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Cyd Charisse #1
Gingerbread
"I will be as wild as I wanna be."
After getting tossed from her posh boarding school, wild, willful, and coffee addicted Cyd Charisse returns to San Francisco to live with her parents. But there's no way Cyd can survive in her parents' pristine house. Lucky for Cyd she's got Gingerbread, her childhood rag doll and confidante, and her new surfer boyfriend.
When Cyd's rebelliousness gets out of hand, her parents ship her off to New York City to spend the summer with "Frank real-dad," her biological father. Trading in her parents for New York City grunge and getting to know her bio-dad and step-sibs is what Cyd has been waiting for her whole life. But summer in the city is not what Cyd expects — and she's far from the daughter or sister that anyone could have imagined.
Audio Cassette
First published March 1, 2002
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About the author
Rachel Cohn
36 books2,299 followersRachel grew up in the D.C. area and graduated from Barnard College with a B.A. in Political Science. She has written many YA novels, including three that she cowrote with her friend and colleague David Levithan. She lives and writes (when she's not reading other people's books, organizing her music library or looking for the best cappuccino) in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 481 reviews
March 24, 2008
1) The main character is annoying and whines her way through the entire book.
2) Teenage "OMG-I'm SO in love" bores and sickens me.
3) The last third of the book wasn't believable.
4) I feel like C.C. did not learn lessons that were much more important than the one that she did learn.
5) I can't believe there is a sequel.
2) Teenage "OMG-I'm SO in love" bores and sickens me.
3) The last third of the book wasn't believable.
4) I feel like C.C. did not learn lessons that were much more important than the one that she did learn.
5) I can't believe there is a sequel.
June 5, 2007
Cyd just got kicked out of her posh east coast boarding school and sent back to San Fransisco to live with Nancy (her mother) and Sid-dad (her step-father). Storming around the house and generally causing trouble, it's a tense situation. The only things that liven it up are her surfer boyfriend Shrimp, her old lady pal Suger Pie, and Shrimp's brother's coffee house Java the Hut. But then she gets confined to her house for bad behavor and Shrimp thinks they need to go on a break.
Cyd finally goes to New York City to be with her biological father, Frank-dad, and to meet the half-siblings she's never known, Danny and lisBETH.
The beauty of this book is Cyd-- her outlook on life and how she views the people in it. She's cynical and hilariously funny and really, I think she would hate me, but I want to be her best friend. This is a book I couldn't put down and I had already picked up the sequel before I had even finished the first book-- I knew I would want to read it.
Cyd finally goes to New York City to be with her biological father, Frank-dad, and to meet the half-siblings she's never known, Danny and lisBETH.
The beauty of this book is Cyd-- her outlook on life and how she views the people in it. She's cynical and hilariously funny and really, I think she would hate me, but I want to be her best friend. This is a book I couldn't put down and I had already picked up the sequel before I had even finished the first book-- I knew I would want to read it.
November 22, 2015
Some character names:
Shrimp
Sugar Pie
Honey Pie
Gingerbread (Which is a doll. And is treated as a human being.)
That's all you need to know.
I couldn't stop picturing talking food. With a doll.
I seriously feel my idiocy augmented after reading this book. Brain dead.
Shrimp
Sugar Pie
Honey Pie
Gingerbread (Which is a doll. And is treated as a human being.)
That's all you need to know.
I couldn't stop picturing talking food. With a doll.
I seriously feel my idiocy augmented after reading this book. Brain dead.
