to show up at her doorstep looking for training and to help with the farm, DJ cannot but accept, hoping to teach the guy a lesson. But, as it turns out, it will be DJ to learn more than she bargained for out of this lesson, about herself, her family and the importance of communication.
So after a brief surfing interlude with Raw Blue, here goes another typical Italian national sport, football.
NOT. Football is, in Italy, just about as widespread as Mountain Dew and Starbucks (yes, you can start pitying now, we have none of those here). Consequently, my knowledge of either slang or rules related to this game is... close to zero, I'd say (I only know names of players that the Kardashians have dated so... pretty many actually).
BUT, in Dairy Queen, it didn't matter. To be honest, I have to confess that my interest got piqued and I am developing a certain attraction towards the game. But again, I think it might be all because of DJ. This book is so good primarily for its main character.
Written in first person, DJ is a truly amazing voice in the ranks of YA heroines. She is neither beautiful nor particularly brilliant but she is so honest, authentic and just.... genuine that it was impossible for me not to sympathize with her and with her predicaments. And cheer for her all the way. I mean, this girl plays football, how cool is that?
And while I would define this as a great, fresh and fast summer read (I read it at the beach and I have to say the cow cover perfectly matched with the surroundings), it is far, far from shallow. DJ's dysfunctional family and friends guide us through the rules of personal communication, familiar love and friendship beyond social strata, giving it a depth hidden behind the simple, yet clever tone and writing style.
I really enjoyed it, it pleasantly surprised me and I'm looking forward to knowing what happens to DJ next! Definitely recommended.
All because of DJ.
DJ Schwenk is no Barbie doll. She is tall, big, strong and runs her family's farm. Despite being in high school, she is overwhelmed by the daily chores required for the normal upkeep of a farm, a burden she acquired after her father injured himself and is therefore unable to do hard work. Aside from being farmers, the Schwenks are also good at playing football and DJ is no exception. So when Brian Nelson, the quarterback of a rival school is coerced by his coach to show up at her doorstep looking for training and to help with the farm, DJ cannot but accept, hoping to teach the guy a lesson. But, as it turns out, it will be DJ to learn more than she bargained for out of this lesson, about herself, her family and the importance of communication.
So after a brief surfing interlude with Raw Blue, here goes another typical Italian national sport, football.
NOT. Football is, in Italy, just about as widespread as Mountain Dew and Starbucks (yes, you can start pitying now, we have none of those here). Consequently, my knowledge of either slang or rules related to this game is... close to zero, I'd say (I only know names of players that the Kardashians have dated so... pretty many actually).
BUT, in Dairy Queen, it didn't matter. To be honest, I have to confess that my interest got piqued and I am developing a certain attraction towards the game. But again, I think it might be all because of DJ. This book is so good primarily for its main character.
Written in first person, DJ is a truly amazing voice in the ranks of YA heroines. She is neither beautiful nor particularly brilliant but she is so honest, authentic and just.... genuine that it was impossible for me not to sympathize with her and with her predicaments. And cheer for her all the way. I mean, this girl plays football, how cool is that?
And while I would define this as a great, fresh and fast summer read (I read it at the beach and I have to say the cow cover perfectly matched with the surroundings), it is far, far from shallow. DJ's dysfunctional family and friends guide us through the rules of personal communication, familiar love and friendship beyond social strata, giving it a depth hidden behind the simple, yet clever tone and writing style.
I really enjoyed it, it pleasantly surprised me and I'm looking forward to knowing what happens to DJ next! Definitely recommended.
May 12, 2020
“If this was a movie or something I’d give this awesome speech and everyone would cheer and it would be great. But it wasn’t a movie-it was my life. And I don’t have much to say in the best of situations.”
Initial Final Page Thoughts.
If you need me, I’m gonna be in Schwenksville. Also… this review is brought to you by the letter ‘R’… for REAL
High Points.
This book is re-… OK, I’ll stop that right there. DJ Swchenk. Brian. Summer lovin’. A girl with ambitions. Diversity. Cows. Pick-up trucks. Water fights. Painting. Brothers. Nervous phone calls. Head butts. Brownies.
Low Point.
(Prepare for a ramble, this actually is only one low point. But I just like thesound look of my own voice words.)
This year I got tricked into staying up and watching the Superbowl. I was told “It’s like rugby. Except you can’t really see their face because they wear protection so you can’t objectify the players like you do with rugby. But apart from that… there’s no difference.”
Disclaimer: There are more reasons to why I watch and enjoy rugby than the prospect of Jonny Wilkinson in tiny shorts.Like Toby Flood, Delon Armitage, Mark Cueto, Chris Ashton and when we play Scotland… everyone but especially Richie Gray but don’t tell anyone because I can’t love the enemy….in tiny shorts. Like I get to watch it with my dad and my brother and it makes me all goosepimply when the crowd starts singing ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’ at Twickenham.
But anyway… it turns out there is a huge difference between American Football and rugby. I get far too into games of rugby (I could have given Martin Johnson a run for his money in the scowling stakes this past Six Nations *grumbles*). I know rugby. I understand rugby (well, I’m not an expert and I still have to ask my granddad, who gives me an exasperated look and states “This is why girls shouldn’t watch sport” or “The effin’ ref, Jo, that’s what’s happening.”) sometimes but I understand about 95% of what is happening… which is goodfor a girl).
I do not know American football and I do not understand American football. I tried to watch Friday Night Lights but every time Kyle Chandler was on the screen all I could think about was Early Edition and that episode of Grey’s Anatomy and that can of worms was opened and… yeah.
So this book often lost me in that sense…. But it didn’t take away any of the enjoyment, but I just think it would have increased the enjoyment if I actually knew what the eff was going on.
Heroine.
OK, I’m pretty sure Iam was DJ Schwenk in another life. She is awkward, she isn’t all that clever but she is so real genuine as a teenager and she was so believable. Also she is gutsy and cynical and not a girly girl without being too overwhelming or ‘YEAH. LOOK AT ME. I’M A MASSIVE TOMBOY AND FEMINIST. WHATCHA GONNA DO, HUH? YEAH. I’M GONNA PUNCH YOU IF YOU LOOK AT MY BOOBS’ because, to me, that’s just as bad as a YA heroine being simpering and blarrgh.
The line isn’t that fine between these two categories and I wish more authors would take a leaf out of Ms Gilbert Murdock’s book and create characters that experience feelings that every day people have but not lose themselves completely when things go belly-up.
DJ is such a refreshing heroine and I can’t wait to find out more about her.
Best Friend.
I really hope we see more of Amber in the next book… such an original relationship and I can’t wait to see where it will go.
Love Interest.
Brian, you are as cute as a button. And even though you’re flirtytirty relationship with DJ was very subtle it was still present and so cute… and surprisingly swoonworthy.
