How to resolve AdBlock issue?
X
Review Detail
Dairy Queen
Hot
Young Adult Fiction
4089
Dairy Queen
Overall rating
4.0
Plot
4.0
Characters
4.0
Writing Style
4.0
D.J. Schwenk is a “cow.” Or at least, that’s what Brian Nelson thinks, since she runs her family’s farm by herself without complaint, mindlessly doing as she’s expected. And maybe Brian is right, seeing that D.J.’s not smart, not pretty, can never hope to live up to her older brothers’ athletic legacies—maybe Brian was right. But that doesn’t mean D.J. has to be happy about it, and it certainly doesn’t mean she has to roll over and keep on being a cow.
That right there, fellow readers, is one of the freshest plot designs for a YA contemporary I’ve seen in years. Dairy Queen isn’t a fluffy romance, and it’s not a gritty “issue” book. It’s simply a realistic story about a Wisconsin farm girl who decides enough is enough and does what she wants to do. And, cheesy cover art aside, I think Dairy Queen is one of the best straight-up contemporary books I’ve read.
For one, there’s D.J. as a main character. She didn’t descend from the “beautiful and wildly talented” branch of the extended heroine family. She’s extremely down to earth and real, full of attitude, but also flawed. Not everything she does is perfect, but she has an indefinable “hey you!” quality to her narrative that sucked me in and made me fall in love with her.
Then there’s a girl trying out for the football team. Whenever I see something like this attempted, it ends up being very cheesy like She’s the Man (Shakespearean influence aside). But in the case of Dairy Queen, D.J.’s attempt to play football seemed very real, not at all forced, and a scenario that seemed very plausible in a small town/limited athlete pool setting.
And then, of course, there was Brian, the “romantic interest.” Except, of course, there was no romance in this book, which I found extremely refreshing. Yes, D.J. was able to admit that maybe she had a little bit of a crush on Brian, but there were other things going on, and at the end Murdock left things very open. Hence the sequel.
I was, though, a bit disappointed by D.J.’s Ponyboy-ness in the final paragraphs, mostly because I think that style of narration is silly. I didn’t like it in The Outsiders, and I certainly didn’t like it in Dairy Queen.
Dairy Queen is a fresh and realistic look at contemporary fiction. D.J. was a great main character, and her story was likable and quirky. Murdock handled her subject matter well, and the end result was very good.
That right there, fellow readers, is one of the freshest plot designs for a YA contemporary I’ve seen in years. Dairy Queen isn’t a fluffy romance, and it’s not a gritty “issue” book. It’s simply a realistic story about a Wisconsin farm girl who decides enough is enough and does what she wants to do. And, cheesy cover art aside, I think Dairy Queen is one of the best straight-up contemporary books I’ve read.
For one, there’s D.J. as a main character. She didn’t descend from the “beautiful and wildly talented” branch of the extended heroine family. She’s extremely down to earth and real, full of attitude, but also flawed. Not everything she does is perfect, but she has an indefinable “hey you!” quality to her narrative that sucked me in and made me fall in love with her.
Then there’s a girl trying out for the football team. Whenever I see something like this attempted, it ends up being very cheesy like She’s the Man (Shakespearean influence aside). But in the case of Dairy Queen, D.J.’s attempt to play football seemed very real, not at all forced, and a scenario that seemed very plausible in a small town/limited athlete pool setting.
And then, of course, there was Brian, the “romantic interest.” Except, of course, there was no romance in this book, which I found extremely refreshing. Yes, D.J. was able to admit that maybe she had a little bit of a crush on Brian, but there were other things going on, and at the end Murdock left things very open. Hence the sequel.
I was, though, a bit disappointed by D.J.’s Ponyboy-ness in the final paragraphs, mostly because I think that style of narration is silly. I didn’t like it in The Outsiders, and I certainly didn’t like it in Dairy Queen.
Dairy Queen is a fresh and realistic look at contemporary fiction. D.J. was a great main character, and her story was likable and quirky. Murdock handled her subject matter well, and the end result was very good.
Comments
Already have an account? Log in now or Create an account
Powered by JReviews
How to resolve AdBlock issue?