Read
November 20, 2011I'm glad I read Gingerbread without reading other Goodread reviews first. I'm not sure I would have picked it up. Instead, I got this novel from the library after reading Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. I really wanted to read more by both authors. Other reviewers mention that the main character Cyd Charisse is a whiny, obnoxious, spoiled brat. I could see that perception, because at times that's how she comes across on the surface. But I actually see her as a deeply wounded young girl trying way too hard to be grown up and unsure of herself and confused about the love that is clearly in front of her. There are lots of good reasons for these perceptions, some of which are her fault, but most are circumstances beyond her control. She goes through many painful experiences, some that are bound to get under peoples' skins and rattle them deeply. (She has an abortion at age fifteen) I think it's good to ruffle feathers. It makes people think. CC is a flawed character but she most definitely can and is lovable. Her boyfriend Shrimp is truly an interesting character. He is likable with plenty of his own struggles. CC's mom and step-dad are much better people than the way CC portrays them - but a lot of teens have difficulty seeing the positives of their parents and highlight the negatives. She has a dad who has ignored her most of her life and a half-brother and a half-sister whom she's never met until she goes to spend time with her biological dad. She's also confused about her feelings toward her half-brother and half-sister born to her mom and step-dad. Life is truly crazy and confusing for CC. In Gingerbread, CC grows up but doesn't have all the answers. Personally, I find this book takes a lot of tough situations, dumps them on CC and forces her to cope. Given the circumstances, I'm not sure if others would fare so well. Life can definitely be messy.
Since CC's life continues in the second of the series, I'll continue my perceptions in my review of Shrimp.
Since CC's life continues in the second of the series, I'll continue my perceptions in my review of Shrimp.
Read
April 27, 2016This book grew on me. A lot. Points to the reviewer who said Cyd Charisse (the narrator) sounds just like (blech) Juno. At first the quirky factor was really getting to me. Oh and the snarky factor. But look, now I’m saying things like quirky factor and snarky factor. Next thing you know I’ll be saying “Burr-ito” when it’s chilly out.
Why the teen me would like Cyd Charisse: she doesn’t want to go to college; she is frank about her sexuality; she has issues; she’s whip-smart; she is disturbingly codependent (go team!); she drinks 35 mochas per day; she likes to role play that she's helen keller; she self-identifies as a freak.
The adult me is annoyed with her back-talking and total disregard for her privilege (e.g., Listen you little fool: if you have a trust fund, GO TO COLLEGE . . . even if you spend all four years doing bong rips! Do not put 50 dollars down the garbage disposal even if your bio-Dad is buying your affections!).
I appreciated that while Cyd Charisse has issues about having an abortion, they aren’t of the “this is my punishment for being sexual” variety. I also appreciated her early-oughties spooky kid fashion.
This is a fun read. The writing has a lot of style. On to the sequels!
Why the teen me would like Cyd Charisse: she doesn’t want to go to college; she is frank about her sexuality; she has issues; she’s whip-smart; she is disturbingly codependent (go team!); she drinks 35 mochas per day; she likes to role play that she's helen keller; she self-identifies as a freak.
The adult me is annoyed with her back-talking and total disregard for her privilege (e.g., Listen you little fool: if you have a trust fund, GO TO COLLEGE . . . even if you spend all four years doing bong rips! Do not put 50 dollars down the garbage disposal even if your bio-Dad is buying your affections!).
I appreciated that while Cyd Charisse has issues about having an abortion, they aren’t of the “this is my punishment for being sexual” variety. I also appreciated her early-oughties spooky kid fashion.
This is a fun read. The writing has a lot of style. On to the sequels!
March 28, 2008
Cyd Charisse is what I sort of was in highschool except I didn't have money, I couldn't decide if I was a total slacker or desperate to "be somebody", and I didn't get into trouble. She's also a lot cooler and thinner than I was and more outspoken. OK, she's nothing like me. I really liked this one, Cyd's voice is funny and genuine and she holds it together pretty well for someone who's aborted a baby and then gets dumped by her dream boyfriend almost a year later (not the baby daddy). She tests her limits with her parents in San Francisco, finally pushing them to send her to stay with her biological father in Manhattan who she hasn't seen since was five and meet her two grown half-siblings. Lots of growing up ensues...
August 15, 2011
Actually, I'd give this 3.5 stars.
After reading the Cohn-Levithan collabs Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and Naomi and Ely’s No-Kiss List, I developed some sort of thirst for reading something that is written solo by Rachel Cohn. I’m no stranger to David Levithan’s solo books (Boy Meets Boy, The Realm of Possibility, The Lover’s Dictionary, etc) so I recognize his distinctive writing prowess even if he’s working with partners.
Gingerbread is the first book that quenched the said thirst, and after finishing it, I think it’s safe to conclude that the best thing about Cohn is that she has a special way of molding unforgettable main characters that resonate with many young readers.
Meet Cyd Charisse: a ragdoll-toting, ex-shoplifting, and well-caffeinated sixteen-year-old girl fresh from being kicked out of her posh boarding school. She’s that lovely but spunky punk next door who has a penchant for carving patterns on her skin with a razor and an innate need to go wild. When her rebelliousness gets seriously out of hand, her parents have no other choice but to send her off to New York City and spend three weeks there with her biological dad, Frank. Cyd’s perfect image of a fantasy relationship with her bio-dad and half-sibs starts to crumble when the real thing is thrown to her face…
Plot-wise, there isn’t much that happened in the book. It reads like an informal journal of a very snarky antiheroine who’s dealing with commonplace teen problems. Honestly, I find the first half of this book a tad slow. I’m trying to figure out if Cohn is setting up a wiggle room for character development or she’s just letting the readers delve deeper into Cyd Charisse’s cranium of not-so-clean-but-honest thoughts. I learned by the end of the novel that it’s both, since the readers can easily tell how Cyd has grown a lot after she comes back from New York.
Readers who are familiar with Norah Silverberg (from N&NIP) will notice that her traits are somewhat channeled to Cyd Charisse, though the latter is not a music geek and her potty mouth is sealed with a filter. There’s a lot that she bellyaches about, her hormones meter usually explodes under the slightest “hunk” pressure, and most of her thoughts are extremely obnoxious. Then here comes the dichotomy factor: there is something in her that will magnetize a portion of the readers’ hearts—especially if they are young girls. I think it’s the same way a lot of readers don’t like Holden Caulfield yet there are still legions who can relate to him in a deeper level: they are recognizing something in that character that reminds them of themselves. Usually, this “something” is not nice, and characters that mirror such things are commonly tagged as unlikable.
The supporting characters, like the plot, are generic. The clichéd portrait of a dysfunctional family is there, with each member not inflated into weighty fullness. They’re not exactly cardboard cutouts, but they’re still shy of a couple of big steps from being considered well-fleshed out.
As for the themes, it’s all about the teenage life. Family misunderstandings, peer pressure, romance, and serious repercussions of being careless in sexual relationships are touched. But since this is a coming-of-age novel, finding one’s true self and growing up are at the apex of it all.
I did not enjoy did as much as I did Nick and Norah’s, but it’s entertaining enough to make me want to grab the next book in the series, Shrimp.
After reading the Cohn-Levithan collabs Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and Naomi and Ely’s No-Kiss List, I developed some sort of thirst for reading something that is written solo by Rachel Cohn. I’m no stranger to David Levithan’s solo books (Boy Meets Boy, The Realm of Possibility, The Lover’s Dictionary, etc) so I recognize his distinctive writing prowess even if he’s working with partners.
Gingerbread is the first book that quenched the said thirst, and after finishing it, I think it’s safe to conclude that the best thing about Cohn is that she has a special way of molding unforgettable main characters that resonate with many young readers.
Meet Cyd Charisse: a ragdoll-toting, ex-shoplifting, and well-caffeinated sixteen-year-old girl fresh from being kicked out of her posh boarding school. She’s that lovely but spunky punk next door who has a penchant for carving patterns on her skin with a razor and an innate need to go wild. When her rebelliousness gets seriously out of hand, her parents have no other choice but to send her off to New York City and spend three weeks there with her biological dad, Frank. Cyd’s perfect image of a fantasy relationship with her bio-dad and half-sibs starts to crumble when the real thing is thrown to her face…
Plot-wise, there isn’t much that happened in the book. It reads like an informal journal of a very snarky antiheroine who’s dealing with commonplace teen problems. Honestly, I find the first half of this book a tad slow. I’m trying to figure out if Cohn is setting up a wiggle room for character development or she’s just letting the readers delve deeper into Cyd Charisse’s cranium of not-so-clean-but-honest thoughts. I learned by the end of the novel that it’s both, since the readers can easily tell how Cyd has grown a lot after she comes back from New York.
Readers who are familiar with Norah Silverberg (from N&NIP) will notice that her traits are somewhat channeled to Cyd Charisse, though the latter is not a music geek and her potty mouth is sealed with a filter. There’s a lot that she bellyaches about, her hormones meter usually explodes under the slightest “hunk” pressure, and most of her thoughts are extremely obnoxious. Then here comes the dichotomy factor: there is something in her that will magnetize a portion of the readers’ hearts—especially if they are young girls. I think it’s the same way a lot of readers don’t like Holden Caulfield yet there are still legions who can relate to him in a deeper level: they are recognizing something in that character that reminds them of themselves. Usually, this “something” is not nice, and characters that mirror such things are commonly tagged as unlikable.
The supporting characters, like the plot, are generic. The clichéd portrait of a dysfunctional family is there, with each member not inflated into weighty fullness. They’re not exactly cardboard cutouts, but they’re still shy of a couple of big steps from being considered well-fleshed out.
As for the themes, it’s all about the teenage life. Family misunderstandings, peer pressure, romance, and serious repercussions of being careless in sexual relationships are touched. But since this is a coming-of-age novel, finding one’s true self and growing up are at the apex of it all.
I did not enjoy did as much as I did Nick and Norah’s, but it’s entertaining enough to make me want to grab the next book in the series, Shrimp.
May 9, 2020
Summary:
Cyd's life is anything but calm. She gets kicked out of boarding school and returns home where she constantly clashes with her mom. After her boyfriend breaks up with her, Cyd's mom and step dad decide to send her away to New York to spend some time with her biological father.
Cyd learns more than one valuable life lesson in her three weeks there that will change her life forever.
Personal Opinion:
Another reread from my younger years. I found this book annoyed me more than I enjoyed it.
The thing that started out kind of cool, but ended up driving me crazy was that it reads like a scattered brained teenagers diary. It became annoying pretty quickly. Also Cyd, who is a 16 year old who is already into hooking up with boys, drinking and shoplifting, has a very odd and childish attachment to a doll named Gingerbread. She treats it as if it is an actual person which I don't think matches a real teens behaviour.
Aside from the plot being all over the place and a little confusing before she goes to New York, the moral and ending were the only good parts.
I would not recommend it though.
Cyd's life is anything but calm. She gets kicked out of boarding school and returns home where she constantly clashes with her mom. After her boyfriend breaks up with her, Cyd's mom and step dad decide to send her away to New York to spend some time with her biological father.
Cyd learns more than one valuable life lesson in her three weeks there that will change her life forever.
Personal Opinion:
Another reread from my younger years. I found this book annoyed me more than I enjoyed it.
The thing that started out kind of cool, but ended up driving me crazy was that it reads like a scattered brained teenagers diary. It became annoying pretty quickly. Also Cyd, who is a 16 year old who is already into hooking up with boys, drinking and shoplifting, has a very odd and childish attachment to a doll named Gingerbread. She treats it as if it is an actual person which I don't think matches a real teens behaviour.
Aside from the plot being all over the place and a little confusing before she goes to New York, the moral and ending were the only good parts.
I would not recommend it though.
May 20, 2011
Cyd Charisse is a snarky, punky, not 100% likeable, sexual, boy-crazy, confused teenage girl. All those adjetives are incidently how I would describe the book itself, pretty convienant and now only half the work of writing a review. haha.
Cyd is living with her parents in California after being booted from boarding school-where she got in trouble for stealing (amoungst other things) and also had an abortion (not known to her parents). She is having a tough summer, controlling parents, being dumped by her sole-mate. Her parents decide it's time for her to actually meet her real dad frank (seing as she has only met him once when she was little) in New York. She flies out to live with him for two weeks, but we hardley see him at all... She spends more time with her brother. It's a little odd... the story that is.
I just expected more from Rachel Cohn. I'm not impressed. I don't think I would have liked this in High School either....
2.5 stars
I will probably give the 2nd book a try... just to see if Cyd is going to grow and if the story is going to evolve.
