Overview

A fun, moving, sweetheart of a novel about a girl picking up the pieces of her family, her friendships, and life in a small Texas town, and finding herself in the process. This year, Austin Gray is going to wave to the crowd from the hood of a shiny pickup truck in the annual No-Jesus Christmas Parade, and finally show the town bully that she's got what it takes to be the Sweetheart of Prosper County! Austin will do almost anything to become Sweetheart, including joining the Future Farmers of America and raising an animal--a rooster with an attitude named Charles Dickens. She has lots of support: her oldest friend, Maribel, her new FFA friends (including the reigning Sweetheart and a very cute cowboy), a mysterious Cajun outcast, and an evangelical Elvis impersonator. But will her momma ever stop being overprotective, and start letting Austin live her own life?

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9780312548575

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Reviews

&#8220;A refreshing picture of teen angst, with realistic dialogue and memorable characters.&#8221;&#8212; School Library Journal , Starred Review<br>&#8220;First-time novelist Alexander offers a delightful, funny story about teenagers living in a West Texas farming community. . . . Austin&#8217;s year of added responsibility and independence make for a substantive, enjoyable coming-of-age novel that will speak to rural and urban readers alike.&#8221;&#8212; Booklist <br>&#8220;Alexander&#8217;s debut is marked by a colorful supporting cast, fresh dialogue and Southern personality, which contribute to an entertainingly theatrical vision of smalltown life. The strong but precarious mother-daughter bond is well paired to the themes of finding inner strength and self-acceptance and letting go of the past.&#8221;&#8212; Publishers Weekly &#160;A Texas Lone Star Reading List Pick

A refreshing picture of teen angst, with realistic dialogue and memorable characters. --<i>School Library Journal, Starred Review</i></p> First-time novelist Alexander offers a delightful, funny story about teenagers living in a West Texas farming community. . . . Austin's year of added responsibility and independence make for a substantive, enjoyable coming-of-age novel that will speak to rural and urban readers alike. --<i>Booklist</i></p> Alexander's debut is marked by a colorful supporting cast, fresh dialogue and Southern personality, which contribute to an entertainingly theatrical vision of smalltown life. The strong but precarious mother-daughter bond is well paired to the themes of finding inner strength and self-acceptance and letting go of the past. --<i>Publishers Weekly</i></p>

A refreshing picture of teen angst, with realistic dialogue and memorable characters. -- School Library Journal , Starred Review First-time novelist Alexander offers a delightful, funny story about teenagers living in a West Texas farming community. . . . Austin's year of added responsibility and independence make for a substantive, enjoyable coming-of-age novel that will speak to rural and urban readers alike. -- Booklist Alexander's debut is marked by a colorful supporting cast, fresh dialogue and Southern personality, which contribute to an entertainingly theatrical vision of smalltown life. The strong but precarious mother-daughter bond is well paired to the themes of finding inner strength and self-acceptance and letting go of the past. -- Publishers Weekly A Texas Lone Star Reading List Pick

Author Information

Growing up in her rural East Texas hometown, JILL S. ALEXANDER went to work at age 12 bussing tables at the local truck stop. There, she met folks from all walks of life whose eccentricities color her work today. Jill has survived a tornado and being caught on fire. She hates whining but loves fancy shoes, muscle cars, and Johnny Cash - preferably all three at once. Jill taught high school English and Spanish before deciding to take a chance on writing full-time. A native of Texas, she lives in Tyler, Texas, with her husband and son. Her next book, Paradise, will be available from Feiwel and Friends in Summer 2011.

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