From other reviews of this book I have read, I thought this book was going to be a love-free zone, so I was pleasantly surprised when I ended up getting a bit tummy-flippy at certain parts.
Again, I don’t think your story is finished yet and I bet you continue to make me go weak at the knees and wish I knew more about American football so I could understand a single word you said and not just focus on you painting barns topless.
Which I didn’t do. Nuh-uh not me.
Theme Tune.
Milkshake- Kelis
HAHA…I’m kidding.
*looks shifty*
I thought it would be really difficult to find a song about this book because surely there are hardly any songs about cows and dairy and farming… right? WRONG.
I found lots.
But I’m saving them for t’other books in this series which I can’t wait to get my grubby mitts on. Although… they might not even be about farming. But whatever.
So here’s Numero 1.
For All The Cows- Foo Fighters.
Because I love the Foo Fighters and I have seen them about a million times live and whenever I have seen them they were with my best friends at the time and Dave Grohl will always have a special place in mypants heart.
Boy/Girl Angst Level.
2/10. YOU GUYS, I have found a book with absolutely no boy angst. Well, OK. About two pages. But it’s completely OK, because D.J is a normal girl who is real and thus doesn’t have approximately a million chapters of ‘WHY DOESN’T HE LOVE ME?’ She has normal hang-ups but doesn’t blabber on about them. She gets on with things which is what normal and real life people do and it’s awkward and sometimes I had to read this book through my fingersbecause it reminded me so much of myself but it’s real. And I loved it.
Sadness Scale.
5/10. This was a tough one because there were some parts that really made me quite sad and it was kind of like when you’re in the cinema and you get a bit choked up at a part and you look to the person next to you and it’s not affected them at all. And then you feel a bit silly for getting a bit worked up. That was like looking at D.J’s life. It wasn’t that she didn’t let things bother her.. but she just didn’t let other people know they were bothering her.
Oh, I just loved D.J.
Recommended For.
People who are looking for a realistic fiction where a girl is just a girl and a boy is just a boy. No one changes into something at night, no one has a taste for blood and no one has the fate of the world resting on their skinny shoulders. People who were awkward. People who have ever dreamed ofbeing taunted with a jock strap by a sweaty boy of doing something that you love. People who have older brothers. People who have always wanted to live on a farm. People who like American Football… I’m presuming the depiction is quite correct? People who love brownies that you can eat like soup. People who collect animal skulls. People who wouldn’t know where to even begin if someone handed them a power hose. People who have ever used the excuse ‘Um, we were just doing sit ups Dad”.
Initial Final Page Thoughts.
If you need me, I’m gonna be in Schwenksville. Also… this review is brought to you by the letter ‘R’… for REAL
High Points.
This book is re-… OK, I’ll stop that right there. DJ Swchenk. Brian. Summer lovin’. A girl with ambitions. Diversity. Cows. Pick-up trucks. Water fights. Painting. Brothers. Nervous phone calls. Head butts. Brownies.
Low Point.
(Prepare for a ramble, this actually is only one low point. But I just like the
This year I got tricked into staying up and watching the Superbowl. I was told “It’s like rugby. Except you can’t really see their face because they wear protection so you can’t objectify the players like you do with rugby. But apart from that… there’s no difference.”
Disclaimer: There are more reasons to why I watch and enjoy rugby than the prospect of Jonny Wilkinson in tiny shorts.
But anyway… it turns out there is a huge difference between American Football and rugby. I get far too into games of rugby (I could have given Martin Johnson a run for his money in the scowling stakes this past Six Nations *grumbles*). I know rugby. I understand rugby (well, I’m not an expert and I still have to ask my granddad, who gives me an exasperated look and states “This is why girls shouldn’t watch sport” or “The effin’ ref, Jo, that’s what’s happening.”) sometimes but I understand about 95% of what is happening… which is good
I do not know American football and I do not understand American football. I tried to watch Friday Night Lights but every time Kyle Chandler was on the screen all I could think about was Early Edition and that episode of Grey’s Anatomy and that can of worms was opened and… yeah.
So this book often lost me in that sense…. But it didn’t take away any of the enjoyment, but I just think it would have increased the enjoyment if I actually knew what the eff was going on.
Heroine.
OK, I’m pretty sure I
The line isn’t that fine between these two categories and I wish more authors would take a leaf out of Ms Gilbert Murdock’s book and create characters that experience feelings that every day people have but not lose themselves completely when things go belly-up.
DJ is such a refreshing heroine and I can’t wait to find out more about her.
Best Friend.
I really hope we see more of Amber in the next book… such an original relationship and I can’t wait to see where it will go.
Love Interest.
Brian, you are as cute as a button. And even though you’re flirtytirty relationship with DJ was very subtle it was still present and so cute… and surprisingly swoonworthy.
From other reviews of this book I have read, I thought this book was going to be a love-free zone, so I was pleasantly surprised when I ended up getting a bit tummy-flippy at certain parts.
Again, I don’t think your story is finished yet and I bet you continue to make me go weak at the knees and wish I knew more about American football so I could understand a single word you said and not just focus on you painting barns topless.
Which I didn’t do. Nuh-uh not me.
Theme Tune.
HAHA…I’m kidding.
*looks shifty*
I thought it would be really difficult to find a song about this book because surely there are hardly any songs about cows and dairy and farming… right? WRONG.
I found lots.
But I’m saving them for t’other books in this series which I can’t wait to get my grubby mitts on. Although… they might not even be about farming. But whatever.
So here’s Numero 1.
For All The Cows- Foo Fighters.
Because I love the Foo Fighters and I have seen them about a million times live and whenever I have seen them they were with my best friends at the time and Dave Grohl will always have a special place in my
Boy/
2/10. YOU GUYS, I have found a book with absolutely no boy angst. Well, OK. About two pages. But it’s completely OK, because D.J is a normal girl who is real and thus doesn’t have approximately a million chapters of ‘WHY DOESN’T HE LOVE ME?’ She has normal hang-ups but doesn’t blabber on about them. She gets on with things which is what normal and real life people do and it’s awkward and sometimes I had to read this book through my fingers
Sadness Scale.
5/10. This was a tough one because there were some parts that really made me quite sad and it was kind of like when you’re in the cinema and you get a bit choked up at a part and you look to the person next to you and it’s not affected them at all. And then you feel a bit silly for getting a bit worked up. That was like looking at D.J’s life. It wasn’t that she didn’t let things bother her.. but she just didn’t let other people know they were bothering her.
Oh, I just loved D.J.
Recommended For.
People who are looking for a realistic fiction where a girl is just a girl and a boy is just a boy. No one changes into something at night, no one has a taste for blood and no one has the fate of the world resting on their skinny shoulders. People who were awkward. People who have ever dreamed of
May 13, 2010
Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock is an absolutely awesome book. It was laugh out loud funny and truly engaging, but the thing that moves this book into the five-star category for me, is the fact that it was down-right inspiring. D.J. Schwenk has become one of my favorite female fictional characters. When I picked up this book, I didn’t think I’d enjoy it too much as I have no clue what it takes to work a farm and no idea how the game of football works… this book made me a fan of both.
