Knitwise

Chicks with Sticks #3

by Elizabeth Lenhard

For Scottie, Amanda, Bella, and Tay, life in Chicago is all about seeking shelter. They’ve found it in the raggedy comfort of KnitWit, in their fire-lit stitch ’n bitch at Joe’s, in the halls of their quirky private school, even in the arms of boyfriends.

But now the girls are staring down the end of high school. Fueled by the stresses of college applications and service projects, will it also mean the end of the Chicks? Or can this unlikely foursome bind off the happy ending that only true friendship can craft?

The Chicks return, along with four hip new projects.

Genres: Young Adult, Knitting, Fiction, Chick Lit, Realistic Fiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published October 19, 2006

Reviews

[ephyjeva · Rating 4 out of 5]

She'd thought then that snuggling up under her memories was a step backward—the opposite of growing up.
But now she realized that, if she was ever going to grow up, she had to take her memories along for the ride.

And that's a wrap!

After almost seven years it took me to finish the trilogy, I'm feeling a weird sense of accomplishment, as if my 11-year-old self has finally been satisfied. Speaking of which, I again launched into full pre-teen mode when it came to rating the final Chicks with Sticks book. It is a fluffy, corny, four-star YA read, although I admit that the book #2 was slightly more amusing.

Chicks with Sticks (KnitWise) doesn't have an elaborate plot. It's more of a jumbled mess of random events surrounding the Chicks' senior year at Stark & Scottie's searching for a place to belong (as she somehow always is; I think I'm noticing a pattern here), beginning with a college to enroll at. As expected, it's full of cringe-worthy abbreviations for normal things (this time it's V-word, because Scottie apparently gets naseous if anyone even mentions vomiting) and suspiciously unhealthy daily doses of chocolate candy. It's all so ridiculously stereotyped that it's almost comical. I did enjoy it, though.

I also loved a cameo appearance Alice makes in this book, even if it was only for a few pages. I get the feeling that Lenhard neglected her character completely after the first book, which is almost ironic in comparison to how much Scottie reminisces of the good ole days and their early trips to KnitWit.

This time Tay undergoes some serious character development, which was a nice surprise. As the one in the most committed relationship, she shows some great signs of maturity and acceptance of herself and others. If anything, her story was educational.

On the other hand, Beck makes little if no appearance at all. You never see him anywhere, really—the only thing he and Scottie share in this book is phone calls. Because of, you know, college and all, Mr. Snyder is busy, right? I can't keep from laughing when the previous book was all Beck-this and Beck-that.

Overall, I enjoyed it enough. I docked a star because I felt it didn't bring the trilogy to as good a conclusion as it could have.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. It's fun to think that there are girls like me out there, even if this is just fiction.

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haven't read one of these in awhile and was feeling a little eye-rolly about it. But you know what? It's fun. Even if it is a little after school special, it's knitting and Chicago and teens. What's not to like? Ended up being charmed.

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knitty YA

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice story. It is the continuation of the chicks. The three older girls are seniors and the youngest is a junior. They are going through some problems and help each other through them. One chick has to travel to see her dad since his new job required a move and he has taken on an even more bachelor lifestyle. Her mother has become more clingy and she can't handle the issues, but she finally teaches her mother how to knit and this helps them find a way to get along with each other. One chick has to figure out where she wants to go for college and becomes so overwhelmed that she almost doesn't get her applications finished, but seeks her parents out to help her. Another chick has to debut and she doesn't want to be part of the scene and she ends up almost destroying her dress, but makes it totally her own. Another chick just continues as she always does and then realizes that she needs to go her own way which leads her away from the path her parents set her on. She chooses to go to a college where she can become an attorney.

[The Library Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wrapping up a series isn't alway easy,but I think Lenhard did a good job of it here. Each of her characters has gone through several years of finding their own voice, and there are enough believable twists and turns here to allow for a satisfying conclusion.

Yes, she does the "Baby Sitter's Club" thing of describing the girls and giving some background. But that would allow someone to read this book as a standalone, and I think they could. And since it's told in the third person, she doesn't make the Ann Martin error of trying to describe each girl through a different character's eyes--and using the exact same description!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I think that Knitwise was a great book. Some parts had not-very-good words, so I wouldn't recommend this to anyone in elementary school. Elizabeth Lenhard puts a creative twist on these series, and makes the characters come to life, like friends.
In this edition of the Chicks with Sticks, three of the Chicks are getting ready for their college years. Amanda wants to go to a designer school, Bella wants to go to Harvard, and for most of the book, Scottie has no idea where her dream college is. The story is about Bella, Amanda, and Scottie's senior years, and the challenges in them. Overall, this book is one of my favorites.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

It still amazes me how fast these chicks with sticks knit.

