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    The Sugar Queen
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    The Sugar Queen
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    The Sugar Queen
    Audiobook8 hours

    The Sugar Queen

    Written by Sarah Addison Allen

    Narrated by Karen White

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    In this irresistible follow-up to her New York Times bestselling debut, Garden Spells, author Sarah Addison Allen tells the tale of a young woman whose family secrets-and secret passions-are about to change her life forever.

    Twenty-seven-year-old Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter in her North Carolina hometown is her favorite season, she's a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her hidden closet. For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother's house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night…. Until she finds it harboring none other than local waitress Della Lee Baker, a tough-talking, tenderhearted woman who is one part nemesis-and two parts fairy godmother…

    Fleeing a life of bad luck and big mistakes, Della Lee has decided Josey's clandestine closet is the safest place to crash. In return she's going to change Josey's life-because, clearly, it is not the closet of a happy woman. With Della Lee's tough love, Josey is soon forgoing pecan rolls and caramels, tapping into her startlingly keen feminine instincts, and finding her narrow existence quickly expanding.

    Before long, Josey bonds with Chloe Finley, a young woman who makes the best sandwiches in town, is hounded by books that inexplicably appear whenever she needs them, and-most amazing of all-has a close connection to Josey's longtime crush.

    As little by little Josey dares to step outside herself, she discovers a world where the color red has astonishing power, passion can make eggs fry in their cartons, and romance can blossom at any time-even for her. It seems that Della Lee's work is done, and it's time for her to move on. But the truth about where she's going, why she showed up in the first place-and what Chloe has to do with it all-is about to add one more unexpected chapter to Josey's fast-changing life.

    Brimming with warmth, wit, and a sprinkling of magic, here is a spellbinding tale of friendship, love-and the enchanting possibilities of every new day.


    From the Hardcover edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateMay 20, 2008
    ISBN9781415954348
    Unavailable
    The Sugar Queen
    Author

    Sarah Addison Allen

    Sarah Addison Allen lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where she is at work on her next novel.

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    Reviews for The Sugar Queen

    4/5

    1,235 ratings146 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Sarah Addison Allen is one of my favorite authors. Her book blend romance and magic perfectly.
      I loved this book! The characters and storyline are believable AND magical!
    • 5/5
      A little bit of a slow start, but I ended up really loving this book. It's a gentle story with some steel behind it; four women, lives intertwined in various ways, gradually discover themselves over the course of the book. There's just a hint of magic thrown in, but the characters, especially the main one, are well drawn -- I definitely cared about what happened to them. I love books about women finding their strengths, and this is a lovely one.

      One small complaint: I still have no idea why it's called The Sugar Queen. Unless I reeeally missed something, there's no queen, no sugar, no anything that resembles the title. That bothers me, because five years from now I'm going to remember this book and I'm going to have no idea what it was called because the title was so out of left field.
    • 2/5
      2.5 Stars

      The story opens with Josey, 27 years old and living under the demanding and critical thumb of her mother, as if she herself were hired help, opening her closet to find Della Mae camped out and refusing to leave. Della Mae is there to help Josey become her own person and live a free life of her choosing. Along the way Josey makes friends with Chloe (who has books just mysteriously appear where ever she happens to be) and Adam (the mail carrier)....she also uncovers secrets that prefer to remain buried in that small town that her father Marco (an Italian immigrant) helped turn into a ski resort all those years ago.

