Young Adult
Publisher: Graphia
Summary of Dairy Queen (to avoid spoilers)
When you don't talk, there's a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said. Harsh words indeed, from Brian Nelson of all people. But, D.J. can't help admitting, maybe he's right. When you don't talk, there's a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said. Stuff like why her best friend, Amber, isn't so friendly anymore. Or why her little brother, Curtis, never opens his mouth. Why her mom has two jobs and a big secret. Why her college-football-star brothers won't even call home. Why her dad would go ballistic if she tried out for the high school football team herself. And why Brian is so, so out of her league. When you don't talk, there's a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said. Welcome to the summer that fifteen-year-old D.J. Schwenk of Red Bend, Wisconsin, learns to talk, and ends up having an awful lot of stuff to say.
I finally got around to finishing the Dairy Queen series! Since I haven't posted about any of the books, I'll tell you about all three. D.J. Schwenk is hands-down one of the most awesome and refreshing voices in ya lit. Her voice does not waver from one book to the next, even though her growth process and maturity are happening vividly. She is the sole reason you should read this book, because she's one of the most unique characters you'll ever encounter.
While many issues are involved, this is a series that revolves around family and self a lot more than it revolves around romance or friendship. I really loved that about this because it differs from other books and it obviously fits perfectly with the setting. And man, I wish I had D.J.'s family. They grew through the books as much as D.J. did, and for that I applaud Gilbert, because many YA books tend to forget that parents are more than just there or screw-ups, they're people who need and experience growth and who often make as many mistakes as kids do. Adults are just teenagers with responsabilities, which makes it that much harder, in my opinion.
Anyhow, the family portrayal was one of the strongest I've read as well. And then there's the boys. I wish there had been more Bill and especially more Curtis in the sequels. But, I failed to fall for Brian, because I was too busy drooling over Win. Thus my favorite book of the three was book 2, The Off Season. Win's story completely won me over, and the last two paragraphs of the last book (Front and Center) scrunched up my heart so tight that I cried happy tears, and I must admit, that was a first for me. Happy tears? In books? Never before.
An absolutely amazing series, equally good on print as on audiobook, that I would not hesitate to recommend to everyone. I wish there would be more D.J. in the future. I would read 20 books about her without blinking.
I also hear about this series but I don't think I've ever actually paid attention to what they're about. I need to read them! They sounds so good.
ReplyDeleteHave you read Jessica Darling yet?