The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

Reviewed by Ambrea

Josey Cirrini is the daughter of Marco and Margaret Cirrini.  Margaret, a true southern belle and town beauty, and Marco, the city’s golden boy and favorite son, were a perfect couple; however, Josey was far from a perfect child.  Now twenty-seven-years-old, Josey has realized she will never live up to her mother’s expectations—and so she hides a stockpile of treats and paperback romances in her closet to escape to each night, wishing for circumstances to be different.

When she discovers Della Lee Baker hiding in her closet, Josey finds her last sanctuary has been taken from her.  Suddenly, she’s stuck with Della Lee’s tough love approach to life and she’s soon expanding her small world, befriending Chloe Finley—a young woman who has a startling talent for finding books when she most needs them—and talking to her longtime crush, Adam.

But Della Lee has a secret, a secret that’s been hidden from Josey for more than twenty years.

Like Garden Spells, Allen’s previous novel, The Sugar Queen has little threads of magic laced throughout the novel:  Josey with her uncanny ability to detect secrets, even if she doesn’t understand them; Chloe with her books, which magically appear when she needs them; Rawley, who always keeps a promise he makes, no matter the cost to his heart; Julian with his magnetic personality that compels any and every woman’s attentions; and Marlena with her surprising skills at chasing away ghosts.

Allen has a special skill in portraying her characters.  She gives careful descriptions of her characters, and she pinpoints the little unexpected (read:  magical) things that populate their lives, linking them inextricably to a thin veil of magic that permeates the town.  And she’s meticulous in showing character perspective, allowing her readers a peek into the lives of her characters—such as the way Josey equates the best things in life with sugary sweets, or Chloe recounts her moods and experiences in the books that follow her—by showing the world through their eyes.  In Sugar Queen, I found this simply added another layer to her characters.

Although I enjoyed The Sugar Queen, I’m afraid I just couldn’t enjoy it as much as Garden Spells.  I don’t know why, but I simply found Garden Spells more appealing in its style and its plot—and, more importantly, in its portrayal of magic.  While I liked the magical elements of The Sugar Queen (specifically, I liked the idea of Chloe having books that followed her around on a regular basis, reflecting her moods and needs), it felt a little more obvious.  Garden Spells, except for the apple tree, felt more subtle.  The Waverly sisters have peculiar gifts, but they aren’t advertised overtly; rather, their magic is woven into the fabric of their family, like fine threads, and it feels almost like a secret.  The Sugar Queen doesn’t have that:  magic feels more like a nuisance than a gift.

Overall, however, I enjoyed The Sugar Queen and I would definitely recommend it for fans of Sarah Addison Allen.

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

She finally understood that, no matter how hard you try, you can’t make someone love you.  You can’t stop them from making the wrong decision.

There is no magic for that.

~Sarah Addison Allen, First Frost

Reviewed by Jeanne

October in Bascomb, NC isn’t exactly like October in other places, at least not for the Waverleys.  It’s a restless time when everyone feels itches they can’t quite scratch.  Things will settle down after the first frost, when the contrary apple tree will perversly bloom and fill the air with spring petals.  Until then, Claire will work obsessively on her new business of creating candies that bring heart’s ease or fond memories, while her sister Sydney longs for another child. Sydney’s daughter Bay has the gift of knowing where things belong and knows she belongs with Josh Matteson, one of the most popular boys in town.  Unfortunately, Josh doesn’t seem to feel the same way—especially not after the way Bay humiliated herself by giving him a note in front of his friends, proving that she’s just another one of those weird Waverleys and a girl trying to rise above her station.

The Waverleys have long had a reputation for oddness and a whiff of magic about them.  Not spells or incantations type of magic, but there’s a bit of strangeness there.  Claire works wonders with her cooking, settling feuds or igniting romance while a trip to Sydney’s hair salon can transform one’s life.  Even Cousin Evanelle has a talent:  she gives people things they don’t know they will need. 

Now a stranger has come to town, a man who seems to be taking a great interest in the Waverleys in general and Claire in particular.  He says he knows a secret, one which might destroy all that they’ve built. 

I fell in love with Sarah Addison Allen’s writing when I read The Girl Who Chased the Moon.  I wasn’t sure any other book would measure up, and then I read her first novel, Garden Spells.  The blend of sisters in conflict, a wonderfully realized North Carolina setting, an apple tree which became one of my all-time favorite characters, and the lush sensory details made for a perfectly delectable story as far as I was concerned.  When I learned that Allen had finally written a sequel to that nearly perfect book, I was torn.  On the one hand, I wanted to revisit some old friends and find out how they were doing; but I was also afraid that the return visit would be a letdown.  

I’m happy to report that I thoroughly enjoyed First Frost.  The magic was back though I want to be quick to point out that you don’t have to have read the first book to enjoy this one.  It’s a sparkling confection, much like Claire’s special candy; I want to linger on some of the passages to read the descriptions of love, longing, and crisp autumn days even as I want to rush through the pages to find out what happens next.  

When I turned the last page, I could have easily turned to page one and started all over.  Instead I decided to return the book so someone else could experience that Waverley magic.  I know I’ll be going back to it again.