Sweetie by Kathryn Magendie is one of those books I may just have to start over and read again from the beginning. Set in the mountains of North Carolina, this books speaks to my Southern heritage. Told from the point of view of an almost-thirteen-year-old girl named Melissa, the book chronicles the adventures of "Lissa" and her friend "Sweetie" over the course of a summer.
Magendie uses language powerfully, and I wish I had taken the time to highlight some of the passages that spoke to me. (Just another reason to reread it.) Sometimes it wasn't the words themselves that spoke to me, it was the way they were arranged, coupled, married. I cried, I laughed, I held my breath while reading this novel. This was another free selection for my Kindle/iPad, and I think it is a jewel.
As I've gotten older, I have come to appreciate books that don't tie up all the endings in neat little packages. Just like in real life, this book in particular comes with its share of ambiguities. Friendships, family relationships, the life cycle are all expertly addressed both by the thirteen-year-old Lissa and the adult Melissa.
I think you would be doing yourself a favor to read this book. If you do, please let me know what you think about it. I plan to look for other books by this author.
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