Fifteen year old Austin lives in Big Wells, Texas. She wants to be the Sweetheart of the no-Jesus Christmas Parade and be a hood ornament on the lead car. There’s a problem, though. She’s not as pretty or well-endowed as the current Sweetheart, Sundi Knutt. Actually, she’s pretty flat, no curves. Also, she’s sort of an outsider. Plus, she hasn’t won any ribbons at the Prosper County Fair…a requirement for Sweetheart.

So, Austin hatches a plan. She decides she’s going to raise a rooster and compete in the fair. She knows her best friend Maribel will support her. She joins the FFA, Future Farmers of America, gets a gorgeous Bantam Rooster and names him Charles Dickens. One problem solved.

Other problems in her life? A major one is Dean Ottmer who razzes her every chance he gets. Austin doesn’t go with the flow. She gets upset. Another one is her mother. Ever since Austin’s father died a few Christmases ago, her mother, Jennie, is over protective and quiet. They don't talk about her father; they don’t celebrate Christmas or her birthday anymore. Other than that, everything’s fine.

Jill Alexander’s debut novel, The Sweetheart of Prosper County is cute. The people are cute. The town is cute. The action is cute. Even the rooster is cute. Even the bad guys are cute. It's just too cute for my taste. Alexander, who lives in Texas, gives us a bird’s eye view of life in small-town rural Texas. The book follows Austin from one Christmas parade to the next. She ponders things as they arise: Sundi’s confidence, the meaning of Maribel’s quinceanera, her mother’s silence regarding her father.

While The Sweetheart of Prosper County is a nicely written book, the story is too pat. One inconsistency which bothered me was that Austin didn't know anybody in the FFA but the minute she got Charles Dickens, the entire FFA became her friends. Does that really happen in farm country?

This book that’ll make you smile. So, if you’ve got a free afternoon and feel like reading a feel-good book, I’d suggest The Sweetheart of Prosper County. Yee-haw!!!!! ( )

I really enjoyed this sweet and heartwarming book story; Austin is a great character who definitely tugs at the reader's heartstrings. Her quest to find acceptance through her town's annual Christmas parade leads her on a journey of discovery that ultimately helps move her life forward in wonderful and unexpected ways. I thought the relationship between Austin and her mother was compelling, especially given the loss of her father in a freak accident years ago; Austin's attempts to become more popular help bring her mother through the final stages of the grieving process. The themes of friendship, bullying, and even first love are sensitively handled by Alexander. My only complaint is that the book felt a bit light; it was short and sweet but could have been further fleshed out to make a longer deeper book that would have revealed more about Austin to the reader. Great read; highly recommended. ( )

15-year-old Austin Gray is tired of being a nobody, of always being made fun of by her classmate, Dean Ottmer. She decides that the only way for her to be elevated above the taunts is to become a “sweetheart” in their Texas town’s annual Christmas parade, actually taking part and being looked up to.

With the help of some new and old friends, Austin sets about obtaining the qualities she needs to be sweetheart material: she raises a rooster named Charles Dickens, tries her hand at hunting, and befriends junior members of the Future Farmers of America, who include the former FFA sweetheart and a sweet, cute budding cowboy. Part of Austin’s journey to become sweetheart, however, means convincing her overprotective mother, who is still mourning the death of Austin’s dad many years ago, to let her grow a little.

I’m always on the lookout for books featuring farm, rural, small-town, or Southern fresh-faced girls, but THE SWEETHEART OF PROSPER COUNTY blows the competition right out of the water. The people of this quirky small town in Prosper County are funny, charming, and absolutely unforgettable.

The characters steal the show for this super sweet book. Austin is a relatable protagonist, with her desires to not be made fun of, to step out of the crowd and be a winner for once. Her actions may cause us to cringe, remembering the bad decisions we made as an uncertain teen, but ultimately Austin pulls through and becomes a character to fall in love with.

The plot is equal parts gut-achingly funny and poignant, the plot of THE SWEETHEART OF PROSPER COUNTY is sure to satisfy. Along with a group of interesting and well-developed friends, Austin navigates the slightly absurd process of achieving a sweetheart nomination. The result is a fun, fast-paced story that loses none of its sweetness or credibility.

All in all, I adored THE SWEETHEART OF PROSPER COUNTY. Austin makes a fantastically believable and lovable protagonist, and the plot and supporting characters live up to the main character’s strength as well. This is a fantastic pick if you love funny, small-town Southern charm reminiscent of Catherine Gilbert Murdock’s Dairy Queen series. Check it out! ( )

When almost fourteen year old Austin Gray was in the third grade, her father died in an auto accident. Her overprotective mother doesn’t talk about him, but his death hangs between the two of them.

Now that she’s in high school, Austin is having trouble with the high school bully. Austin says:

"I just couldn’t get out from under Dean Ottmer’s smothering insults and constant harassment. I didn’t need for him to like me; I just needed for him to shut up. Chestless, Stork, AustiNK. What other people say is not supposed to matter, but the truth is, it does."

While Austin’s at the annual Christmas parade, she decides that being a “hood ornament” (riding on a car in the parade) will be the answer to all of her problems. She determines that the best way to do this is to become the FFA Sweetheart. She signs up for FFA and asks for a chicken for Christmas, so she can win a ribbon at the County Fair. Along the way, she gains some confidence, helps her mother come to terms with her grief and discovers the value of true friendship.

The Sweetheart of Prosper County is a delightful coming-of-age story by Jill S. Alexander. Austin is a fantastic character – she has her insecurities and wants to fit in, yet she doesn’t want to hurt her mother. She’s a good, but not perfect kid – she stretches the truth with her mother a few times. In other words, she’s real. A lot of people will be able to relate to Austin and the problems she has dealing with the bully. I also thought the bully, Dean, was a great character. I think we all knew someone like him in high school – obnoxious but popular, and no one can understand why. The story is good, too and I liked the way Austin and her mother worked out their problems. The Sweetheart of Prosper County is classified as YA, but I think it will appeal to readers of all ages. ( )

This has got to be one of the darn cutest, wholesome books I've read in awhile. I'm not sure if I've read anything like it! It just worked for me! I really don't have any complaints! It really has all that you could ask for, family, friends, a stupid bully, a touch of romance, eccentric town folks, and a rooster named Charles Dickens! I wish I could have visited this town!

I loved Austin Gray, she loves her momma, misses her daddy and just wants to get through high school without being picked on by bully Dean. She sees all the sweethearts in the parade pay him no mind and she decides that's the way she can finally stick it to Dean. To do so she'll need to join FFA (the Future Farmers of America) and also care for an animal for the purpose of showing him. The animal she picks is a rooster and oh boy does he come to life on the page! I loved Charles Dickens the rooster!

Before Austin decides to go out of FFA she had a friend named Maribel who is very confident in herself and never lets anyone's taunts get her done. While Austin makes some new friends in FFA she never abandons her friendship with Maribel and I just love that. It shows that while maybe your interests change and evolve a bit doesn't mean you have to leave your old friends behind for new ones. The friends she make in FFA are very kind to Austin and show her the ropes a bit and also help her out a bit with Dean! Sundi the past sweetheart is especially memorable.

Another memorable character is a boy that's an Elvis Performance Artist, as he puts it. He adds a great bit of humor and also classic manners to the story. Another character I really liked was Mr. Boudreaux who watches out for Austin and her momma. This story had a great cast of characters.

Overall a great book with a lot of heartwarming moments and also some good fun! ( )