Review of The Big Door Prize by M.O. Walsh

 

Walsh, M.O.  The Big Door Prize.  Putnam, 2020.

 

A new machine has made an appearance at Johnson’s Grocery Store in Deerfield, Louisiana, and lots of people are standing in line to use it. For only $2 and a mouth swab, users receive a blue slip of paper with their life station printed on it.  After reading their results, citizens of the town are buying new clothes and supplies to change what has long been their jobs.  Suddenly, the mayor of Deerfield thinks he should be a cowboy; the school principal wants to retire and become a carpenter; a local musician wants to be a magician; and a high school student thinks he is going to be a major-league pitcher.  It seems like the whole town has gone crazy!

 

Douglas Hubbard, the history teacher at Deerfield Catholic, and his wife, Cherilyn, were high school sweethearts and have been happily married for years.  However, after Cherilyn uses the DNAMIX machine, she thinks she is “royalty” and is no longer content to be just a housewife and make crafts in her kitchen.  On a whim, Douglas buys a trombone and starts taking lessons, but not because the machine gave him the idea.  In fact, the machine told him he was a “whistler” and a “teacher”, which is disappointing to him.  Douglas doesn’t know why Cherilyn is suddenly acting strangely, but he also doesn’t know that she used the machine.

 

Deuce Newman, the town photographer, has had a crush on Cherilyn ever since high school and is still mad that she married Douglas instead of him.  He is hoping to change that result because the DNAMIX machine tells him that he is “royalty”, just like Cherilyn. 

 

There are more subplots involving revenge, a possible school shooting, a gang rape, a Catholic priest, a free taxi driver, a local band, and Cherilyn’s mom, who has the beginnings of dementia.

 

The Big Door Prize is M.O. Walsh’s second novel, and it is humorous and delightful.  It has an old-town nostalgia feel similar to books written by Fannie Flagg.  The book is character-driven, filled with quirky and charming characters and multiple subplots that mesh finely together at the end.

 

Each chapter of the book begins with a cute, engaging title that foreshadows what will occur within that chapter.  The novel is well-paced and the action will keep readers turning the pages.  The book raises an interesting question of what a person would do differently in his life if he has a choice and a second chance.

 

The Big Door Prize received starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Booklist.  Give this book to readers who enjoy humorous fiction, books with intriguing characters, and fans of Louisiana novels.  I recommend it for public libraries and give it four out of five fleur de lis!

 

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for allowing me to read and review this book!

Review of The Black Coats by Colleen Oakes

Oakes, Colleen.  The Black Coats.  HarperTeen, 2019.

Thea Solomon’s and her cousin and best friend, Natalie did everything together.  Then one night after leaving for college, Natalie is murdered, and Thea’s world falls apart.  The devastation she feels over her cousin’s death causes her to withdraw from her family and classmates and quit the track team.

Thea is given an opportunity to join a secret society of women called The Black Coats.  After passing a number of physical and mental tests, she joins her five new teammates as a member, and then the leader, of Team Banner.  Each girl has been hurt or is close to a woman who has been hurt by a man.  The team is expected to carry out Balancings, acts of vengeance against men who have harmed women.  In return, each girl will be able to receive her Inheritance, revenge against the person who has hurt her.  The girls receive training in hand-to-hand combat and other skills they will need.  In addition, each girl is already a specialist in some area, like running or karate.

Team Banner begins to perform its Balancings, which become increasingly violent, although, thankfully, not fatal to the victim.  The members begin to discover that not all crimes are what they seem, and sometimes vengeance goes too far.  As Thea becomes involved with a boy at school, she also starts to see that what The Black Coats stand for is not exactly what she has been told.   She also learns that there is something more sinister involved concerning the older members and a “sister” organization.

I was so excited to get an advanced reader’s copy of this novel, and I was not disappointed.  Set in Austin, it is an action-packed story full of exciting twists and turns.  The Banner Team members are tough, strong women, but they also have each other’s backs.  Thea is a natural-born leader and makes wise decisions for her group.

There is a great deal of violence in the book, including that in the shocking opening scene, but it all ties into the plot line.  A number of moral questions are brought up, mainly dealing with the differences between right and wrong and justice and revenge.

The Black Coats is a timely, suspenseful thriller and a powerful page-turner.  I highly recommend it for upper middle school, high school, and public libraries and give it five out of five fleur de lis!

Review of Leverage by Josh Cohen

Leverage by Josh Cohen.  Dutton, 2011.

