The Sugar Queen

I picked this book up at Barnes and Noble because of the $4.98 price tag and after being intrigued by the synopsis. I was worried the storyline would be too heavily laced with magic and enchantment but did not find this to be the case.

I really enjoyed how this story kind of played off of the usual fairy tale components but in a more eclectic and unconventional way. Della Lee is quite possibly the strangest character in the story and yet serves as an unexpected friend and fairy godmother of sorts to Josey. From Josey's bedroom closet, Della Lee is able to change Josey's life from one characterized by fear and insecurity to one more suiting for a 27 year old.

My favorite part of the novel is Chloe Finley's secret - novels relevant to her life at any given point in time magically appear and reappear if ignored. She didn't even have to read some of the books but a simple glance will suffice in providing advice for a decision she needs to make.

I love the offbeat dynamic between characters and how they react. The story is completely unrealistic, but this is not something that bothered me. The ending of the novel was one that felt complete and was not entirely unexpected either. However, if there was a sequel to this novel, I would definitely be interested in reading it to see where the author takes these characters next.