X
FEATURED GIVEAWAYS
It’s Live! Cover Reveal: Off Trail by Rick Polito + Giveaway (US Only)
We're so excited to celebrate the cover reveal for Off Trail by Rick Polito, releasing 06/03/2021 from Wise Wolf Books! Writing OFF TRAIL, it sometimes felt like the story was telling itself. I ...
Posted in News & Updates
Spotlight on Stars Belong To Us (Annabeth Chatwin), Excerpt, Plus Giveaway! ~ (US/Can Only)
Today we're excited to spotlight Stars Belong To Us by Annabeth Chatwin. Read on for more about Annabeth and her book, an excerpt, plus an giveaway! Meet Annabet...
Posted in News & Updates
Spotlight on Horse Girl (Carrie Seim), Excerpt, Plus Giveaway! ~ (US Only)
Today we're excited to spotlight Horse Girl by Carrie Seim. Read on for more about Carrie and her book, an excerpt, plus an giveaway! Meet Carrie Seim ! &...
Posted in News & Updates
Author Of The Week: Author Chat with Kathryn Purdie (Bone Crier's Dawn), Plus Giveaway! ~ (US Only)
Welcome to our weekly special feature post, Author Of The Week !! Each week we will be interviewing a different YA author and highlighting their upcoming release! We will also be hosting a givea...
Posted in News & Updates
Five Tough Tactics for Protesting at School + Win A Copy of Kids On The March: 15 Stories of Speaking Out, Protesting, and Fighting for Justice (Michael Long) ~ (US Only)
Today we're excited to spotlight Kids On The March: 15 Stories of Speaking Out, Protesting, and Fighting for Justice by Michael Long. Read on for more about Michael and his book, an guest...
Posted in News & Updates
Five Books With Magic Users That Will Charm You + Win a Copy of Blood Like Magic (Liselle Sambury) ~ (US Only)
Today we're excited to spotlight Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury Read on for more about Liselle and her book, an guest post, plus an giveaway! Meet Liselle S...
Posted in News & Updates
Latest Book Listings Added
In this tender, nuanced coming-of-age love story, two boys—one who...
When twin heirs are born in Tourin, their fates...
Bite-sized facts about bodies of water from around the globe,...
Magnificent, hand-painted illustrations by a rising star of Czech watercolor...
It's Mouse's first day of school. It's Dinosaur's first day...
I'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter meets Emergency Contact...
In this sparkling and romantic YA debut, a reserved Bangladeshi...
From hot dogs and hamburgers to ice cream and pizza,...
As their communities were being destroyed, groups of Jewish women...
Blast off into outer space with this mess-free sticker craft!...
Latest Member Reviews
"[b]AMOXIL[/b] is used to treat many different types of infections caused by bacteria, such as ear infections, bladder infections, pneumonia,..."
"HarperCollins issued a revised edition of this on 30 Decemember 2019. This 1970 Newbery winner is set in the deep..."
"Bud not Buddy is awesome! im in year 9 and im reading it in school for an assignment. On the..."
"A family curse, a false accusation, a local legend, and a series of coincidences come together in this generation-spanning tale..."
""The Adoration of Jenna Fox" is the story of a teenager who wakes up from a coma without any memories..."
"A mature contemporary YA, set in New York City. The story is told in first-person present-tense, exclusively from the perspective..."
"This first-person present-tense piece of historical YA fiction begins a bit like a Charles Dicken’s work—eighteenth-century London, poor destitute orphan,..."
"This one took a while to get into. I didn't warm much to Grace. She didn't seem to have much..."
"Definitely the reason why I decided to reread this was because of the show. and now that I finished reading..."
"Thirteen Reasons Why (stylised as Th1rteen R3eason Why) follows shy high school teenager Clay Jensen. Clay has received a..."
"4.5 Stars A great and emotional read. A young teenage girl; Davey struggles with the loss of her father..."
" 4.5 Stars! This was a fun and sweet read. Definitely for fans of contemporary ya books. Penny Lane..."
"4.5 Stars! This was a fun and sweet read. Definitely for fans of contemporary ya books. Penny Lane is..."
DA
Dragon Authors
"I (Erin) bought this one as a “blind date” from Malaprops. They wrap books in brown paper and write things..."
"The Deathday Letter by Shaun David Hutchinson is a young adult standalone novel. This is not the first book by..."
"Nick O’Leary, the straight bass player in queercore punk band, is playing at a club in downtown Manhattan when he..."