Scottie doesn't want to move forward, knowing that she has to leave her friends for college the following fall. Through trials, errors, and happy moments, the chicks are there, to help the chick in need. I love this wonderful story, with these four girls who go through similar things many others have gone through, but have each other and their knitting to help them guide their way.

I would love to know what happens to them after they all go to college.

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This last book is pretty much in the same line as the previous ones.

The main character Scotty, is stressing about her final year of high school, and she is trying to capture it in the only way she thinks she can, by knitting a "memory quilt". This frustrates the others who are having "problems" of their own. She learns to deal with it in her own unique way.

It is still a good read, and I would more than likely read it again.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is not chic to be a knitting group, yet four teenagers openly gather as the Chicks with Sticks at a private high school. This is a coming of age story. It has the usual what do we do after high school and who has a boyfriend stories along with some rich kid dilemmas. Some knitting patterns are included. The characters have an innocence that flourishes that is reminiscence of Mayberry in the 1960s Andy Griffith Show.

[Amber]

Really cute book for teens and preteens. A girl, Scotty is dealing with teenage angst and the loss of a special family member when a relative thrust knitting upon her, gradually through her knitting, she rebuilds a long time friendship and gains 2 new close friends. These girls learn to deal with life and its ups and downs together, through learning to knit together. It brings them together and helps them deal with thier teenage issues.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Four pages written in IMspeak? Seriously?

This one started screaming BSC to me since it's the third in the series, and the narrator recapped each of their personalities at the beginning of the book. The story just didn't do much for me, though. In fact, I read it almost two weeks ago and can't even really remember the plot.

[Myra · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars, really. I still haven't been able to pinpoint why, but I just didn't enjoy this one as much as the others in the series. Maybe it was the knee-deep teen-age angst. Or perhaps the spoiled girl being forced into society life. In any case, I read it, and in some ways, I'm glad they're off to college now:)

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book about a group of high school girls bonding together thru knitting. Because this is the 3rd book in the series, I would have probably enjoyed it more if I had read the other 2 but the author did a very good job of bringing the reader up to date on the characters. A good YA read.

FTC disclosure: I bought my copy of this book.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a novice knitter so this book was a fun read. It follows a random collection of girls and shows how knitting brings them together and helps them work through some of their teen issues like unrequited crushes, losing a family member, and learning disabilities. It is definitely a chick book but a quick, fun read. For girls who like crafting this is a great read for them.

[Trudy Nye · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third book in this series finds three of the girls facing their senior year and the choices they must make. I enjoyed the series, but I must say that these gals seem to have an uncommon amount of discretionary money and a lot of freedom with very little parental input. It may be hard for real teens to relate. (I hope!)

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very babysitters club-ish, but it was a cute book. Maybe it was a little too young. I didn't realize it was the 3rd book in the series. You can read it in an hour or two. I did enjoy that the the patterns that the knitters worked on were included in the back.

[Chade66 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, mostly fluffy, sometimes angsy YA novel. Quick read, I blasted through it in a couple of lunch hours at work. I read it because I like the "Chicks with Sticks" part of the title. Has four knitting patterns in the back.

I started with Book 3!!!!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was much better than the second book in the series. I guess, as an adult, I just have more respect for the teen "what am I going to do with my life" drama than the "how do I get a boyfriend" drama.

[LibraryDanielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

while this is much better than the second, I must say I still don't like scottie much. she's self absorbed and waffley in this. I can understand the not wanting this to chance or move out of the comfort zone bit, but she takes it to the extreme.

[Rachel]

read the other two books first.

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this whole series!

[Emma the Dork · Rating 4 out of 5]

great. loved it.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun! I hope she writes more :-)

[Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to read it so i can finish the C w/ Sticks series!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the series. The excitment of what might come tommorrow, taking with you the memories of yesterday, and the ever growing love of your best friends.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so much better then the second one.

[Diane Yomtov · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book and the sequel.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice light reading. Good for some giggles.

[Michele Martin Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the series, but this last book felt like the author got tired and just cut off the second half of their senior year and summed it all up at the end. I got my answers, but abruptly.