I loved D.J.’s dialog and how she constantly describes events, feelings and reactions in absolute extremes. For the most part, I find that technique irritating and distracting, but for some reason D.J. was able to pull it off when she’d say stuff like, “it was the most embarrassing thing that happened to me in my whole life; it was the biggest lie in the whole world; it was the longest day I ever lived; it was the worst meal ever made; it was the most horrible thing that happened in my life,” I would find myself smiling because it came across as endearing that fit perfectly with D.J.’s modest character.
About the book…. D.J. Schwenk is a small town Wisconsin girl forced to work the family farm when her father suffers an injury, her brothers move on to college, and her mother is stuck working two jobs to make ends meet. She does her job and works long hours without voicing one word of compliant. And, as the story progresses you learn that it becomes a problem because she never communicates how she feels and what she wants out of life, she just lets her circumstance decide her fate. All that changes when Brian Nelson, the QB from D.J.’s rival high school, comes to work on the farm and ends up taking football lessons from her. As she trains Brian, she learns that there’s more she wants out of life and when something that really matters comes up, she needs to speak up.
There were several scenes I found hilarious and inspiring and I never thought I’d say that I found a football game exciting, but there I was cheering on the characters in a preseason game. Who knew??!! There were so many things about this book that made it absolutely awesome, and I can’t wait for my turn in the library queue for the next book in the series to come in. Great story that will have you engaged and ultimately motivated.
I loved D.J.’s dialog and how she constantly describes events, feelings and reactions in absolute extremes. For the most part, I find that technique irritating and distracting, but for some reason D.J. was able to pull it off when she’d say stuff like, “it was the most embarrassing thing that happened to me in my whole life; it was the biggest lie in the whole world; it was the longest day I ever lived; it was the worst meal ever made; it was the most horrible thing that happened in my life,” I would find myself smiling because it came across as endearing that fit perfectly with D.J.’s modest character.
About the book…. D.J. Schwenk is a small town Wisconsin girl forced to work the family farm when her father suffers an injury, her brothers move on to college, and her mother is stuck working two jobs to make ends meet. She does her job and works long hours without voicing one word of compliant. And, as the story progresses you learn that it becomes a problem because she never communicates how she feels and what she wants out of life, she just lets her circumstance decide her fate. All that changes when Brian Nelson, the QB from D.J.’s rival high school, comes to work on the farm and ends up taking football lessons from her. As she trains Brian, she learns that there’s more she wants out of life and when something that really matters comes up, she needs to speak up.
There were several scenes I found hilarious and inspiring and I never thought I’d say that I found a football game exciting, but there I was cheering on the characters in a preseason game. Who knew??!! There were so many things about this book that made it absolutely awesome, and I can’t wait for my turn in the library queue for the next book in the series to come in. Great story that will have you engaged and ultimately motivated.
March 14, 2011
I’ve been home sick for two days the other week and during that time I read all three books of this series back to back and whenever I’m doing something like this I find it hard to come up a with a review for each single book since everything kind of blurs together and I’m having trouble distinguishing the different books in my head, so I’m just going to do one review for all three books and keep it general.
D.J. is one of those protagonists you just gotta love! She’s so likeable and easy to relate to. I didn’t know what to expect when I first picked up the Dairy Queen and I certainly wouldn’t have expected to find such a heartwarming, gripping and funny story. I loved all three books, and every one of them had me perched at the edge of my seat, ready to jump up and yell "GO D.J. GO" because I had been so caught up in her story. All the characters of this series felt extremely real to me and I loved each one of them along with all their flaws. At some points the story made me laugh out loud, at some points I had to slap my forehead or even shut my book for a few minutes because I suffered from vicarious embarrassment and I just couldn’t take it anymore, at some points I was so angry on D.J.’s behalf that I wanted to kick something and at some points the story brought tears to my eyes. There’s also a cute romance included but only the story of the third book revolves to a larger extent around D.J.’s love live.
This series is fun and sweet and I recommend it to everybody. A good piece of contemporary YA.
D.J. is one of those protagonists you just gotta love! She’s so likeable and easy to relate to. I didn’t know what to expect when I first picked up the Dairy Queen and I certainly wouldn’t have expected to find such a heartwarming, gripping and funny story. I loved all three books, and every one of them had me perched at the edge of my seat, ready to jump up and yell "GO D.J. GO" because I had been so caught up in her story. All the characters of this series felt extremely real to me and I loved each one of them along with all their flaws. At some points the story made me laugh out loud, at some points I had to slap my forehead or even shut my book for a few minutes because I suffered from vicarious embarrassment and I just couldn’t take it anymore, at some points I was so angry on D.J.’s behalf that I wanted to kick something and at some points the story brought tears to my eyes. There’s also a cute romance included but only the story of the third book revolves to a larger extent around D.J.’s love live.
This series is fun and sweet and I recommend it to everybody. A good piece of contemporary YA.
November 10, 2012
If Dairy Queen taught me anything, it was, first and foremost, that I am a horrible read-along buddy. Seriously. I was only supposed to read five chapters of this today and I wound up reading all twelve chapters until the end, reading in the hallways, through classes, and on the bus ride back home. Needless to say, it was a little hard for me to put this book down after a point and even now, I can't get it out of my head. Dairy Queen is everything you wish for in a contemporary novel and so much more. It's original. Yes, original! You'd think in a genre dominated by Ruby Oliver and Jessica Darling that we couldn't possibly get another lively, spunky, and heart-warming heroine to join the two, but DJ Shwenk makes a niche for herself.
Dairy Queen is unlike any other contemporary novel I’ve read, simply because it is set on a farm. D.J. Shwenk helps her parents by working on their farm all day, but her rote summer routine is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Brian Nelson. Brian is the quarterback of the rival high school, Red Bend, which D.J.’s school, Hawley, has practically always lost to. While this may not be such a big deal to most people, to D.J. whose two older brothers are professional football players in college, it certainly is. Thus, their exchange doesn’t quite go as planned and Brian leaves off in a storm – only after letting D.J. know exactly what he thinks of her, of course. D.J.’s life isn’t perfect – her younger brother, Curtis, won’t talk; she flunked English (actually failed); her father’s hip is broken and he can’t cook even though he insists on doing so; her mother is busy and seems to be hiding secrets; Amber, D.J.’s best friend, seems to be more aloof than usual; and of course, D.J.’s older brothers haven’t spoken to her family in a very, very long time. With the help of Brian, her own voice, and a little bit of courage, this summer just could be the one to change D.J.’s life – if only she’ll try.
