The Queen of EverythingBy Deb Caletti
2002
372 pages (paperback)
“People ask me all the time what having Vince MacKenzie for a father was like. What they mean is, was he always crazy?
Summary: Jordan finally has a normal life. She’s living with her normal father (and not her hippie mother), she’s got a best friend and a new boyfriend, everything is the way she wants it. That is until Gayle D’Angelo comes into her and her father’s life. Now her father isn’t sleeping, he’s drinking, being paranoid and acting really strange. Having an affair with married women is turning him into something Jordan doesn’t recognize, something dangerous and Jordan doesn’t know what to do.
Review: While The Queen of Everything definitely has a Caletti feel (slow, rich and purposeful writing), this story contains a lot more edge and drama. Readers of realistic fiction will enjoy Caletti’s everyday teen world with an authentic voice, but there is a lot of suspense and action to keep the story fast moving. The characters are flawed and captivating (pretty cute romance included) and the slow moving build in of violence and suspense make this a hard book to put down. Overall, it’s a very enjoyable read, one that crosses a lot of genres. While it might be a little old, it is still very relevant and would appeal to a wide audience.
Also by Deb Caletti: Honey, Baby, Sweetheart, Wild Roses, The Nature of Jade, The Six Rules of Maybe
If you liked The Queen of Everything, you might also enjoy: Margaux with an X by Ron Koertge, Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott and Leftovers by Laura Wiess
Additional Info: If you like Deb Caletti’s books you might notice some of the characters and places showing up again and again. She has a pretty cool character and location map on her website here.
Author website: http://debcaletti.com/
Rating: W4/4 C3/4 P4/4 O3/4 PP3/4 CR1/4
Grade Level Interest: S
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3 comments:
I love Deb Caletti's writing...she's incredible! I've never heard of this book, but it sounds like something I'd enjoy. Great review, Katie!
Thanks Melissa, She is one of my faves. This is one of the older ones. I actually made my library re-order it because all the copies were missing. It's pretty good.
I haven't ready anything by Deb Caletti but judging by your review and Melissa's comment, I need to fix that asap! Thanks for this review, I'll be looking her up for sure:)
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