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80 Proof Lives
Fifteen-year-old Fla Fry feels lonely, unloved, and destined to go nowhere after graduation. To pay off her mother’s beer tab, she is forced to clean house for the local madam and bootleg queen, Miss Lipstick, during the summer of 1976.By the end of that fateful summer, she learns some life-changing things about herself that could plunge her into the 80 proof life of an alcoholic, which she knows all too well.
226 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2011
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13 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 26, 2017
Ordinary People
This book is wordy but colorfully written. I appreciated the many topics that were introduced (bullying, abuse addiction, adultery, etc). The ending seemed a bit rushed because I yearned for more of Fla’s triumph. Overall, a pleasant read and I recommend this book to high school students and book club members for a good discussion.
This book is wordy but colorfully written. I appreciated the many topics that were introduced (bullying, abuse addiction, adultery, etc). The ending seemed a bit rushed because I yearned for more of Fla’s triumph. Overall, a pleasant read and I recommend this book to high school students and book club members for a good discussion.
July 22, 2013
80 Proof Lives, the first published novel by Felicia S.W. Thomas, is a cleverly written tale of love, lies, and loss of innocence. Set in the 1970s in Quincy, Florida, the story centers on “…Fla, which rhymes with clay” (Thomas 10), a 15-year-old girl whose life is changed abruptly when she must go to work for Miss Lipstick, the local bootlegger and madam. During this time, Fla discovers that things are not always what they appear to be and begins her summer-long journey of self-discovery.
From the start, Felicia compels the reader to want to learn more about this young girl’s life - a life surrounded by alcoholism, drug abuse, and poverty. The smells, sounds, and sights of rural America either entice the reader to reminiscence about their own childhood or to wonder at how much strength it takes to overcome such unfortunate beginnings. The story holds you captive, as you experience (right along with Fla) an assortment of humorous, upsetting, and heartwarming situations that caused me to cry, laugh out loud, or just simmer in anger!
Felicia makes the characters relatable and reminds us that outward appearances sometimes belie a person’s fragile inward emotions. From Miss Lipstick to Mr. Curtis to Momma to Jerome – the supporting cast exhibits the good, bad, and ugly human flaws that are present in us all. Judgment is also an underlying theme in the novel, and even Fla is checked by her boss lady when she judges Miss Lipstick’s clientele: “You know when somebody break a leg, they need crutches for a while to help them get better…All these people, what broke in they lives ain’t better yet…You just see the ones who drink they crutch. Folks hide they pain in many ways” (Thomas 52-53).
Felicia’s ability to make the reader feel through her writing is the sign of a true wordsmith, and her novel teaches us about acceptance, trust, and forgiveness. But to me, the most important lesson learned is that where we start out in life does not determine where we end up!
Peace : )
From the start, Felicia compels the reader to want to learn more about this young girl’s life - a life surrounded by alcoholism, drug abuse, and poverty. The smells, sounds, and sights of rural America either entice the reader to reminiscence about their own childhood or to wonder at how much strength it takes to overcome such unfortunate beginnings. The story holds you captive, as you experience (right along with Fla) an assortment of humorous, upsetting, and heartwarming situations that caused me to cry, laugh out loud, or just simmer in anger!
Felicia makes the characters relatable and reminds us that outward appearances sometimes belie a person’s fragile inward emotions. From Miss Lipstick to Mr. Curtis to Momma to Jerome – the supporting cast exhibits the good, bad, and ugly human flaws that are present in us all. Judgment is also an underlying theme in the novel, and even Fla is checked by her boss lady when she judges Miss Lipstick’s clientele: “You know when somebody break a leg, they need crutches for a while to help them get better…All these people, what broke in they lives ain’t better yet…You just see the ones who drink they crutch. Folks hide they pain in many ways” (Thomas 52-53).
Felicia’s ability to make the reader feel through her writing is the sign of a true wordsmith, and her novel teaches us about acceptance, trust, and forgiveness. But to me, the most important lesson learned is that where we start out in life does not determine where we end up!
Peace : )
January 27, 2013
80 Proof Lives is a YA mystery novel by Felicia Thomas is a beautifully written and enthralling story of a young girl named Fla who is thrust into a world full of booze, books, and a life of temptation and hardship. Set in Quincy, FL, Fla lives in an unhealthy home, and she constantly doubts herself in beauty and worth, even though her intelligence could propel her into great future success.
I loved 80 Proof Lives. Being an intern and reading it for the classroom along with students, I was hooked by the descriptions and details that brought this story to life. The characters are unique, and as a reader, you easily get attached or disgusted at them because you either relate to their personality or situations, or even know someone like them. Thomas’ fiction seems so real that many of my students believed that this is a non-fiction piece, a biography of Thomas’ life. When Thomas visited our school and specifically our classroom to discuss the book, she summarized that if they really thought that she (Thomas) was Fla, and that it was a true personal account, then that meant she did a good job as a writer and that her book was a success. Thomas’ intention was to incorporate stories and traits from the different people she knew and met, and then compile them to make a believable fiction piece. This book is very relatable to students who share the same hardships and feelings in their own lives.