It’s difficult for me to put into words exactly what I love so much about D.J. Shwenk. I suppose, at the heart of everything, she’s surprisingly real. D.J.’s problems aren’t like most protagonists you’d come across and her voice is heart-warmingly honest, making it a true delight to read. Dairy Queen will make you laugh, it’ll make you smile, it’ll make you cringe, it’ll make you want to bury your face under a pillow, and it’ll make you want to punch people. Yet, by the end of it, it’ll make you so hopeful and happy that your heart just may burst. It’s one of the sweetest novels I’ve read, not only about growing up, realizing your mistakes, and correcting them, but also about family. Dairy Queen isn’t just D.J’s story – it’s the story of her father, her mother, her brothers, and even Brian. It shows us all that everyone is flawed, but despite that, they have the capability to do something about it.
Dairy Queen tackles on a lot of difficult subjects, but it’s never overdone that it takes away from the novel or so pushed under the table that you crave more depth. In fact, the balance Murdock strikes is perfect. Furthermore, the romance in this novel is so subtle that you can’t help but admire it. It is, first and foremost, a friendship and from there it grows in such a way that you could almost miss it if you weren’t paying close enough attention. Although Dairy Queen is a quick book, it’s by no means forgettable and so much about it can brighten up your day just by thinking about it, making it one of those contemporaries you want to thrust into the hands of every unsuspecting person who may walk down the street.
Thus, consider me virtually thrusting this into your unsuspecting hands because even if you don’t comprehend the full scale of the depth this novel provides, it’ll cheer you up for a few hours and truly make you think. Dairy Queen made me look upon my own life and my own family, much like D.J. is forced to reflect upon hers. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the emotional and educational journey that Dairy Queen took me on, making me pause, contemplate, and wonder both about myself and my family, was what made this novel ring so true with me. It isn’t like Sloppy Firsts where Jessica Darling and I could practically be the same person. It isn’t like Ruby Oliver where Ruby could be my wise older sister, raining down her years of well-learned trouble down on me. It is completely different, completely unique, yet completely heart-warming all the same. Just as D.J. has made her own niche in the world of contemporary fiction, Dairy Queen too will make its own niche – right in your heart.
You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.
Dairy Queen is unlike any other contemporary novel I’ve read, simply because it is set on a farm. D.J. Shwenk helps her parents by working on their farm all day, but her rote summer routine is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Brian Nelson. Brian is the quarterback of the rival high school, Red Bend, which D.J.’s school, Hawley, has practically always lost to. While this may not be such a big deal to most people, to D.J. whose two older brothers are professional football players in college, it certainly is. Thus, their exchange doesn’t quite go as planned and Brian leaves off in a storm – only after letting D.J. know exactly what he thinks of her, of course. D.J.’s life isn’t perfect – her younger brother, Curtis, won’t talk; she flunked English (actually failed); her father’s hip is broken and he can’t cook even though he insists on doing so; her mother is busy and seems to be hiding secrets; Amber, D.J.’s best friend, seems to be more aloof than usual; and of course, D.J.’s older brothers haven’t spoken to her family in a very, very long time. With the help of Brian, her own voice, and a little bit of courage, this summer just could be the one to change D.J.’s life – if only she’ll try.
It’s difficult for me to put into words exactly what I love so much about D.J. Shwenk. I suppose, at the heart of everything, she’s surprisingly real. D.J.’s problems aren’t like most protagonists you’d come across and her voice is heart-warmingly honest, making it a true delight to read. Dairy Queen will make you laugh, it’ll make you smile, it’ll make you cringe, it’ll make you want to bury your face under a pillow, and it’ll make you want to punch people. Yet, by the end of it, it’ll make you so hopeful and happy that your heart just may burst. It’s one of the sweetest novels I’ve read, not only about growing up, realizing your mistakes, and correcting them, but also about family. Dairy Queen isn’t just D.J’s story – it’s the story of her father, her mother, her brothers, and even Brian. It shows us all that everyone is flawed, but despite that, they have the capability to do something about it.
Dairy Queen tackles on a lot of difficult subjects, but it’s never overdone that it takes away from the novel or so pushed under the table that you crave more depth. In fact, the balance Murdock strikes is perfect. Furthermore, the romance in this novel is so subtle that you can’t help but admire it. It is, first and foremost, a friendship and from there it grows in such a way that you could almost miss it if you weren’t paying close enough attention. Although Dairy Queen is a quick book, it’s by no means forgettable and so much about it can brighten up your day just by thinking about it, making it one of those contemporaries you want to thrust into the hands of every unsuspecting person who may walk down the street.
Thus, consider me virtually thrusting this into your unsuspecting hands because even if you don’t comprehend the full scale of the depth this novel provides, it’ll cheer you up for a few hours and truly make you think. Dairy Queen made me look upon my own life and my own family, much like D.J. is forced to reflect upon hers. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the emotional and educational journey that Dairy Queen took me on, making me pause, contemplate, and wonder both about myself and my family, was what made this novel ring so true with me. It isn’t like Sloppy Firsts where Jessica Darling and I could practically be the same person. It isn’t like Ruby Oliver where Ruby could be my wise older sister, raining down her years of well-learned trouble down on me. It is completely different, completely unique, yet completely heart-warming all the same. Just as D.J. has made her own niche in the world of contemporary fiction, Dairy Queen too will make its own niche – right in your heart.
You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.
October 2, 2024
Heart- and gut-wrenchingly good. I just ordered the sequel although still have 14 new books waiting to be read. The plot: Tomboy D.J. Schwenks is 15 going on 16, lives on a dairy farm and does almost all the hard work. In fact she is even flunking grades in order to get the barn clean and the cows milked and fed. Her father has an injured hip, started doing housework instead of farm work and just loves to complain about his daughter's working style. D.J.'s real passion is American football, but her school does not have a girls' team. Trying out for playing is not recommended anyway when you consider what happened to her older brothers, both famous quarterbacks at college. They dared to tell their father that they did not want to inherit the farm and were thrown out past Christmas. So D.J. has decided to shut up and do what is expected from her. Same seems to work for her younger brother Curtis, who does not talk at all, helps her on the farm, collects animal skulls and seems to enjoy his visits to the dentist. D.J.s view of her own situation gets shook up during summer holidays, when the football coach of the enemy school sends his quarterback Brian over to help on the farm and get trained by D.J. He sneers and calls D.J. a cow who just swallows what has been thrown into her trough. My opinion: This is the kind of story that sticks. I cried several time reading this novel. It was so sad but heart-warming to live through D.J.'s self-reflection, her learning to think for herself, the slow meltdown of the whole family never talking problems thoroughly through and the bitter-sweet experience of falling in love for the first time. What got to me hardest was D.J.'s parents' attitude towards her running the farm and messing up her grades in school for the family's sake. It is even more shocking when you take in mind, that D.J.'s mom is the principal of the local primary school. (***Read for the first time in 2009***)
August 26, 2016
★★★★★ What a wonderful book! The only fault I found was in myself – because I didn’t pick up the next one in this charming series while I was at the library! I’ve already requested the audio CD’s. Hopefully, I’ll do a more in-depth review for that media format.
