Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn

Gingerbread

by Rachel Cohn

When Cyd gets home to her family for the summer holidays she is in a very 'teenage' state of mind! Boyfriend troubles, parent troubles, little brother troubles. When she meets the lovely 'Shrimp' her mother finally decides she has had enough of her troublesome teenage daughter and sends her to holiday with her 'real' father in New York. The break does Cyd a lot of good - she meets a brother and a sister she didn't know she had, she finds a little romance and she comes to terms with some troubles of a different and deeper sort which have been hidden for some time. Cyd Charise has a secret buried and it is only through getting to know herself better is she finally able to tell those nearest to her what has really gone on in her life. Not for a long time has such a lovely and quirky girl been brought to life in a book. Her passion for life, her humour and her irrepressible energy will make this book required reading for every teenager.

Reviewed by rakesandrogues on

3 of 5 stars

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After a plethora of dystopian fiction, I wanted a light refreshing and quick read so I decided to pick up GINGERBREAD. Other than reading a few other Rachel Cohn novels, I had no idea what to expect before I picked this one up.

Initially, Cyd Charisse is one protagonist who makes it very difficult for readers to like her. Cohn’s voice is authentic and shines out amidst other contemporary novels, but Cyd Charisse is a bit whiny and annoying. She’s also difficult to relate to because she is a bit spoiled and childish. Throughout the whole novel, I tried to guess exactly how old Cyd was. Cohn might have mentioned her age in the novel, but I would think that she is around 15 – 16. Cyd also has a tendency for rebellion and it had been only a matter of time before she is shipped off from San Francisco to meet her biological father in New York City.

Since the novel is a bit old for contemporary standards, it could be the reason why I had a rough time getting used to the way Cyd spoke. Is it a west coast thing? Because I don’t think I ever grew up talking the way Cyd did, but maybe that’s just something that is completely unique to her.

There are a handful of secondary characters in GINGERBREAD, and of them all, Danny and and Aaron stood out to me the most. Danny, Cyd’s half-brother, is an excellent cake decorator and co-owner of a little cafe in Greenwich Village with his partner Aaron. The cake part was enough to win me over, but the fact that he and Aaron make the cutest couple made me yearn for more scenes with the two of them!

The novel did not stand out to me until Cyd Charisse got to New York City. There is something about the way Cohn writes about New York City. She captures the city through the eyes of a teenager just right and it makes me want to cross over the Hudson River right at that moment so I could wander through the streets and find a little cafe to read. The writing came alive in the second half of the book.

There are mentions of sex and teen pregnancy in the novel, but there is nothing vulgar or obscene about it. There are no racy scenes so this book will be appropriate for teens of all ages. This novel is recommended to those who love contemporary novels with spunky female leads, fans of Cohn’s novels, and lovers of New York City.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 3 June, 2011: Finished reading
  • 3 June, 2011: Reviewed