Thomas also uses a vocabulary enriched in SAT words, which is so beneficial to an English classroom. Her cliffhangers are so addicting and vital to her style of writing which really makes this book a rare mystery treasure. While in our classroom, she discussed her interest in writing both a prequel and a sequel to 80 Proof Lives and I really hope she does.
I loved 80 Proof Lives. Being an intern and reading it for the classroom along with students, I was hooked by the descriptions and details that brought this story to life. The characters are unique, and as a reader, you easily get attached or disgusted at them because you either relate to their personality or situations, or even know someone like them. Thomas’ fiction seems so real that many of my students believed that this is a non-fiction piece, a biography of Thomas’ life. When Thomas visited our school and specifically our classroom to discuss the book, she summarized that if they really thought that she (Thomas) was Fla, and that it was a true personal account, then that meant she did a good job as a writer and that her book was a success. Thomas’ intention was to incorporate stories and traits from the different people she knew and met, and then compile them to make a believable fiction piece. This book is very relatable to students who share the same hardships and feelings in their own lives.
Thomas also uses a vocabulary enriched in SAT words, which is so beneficial to an English classroom. Her cliffhangers are so addicting and vital to her style of writing which really makes this book a rare mystery treasure. While in our classroom, she discussed her interest in writing both a prequel and a sequel to 80 Proof Lives and I really hope she does.
August 5, 2012
Life’s Not Fair…You have to use what you got and do your best with it
Life is not fair for fifteen-year-old Fla (rhymes with clay) Frye. She lives in a house with a mother who treats her like a stranger. She is always running from the local bully, Cast Iron Kat. She avoids her teacher because he wants her to go to college and she is comfortable where she is. She has to duck and dodge the prying fingers of her mother’s lecherous boyfriend. She feels unloved and unwelcomed in anyone’s life. All Fla wants to do is read but all of these distractions keep getting in her way. On top of that, Fla has to spend her summer working for the local madam and bootlegger Miss Lipstick, in order to pay off her mother’s beer tab. While working she meets a cast of characters who help her to realize and understand the beauty of love, forgiveness and redemption. They help Fla to recognize her own beauty and power so that she can forge a life that is better than the one she has.
“80 Proof Lives” by ¬ Felicia S.W. Thomas can be read as a young adult novel. However, the topics that are addressed in this book reach far beyond a young adult’s life. Thomas has woven a tale packed tight with issues that affect our community: alcoholism, incest, poverty and ignorance. The characters are real and so are their problems. The language is vivid and the scenes leap off the page. This is such an engaging story and I did not want the novel to end. This is Thomas’ first novel but with writing like this, I hope it won’t be her last.
Reviewed by: Flashette
4.5 stars
Life is not fair for fifteen-year-old Fla (rhymes with clay) Frye. She lives in a house with a mother who treats her like a stranger. She is always running from the local bully, Cast Iron Kat. She avoids her teacher because he wants her to go to college and she is comfortable where she is. She has to duck and dodge the prying fingers of her mother’s lecherous boyfriend. She feels unloved and unwelcomed in anyone’s life. All Fla wants to do is read but all of these distractions keep getting in her way. On top of that, Fla has to spend her summer working for the local madam and bootlegger Miss Lipstick, in order to pay off her mother’s beer tab. While working she meets a cast of characters who help her to realize and understand the beauty of love, forgiveness and redemption. They help Fla to recognize her own beauty and power so that she can forge a life that is better than the one she has.
“80 Proof Lives” by ¬ Felicia S.W. Thomas can be read as a young adult novel. However, the topics that are addressed in this book reach far beyond a young adult’s life. Thomas has woven a tale packed tight with issues that affect our community: alcoholism, incest, poverty and ignorance. The characters are real and so are their problems. The language is vivid and the scenes leap off the page. This is such an engaging story and I did not want the novel to end. This is Thomas’ first novel but with writing like this, I hope it won’t be her last.
Reviewed by: Flashette
4.5 stars
April 4, 2017
Good story with great characters!
I thoroughly enjoyed Fla's account of what life was like for a school-aged girl unsure of her beginnings and what the future would hold for her. The plot was well-developed and characters, believable. Besides Fla, Miss Lipstick held my attention as did Phyllis and the other people who knew the child's story and attended to her needs throughout her life.
I thoroughly enjoyed Fla's account of what life was like for a school-aged girl unsure of her beginnings and what the future would hold for her. The plot was well-developed and characters, believable. Besides Fla, Miss Lipstick held my attention as did Phyllis and the other people who knew the child's story and attended to her needs throughout her life.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews