Sweetie

Sigh. I'm such a sucker for a friendship story. Especially if it's a women friendship story. Why? Because so many books of what's called "women fiction" most often than not feature broken friendships or a friendship where one of the women is a harpy and the other one is sooo perfect. So I tend to yearn for a good women friendship story. Was Sweetie a good one? No. It was an abso-friggin-lutely fantastic one!

First off, the writing in Sweetie was so beautiful. Her use of language was just tremendous. Her words were filled with wonderful imagery, her sentences were pure lyricism. I'm not one of those people who can enjoy a book purely for wonderful writing. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy beautiful writing when it comes up, but I need to be show more interested in the plot first. Then, I notice the wonders that some authors can do with seemingly ordinary words.

The characters in Sweetie were so great. I loved Melissa and could completely relate to her (as a former shy girl or maybe not so former). I wanted nothing more than to see her break out of her shell and to tell all of her idiot classmates to stuff it. She literally broke my heart because all she wanted was to feel loved and appreciated. But Sweetie was the real hero of this story. She was just so captivating and so out there. I cheered for a true original. In fact, she sort of reminded me of the Potato Girl from Promise Not to Tell (another fantastic book about another true original). I just loved all the complexities each of the girl had and their dynamic with their own family. And their friendship was just so beautiful.

So, I highly recommend Sweetie. It was a sweet, enchanting, captivating novel. It did make me tear up a bit at how great Sweetie and Melissa's friendship was, so it is a bit of a tearjerker. However, it is a great coming of age story and an amazing friendship story. Definitely pick it up. (And yay! for one of my better Early Reviewer Reads) show less

Five stars. FIVE STARS to this book. I'm out of breath from being totally blown away by this beautiful coming-of-age story. Parts of this book reminded me of an old favorite book, The Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright. Kathryn Magendie has captured some magic in her descriptions of the Smoky Mountains and has created a character in Sweetie that will live on in my memory.

Sweetie is the story of two very different girls, friends thrown together through cruel acts at school - one strong and the other tender. They spend a school year together, growing up, changing and learning from one another. I felt Melissa's struggle and her pain while dealing with the bullies at school, her escape to food and her need to be loved by someone - show more and I felt captured by the entrance of "Sweetie" - her stories, her treatment of "Miss Lissa" and the adventures she drags Melissa on.

I had a sneaking suspicion after reading the first chapter that I would like this book, but I did not expect it to flat out floor me. The development of the story, the characters, the way Magendie manipulates her readers emotions threw me for a loop and had me laughing and crying .. sometimes loudly. This is the perfect book for you folks who love a good coming-of-age story with a touch of magic in it. I cannot wait to get my greedy hands on a physical copy as soon as I can (as I received this via Netgalley). show less

The story of the relationship between two preteen girls was very realistic, especially for the time period (pre-video games, cable tv, internet) when kids played with their friends - outside. The differences between Sweetie and Melissa were not issues in their friendship. Sweetie was very sure of herself and comfortable with who she was. As the friendship grew, so did Melissa into a strong young woman. I didn't like how much was being added into the story so fast as the book was winding down...the faith healer, the green eyed man, and the stigmata.

"Sweetie" was written by an author I respect and think I understand. She has a gentle heart and spirit and it comes through loud and clear in this book about the friendship between two young girls from the mountains of North Carolina.
I'm originally from the foothills of those mountains of which Ms Magendie writes. The place and time seemed especially real to me...authentic and so clear I could almost feel the pine needles under my childhood bare feet. I was home when I was reading "Sweetie."
The precious friendship the two girls share in this book is so sweet and charming that it will touch the most skeptical of hearts.
I would recommend this book to any who want to take a small vacation to a particular place and part of life that will show more remove you from the ordinary hustle and bustle of the 21st century. Because it's still a stand-still wonderland like "Sweetie" describes, and it's still that simple life of love and caring that will always find a way... show less

Kathryn Magendie not only has a unique, poetic voice, but she also has talent for taking what could be an ordinary story and making it magical. (As with her book Tender Graces: don't let the cover design fool you into thinking that these are trifling, romantic books--what is inside is so much more.) Sweetie is part Southern Fiction, part coming-of-age, and part magical. It brought to mind Lee Miller's Fair and Tender Ladies in the poetic, mournful way she contemplates life, and also Tuck Everlasting for its magical qualities.

Balancing lyrical writing with a captivating plot and real characters, this is a book that will make you want to keep reading and then wish the end would never come. Sweetie is a rare treat.

Kathryn Magendie just keeps amazing me, I loved this book. This is a story about the friendship of two girls, a townie girl and a holler girl as we would refer to it in appalachia (basically the same as one being from "the other side of the tracks"). I love Magendie's writing style, she is wonderful with character development and I found myself really drawn to the girls and becoming emotionally involved with their story. I also personaly enjoy that Magendie settings are from my area of the country, the appalachia area. I can relate to the characters on another level and can picture the settings in my mind because she is also wonderfully descriptive. Another great book from one of my newer favorite authors.

In brief Sweetie is a coming of age/friendship story, but it has fabulous details which make it so much more.

Sweetie is a mountain girl and Melissa is a lonely, insecure, chubby girl. They become fast friends after Sweetie returns a baby bird to its nest in Melissa's presence. We get to read about their summer together as they explore an Appalachian forest while Sweetie teaches Melissa about Mountain Spirit and how to find confidence in herself.

Kathryn Magendie is a clever writer. A few parts made me laugh out loud and many parts made me cheer inside! If you are a sucker for a good friendship story and love skillful descriptions of the outdoors, you should read Sweetie.