by: Jennifer Gooch HummerAvailable at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Synopsis:
Apron Bramhall has come unmoored. It’s 1985 and her mom has passed away, her evil stepmother is pregnant, and her best friend has traded her in for a newer model. Fortunately, she’s about to be saved by Jesus. Not that Jesus—the actor who plays him in Jesus Christ, Superstar. Apron is desperate to avoid the look-alike Mike (no one should look that much like Jesus unless they can perform a miracle or two), but suddenly he’s everywhere. Until one day, she’s stuck in church with him—of all places. And then something happens; Apron’s broken teenage heart blinks on for the first time since she’s been adrift.
Mike and his grumpy boyfriend, Chad, offer her a summer job in their flower store and Apron’s world seems to calm. But when she uncovers Chad’s secret, coming of age becomes almost too much bear. She’s forced to see things the adults around her fail to—like what love really means and who is paying too much for it.
Did you see that? The main character is named Apron. And the story behind that was hilarious. She was supposed to be named April but her father disagreed so her mother wrote it on the Birth Certificate so intelligibly that the powers that be thought it said Apron...you'd think someone would have asked!
Apron is a young teenage girl who is waiting to develop. Her mother is out of the picture and her father is shacking up with a nurse aide from Brazil who also hates Apron...although she seems to kind of hate everyone but wants a green card. My heart is breaking for her from the very beginning. To lose your mother when you are already feeling awkward.
If you think that is bad enough, it gets worse. It also gets better. It takes place in the 80s...remember when Aids was new and gay bashing was acceptable behavior. It certainly was a reminder how far we have come...granted not far enough, but still. She befriends a gay couple who are dealing with their own problems, mostly a less than welcoming community.
Seriously give this a read, it was a wonderful story that I just couldn't put it down. I felt a kinship with Apron because I lost my father when I was young and I am quite clumsy too. I could read more about Apron as she grows up. But that isn't how these chick lit books work.
If you'd like a taste, revisit my Book Spotlight that included an excerpt from the author. You can find it by clicking here. That excerpt sent me running back to BookSparksPR begging for a copy to review.
Thank you BookSparksPR! I'm having a blast being a "groupie".
