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"If I ever give one-half a hoot what a lot of other people are saying, you have my permission to slap me silly." -Deza pg 4
"Nothing is as obvious as we want to believe it is. There are different shades and interpretations to every story." pg 302 ...more
"Nothing is as obvious as we want to believe it is. There are different shades and interpretations to every story." pg 302 ...more
Mixed feelings. There are parts of this that are lovely--not just "shining moments", but threads woven throughout, and excellence in description over all. But I thought the plot didn't live up to the rest of it. Books about people who have good things happen to them because they're somehow "special" often rub me the wrong way, and I want to know what happened with Deza's more ordinary friend Clarice more than I want to read about the two most talented kids in Gary who will go far in life etc. Th
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Mixed feelings about this one; enjoyed Deza's character, and gave a realistic picture of what it means to be poor. Thought Curtis got a little too convoluted with story of the father; twists & turns were a bit much for me. Great pic of a struggling family, great use of humor. 3.5 stars.
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Note: This isn't a sequel to Bud Not Buddy, but a companion book that runs concurrent to the events in Bud Not Buddy.
I've been trying to read this for a few weeks now and it's just not holding my attention. I made it to page 164.
UPDATE: Bahni Turpin does the audiobook! I love her. So I will continue this as an audiobook.
Conclusion: Better as an audiobook (mostly because Bahni Turpin is the best--I loved her "second brain" voice). I think I expect too much from CPC. If this were by another aut ...more
I've been trying to read this for a few weeks now and it's just not holding my attention. I made it to page 164.
UPDATE: Bahni Turpin does the audiobook! I love her. So I will continue this as an audiobook.
Conclusion: Better as an audiobook (mostly because Bahni Turpin is the best--I loved her "second brain" voice). I think I expect too much from CPC. If this were by another aut ...more
You probably already know that the Great Depression is one of my favorite time periods to learn about. Mix it up with Michigan and music and you've got a hit. I was incredibly annoyed with Deza at the beginning of the book -- I don't find it humorous when people think they're awesome but can't pronounce things properly. It's not a funny device in Junie B. Jones, and it's not terribly funny here too. But the story itself and its connection to current issues (excellent author's note at the end) ma
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I can't put my finger on why I don't love this book more.
But I think it has something to do with Deza's transition from happy-kid to aware-of-the-world-around-her-kid. It happens so suddenly, and although she's very aware of what her family's going through (almost hyper aware of herself), the shift feels like-- I don't know-- like she gets on a roller coaster ride of Depression-era pain, and comes off it a new person.
ANd while it's true that pain can tumbleweed in life, and while its also true ...more
But I think it has something to do with Deza's transition from happy-kid to aware-of-the-world-around-her-kid. It happens so suddenly, and although she's very aware of what her family's going through (almost hyper aware of herself), the shift feels like-- I don't know-- like she gets on a roller coaster ride of Depression-era pain, and comes off it a new person.
ANd while it's true that pain can tumbleweed in life, and while its also true ...more
I liked it, but not as much as Mr. Curtis' other books. I was expecting some of the humor evident in his other books, but this book is about sad happenings during the Great Depression and things go from bad to worse. Thankfully, Deza and her brother have amazing talents so they can save their family.
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Set during the Great Depression, our narrator, Deza Malone is trying her hardest to keep herself and her family together. Her beloved father takes a knock or two and begins a downward spiral that sets the whole family off kilter. The children, Deza and Jimmy, are both talented and their mother works hard to keep food on the table. They're all admirable characters - it's a conflict with the time and the culture and it all seems horribly unfair. Still, Deza maintains a sunny disposition and we're
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I love the character of Deza.... she drew me into the book from the first page and when I finished, I wanted it to keep going.
I love Deza Malone and her family! This is a story to be savored over and over again.
Apr 12, 2012
Kristine
marked it as gave-up-on
read half. wasn't connected to characters and it was moving slowly. I have so much less time to read now than I did before that I put it down and moved on. sorry, CPC.
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I've never been over the moon for CP Curtis, but this book really charmed me. I think it has something to do with the fact that one Miz Bhani Turpin narrated the audio. I loved, loved, loved the character of Deza.
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Feb 21, 2012
Monica Edinger
added it
Feb 24, 2012
Ellie
marked it as to-read
Mar 15, 2012
Anna
marked it as to-read
Apr 21, 2012
Monica
marked it as to-read
Jun 13, 2012
Lola
marked it as to-read
Aug 29, 2012
Bekah
marked it as to-read
Sep 08, 2012
alisonwonderland (Alison)
marked it as to-read