Cyd is living with her parents in California after being booted from boarding school-where she got in trouble for stealing (amoungst other things) and also had an abortion (not known to her parents). She is having a tough summer, controlling parents, being dumped by her sole-mate. Her parents decide it's time for her to actually meet her real dad frank (seing as she has only met him once when she was little) in New York. She flies out to live with him for two weeks, but we hardley see him at all... She spends more time with her brother. It's a little odd... the story that is.
I just expected more from Rachel Cohn. I'm not impressed. I don't think I would have liked this in High School either....
2.5 stars
I will probably give the 2nd book a try... just to see if Cyd is going to grow and if the story is going to evolve.
December 19, 2019
This was such an odd book. Cyd is a unique sixteen year old that has a difficult relationship with her mom and acts out for attention. She carries around a doll her birth father gave her when she was little and calls it Gingerbread. She acts like the doll can talk and move and is real and her family pretty much goes along with it. I felt like this was just one of the things about Cyd that screamed "needs a therapist." We learn that she's had an abortion and likes to cut herself, as well as defy her parents for no real reason. It did seem to do her some good to go to New York and meet her half siblings and her bond with her mom strengthened.
The narrator fit the character well, but she was whiny and difficult to listen to. There were good parts in the story, but I will not be reading the other books in the series.
The narrator fit the character well, but she was whiny and difficult to listen to. There were good parts in the story, but I will not be reading the other books in the series.
April 22, 2012
Liebes Gingerbread,
deine Geschwister ( Very LeFreak , You Know Where to Find Me ) und ich sind nicht gerade Seelenverwandte, dabei mag ich die Art wie eure Mama Rachel Cohn euch schreibt eigentlich so gern. Wenn sie mit David Levithan zusammen arbeitet, kommt das beste aus ihnen hervor – aka deine großen Cousins und Cousinen Nick, Nora, Naomi, Ely, Dash und Lily. Aber du kleines Gingerbread hast es vollbracht. Du und ich, wir sind richtig dicke geworden. Es hat zwar einige Kapitel gedauert, aber am Ende bist du mir richtig fest und flauschig ans Herz gewachsen.
Am liebsten mag ich an dir deine ganzen unterschiedlichen Familienmitglieder. Es gibt den biologischen Vater, der irgendwie auch nicht so recht weiß; es gibt den eigentlichen Vater, der wie aus einer perfekten Sitcom gerissen wirkt; die Mutter, die sich viel zu viele unnötige Diätgedanken macht; den fantastischen großen schwulen Bruder; die verkappte große Schwester und natürlich die kleinen Rabaukengeschwister. Da kommt wirklich eine Truppe zusammen, die einen von früh bis spät auf Trab hält – und dann sind da natürlich auch noch diverse männliche Kollegen, die Protagonistin Cyd Charisse den Kopf verdrehen.
Ich mag deine freche Art. Du und Cyd Charisse, ihr redet wie euch die Schauze gewachsen ist. Ihr lasst euch von keinem was sagen und überreagiert auch mal in eurer hormonellen Jugendlichkeit. Auf den ersten Blick bist du vor allem clever, frisch und lustig. Auf den zweiten hast du mir aber genauso deine verletzliche Seite gezeigt. Du kannst auch ernst und manchmal hast du mir Einblicke in Cyds schlimme Momente gewährt, z.B. wenn es um verpennte Verhütung oder den Wunsch seinen leiblichen Vater kennen zu lernen ging.
Ich freue mich riesig auf Standurlaub mit deinen
Schwestern Shrimp und Cupcake !
In Liebe,
Infinite Playlist
deine Geschwister ( Very LeFreak , You Know Where to Find Me ) und ich sind nicht gerade Seelenverwandte, dabei mag ich die Art wie eure Mama Rachel Cohn euch schreibt eigentlich so gern. Wenn sie mit David Levithan zusammen arbeitet, kommt das beste aus ihnen hervor – aka deine großen Cousins und Cousinen Nick, Nora, Naomi, Ely, Dash und Lily. Aber du kleines Gingerbread hast es vollbracht. Du und ich, wir sind richtig dicke geworden. Es hat zwar einige Kapitel gedauert, aber am Ende bist du mir richtig fest und flauschig ans Herz gewachsen.
