Dairy Queen

Dairy Queen is simply the most unique teen book I have read in a while. Lately it seems that all the storylines for teen books are the same boring girl/boy romance. I was in a desperate need for a bit of fresh air, something to clear my muddy thoughts. And then I picked up Dairy Queen, and it just took my breath away. After reading Dairy Queen, I learned the importance of stepping up to the plate when the time came to. You know when a book is going to stay with you for a long time when some phrases play back in your head at night: "When you don't talk, there's a lot of stuff that ends up no getting said."

Happy readings :)

This book made me smile, made me frown, and made me care a little bit about football. Overall tone and voice were fitting for the audience and the main character is very likeable.

I know some like reading about the farm life, but I didn't. I found it a bore. The book is 274 pages and seems to DRAG on. Like you keep thinking "is this book ever going to end". And I definetly don't think that with all books- I've read books with 400 pages and up (and liked them). Anyway, It takes FOREVER to finally get to the main plot of the story.

This book can be funny, "ha ha" funny not "laugh till you cry" funny, but I still didn't think it was worth it.
Two stars.

EDIT:
the other reviews-
The reviews seem to be coming more from adults who are taking a deeper look at the writing. I don't know any teenage girl who would read this book and say "what nice character development it has".
We want action. Adventure. SOMETHING.
Ugh, I remember I could read this book to put me to sleep at night. Development shvelopment. Hurry up and get to the dang story, Murdock!!

The word "charming" is too vague, and it makes me think of smarmy real estate descriptions, but...I...can't...stop...myself. Dairy Queen is just so darn charming that I am forced to momentarily succumb. Catherine Gilbert Murdock has taken a traditional coming-of-age story about a tomboy in a small town and wrung some feisty new life out of it. Her character, DJ Schwenk, is a fifteen year old girl living on a dairy farm and learning about boys, football and family ties.

The first few pages of Dairy Queen are a little disconcerting. DJ speaks in the first person with a simple style and slangy dialogue, and she definitely sounds like a fifteen year old from Wisconsin. Once I settled into her voice, though, I was hooked. DJ is disarmingly honest, naïve, observant and witty - Gilbert Murdock's voice is spot on. DJ's mixed feelings toward her family are a realistic combination of humor, angst and love, but they aren't overdone or corny.

Gilbert Murdock also skillfully addresses some of the issues female athletes face. DJ gets called a "dyke" on the football field, but what upsets her more is that the opposing player pinches her butt as he says it. DJ describes herself as "big" and "strong," but she has no more than an occasional pang of jealousy for the thin "girly girls." She may not be free from insecurity, but she is comfortable in her skin. I found DJ's healthy body image and appetite to be a refreshing departure from teen weight and popularity obsession. More importantly, DJ's focus on training and competition rings true to anyone who has ever loved to play. When that focus begins to clash with a budding summer romance, DJ is forced to make decisions she has been putting off all summer. By that point I was praying for a sequel as charming as the debut.

this was a great book! i loved the realisticness of it. unlike so many books that are more focused on things that could never happen to the average person, this book is about a teenage girl living on a dairy farm. i really like it because the main character isn't popular. she seems really real and the way it's written makes you feel like you are there with DJ. i actually got lost in this book and had to take a minute to get back to reality. catherine is a very good author and i would recomend this book for girls especialy between the ages of 12 and 20.