      This is the second book I have read by Sarah Addison Allen, and as in her first book "Garden Spells) there is magic, family tragedy, skeletons (sometimes ghosts) in the closets, love, & lessons. I do have to say, I did not like the many of the characters in this book...they seemed to have no redeeming characteristics a(no matter their past), Josey was, in my opinion, over done with self-depreciation and oppression....and this book just didn't have the delightful touch of magical lightness as "Garden Spells". I guess I found it to be an emotionally heavier read and not as whimsical. I'm not sorry I waited this long to read it, and had I known, I just might not have read it. For me it was Just Okay.
    • 4/5
      Pretty sweet, I liked Garden Spells better. I'd feared this would have a eating-disorder feel - that was before I'd read any of SAA's books tho. Will read the next, but in no rush, there's lot's on my bedside table.
      I'll save it for a pick-me-up :)
    • 4/5
      The second book I've read by Sarah Addison Allen. I love her mix of romance, humor and magic.
    • 4/5
      I suppose this is a chick-lit with magical realism story. It takes place somewhere in North Carolina and revolves around three women in their twenties and their struggles to break out of their cocoons.These stories of women from the South usually include some older women trying to bend the minds of the younger women to their wills. I hate that stuff. Yet I was able to read this to the end because of the light touches of fantasy and magic. It allowed you to wonder if it was really magic, or head games the girls played to cope with their lives. I found this quite predictable, but a nice cosy read perhaps because of that. If it had been a "modern Southern literary novel" written in the early part of the 1900s, it would have had quite a different feel, but this was written to be sugar and light, and that's what it was, even though it touched upon some very dark places of the human heart.
    • 4/5
      A great story reminescnet of Alice Hoffman, Allen uses magic realism to tell the story of several small-town women who are bound together by experiences they don't quite understand.
    • 3/5
      if you are looking for a light and fluffy read.
    • 4/5
      Dutiful daughter Josey loves the mailman, Adam and her red sweater; has Della Lee living in her closet and becomes the friend of Chloe who is besieged by books full of advice.
    • 3/5
      A sweet read but predictable. Not up to the standard set by "Garden Spells," but still likeable.
    • 3/5
      To sum this book up in one word I would have to go with, meh.The Sugar Queen is an easy read, very predictable, lighthearted with just a touch of whimsy. While it didn't wow me, and I don't feel like it will be winning any major literary awards anytime soon, I didn't feel it was a complete waste of time. This is the perfect beach book, or something to take along when you go on vacation. It doesn't require a lot of effort or thought, but entertaining enough to keep your attention. The book takes place in the mountains of North Carolina (shout out to the home state!) in a small ski town, Bald Slope. Josey Cirrini, 28 year old ski queen heiress lives with her disgruntled mother, jumping at her beck and call, forgoing living her own life to cater to her mothers whims and wishes. Josey's father passed away when she was young and Josey has glittering memories of him as a doting and caring father (she later comes to realize, her fathers reputation may not have been so sterling after all, hiding more than a few skeletons). Josey has no friends, no boyfriend (although she does pine after the mailman Adam), no job. She solely exists to take care of her mother; chauffeuring her to luncheons, picking up her groceries, giving all outward appearances of an obedient daughter. Every week is the same as the last, routine and structure the norm. Until one day Della Lee Baker, a no holds bar woman from town, shows up in Josey's closest and refuses to leave. The sudden appearance of Della turns Josey's world upside down. Things are changing, Josey is changing. Through the incessant urging and nagging of Della, Josey slowly ventures outside her comfort zone, makes a new friend Chloe Finely, encounters a charismatic dangerous foe, Julian, and boldly explores her romantic feelings with Adam. I did enjoy how each of the characters had their own hint of magic which was very subtle, adding a kind of whimsical lightness to the story, but the story was soooo painfully predictable, I knew the ending after reading the fist three chapters. Perfect book to read while traveling or if you just want something light and easy, if you are looking for something more complex and intriguing I'd pass.
    • 4/5
      Liked this so much more than I anticipated. Whimsical and charming.
    • 3/5
      Folks who enjoyed Sarah Addison Allen's debut novel Garden Spells will find The Sugar Queen to be similar. Both are set in a small North Carolina town, quirky characters abound, food is prevalent, and there's an element of magical realism and fairy-tale woven throughout the story. In the beginning of the novel, these similarities kind of bothered me; I felt as if I was re-reading Garden Spells.

      Josey's story (and that of the other supporting characters) took over and made those distractions less so. Every character in The Sugar Queen has a secret, and all kinds of secrets (infidelity, unrequited love, shame) are being hidden in the figurative closets of Bald Slope, NC. Addison Allen's characters are well-developed and ones that the reader cares about. The writing is well-done, and the plot moves along nicely - particularly towards the ending, when the book truly becomes a page turner. Others reviews that I've read mention that they predicted the ending; I had an idea about part of it, but as I read, it wasn't enough of an overbearing thought to spoil the ending for me - which I also liked. It would have been easy for the ending to be trite and contrived, but it didn't seem so to me.

      I found myself enjoying this novel, both the audio and the print version. (I'm guessing I listened to approximately 3/4 of the book, then read the rest.) Karen White's narration on the audio is excellent. This is a fast read and an enjoyable one for fans of Southern fiction with a dash of magical realism.
    • 3/5
      I didn't enjoy this quite as much as her last one (Garden Spells) but it was still an enjoyable read. My biggest complaint is that some serious issues are glossed over as easily cured (such as secret eating), but that may be attributed to the vagaries of the magical realism genre. I'm looking forward to reading the authors next offering.
    • 4/5
      Very enjoyable read. Some interesting characters. A great read for anyone who likes magical realism.
    • 3/5
      Not convinced. It wasn't bad, but it felt like a bit of an avoidance of the difficult elements to resort to a ghost and magic.
      Josey is trapped in her childhood home by her feelings of obligation to caring for her mother - who she doesn't really get on with. Her whole life is consumed by looking after her mother in a guilt driven attempt to try and rectify her behaviour as a child. She has never really developed as a person - some might say she's never been allowed to develop a personality of her own by her parents - and her father's shadow is particularly long. Then there's the comfort eating and reading romance novels in her wardrobe - not a terribly healthy habit for either body or soul. One day she finds a woman in her wardrobe, and Della Lee slowly provokes Josey into some kind of action.