Glad I needed Wisconsin for my State Challenge.
Glad I needed Wisconsin for my State Challenge.
January 1, 2018
High red Dairy Queen in high school and I thought it was a fantastic romance book and I thought it was a good play on the author's words and I got sucked into it when I was in high school.
February 7, 2017
I'd seen Dairy Queen and plenty of other Catherine Gilbert Murdock novels come and go at the public library where I work, but I had never read a single one before. Honestly, the covers aren't all that appealing - I would have totally guessed that this novel was about the dairy princess at a county fair, or something along those lines. Instead, it's actually about a quiet yet hard-working farm girl who tries out for her rural high school's football team after training a rival football team's player over summer break. Yeah, I wouldn't have guessed that from the cover either.
I really should have read this novel while I was in high school - it was released in 2006 when I was a high school junior and I think 16/ 17 year old me would have really appreciated it. Not that I played sports, or even cared about sports at all for that matter, but because DJ is just so relatable. A good deal of this is because she's grown up on a farm. Let's just say, I can probably count on one hand how many newer YA contemporary novels I've read that are primarily set on a working farm. It's a breath of fresh air seeing a realistic presentation of what it's like living in a rural area and going to a small rural high school, too. While it took a little bit for me to get used to DJ's conversational narrative voice, her story is absolutely worth jumping into, even if you don't know anything about football (like me). While it isn't at the top of my tbr, I'll have to try the sequel, The Off Season.
I really should have read this novel while I was in high school - it was released in 2006 when I was a high school junior and I think 16/ 17 year old me would have really appreciated it. Not that I played sports, or even cared about sports at all for that matter, but because DJ is just so relatable. A good deal of this is because she's grown up on a farm. Let's just say, I can probably count on one hand how many newer YA contemporary novels I've read that are primarily set on a working farm. It's a breath of fresh air seeing a realistic presentation of what it's like living in a rural area and going to a small rural high school, too. While it took a little bit for me to get used to DJ's conversational narrative voice, her story is absolutely worth jumping into, even if you don't know anything about football (like me). While it isn't at the top of my tbr, I'll have to try the sequel, The Off Season.
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October 3, 2022
As a kid who grew up in rural Oregon wanting to join her town's 8-man football team and working on her family's ranch, this book has always spoken to me.
I love DJ. She's got a fantastic, sparkling voice that pops onto the page, and while she puts herself down a lot she grows heaps and bounds throughout the book—and manages to be the one to bring her family back together while trying to keep everything going and also figuring her own self out.
It's a lot of farming and haying and dairy cows and football, so if you don't like those things (and I don't really give a shit about football—I never played because we ended up moving and I found rowing instead) then it's going to be pretty boring, but for someone who did, and who has a family that doesn't talk about the hard stuff or talk a whole lot at all (yay stoic Midwestern folk!), this is definitely the book.
There are trigger warnings for homophobia, sexism and use of the r-word.
I love DJ. She's got a fantastic, sparkling voice that pops onto the page, and while she puts herself down a lot she grows heaps and bounds throughout the book—and manages to be the one to bring her family back together while trying to keep everything going and also figuring her own self out.
It's a lot of farming and haying and dairy cows and football, so if you don't like those things (and I don't really give a shit about football—I never played because we ended up moving and I found rowing instead) then it's going to be pretty boring, but for someone who did, and who has a family that doesn't talk about the hard stuff or talk a whole lot at all (yay stoic Midwestern folk!), this is definitely the book.
There are trigger warnings for homophobia, sexism and use of the r-word.
September 28, 2017
I picked this up on a recommendation stating that it was really good and super humorous. And...I don't know, maybe it was just me but I struggled through this whole read. Sure there were some funny parts but nothing that had me smiling like crazy or even laughing out loud. Maybe it was me though and not the writing. I think this is just one of those cases where this just wasn't my cup of tea.
May 3, 2012
4.5 stars
I loved this book so much I read it in one sitting in the bathtub of all places. And trust me, I live in student housing in desperate need of renovation so that is by no means a cozy bathtub, but I was so engrossed in this story that I kept reading long after the water got cold.
I admit, I grew up on a farm driving tractors ever since I was a little kid (so young that I look at my kids and think Were my parents really crazy enough to let me operate machinery when I was that age???) so I LOVED all of DJ's description of the farm. This setting was pitch perfect for me. Catherine Murdock knows about agriculture and farm living and Midwestern charm. That part about having to send a favorite cow, Joe Namath, away in her old age? I have lived this, so I felt a connection to this story and its characters that I haven't felt in a long time.
Besides that setting, I was captivated by DJ's authentic voice. As she struggles to be seen by her family and find her own balance between her work on the farm and pretty much everything else that takes a back seat to that, I felt equal parts admiration and sympathy for this hard-working girl who needs a bit of appreciation.
Of course I love a little romance in my YA books, and Dairy Queen has just a dash of romance that develops perfectly in that slow, realistic kind of way.
I've had this book sitting on my shelf unread for two years, so thanks to Colette who read it and told me I was going to love it because she knew me back during the farm girl days. She was right.
Everything that is wrong in Catching Jordan is right in Dairy Queen. THIS is what Catching Jordan should have been.
I loved this book so much I read it in one sitting in the bathtub of all places. And trust me, I live in student housing in desperate need of renovation so that is by no means a cozy bathtub, but I was so engrossed in this story that I kept reading long after the water got cold.
I admit, I grew up on a farm driving tractors ever since I was a little kid (so young that I look at my kids and think Were my parents really crazy enough to let me operate machinery when I was that age???) so I LOVED all of DJ's description of the farm. This setting was pitch perfect for me. Catherine Murdock knows about agriculture and farm living and Midwestern charm. That part about having to send a favorite cow, Joe Namath, away in her old age? I have lived this, so I felt a connection to this story and its characters that I haven't felt in a long time.
Besides that setting, I was captivated by DJ's authentic voice. As she struggles to be seen by her family and find her own balance between her work on the farm and pretty much everything else that takes a back seat to that, I felt equal parts admiration and sympathy for this hard-working girl who needs a bit of appreciation.
Of course I love a little romance in my YA books, and Dairy Queen has just a dash of romance that develops perfectly in that slow, realistic kind of way.
I've had this book sitting on my shelf unread for two years, so thanks to Colette who read it and told me I was going to love it because she knew me back during the farm girl days. She was right.
Everything that is wrong in Catching Jordan is right in Dairy Queen. THIS is what Catching Jordan should have been.
