The Sugar Queen

Okay, so this week I finished The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen. I loved this book, it turned out to be a great read. So for a recap, it's basically about this 27 year old, Josey. Josey Cirrini is famous for her family. Her dad, who died when she was a little girl, was the illustrious founder of their southern town. Her mom was always beautiful and quite younger than her dad. As a child, Josey was a very bratty child. She stole candy and food and threw temper tantrums. So now Josey feels obliged to live at home and take care of her mom, even though she just wants to get out.
Even though this story can feel a little like a fantasy, it is very easy to relate to real life. The whole town thinks Josey just has the most pampered, luxurious life. However, Josey is lonely and empty. She wants to travel and fall in love, but she's stuck in her self-conscious life of guilt. I think many people can be like this. We look at people and assume their happy or lucky or miserable or sad. We judge when really we don't know that person's desires or feelings.
So when Della Lee, a well known screw-up, shows up to hide out in Josey's closet, she's surprised to see Josey's unhappy and unaccomplished life. However, as Josey is forced to let her stay, Della Lee swears to herself that she will help out Josey Cirrini. She turns Josey's nonexistent relationship with her mailman into true love, leads Josey to make friends, and encourages her to break loose from her mother's reign.
The quirky characters of Josey, Della Lee, and Chloe (Josey's new best friend) really make the book. They work together so perfectly in order to tell the story. I recommend this book to any girl. It's a very "coming of age" (haha) story in which Josey learns about her past, her family, and with it creates the [almost] happy ending she always read about books.