David—motherless, living with his grandmother, angry, and scared of breaking rules—meets Primrose, a flighty and explosive 13-year-old girl whose mother is an inept fortune teller, in this unique tale on the healing power of friendship. David and Primrose seem to have almost nothing in common, and indeed, their friendship often consists of taunts and arguments more than laughter and comfort. But the two friends bond in inexplicable ways and discover that friends may be just the thing you need when you think you don’t need anything.

Like other Jerry Spinelli books, EGGS gently explores an important theme in a way that’s approachable yet different for readers of all ages. However, EGGS is more on the silly and weird side, rather than the heartwrenching and memorable. It’s a quick read that will most likely get the attention of well-read kids looking for something odd. Make of EGGS what you will, as it will most likely mean different things for everyone. ( )

Reviewed by Lynn Crow for TeensReadToo.com

EGGS is a novel of lost souls--a boy who has lost his mother and a girl who wishes she could lose hers, both who more than anything need a human connection. For David and Primrose, that's easier said than done.

As their awkward friendship develops from a strange meeting during an Easter egg hunt to late-night worm catching and finally a trek along a railway line, they badger each other and fight and eventually find a sort of peace.

Most of the chapters focus on David, who is a hard character to like. Since the death of his mother, he has been obsessed with rules and rigidity. He turns the cold shoulder on his caring grandmother and deliberately provokes her, as well as pushing away any other kids' attempts at friendship. However, as he spends time with Primrose, who both fascinates him and angers him, her big-sisterly influence starts to soften him up. The way he deals with his pain and slowly comes to terms with it is heartbreaking and believable.

The novel is more about revealing the characters and watching them interact and develop than any specific event. Its slow, contemplative pace will appeal to thoughtful readers. But this book isn't a downer--between the spats and the melancholy moments there's plenty of humor to be had. The descriptions of the town are colorful, and the well-developed minor characters add extra life to the story.

Anyone who has lost a parent or been estranged from one will find much to relate to in EGGS. It hits readers with every emotion possible, from despair to hope, and entertains them along the way. ( )

After David's mother dies, he moves in with his grandmother. He feels that she is smothering him and he is determined not to let her take his mother's place. He soon forms a friendship with Primrose, whose mother doesn't even seem to notice when Primrose moves out of the house and into an old, abandoned van. Their friendship helps both children to appreciate the good in their lives.

Touching and funny--classic Spinelli. ( )

I couldn't fight the temptation to start reading this book when I would be gone all summer in England because it was so good. ( )

I couldn't finish this book. It started out with a boy on an easter egg hunt who finds an egg perched on the lips of a girl who pretends to be dead. When the boys goes to get help and comes back the person is gone. He sees her again later and learns she did it as a joke. They become friends and sneak out of the house in the night and go to the 7-11 or dinners or such. I stopped listening at this point because it was unrealistic to me that an 8year old boy would sneak around town every night with a friend. Plus her family were psychics or something and it was just a bad story. ( )