      Della almost forces Josey out into the real world and Josey makes friends with Chloe, who has relationship issues of her own. This includes a cheating boyfriend and the tendency for books to materialise out of thin air with titles that seem apt for her current mood and predicament. this could be viewed as an extension of the way a title can leap out and catch your eye from the bookshelf and be exactly what you need to read.

      There is an undeniable link between the three women, and the story could have stood perfectly well on that basis. However, the author then takes the easy way out (to my mind) by invoking a ghost and the magic appearing books. I'm not saying it was a bad book, in fact it was very engaging, but somewhat feather-light and instead of dealing honestly with the relationship issues that exist, it just sugar coated them and it all ends (relatively) happily, with no real depth.

      Not bad, but not sure I enjoyed it enough to try any others.
    • 3/5
      I was on a roll of four star books for awhile there, but I guess it had to end sometime. There's nothing actually wrong with this book, its a reasonably charming small romance with some hints of southern gothic and magical realism. A young woman lives a dull life waiting on her elderly mother, the social queen of a small North Carolina town, until a few supernatural interventions knock her out of her rut and she and many of the other people she interacts with start making some more satisfying choices.

      As I say, not a bad book, just not a great one. I like the characters well enough, and the story is fine but there isn't any great depth or passion here. Everyone has money and/or a good job, a reasonable education and some good friends and family - they just needed to clear up some misunderstandings. So, some stuck people decide to stop doing the things that made them get stuck - everybody pairs up and lives happily ever after in their nice, unexceptional safe world.

      There are worse ways to pass a few hours. But, at least for me, its not really magical.
    • 5/5
      Another amazing title by Sarah Addison Allen!! The ending completely suprised me - I did not expect it at all! Allen's character development is phenomenal, the characters are very realistic, so it's easy to get attached to them! Can't wait to read more by her!
    • 5/5

      Great book! Loved, although don't really know why. I usually don't like any magic things. This one was really good though. Liked all the characters. Makes me want to read the first one now.