Kurt Brodsky is recruited as a junior to attend Oregrove High School by Coach Briggs, who hungers for a state football championship. Kurt has grown up in foster care and has had some very bad experiences in his life, not the least of which is molestation by adults. In fact, at his last group home, Mr. Sandborn, aka “Crud Bucket”, was especially horrendous and evil in his abuse, killing Kurt’s friend, Lamar. Kurt escapes from his problems by lifting weights and becoming stronger, with revenge as his ultimate goal. However, he has a kind heart and a gentle soul, but also suffers from severe stuttering. He has a promising future as an offensive fullback.

Sophomore Danny Meehan, is a two-year member of Oregrove’s gymnastic team. He has set lofty goals for himself, hopefully ending in a full-ride college scholarship. Unfortunately, at Oregrove, football is king, and football players rule the school. The three football captains, quarterback Scott Miller, offensive tackle Tom Jankowski, and defensive lineman Mike “Stud” Studblatz, are extremely talented, but they are hyped up on Coach Briggs’s steroids. They terrorize the school, but mainly target the smaller athletes--the gymnastic team, the cross country team, and the swimming team.

Gymnastics coach Ted Nelson, a retired special ops military man, discovers his team budget has been cut by Coach Briggs, who is using the money to put a JumboTron up in the football stadium. Coach Nelson challenges the football players to a strength contest in the school’s weight room, with the winner getting to use the weight room whenever they wish. Much to the football teams’ dismay, they lose to the gymnasts, which sets off a series of pranks between the two teams. The retaliation between the two squads gets more and more out of control, leading to physical abuse and, eventually, a student’s suicide. In an unlikely pairing, Kurt and Danny team up with Tina, also a former foster care child, to expose the football bullies and mete out a kind of justice of their own.

This novel debut by Josh Cohen was a gripping, intense book, one I had to put down at times so I could ponder and absorb what I had read! The characters were extremely well-fleshed out and densely developed. A lot of thought went into their interactions; even the minor characters were complex! The book is told in alternating chapters between the two main characters—Kurt and Danny. I loved Kurt who, at first glance, seemed strong, imposing, and mean, but was actually a gentle giant underneath that hard exterior. Others’ perceptions of his being stupid because he stuttered only added an extra dimension to his likability factor.

Danny, as well, was extremely likable. I admired the way he set his goals to so high. The unlikely friendship that formed between Kurt and Danny was heartfelt and true. It was through Danny’s leadership and encouragement that the entire gymnastics team embraced Kurt’s inclusion in some of their activities.

Tina, the Goth techie girl whom Kurt knew from a previous foster home, was one tough chick. She was a super-hero in disguise! Not only did she know about music, computers and other technology, she was the defender of the weak! I loved how she and her friend, Indira, tried to take on Tom Jankowski in the hallway when he was bullying Danny. She also plays a huge part in the book’s climax.

The three football captains were vile, crude, and rude, and I absolutely hated them. I could not find a single redeeming quality in their personalities. However, at times, their behaviors almost seemed bully-stereotypical. I think that Cohen probably intended his reading audience to loathe the bullies, which was certainly the case, for me, at least.

The action scenes, both for gymnastics and football were extremely descriptive. The ending was awesome, although there is a surprising, unexpected twist! The novel is really about perceptions and expectations, how to overcome adversity, and acceptance of others. Due to the graphic nature of parts of the book I would only recommend it for mature readers, perhaps tenth grade and up. Those who do dive into this book will not be disappointed!

Review of Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook

Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook.  Simon Pulse, 2010.

Helen Worthington has been best friends with Lauren Wood since they were born; they were even next to each other in the hospital nursery. In the spring before ninth grade, Helen is accused of tattling on the boys who played the senior prank. Even though she is not the one who did turned the boys in, she is shunned and picked on by her classmates for the rest of the school year. When she discovers that Lauren is actually the one who caused all the trouble, she cannot believe it! Her family moves away for three years, and during that time, Helen’s appearance changes dramatically; she grows from an ugly duckling into a swan! When she has a chance to move back to Terrace and live with her grandmother, Helen decides to change her name and carry out a plan to get her revenge on Lauren Wood.

This book is reminiscent of The Mean Girls movies; only one of the characters who are mean is actually nice! Lauren and her friends Bailey and Kyla are the “popular” girls who accept the new girl “Claire Dantes” into their inner circle because they believe she has moved from New York, is pretty, and wears the right clothes. Lauren is the stereotypical rich, mean girl who believes everyone wants to be just like her. Her minions, however, become disenchanted with Lauren after a series of events that Claire ramrods. Claire is a delightful character who is so obsessed with Lauren’s downfall that she does not realize who her friends really are until it is almost too late.

The whole theme of the story is seeing people for whom they really are, and this theme is carried out beautifully in the plot. This book is humorous, and some of the characters are really sneaky. The twist at the end will surprise readers! I recommend