Am liebsten mag ich an dir deine ganzen unterschiedlichen Familienmitglieder. Es gibt den biologischen Vater, der irgendwie auch nicht so recht weiß; es gibt den eigentlichen Vater, der wie aus einer perfekten Sitcom gerissen wirkt; die Mutter, die sich viel zu viele unnötige Diätgedanken macht; den fantastischen großen schwulen Bruder; die verkappte große Schwester und natürlich die kleinen Rabaukengeschwister. Da kommt wirklich eine Truppe zusammen, die einen von früh bis spät auf Trab hält – und dann sind da natürlich auch noch diverse männliche Kollegen, die Protagonistin Cyd Charisse den Kopf verdrehen.
Ich mag deine freche Art. Du und Cyd Charisse, ihr redet wie euch die Schauze gewachsen ist. Ihr lasst euch von keinem was sagen und überreagiert auch mal in eurer hormonellen Jugendlichkeit. Auf den ersten Blick bist du vor allem clever, frisch und lustig. Auf den zweiten hast du mir aber genauso deine verletzliche Seite gezeigt. Du kannst auch ernst und manchmal hast du mir Einblicke in Cyds schlimme Momente gewährt, z.B. wenn es um verpennte Verhütung oder den Wunsch seinen leiblichen Vater kennen zu lernen ging.
Ich freue mich riesig auf Standurlaub mit deinen
Schwestern Shrimp und Cupcake !
In Liebe,
Infinite Playlist
November 18, 2012
What can I say? Cyd Charisse was the kind of protagonist I haven't read before. She absolutely bursts off the page. If the book had been more about her, had spent more time developing both sides of her family, it would easily have been four stars.
I mean, how many sex-addicts (the girl spends A LOT of time thinking about boys and sex), doll-touting teenage characters are there?
My biggest problems with this book were
- spelling mistakes. Yikes, my copy was rife with them
- the lack of time spent with the doll. I needed more to understand the bond between CC and Gingerbread; especially throughout high school, especially at boarding school.
- Shrimp. Oh god, I hated Shrimp. He was a deadbeat loser with nothing that made him likeable, made you want to root for him? I was SO hoping that any of the other boys that crossed the pages would replace that douche.
I wish, wish, wish this book could go back in time and delve more deeply into CC and her family, her life, but with a different love interest and a lot more attention to spelling.
I mean, how many sex-addicts (the girl spends A LOT of time thinking about boys and sex), doll-touting teenage characters are there?
My biggest problems with this book were
- spelling mistakes. Yikes, my copy was rife with them
- the lack of time spent with the doll. I needed more to understand the bond between CC and Gingerbread; especially throughout high school, especially at boarding school.
- Shrimp. Oh god, I hated Shrimp. He was a deadbeat loser with nothing that made him likeable, made you want to root for him? I was SO hoping that any of the other boys that crossed the pages would replace that douche.
I wish, wish, wish this book could go back in time and delve more deeply into CC and her family, her life, but with a different love interest and a lot more attention to spelling.
November 6, 2017
This was kind of exhausting to read with a really annoying main character. Although I thought that it wasn't Cyd herself that was annoying but the writing style was making her come across that way...
Anyway, I really didn't enjoy this book in which every character that appears has at least two or three name by which he/she is referred to and you don't even know who Cyd is talking about. I won't be looking for "Shrimp" anytime soon (and this is saying something, I usually cannot let the rest of a series go unread once I've started it).
Anyway, I really didn't enjoy this book in which every character that appears has at least two or three name by which he/she is referred to and you don't even know who Cyd is talking about. I won't be looking for "Shrimp" anytime soon (and this is saying something, I usually cannot let the rest of a series go unread once I've started it).
May 10, 2012
cyd charisse is a “recovering hellion” who goes to new york city to get to know her biological father, whom she’s met only once. While there she meets her brother and sister and learns to appreciate both halves of her family. Snappy dialog from a bright character help keep this story moving. There are sex drugs and other mature topics so this is a quick read best suited for high school students. Part of a complete trilogy. Grades 9+
Read
December 19, 2019Do you know this feeling when you eat your favourite raspberries straight from the bush and suddenly you come across a bad raspberry, that you don't like and it leaves a disgusting aftertaste on your tongue so that you want to eat another raspberry as soon as possible to cover up this bad aftertaste? Because that's exactly how I feel after reading this book.