November 20, 2012
Dairy Queen was a book which I picked up at the right time; I was in the mood for something a little light -hearted and funny and that is exactly what I got from this book. I knew straight away I was going to enjoy this book as I found myself powering through the book, I had tons of other review books to get through, but this was the only book which seemed to be occupying my mind.
Dairy Queen definitely had an original take on things; D.J is responsible for her family’s farm, with her dad hurting his hip not being able to do much anymore, her older brothers Bill and Win away at college, a lot of the responsibility falls on D.J. It’s tough, D.J’s still in high school, she has to fit in studying around all the farming duties too. On top of that Jimmy coach of rival team Hawley decides that Brian their quarter back will benefit by helping D.J around their farm. D.J’s not too pleased, firstly he’s from the rival football team, and what would her family think? Her brothers hated Hawley, but even D.J couldn’t stand Brian after her brother Wins last match. So being forced to spend time with him isn’t the best time D.J imagined.
I went into Dairy Queen not knowing what to expect, it was a highly rated book amongst my Goodread’s friends, so I took that as a good sign. Firstly I didn’t even know it had a sports theme in it, I’m a huge sports fan and I’m always looking for more sports related books in ya, so I was kind of overjoyed when I found this out.
Being a good athlete and good at sports sort of runs through the Schwenk family and it was clear to see D.J had so much potential too. But being in charge of the farm she didn’t have the time anymore. It was fun watching D.J comes to grips of dealing with Brian, training him and teaching him about the farm. It was all sort of an eye opening experience, it made D.J take a step back and look over her current situation and realise she wasn’t at all happy with it.
I really liked D.J, she wasn’t your typical m.c; she had different priorities to other students and so missed out on a lot of opportunities because of the farm, she wasn’t the person who wanted the limelight either with everything thrown her way, she just got on with it, she really was an easy person to connect too. The secondary characters in this book were also an absolute delight, they were such a varied bunch and all had their internal dilemma’s they had to deal with. Despite this Dairy Queen didn’t come across as a heavy read in any way, Murdock did an excellent job of dealing with tough issues but also having the essence of a comical easy going feel throughout. Dairy Queen was definitely a feel good book. It’s a nice little book you can squeeze in between some intense reads in that it will leave you with warm fuzzies and a smile on your face. I will definitely be diving into the next book The Off Season soon!
Thank you to Leanne and Keertana for reading this with me!
This review can be found on: The Readers Den
Dairy Queen definitely had an original take on things; D.J is responsible for her family’s farm, with her dad hurting his hip not being able to do much anymore, her older brothers Bill and Win away at college, a lot of the responsibility falls on D.J. It’s tough, D.J’s still in high school, she has to fit in studying around all the farming duties too. On top of that Jimmy coach of rival team Hawley decides that Brian their quarter back will benefit by helping D.J around their farm. D.J’s not too pleased, firstly he’s from the rival football team, and what would her family think? Her brothers hated Hawley, but even D.J couldn’t stand Brian after her brother Wins last match. So being forced to spend time with him isn’t the best time D.J imagined.
I went into Dairy Queen not knowing what to expect, it was a highly rated book amongst my Goodread’s friends, so I took that as a good sign. Firstly I didn’t even know it had a sports theme in it, I’m a huge sports fan and I’m always looking for more sports related books in ya, so I was kind of overjoyed when I found this out.
Being a good athlete and good at sports sort of runs through the Schwenk family and it was clear to see D.J had so much potential too. But being in charge of the farm she didn’t have the time anymore. It was fun watching D.J comes to grips of dealing with Brian, training him and teaching him about the farm. It was all sort of an eye opening experience, it made D.J take a step back and look over her current situation and realise she wasn’t at all happy with it.
I really liked D.J, she wasn’t your typical m.c; she had different priorities to other students and so missed out on a lot of opportunities because of the farm, she wasn’t the person who wanted the limelight either with everything thrown her way, she just got on with it, she really was an easy person to connect too. The secondary characters in this book were also an absolute delight, they were such a varied bunch and all had their internal dilemma’s they had to deal with. Despite this Dairy Queen didn’t come across as a heavy read in any way, Murdock did an excellent job of dealing with tough issues but also having the essence of a comical easy going feel throughout. Dairy Queen was definitely a feel good book. It’s a nice little book you can squeeze in between some intense reads in that it will leave you with warm fuzzies and a smile on your face. I will definitely be diving into the next book The Off Season soon!
Thank you to Leanne and Keertana for reading this with me!
This review can be found on: The Readers Den
July 19, 2018
This book has a good premise.
I like that incorporate farming and football. And the cover looks funky so I am guessing this would be an enjoyable book that could either make u laugh or loud or give u lots of feel good vibes. Plus the cover fooled me. Whats gonna happen when farm girl have to train the rival school popular spoiled quaterback?? I am dying to know
But I am thoroughly dissapointed. The whole book is boring. The writing is flat and totally devoid of emotions. Our heroine D.J 's household have some problems going on. Tension between family members and family members not talking to each other. Unfortunately all of that is done in more of a telling way instead of showing. The character's interaction doesn't tell u that their relationship are strained. To me , they seem like any normal family and u keep getting told that " No no they have problems why can't u see it??"
I expected some explosive moments where a character can't take it no longer and they start to speak out their feelings. That didn't happen. To me, they don't sound like they have problems in the first place and their problems magically dissapear at the end.
I like that incorporate farming and football. And the cover looks funky so I am guessing this would be an enjoyable book that could either make u laugh or loud or give u lots of feel good vibes. Plus the cover fooled me. Whats gonna happen when farm girl have to train the rival school popular spoiled quaterback?? I am dying to know
But I am thoroughly dissapointed. The whole book is boring. The writing is flat and totally devoid of emotions. Our heroine D.J 's household have some problems going on. Tension between family members and family members not talking to each other. Unfortunately all of that is done in more of a telling way instead of showing. The character's interaction doesn't tell u that their relationship are strained. To me , they seem like any normal family and u keep getting told that " No no they have problems why can't u see it??"
I expected some explosive moments where a character can't take it no longer and they start to speak out their feelings. That didn't happen. To me, they don't sound like they have problems in the first place and their problems magically dissapear at the end.
August 26, 2011
This was a hard review for me. I wanted to do D.J. justice somehow and explain how much I loved her voice. Try to get across how much this book surprised and moved me. I’m not even going to come close though, but here it goes…
I will never look at a cow the same way again after reading Dairy Queen! :) On my commute in this morning, I was looking around at all my fellow workers and commuters and I suddenly felt like a cow. Herded into the city and then out of the city during rush hour. Everyone moving slow and looking miserable and a bit sad, but still doing it over and over again each day. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh, cry or moooow!
