Lipstick Wars

by Christine Thackeray

Eden Duncan has everything under control well, kind of. Her three-month-old needs a lot of attention, her two-year-old has become an expert escape artist, and her husband is constantly at work, leaving Eden to maintain a run-down home and an overgrown yard. But when Eden finds out that her neighbor has plans to tear down Eden's house to make a neighborhood park, everything seems to spin out of control, and Eden must rely on an unexpected resource--her visiting teachers. From early morning walks to new friends and neighbors, Eden discovers that sometimes prayers aren't answered in the way we expect. Filled with zany humor and tender moments, Lipstick Wars is a visiting teaching adventure you'll never forget.

Genres: Lds Fiction, Lds

208 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2010

About the author

I am just your average mom with seven kids and a sink full of dishes, always running late and alleviating all that angst by writing.

My first book The Crayon Messages: A Visiting Teaching Adventure was written in a whirlwind. I got the idea and just pounded it out in a matter of a few very messy weeks. Then my sister and I partnered in a new book about C.S. Lewis and his religious allegory called C.S. Lewis: Latter Day Truths in Narnia.

Currently, I'm working on the next visiting teaching adventure and then hope to expand and do some historical fiction.

Reviews

[Cortney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from goodreads!

I hate to be the negative one, but I promised myself when I signed up for Arc books I would be honest even if it wasn't as positive as I hoped.

and Honestly, I spent probably 85% of this book being so frustrated that I had to keep putting the book down and take a breather.

The positive:
There were moments of grace. At one point Cath, one of the semi-main characters, was doing housework and likened the laundry to rising bread dough. Which I completely understand and I immediately fell in love with this simile!
Between chapters 13 and 23 there was relative peace and felt like things were finally coming together and were going to work out in some realistic way...
I really appreciated how realistic Marlene, another semi-main character, was. She never really yelled at anyone like a 12 year old and was hot and cold through most of the book, but I liked her.

Eden helping Kimberly was absolutely beautiful. almost got me all emo.


The negative:
For me-None of the issues were dealt with realistically. Eden didn't even talk to her husband about some MAJOR things that would definitely be brought up... like getting turned into FSD & Being harassed by her neighbor.

Eden said several very offensive things to different people she came in contact with and they didn't even react. In real life they would have left her alone with her sad little self and moved on with their lives... like when she told Cath's teenage daughter to "go ask your perfect mother" and then this teenage girl called and offered to babysit for Eden.

If a neighbor is harassing you and trying to get your children taken away from you- FIGHT BACK!!! File a report that you are being Harassed! And for Heaven's sake don't give the investigator 3 references of people YOU DON'T KNOW!ugh.

and lastly, up until the last 3 or 4 chapters every conversation ended with cheap tricks to add drama. No one said goodbye or anything to end a conversation. They hung up or walked away... no- ran out of the room. Yes, adults running away...

So overall, it was ok. I think maybe I just wasn't on the same wave length as the author. Or maybe the people I have come in contact with are sneaky because they wouldn't say these things to your face- or stick around after you said something so rude to them. IDK... it was ok.

[Christine Thackeray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lipstick Wars is a stand alone book with some of the characters of Crayon Messages sneaking in at times. It is absolutely my best book ever and the last line is going to smack you so hard in the face, it will make you smile, but you can't read it unless you read the rest of the book first.

It's the story of a stressed out mother who is ready to give up when her escaping toddler introduces her to a reclusive artist, and their friendship changes everything. Definitely a feel good book that hopefully will make you realize what a blessing it is to have true friends, even if little wars pop up between you.

You can see my homemade book trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89VKtt...

[NaDell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book starts out with a stressed out mother of a three month old chasing her toddler who escaped from their house down the road in just her towel, so it had me intrigued right from the start. Luckily, I haven't ever had to bare my soul quite that way despite the kids at my house making me a little 'crazy'.
Eden goes to a LDS Relief Society meeting at church and is assigned visiting teachers and a route to do visiting teaching. She feels isolated and alone and as though everyone around her is perfect and can't relate to her. She has a neighbor who enjoys calling CPS to report her for her toddler's misbehavior and is really struggling. I felt a lot of truth in this book and could relate to all of the characters at different points in the book.
Fun and clean, but still better for an adult reader simply due to talk of miscarriages and some of the drama that sometimes occurs between adult women.

[Laycie Moss]

Christine Thackeray is a masterful storyteller, weaving an intricate fabric of individual characters that converge in the end to give the reader a warm and satisfying feeling. The characters are so relatable to women, and especially, mothers. Although women live varied lives, we all have common fears of being alone in our challenges, and not measuring up. Christine captures this so beautifully and makes us feel like we are right in the story, feeling these women's pain and sharing in their triumphs.

Although it is not considered a sequel, it does follow up with characters from Christine Thackeray's book, The Crayon Messages. I loved that book and loved being able to revisit those characters in this book, as well as meet some new beloved characters. It's a quick but powerful read that leaves you feeling more hopeful and inspired than you did before you read it.

