“Eating that sandwich would make her fell better. And it would make her feel worse. It was a familiar dilemma. She’d never experienced anything that was simply and entirely good for her. She wondered if such a thing even existed.”
This is the struggle of the main character, Josey, from The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen. She is a 27-year-old woman still living under the thumb of her unloving mother, hoarding snack cakes and travel magazines in her closet, and wishing things would change but not knowing how to make them.
One night, however, when a woman appears in her closet, Josey’s life starts to spiral out of control and she doesn’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad one. She’s forced to venture out of her room and open her eyes to the world around her, and it is full of shocking discoveries that never seem to end.
The Sugar Queen has suspense, drama, romance, and a little bit of the supernatural. This is a book that is so engrossing that you might end up devouring it in one day – I did.
Visit The Kitchen Reader blog for a list of the other members’ reviews of this book.
Shortbread 
Thanks for choosing this book, Karen; it was definitely engrossing! I read it all in two days. I found the characters a little unbelievable sometimes, but still enjoyed this as a good summer read.
A great pick for the book club. I really enjoyed this novel, particularly the supernatural aspects of it, which came as a surprise. I’m not sure what I was expecting, having never heard of it before (and I didn’t read the jacket cover before starting it, either), but I was pleasantly surprised. 🙂
Okay, I wasn’t expecting to like this book. Not really my kind of reading. Imagine my surprise when, as I got into it, I actually enjoyed it. Nice Pick.
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Hi Karen, I’m back to say that out of all the Kitchen Reader picks to date, this is the most reviewed: ten members have posted by the end of the month. Thanks to you for a good choice!
I’m so glad to hear that! I can’t wait to read everyone’s opinions.
While I had mixed feelings about the book overall, it was a really fun read. It was a nice break from some of the serious reading we’ve been doing lately, and a great pick for summer.
I do think it’s funny that several people commented about her hiding food in closet being unrealistic — I work with emotional eaters and found that part to be one of the most real in the whole book!
thanks for picking a light read for summertime! this was the perfect book for me to read this month, as my schedule’s a little crazy and it wasn’t at all time consuming or complicated. i just wish food had played a larger role…
I know, I thought the same thing. Just a few sandwiches and some snack cakes were all we got!