That is what D.J. does for me. She makes me look around at my world and decisions, stop and think, and even push me to stop following the herd. D.J. Schwenk has become one of my favorite heroines. Her voice just spoke to me in such a genuine, relaxed, honest, conversational tone. You just get the feeling she is the same D.J. with everyone—no phoniness--from the hair stylist at a fancy salon to the cute rival quarterback.
Let’s talk about that cute quarterback! I love Brian Nelson! I think everyone should get one! To have someone in your life that can listen, talk to you, make you laugh, and inspire you in this world, is so rare and special. D.J. and Brian did that for each other. Their time together was some of my favorite parts of the story. They pushed, shared, and challenged each other all while wrapped up in the game of football.
Football! Football! Football! I love this game! This book makes the game of football come to life with color, smells, and action. I could see the green field, smell the grass (and cows) :), and visualize that beautiful arcing pass. I learned to love the game even more along with D.J. and Brian.
But football wasn’t just a game in this story. It was a way of communicating for the town, D.J., and the whole Schwenk family. Yes, welcome to Schwenksville! The Schwenk family felt so real to me. I thought my Dad was hard to talk to, but he has nothing on D.J.’s Dad! What he could do with a silence or a tap of his cane was heartbreaking. With nods, brutal silences, chores, or shrugs, the Schwenk family “talked” to each other in their own way. When they did form the words to say something, well….they meant it.
In football signals and communication are just as important. You learn how to talk on the field to survive, play and win. We tackle, run, block, throw, and receive in life and in the game of football. It was a joy watching D.J. learn the power of her voice. I hope upon hope to take just a little bit of her courage and honesty from these pages into my life.
I adore D.J and look forward to hearing more from her and the whole Schwenk family!
Do I recommend this book? Should you pick it up and make it part of your world? Yeah! Duh! :D
I will never look at a cow the same way again after reading Dairy Queen! :) On my commute in this morning, I was looking around at all my fellow workers and commuters and I suddenly felt like a cow. Herded into the city and then out of the city during rush hour. Everyone moving slow and looking miserable and a bit sad, but still doing it over and over again each day. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh, cry or moooow!
That is what D.J. does for me. She makes me look around at my world and decisions, stop and think, and even push me to stop following the herd. D.J. Schwenk has become one of my favorite heroines. Her voice just spoke to me in such a genuine, relaxed, honest, conversational tone. You just get the feeling she is the same D.J. with everyone—no phoniness--from the hair stylist at a fancy salon to the cute rival quarterback.
Let’s talk about that cute quarterback! I love Brian Nelson! I think everyone should get one! To have someone in your life that can listen, talk to you, make you laugh, and inspire you in this world, is so rare and special. D.J. and Brian did that for each other. Their time together was some of my favorite parts of the story. They pushed, shared, and challenged each other all while wrapped up in the game of football.
Football! Football! Football! I love this game! This book makes the game of football come to life with color, smells, and action. I could see the green field, smell the grass (and cows) :), and visualize that beautiful arcing pass. I learned to love the game even more along with D.J. and Brian.
But football wasn’t just a game in this story. It was a way of communicating for the town, D.J., and the whole Schwenk family. Yes, welcome to Schwenksville! The Schwenk family felt so real to me. I thought my Dad was hard to talk to, but he has nothing on D.J.’s Dad! What he could do with a silence or a tap of his cane was heartbreaking. With nods, brutal silences, chores, or shrugs, the Schwenk family “talked” to each other in their own way. When they did form the words to say something, well….they meant it.
In football signals and communication are just as important. You learn how to talk on the field to survive, play and win. We tackle, run, block, throw, and receive in life and in the game of football. It was a joy watching D.J. learn the power of her voice. I hope upon hope to take just a little bit of her courage and honesty from these pages into my life.
I adore D.J and look forward to hearing more from her and the whole Schwenk family!
Do I recommend this book? Should you pick it up and make it part of your world? Yeah! Duh! :D
May 17, 2010
I can't believe how I seriously just loved this book!!!
Dairy Queen is one of those books that you wouldn't think twice about just looking at the cover or even reading the summary, well to me anyways. But as soon as you read the first few pages you will find your self captivated in D.J's story!
Farming and Football? That has to be the two most unlikely topics I'd be interested in, I mean, yeah sure, I like watching football movies but don't know much about the game itself, same with farming, been on a farm before, but never thought much about it after I left. Dairy Queen takes these two concepts and makes one brilliant story.
This was a real treat learning about something so intriguing!
But this is more about football and farming. This story is about D.J, who believes she's a cow. Well, not an actual cow, but who lives a cows life. Someone who does what she's told and never complains know matter how much she wants to have her own life, her own decisions.
And Brian Nelson, is the one who got her thinking that she was a cow in the first place, but D.J finally found something that she wants more then anything.
So maybe she doesn't have to be a cow after all...
I don't think I'll ever tire of books surprising me the way this book did. It's such a wonderful coming of age book that was funny and heartwarming and smart! The writing, plot and it's characters were amazing and I can't wait to to read book two and three!
I simply adored this book!!
A Must Read!!
Dairy Queen is one of those books that you wouldn't think twice about just looking at the cover or even reading the summary, well to me anyways. But as soon as you read the first few pages you will find your self captivated in D.J's story!
Farming and Football? That has to be the two most unlikely topics I'd be interested in, I mean, yeah sure, I like watching football movies but don't know much about the game itself, same with farming, been on a farm before, but never thought much about it after I left. Dairy Queen takes these two concepts and makes one brilliant story.
This was a real treat learning about something so intriguing!
But this is more about football and farming. This story is about D.J, who believes she's a cow. Well, not an actual cow, but who lives a cows life. Someone who does what she's told and never complains know matter how much she wants to have her own life, her own decisions.
And Brian Nelson, is the one who got her thinking that she was a cow in the first place, but D.J finally found something that she wants more then anything.
So maybe she doesn't have to be a cow after all...
I don't think I'll ever tire of books surprising me the way this book did. It's such a wonderful coming of age book that was funny and heartwarming and smart! The writing, plot and it's characters were amazing and I can't wait to to read book two and three!
I simply adored this book!!
A Must Read!!
July 22, 2010
I cannot board the hype train with this one. The voice was too verbose for me, and although the football references did not make me cringe in disgust, the book as a whole never grabbed my interest.
D.J. Schwenk often worries that she is a cow. Bound to a life she has no choice over, forced to repeat the same tasks every day. Indeed, this is the case as D.J. takes care of her family's farm. Her dad suffers from a bad hip, her mom's life is consumed by her job at school, her two older brothers play football at college, and her younger brother is on the basketball team. With absolutely no aid or even a hint of a help, D.J. mulls over whether she wants to continue living her life like it isn't her own. That is until Brian Nelson, the quarterback of her rival school's football team, more or less decides to help her with the farm. Now the question is: will she keep her silence, or learn to speak up for what she believes in?