[Jenette · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent book! I could relate to each and every one of the woman in the book at one time or another in my life. What a great ponder on the metaphoric picture painted about battle scares we carry and try to hide, false judgments made on ourselves and each other, how callous and harsh we can be at times and if we pull out of ourselves, what relationships may develop and enrich our lives. If you read the book strictly to be entertained, you will be disappointed. Christine makes the reader think about their actions towards others and what false judgments they may have made on others and how can we change that? In the end, no woman really has it all together and if we can remember that, maybe we can be a little more tolerant and loving toward one another and ourselves.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't feel like this book was very realistic. When social services comes to your door to investigate your mothering skills, would you really use three women you don't like and who don't like you as references? Also, I thought that people were too quickly offended and assumed everyone else had the worse possible intentions. The solution at the end would have costed tens of thousands of dollars. Who's going to pay for that?

My other complaint is that I was discouraged while reading it. The story reminded me of all my inadequacies as a mother. There were parts of the story that were sweet, so it gets 2 stars.

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about a lady, Eden, who struggles with her sense of belonging in her LDS ward. She has a rambunctious toddler and a new baby and feels out of the loop and forgotten. A neighbor is also on a crusade to have the run down house they live in demolished. A random assignment of visiting teaching kind of turned things around.

I think most people have probably felt on the outside at one time or another. I really liked how Eden would look around at others and think their lives were so perfect, only come to find out that they had their challenges too.

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this book. It made me think a lot about serving others and how important it is. I also love how everyone pulls together. It goes to show that when you all pull together you can accomplish great things, but alone you can't do nearly the same. It also shows that it's okay to rely on others, and that you need to be there for someone to rely on. You never really know what is happening in someones life and if they are having a hard time. Anyways...time to get off my soap box... but seriously, great book.

[Sheila (sheilasbookreviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked Lipstick Wars, it is Visiting teaching on a roller coaster; some sisters are up and others are down. Christine Thackeray shows not only the struggles of being a Visiting teacher, but also the blessings that come from fulfilling this calling. All women will be entertained, enriched and uplifted by reading "Lipstick Wars".

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the beginning of this book I was very frustrated. These women were mean! I hope to heck there aren't people like them out there. I'm glad I don't know any! I almost quit reading, but decided to finish it out. As the story progressed, the women learned not to be so judgmental, of course, and it ended up being a cute story about learning to serve others instead of being so self centered.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Waffling between a 2 1/2 and a 3 star rating. I was confused most of the time: too many characters show up for trivial things. I had a hard time remembering who they were and what was important about them. As a bright spot, it picked up right near the end. I believe I lived in this same exact ward for two years.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably a 3+. A young mother struggles to find peace and balance while trying to fit into an "upscale" neighborhood when she lives in the old rundown house original to the property. She has to learn that people put on "faces" to hide their own fears and problems. Fun.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was hard for me to read. There was too much going on and too many little side plots. I'm surprised I even finished it, I wanted to quit so many times but I can not start a book and leave it half read. Don't waste your time on this book.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I was annoyed in the beginning of this book with the haughty-taughty women of this ward/neighborhood. This was a book of fiction, but the sad thing is, you really do see those attitudes in your own wards....lol!!! But in the end things turned out good.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much because it was relatable to an LDS woman. I was slightly disturbed to think that people might actually treat each other this way. But I had to see what crazy misunderstanding would happen next. Overall, I liked this book a lot and it had a very good message.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

How this book has an average rating of 3.51 stars I'll never know. I only read this book because a lady I know was pushing me to read it. I hate to trash a book, but honestly it was unrealistic, childish, and ridiculous on every level.

[Shawnee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a mostly fun read. There were parts that I highly related to (the child running from the house at the worst moments). There were other parts that I felt were a bit over dramatic (the thoughts that the main character has about other women in her ward). Overall, a good read.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down!! Eden is a young mother whose little boy is and escape artist, and a neighbor is determined to get them to move.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was feel good read about how visiting teaching brought together a group of very different women.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

hilarious, touching, great insights into misconceptions people get from jumping to conclusions based on what others say and do...a great ending, and just all around fun.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't get into it...so I put it down. Maybe another time.

[Sarah]

Found on LDS Fiction blog: http://ldsfiction.blogspot.com/2010/0...

[Chalese · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kinda cheesey.

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really made me think--what is behind the "Oh, I'm fine" messages we so often receive? I know I can do better on the listening and serving end of things!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read. Many LDS books are say the same thing over and over as if they are trying to add more words to make the book longer. This story was one of love and service. Really enjoyed it.

[Karijean31 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reminded me how important it is for us to bear one another's burdens.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised this book sucked me in with it's everyday life stuff. I enjoyed quite a bit, but the protag's weaknesses bothered me a bit.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very insightful. We excell at being judgemental. I do have to say that I was looking forward to Helen Murdock's fall off her pedestal! High five!!

[Marci · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not trying to mean but I thought this was a very poor storyline, shallow characters, and just an overall lack of any depth.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful!