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- The Candy Darlings
The Candy Darlings
Author(s)
Publisher
Genre(s)
Age Range
14+
ISBN
0618589694
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Editor reviews
2 reviews
Sugar and Spice, But Life's Not So Nice
Overall rating
4.0
Plot
N/A
Characters
N/A
Writing Style
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
The Candy Darlings by Christine Walde combats the psychological war zone of adolescence with the sugary high of candy in a story as bizarre as Alices Adventures in Wonderland.
Our unnamed heroine faces heartbreak from page one, as she loses her terminally ill mother. In the end, her mother could not eat, and her body could only handle IVs dripping liquid sugar into her veins. After deciding that it was the sugar that killed her mother, the main character vows to never eat candy again.
Beginning a new life at a new school, the allure of the beautiful, popular girls is too great to resist. Meredith, Angela, and Laura. Only wanting to fit in, the protagonist is all too willing to be a pawn for acceptance into their group. When Megan Chalmers arrives at school, another new girl with a strong personality and an addiction to candy, the two bond immediately. Suddenly, with Megan by her side, she can face MAL (Megans acronym for the evil that is Meredith, Angela, and Laura) and its not so awful to be an outcast. School is almost bearable. Megan is a colorful character to say the least, always munching on some sort of candy, and telling ridiculously disturbing fairytales.
From Halloween missions to accumulate as much candy as humanly possible to days spent volunteering as candy stripers in the hospital, the two girls are inseparable. Their bond seems not to be just friendship, but destiny, shared in the confines of a secret headquarters in the forest. Together, they can fight the catty supremacy of the MAL divas. Though the girls are not at all well-behaved or politically correct, they represent the vast majority of teens that dont fit into a cookie-cutter stereotype.
Walde took a risk in writing this book, and I admire her for stepping outside the normal boundaries of young adult fiction. She touches on some important themes of teen life, and I feel like Walde accomplishes her goal in putting a new twist on teen angst. The stories told within the book are undeniably creative and eclectic, and the ending is a hodge-podge of mystery. My only complaint is that the plot is at times stagnant and the ending leaves too many questions unanswered.
Our unnamed heroine faces heartbreak from page one, as she loses her terminally ill mother. In the end, her mother could not eat, and her body could only handle IVs dripping liquid sugar into her veins. After deciding that it was the sugar that killed her mother, the main character vows to never eat candy again.
Beginning a new life at a new school, the allure of the beautiful, popular girls is too great to resist. Meredith, Angela, and Laura. Only wanting to fit in, the protagonist is all too willing to be a pawn for acceptance into their group. When Megan Chalmers arrives at school, another new girl with a strong personality and an addiction to candy, the two bond immediately. Suddenly, with Megan by her side, she can face MAL (Megans acronym for the evil that is Meredith, Angela, and Laura) and its not so awful to be an outcast. School is almost bearable. Megan is a colorful character to say the least, always munching on some sort of candy, and telling ridiculously disturbing fairytales.
From Halloween missions to accumulate as much candy as humanly possible to days spent volunteering as candy stripers in the hospital, the two girls are inseparable. Their bond seems not to be just friendship, but destiny, shared in the confines of a secret headquarters in the forest. Together, they can fight the catty supremacy of the MAL divas. Though the girls are not at all well-behaved or politically correct, they represent the vast majority of teens that dont fit into a cookie-cutter stereotype.
Walde took a risk in writing this book, and I admire her for stepping outside the normal boundaries of young adult fiction. She touches on some important themes of teen life, and I feel like Walde accomplishes her goal in putting a new twist on teen angst. The stories told within the book are undeniably creative and eclectic, and the ending is a hodge-podge of mystery. My only complaint is that the plot is at times stagnant and the ending leaves too many questions unanswered.
User reviews
2 reviews
Overall rating
4.0
Plot
4.0(2)
Characters
N/A(0)
Writing Style
N/A(0)
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
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Interesting read
Overall rating
4.0
Plot
4.0
Characters
N/A
Writing Style
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
Reader reviewed by Kelsey
This book is anything but ordinary. It tells a great story and has a great twist just to keep things interesting. There are stories inside of the story but in the end they all combine to give you the unexpected ending. Its a great story of the girls who don't fit in with the others, the misfits with the family problems, and ar lost int he world. Read this book for something interesting.
This book is anything but ordinary. It tells a great story and has a great twist just to keep things interesting. There are stories inside of the story but in the end they all combine to give you the unexpected ending. Its a great story of the girls who don't fit in with the others, the misfits with the family problems, and ar lost int he world. Read this book for something interesting.
Strangely Good!
Overall rating
4.0
Plot
4.0
Characters
N/A
Writing Style
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
Reader reviewed by Mary
The main character is alone at school. Initially she was befriended by MAL (the popular, controlling dictators of the school) but then abandoned and bullied. The main character takes refuge from MAL by hanging out with the new girl, Megan Chalmers. Soon, a war begins between Megan and MAL. Who will win? More importantly, who will survive?
The author introduces the strangest array of characters. Megan is an abnormal but fascinating character. She tells creepy stories and is never found without a candy in her mouth.
The book shows the cruel side of humans, especially kids, through MAL. It's pretty dark and creepy. It's a book I won't forget and really, I'm not too sure what to think about it.
The main character is alone at school. Initially she was befriended by MAL (the popular, controlling dictators of the school) but then abandoned and bullied. The main character takes refuge from MAL by hanging out with the new girl, Megan Chalmers. Soon, a war begins between Megan and MAL. Who will win? More importantly, who will survive?
The author introduces the strangest array of characters. Megan is an abnormal but fascinating character. She tells creepy stories and is never found without a candy in her mouth.
The book shows the cruel side of humans, especially kids, through MAL. It's pretty dark and creepy. It's a book I won't forget and really, I'm not too sure what to think about it.
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