Dairy Queen surprised me. While the book is literally about football and farm life, metaphorically it brings into focus family values and one's ability to talk out of turn. D.J.'s voice was uniquely her own, but at times got on my nerves. I liked it, but did not love it.
D.J. Schwenk often worries that she is a cow. Bound to a life she has no choice over, forced to repeat the same tasks every day. Indeed, this is the case as D.J. takes care of her family's farm. Her dad suffers from a bad hip, her mom's life is consumed by her job at school, her two older brothers play football at college, and her younger brother is on the basketball team. With absolutely no aid or even a hint of a help, D.J. mulls over whether she wants to continue living her life like it isn't her own. That is until Brian Nelson, the quarterback of her rival school's football team, more or less decides to help her with the farm. Now the question is: will she keep her silence, or learn to speak up for what she believes in?
Dairy Queen surprised me. While the book is literally about football and farm life, metaphorically it brings into focus family values and one's ability to talk out of turn. D.J.'s voice was uniquely her own, but at times got on my nerves. I liked it, but did not love it.
May 8, 2013
May 2013 This book is as lovely as I remember. I feel goooood.
Sept.2012When you read about people loving a book, it's hard not to expect to like it. I've read so many books which people gushed over, but when I read it, I was like, meh. Thankfully, Dairy Queen did not disappoint. What a lucky day to have found this on a dark corner of a bookstore. I was never so entertained as much lately, nor did I read a book more quickly. It just made me feel good. I'm sorry it had to end so soon.
DJ Schwenk, the heroine, is charming and utterly likable. I just wanted to root for her up to the end, tell her off when she doesn't say the things she needs to say, but relieved to find out that she turned out just fine.
I can't wonder why this book is a highly recommended YA novel. It's full of the good stuff, the real stuff, on how it's hard to handle family, friends, school and crushes. DJ's cow metaphor is something to think about.
Basically, that's what this book is about. Being brave enough to look for something you're really happy to do, and do it. Which I really love. That, and the importance of saying things you should.
And what's a book I enjoy without it having that cute romance? Brian-the-jock (could-it-be-that-you're-actually-a-nice-person? Brian) and DJ have such a good chemistry, they look so cool, able to joke with each other like that, and Brian able to say what's on his mind, and DJ who finally has someone to really talk to. Their relationship isn't based on physical appearances (though it's not hard to argue that these two are actually good-looking people), it's not insta-love, and they both just mutually respect each other, despite differences, and the occasional conflict, which they patch up like an old married couple (ugh, how cute is that!) The development of their relationship is something that I respect. I wouldn't mind a Brian Nelson of my own. Not at all.
Dairy Queen is a book one must not miss. And 5 stars, because, it doesn't try hard, it's an awesome YA novel, and, the cuteness.
Sept.2012When you read about people loving a book, it's hard not to expect to like it. I've read so many books which people gushed over, but when I read it, I was like, meh. Thankfully, Dairy Queen did not disappoint. What a lucky day to have found this on a dark corner of a bookstore. I was never so entertained as much lately, nor did I read a book more quickly. It just made me feel good. I'm sorry it had to end so soon.
DJ Schwenk, the heroine, is charming and utterly likable. I just wanted to root for her up to the end, tell her off when she doesn't say the things she needs to say, but relieved to find out that she turned out just fine.
I can't wonder why this book is a highly recommended YA novel. It's full of the good stuff, the real stuff, on how it's hard to handle family, friends, school and crushes. DJ's cow metaphor is something to think about.
Everyone I looked at, their whole lives, did exactly what they were supposed to do
without even questioning it, without even wondering if they could
do something different.
Basically, that's what this book is about. Being brave enough to look for something you're really happy to do, and do it. Which I really love. That, and the importance of saying things you should.
But it turns out that even if I don’t talk a lot, when it’s something that matters I still have a lot to say.
And what's a book I enjoy without it having that cute romance? Brian-the-jock (could-it-be-that-you're-actually-a-nice-person? Brian) and DJ have such a good chemistry, they look so cool, able to joke with each other like that, and Brian able to say what's on his mind, and DJ who finally has someone to really talk to. Their relationship isn't based on physical appearances (though it's not hard to argue that these two are actually good-looking people), it's not insta-love, and they both just mutually respect each other, despite differences, and the occasional conflict, which they patch up like an old married couple (ugh, how cute is that!) The development of their relationship is something that I respect. I wouldn't mind a Brian Nelson of my own. Not at all.
Dairy Queen is a book one must not miss. And 5 stars, because, it doesn't try hard, it's an awesome YA novel, and, the cuteness.
February 13, 2009
I have a new appreciation for football reading this book.
I've found football sorta sexist... I mean, have you EVER seen a woman in the NFL? Exactly. Its like, one of the only sports that there's really not a Woman's league. I mean, all women can do in this sport is cheer the men on from the sidelines in little outfits and pom-poms... I'm sorry, but that's just sad...
I seriously think they need a Woman's League and on the guys cheer on the girls with pom-poms and their shirts off... I mean, COME ON!! How cool would that be?! I would TOTALLY sign-up... Plus it would be nice for all those fathers who never had a son.
But anyway... So football sounds a little cooler after this book...
Oh, and I love how she compares us to cows. I love cows and all, but its REALLY wonderful to be compared to a COW!!!
I like how it ended though. It was really good. Another thing I liked is that Catherine didn't make perfect, flawless characters... Her characters had more flaws than a lot of these teen romances I've read had.
Brian is really cute sounding though... Why is it I always end up falling for the main character's boyfriend or something... But seriously... I wouldn't mind falling in love with a football player...
I've found football sorta sexist... I mean, have you EVER seen a woman in the NFL? Exactly. Its like, one of the only sports that there's really not a Woman's league. I mean, all women can do in this sport is cheer the men on from the sidelines in little outfits and pom-poms... I'm sorry, but that's just sad...
I seriously think they need a Woman's League and on the guys cheer on the girls with pom-poms and their shirts off... I mean, COME ON!! How cool would that be?! I would TOTALLY sign-up... Plus it would be nice for all those fathers who never had a son.
But anyway... So football sounds a little cooler after this book...
Oh, and I love how she compares us to cows. I love cows and all, but its REALLY wonderful to be compared to a COW!!!
I like how it ended though. It was really good. Another thing I liked is that Catherine didn't make perfect, flawless characters... Her characters had more flaws than a lot of these teen romances I've read had.
Brian is really cute sounding though... Why is it I always end up falling for the main character's boyfriend or something... But seriously... I wouldn't mind falling in love with a football player...
June 12, 2016
I loved this. It was a light quick young adult read. (All things I need from time to time.) This was funny. It had me literally laughing out loud in spots. It was also cleverly written. I can honestly say I've never read anything quite like this. I loved the characters. They were believable and I felt for them. I cared about the outcome. I always love when I can be pulled in. I was so sad that it ended and that the entertainment was over. I could definitely have read more.
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