    • 4/5
      Although I am a fan of this author, this was not my favorite.
    • 3/5
      A lightweight, easy read. I liked the idea of a character who is followed around by the books she needs to be reading. I wasn't convinced about Josey's bad behaviour as a child being such a huge influence on the way she was treated as an adult. But as a quick, escapist read, it hits the mark.
    • 2/5
      The Sugar Queen is a book clearly written for a particular type of woman. And that woman is not me. I'm not immune to the charms of chick lit, but I do require it to be witty, have quirky characters, present a plausible and realistic relationship (notice I did not say a "romance") that is not the axis upon which the main character's world turns, and a strong female lead. After reading Garden Spells by the same author last year, I knew that Sarah Addison Allen did not meet this criteria and was not for me. Alas, I had bought The Sugar Queen from the bargain bin before my disappointing experience with Garden Spells and felt compelled to at least give it a whirl. After dutifully trudging through it, I can report that I was every bit as underwhelmed as I expected to be.Josey Cirrini has a secret--a deep, dark secret. One that could ruin her life. She's embarrassed and humiliated by what she hides from the world. Want to know what it is? Come closer and I'll tell you. It's--are you sure you can handle this? I'll understand if you're not ready--a closet full of candy and romance novels. Hey, don't blame me if you weren't ready for that kind of dark and twisty. You were forewarned! And now Della Lee Baker, the lovable town skank has claimed squatter's rights on Josey Cirrini's closet. You see, Della Lee is on the run from a man that she can't resist and, like one does in such a situation, she immediately runs to the nearest stranger's closet. Della Lee professes her desire to help the shy, awkward Josey find a way to free herself from her overprotective mother and take charge of her life. Secrets are revealed, new loves are forged, old loves are rekindled, and a kind of awkward magical realism is sprinkled throughout. I could go on, but if you're rolling your eyes by now, then I think you get the gist of what Allen is peddling here. Allen's books have been described as "light" and "fluffy"; I would add "saccharine" and "predictable" to the list of adjectives. I did not like nor identify with this group of characters and, while there's nothing offensive enough to warrant a one star rating, the novel certainly isn't exceptional in any way. It's a romance, plain and simple, written for women in their 20's and 30's who have forgotten the thrill of a first love and want to vicariously reconnect with that, but preferably not in a way that involves a creepy emo vampire. And, if that's your bag, baby, then groovy--go ahead, pick up a copy, make yourself a nice cuppa tea, grab a blankie and have an estrogen fest. Right now, I'm going to try to restore balance in my reading life by seeing if there's anything on my bookshelf that might involve someone's jugular being ripped out.
    • 5/5
      Loved this - my favourite combination human relationships with a touch of magic. I did twig to one of the main surprises of the book much earlier than the main character (admittedly, it wasn't that well hidden; I don't think the readers weren't supposed to figure it out) but that was fine. I can tell I'm going to have another favourite author to add to my list.
    • 4/5
      Another girly fun read. Pure pleasure!
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book. A very good light read & just what I needed. I didn't know much about it but read it because a book group selected it.
    • 4/5
      As is true with all Sarah Addison Allen novels, I loved this book! This story has a very fairy-tale feel to it which is magnificently magical! The characters and setting are fantastic as usual. I could empathize easily with both Josie and Chloe. I've had my shy (and plump) moments in life and experiencing Josie's painful insecurities just makes her all the more endearing. Chloe, while quite different from Josie, is also easy to feel an affinity with due to her love of books. This reading experience is not unlike slowly savoring a sweet treat...you enjoy every second of it and when it's over, you just want more! Recommended to: Those who like magical realism books Those who like slightly romantical fluffy reads Those who can empathize with a shy and slightly overweight candy-lover Those who enjoy fairy-tales
    • 4/5
      Sugary, sweet, frothy and easy to read. This well-written bit of chick lit is a great comfort read, but it is exactly that; no great work of literature.
    • 5/5
      This author is one of my favorites. I love her magical characters and bewitching and charming stories. Her books always gives off a warm feeling and I can't help from smiling, laughing, or sighing as I read.
    • 4/5
      I found this to be a very unusual book, a fairy tale in concept perhaps, bringing to mind thoughts of Cinderella, maybe even Sleeping Beauty. I loved it. A revelation in a way. Part pathos, yet very funny, with magic thrown in for good measure. Our heroine, Josey, daughter of the very rich but deceased Marco Cirrini, is a perfect example of the way some people live their lives demoralized, feeling unworthy of anything better, and basically isolated from their surroundings. She lives with an adversarial mother who expects Josey to wait on her, stay home always, be available whenever she wants her, yet doesn't really like or want her. What happens to these people when something in their lives changes? How wonderful it would be to have something vastly out of the ordinary open a whole new life. This, then, is the basis of the story.Sarah Addison Allen has an inimitable way of looking at things, a superb imagination, as in her debut book Garden Spells. In The Sugar Queen, she has changed direction while maintaining that bit of magic and illusion found in her first book. Josey is approaching thirty, living with her mother in the luxurious home her father bought when he made his fortune building the ski resort that made the town the place to be in winter. Making up the third person in the household is the housemaid, of unknown nationality, but a woman full of superstition. Josey's only pleasure in life is found behind a false wall in her closet where she stores "lots and lots" of sweets, romance paperbacks, and travel magazines. One winter morning she finds something else in her closet: an interloper, Della Lee Baker, the hard luck, tough-talking girl of the town and about as unlike Josey as she can be. The last person in the world Josey would think of as a fairy godmother. But Della Lee is about to change Josey's life, with or without her consent or knowledge of her machinations. The interaction between these two is funny and perceptive. The housemaid, Helena (or is she?), is sure something bad is in the house and casts superstitious spells around the house, adding to the fun.It is difficult to review this book without spoilers, so I will cut to the chase. Through Della Lee, Josey meets several people, some good, some bad. She learns to make friends, especially Chloe, who needs Josey as much as Josey needs her, but neither are aware of it when they meet. She learns how to live outside of her own imposed isolation. What draws these three girls together? Why is Josey able to feel such an affinity with them as she becomes more familiar with them? There is action, danger, mystery, and many secrets to be revealed as Josey begins to open up to the world. Why is Della Lee still living in her closet? What is the big secret surrounding Josey? If you liked fairy tales as a child you'll recognize some similarities, but this is not a fairy tale, much as it contains what appears to be magic. This is a story of life and living it, not wasting it. Great fun, but there is truth in the overall picture of how people's lives can become so mixed up and self-damaging. But like a fairy tale there is a happy ending, although tinged with sadness. I really enjoyed the trip through Sarah Addison Allen's imagination once again and look forward to more.
    • 3/5
      Josey is 27 years old with a severe lack of self-esteem who lives with her mother. She doesn't have a job other than taking care of her mother, whom she thinks disapproves and dislikes her. To compensate for those feelings, Josey hordes a cache of candy and other goodies that she hides in a special compartment at the back of her closet. One day she returns from an errand for her mother and finds her friend Della Lee hiding in her closet. Della Lee strives to get Josey to expand her horizons and make new friends. After meeting Chloe while doing an errand for Della Lee, Josey starts to emerge from her shell and her personality blossoms as well as her relationships with other people.The story which follows is unexpected and unusual.