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pebbles1984's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a while to get into, but it turned out to be a sweet, funny, and heart-warming book.
jenn_ingle's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kandicez's review against another edition
4.0
I already knew, going in, that I liked Fannie Flagg's writing "voice", but this was so much more entertaining than even her usual writing. The story is told in the journal entries of Daisy Fay beginning a day or so after her 11th birthday and following her through her 17th year. For lack of a better term, Daisy Fay is just a hoot!
Daisy's parents are very passionate. Not just in their loving, but in their fighting as well. They move to a beach, purchasing a share in a malt shop. Like all of Daisy's fathers plans, he hasn't really thought it through. The tourist season is too short, the business too expensive to run, and they just spend too much money! Not to mention that fact that he's an alcoholic. A sweet man, with the best of intentions most of the time, but an alcoholic just the same, drinking up the proceeds. What they lack in funds, they make up for in friends. My favorite part of Flagg's books are peripheral characters. They are always a little flawed, kooky, sweet or mean. Everyone is larger than life in some way, but Flagg somehow keeps them realistic.
Daisy is brutally honest, as as she grows, the entries become more about what's really happening than what a child thinks is happening. We as the reader can read between the lines, but it's refreshing that Daisy can't. She is innocent, sweet and very honest, but she's still only 11 when we meet her, so not exactly in the know. One of the best things about the novel is seeing Daisy mature, and occasionally look back on an event and see it for what it really was. We knew as we read, she just didn't as she wrote. It's a fine line and Flagg does a great job walking it.
Through Daisy we see the injustice of bigotry, not just race, but gender and how certain classes of people are perceived. In the beginning, even though she is as country as they come, Daisy sees herself and her family as better than the potato farmers and shrimpers she is surrounded by. She is taught that she is better than black people, and yet befriends them as easily as she does the white people she encounters. With no clear "ah ha" moment, we experience her learning how all people are capable of good. We are all born equal, and it's circumstance and what we do with ourselves that really defines who we are, not our color or station in life.
The pattern of the book is Daisy looking forward to the next big step in her life, only to be disapointed when it actually gets here. Never mind. Our Daisy seems able to make the best of every situation. She never despairs, and part of what keeps her hope afloat is all the friends she collects. She's loyal, honest, unselfish and kind. She helps who she can, when she can, insuring there's always someone to help her when she needs it. It's a lesson we should all learn.
Daisy's parents are very passionate. Not just in their loving, but in their fighting as well. They move to a beach, purchasing a share in a malt shop. Like all of Daisy's fathers plans, he hasn't really thought it through. The tourist season is too short, the business too expensive to run, and they just spend too much money! Not to mention that fact that he's an alcoholic. A sweet man, with the best of intentions most of the time, but an alcoholic just the same, drinking up the proceeds. What they lack in funds, they make up for in friends. My favorite part of Flagg's books are peripheral characters. They are always a little flawed, kooky, sweet or mean. Everyone is larger than life in some way, but Flagg somehow keeps them realistic.
Daisy is brutally honest, as as she grows, the entries become more about what's really happening than what a child thinks is happening. We as the reader can read between the lines, but it's refreshing that Daisy can't. She is innocent, sweet and very honest, but she's still only 11 when we meet her, so not exactly in the know. One of the best things about the novel is seeing Daisy mature, and occasionally look back on an event and see it for what it really was. We knew as we read, she just didn't as she wrote. It's a fine line and Flagg does a great job walking it.
Through Daisy we see the injustice of bigotry, not just race, but gender and how certain classes of people are perceived. In the beginning, even though she is as country as they come, Daisy sees herself and her family as better than the potato farmers and shrimpers she is surrounded by. She is taught that she is better than black people, and yet befriends them as easily as she does the white people she encounters. With no clear "ah ha" moment, we experience her learning how all people are capable of good. We are all born equal, and it's circumstance and what we do with ourselves that really defines who we are, not our color or station in life.
The pattern of the book is Daisy looking forward to the next big step in her life, only to be disapointed when it actually gets here. Never mind. Our Daisy seems able to make the best of every situation. She never despairs, and part of what keeps her hope afloat is all the friends she collects. She's loyal, honest, unselfish and kind. She helps who she can, when she can, insuring there's always someone to help her when she needs it. It's a lesson we should all learn.
flyingnigiri's review against another edition
5.0
Fun book to read. It really felt like you were there with Daisy Fay. Lots of parts to laugh about, some angry parts, and some sad parts. Daisy Fay is very easily relatable and I was really rooting for her throughout the book.
rld1727's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
jerefi's review against another edition
4.0
When I started this book, it was hard for me to get into at first. Once I hit the first jump (from age 11/12 to 15), I flew through it like nothing. It was sometimes sad, sometimes heart warming, but always the God's honest truth from the perception of out narrator Daisy Fay. Definitely a good read once you get used to whose head you are in.
phinas's review against another edition
5.0
Easily the funniest book I have ever read. I laughed out loud several times! I like Fannie Flagg, but I believe this is my favorite of hers so far.
lemongrassprout's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this book up because it was by the same author as Fried Green Tomatoes, and I wasn't let down. This isn't any ordinary novel. If you don't enjoy books that are set up as someones journal you probably won't enjoy this book, however I love books that are set up that way. The main character is refreshing, she isn't what most main characters are. This book may seem all over the place at some points, but that's how life is for real people! Some of the other reviews of this book mention things like "why waste time reading about someone who is white trash" or about how peoples life struggles aren't funny-- I say, there need to be more books about people from different backgrounds, and it isn't her trauma thats funny, its how she responds to it thats funny. In my opinion this book is funny, there were definitely moments I laughed out loud. This is an easy read of a book if you're looking for something fun and casual, it's easy to pick up or set down.
melissarochelle's review against another edition
5.0
This is a comfort read for me. I've read it many times, I grew up with Daisy Fay. Sometimes I could swear that I've seen a movie adaptation of it. I haven't, I've just spent that much time in Mississippi with the Harpers. The first half is my favorite part, Daisy Fay at 11 reminds me of Francie Nolan in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (another favorite book that I revisited this year).