11 O'Clock Chocolate Cake

by Caroline Pitcher

Emma Peek - M to her friends - tells the story of one summer at school. On the bus with her friends, Lizzie and Star, she contemplates the horrible week of exams ahead. But the bus has a cast of characters of its own - the Unspeakable Jono Watkins, the glossy Boss Woman (who the Ring Fairy has visited with a finger-full of blue flashers), and Tuba Boy (who flushes Szechuan red sauce colour, struggling with a tuba bigger than he has). And of course, at the Most Important Bus Stop at the Very Centre of the Universe, the Beautiful Stranger. Lizzie has to cope with broken heart when her dreamboat, Steve the bus driver, turns up married, while Star (coping with the prejudices of her dad's very white second family towards her mixed-race skin) endures being called a blue-stocking by their form teacher, Dodo Dollop. Weekends are spent in the Good Looking Cafe, gazing at the family of smouldery Good Lookings who run it, singing arias while they scoop ice cream and froth cappuccinos. And in the park there's Pram Gran, with her pram full of dog, daintily licking an ice-cream - not like M's dog Basil who gobbles garlic. Everything happens this summer - Jono Watkins holds a party (banishing his parents to the utility room with sleeping bags and a video of The Sound of Music), M gets breathless after an e-mail from the Beautiful Stranger, Pram Gran gets together with Great Uncle Good Looking. But Star's so unhappy she tries to fly away to Greece, until M and Lizzie find her in the airport bookshop. Star's mum flies in to be with her, and, after the tears and lots of 11 O'clock Chocolate Cake, it looks as though after the summer, life might finally be about to start...

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2002

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

To paraphrase the first page of this lighthearted and uplifting look at the last summer at school, mostly from the vantage point of the public transport bus that takes them there - this is the story of Lizzie, Star and M (Emma); the story of Dodo, Pram Gram, Tuba Boy, Bottom Bob and Top Bob; the story of the Good Lookings and The Beautiful Stranger; this is the story of 11 O'clock chocolate cake.

I think humour is so subjective, it's hard to get it right, and even harder to get that balance right for teenage readers, but I feel Pitcher nails it, in this idyllic First World Problems reality with a little unexpected and thought provoking dark centre! Dark centre... cue up another GIF:-

This surprisingly tasty, despite being very sugary at times, wonderful 12-14 aged read about kids doing their final pre-college/sixth form exams, is a masterclass in how to write for an adolescent audience, 8 out of 12.
But let's be honest, you're still here because of the GIFs! :)

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ho letto e riletto questo libro quando avevo undici anni. Probabilmente se dovessi rileggerlo adesso non mi piacerebbe più come una volta, ma tuttora lo conservo gelosamente nella mia libreria.
Mi ricorda l'estate prima dell'inizio delle scuole medie, mi ha accompagnato ed introdotto nelle dinamiche amorose ed amichevoli tipiche di quel periodo.
Mi è rimasto nel cuore e quando mangio la torta al cioccolato, anche adesso il mio pensiero è rivolto verso questo libro!
Fresco ed accattivante.
Sicuramente dopo i tredici anni non ha più lo stesso sapore, ma lo consiglio per una lettura scorrevole e vivace dai dieci ai dodici anni.

[Léa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a really fun book to read from what I remember but I was twelve when I read it and probably read 6 other books that same week so I'm just basing this opinion on the fact that I still remember reading this amongst all the books I read and that I see myself talking to my grandma about it with a smile on my face (no recollection of what this is about, except that it actually had a chocolate cake recipe at the end haha)

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is one of my favourite books!
I love how it is so similar to my life, so I can really get it!

[Bill Allerton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the insistence of the narrative in this book. 'M' (but only to her friends) insists that you read just one more page before you put it down which, of course, you can't.
Caught in that between-worlds age of sixteen, Emma Peek and her friends spend a whole summer negotiating the new discoveries of life, like boys, hearts, (broken or otherwise), relationships, untrainable dogs and unforgettable friendships.
This book is full of wit, charm and wisdom... with the occasional very important recipe thrown in.
I think the real impression that this book left is that I can still remember (and use) some of 'M's more memorable phrases.
Catch the bus and enjoy!

[Corina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Readable; that's why I gave it 2 stars and not 1 - 'cause every time I wanted to throw it away, I kinda wanted to give it one last chance.
Didn't really enjoy it; the story is not as amazing as I thought it would be; and I really disliked the way it was written - there were a few times I said to myself "OK now, this girl is really trying to be cool".
The one thing I liked about the book is that she actually wrote all the recipes in cute boxes; it's like a little cookbook for rainy days.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny, light read- I'm probably giving it a 3.5 but I rounded it to 4 because the writing was great. I liked the characters a lot, but I was a bit disappointed with the plot... I was expecting more of a climax, but I still enjoyed it.

[Lindsay]

A pleasant, light read, something I would've deeply enjoyed as a teenager. As it is, I read it with a strong sense of nostalgia, fondly recalling being sixteen myself.

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amusing :)

[Mariam · Rating 2 out of 5]

just another spontaneous events type of book........ok when your depressed...