I have a problem with rating and reviewing books because I can't hate them. And, although I want to, I can't hate also this book. I automatically try to see a deeper message, understand metaphors, or get to ,,what the author meant".
I'll try to sort it all out in my head.
For the first few pages, I just had a problem understanding the text. What is going on? Who are the characters? Why is the character's name Krewetka? Why is someone called Ciastko Miodowe? Oh, I understand, that is the author's intention! Like in Truskawkowe Ciastko, this cartoon for the youngest! But why are the others called normally, like Sid and Nancy and Wallace? Is Krewetka a human at all or have I misunderstood something? And why the hell does the main character Cyd Charisse talk to a doll named Gingerbread as if it was alive?
Later, nothing happens for the next 70 pages. We read the main character's memories and flashbacks and her thoughts. It was hard to figure out what is happening now and what is just a memory.
The pages go by and the action stands still. Nothing happens.
I read and find out that the main character is addicted to coffee.
I read and find out that she loves her boyfriend very much.
I read and find out that she secretly has a crush on her boyfriend's brother who has a girlfriend.
I read and find out that ... hey, attention, after going through these 70 pages something is starting to happen!
As the blurb told us, Cyd Charisse becomes "as wild as she wanna be". So... she stays with her boyfriend for the night. Woo-hoo. Craziness.
But, of course, her parents caught her and she is sent to her biological father in New York City for the rest of the summer.
Is something worth noting happening there? No.
Do the characters undergo internal transformation ? No.
Was it a book full of plot twists, interesting characters, with a cool plot? Definitely no.
What's surprised me the most was how Cyd can be such an annoying person and STILL have some friends and even a boyfriend. She reminds me a little of a "typical bad teenager". Through the whole book, she's like "oh, my mother loves me and wants us to spend time together, but I want to spend time with my boyfriend, my mother is stupid, everyone is stupid because they don't give me what I want!" To be honest, at the beginning of the book I thought she was handicapped.
Now I don't know - does Cyd really have a defect, is she traumatized after her parents split up or after a secret abortion, or is she just like that?
I think her morbid attachment to Gingerbread the doll can be a disorder and a trauma. Her very childish and annoying behaviour can also be a reaction to the unpleasantnesses she has experienced.
Or she is just an idiot, and I am, as usual, looking for a deeper meaning where it is not.
The fact is that this book is hell boring. The main character is very poorly written - the author created a girl who behaved like a child/mentally-disabled-person/incredibly-selfish-person-eternally-mad-at-the-whole-world. And the worst part is that I don't know if it is a deliberate procedure or if the author cannot write.
And, unfortunately, it doesn't leave a pleasant feeling of understatement and space for your ideas and reflections. After reading you are just fed up.
Anyway, as I said, I like raspberries. And this book was definitely NOT a tasty raspberry.
I desperately need a good book. I think I even know what I'm going to read this time. And I'm afraid it won't be any Rachel Cohn's book. Oopsie.
I have a problem with rating and reviewing books because I can't hate them. And, although I want to, I can't hate also this book. I automatically try to see a deeper message, understand metaphors, or get to ,,what the author meant".
I'll try to sort it all out in my head.
For the first few pages, I just had a problem understanding the text. What is going on? Who are the characters? Why is the character's name Krewetka? Why is someone called Ciastko Miodowe? Oh, I understand, that is the author's intention! Like in Truskawkowe Ciastko, this cartoon for the youngest! But why are the others called normally, like Sid and Nancy and Wallace? Is Krewetka a human at all or have I misunderstood something? And why the hell does the main character Cyd Charisse talk to a doll named Gingerbread as if it was alive?
Later, nothing happens for the next 70 pages. We read the main character's memories and flashbacks and her thoughts. It was hard to figure out what is happening now and what is just a memory.
The pages go by and the action stands still. Nothing happens.
I read and find out that the main character is addicted to coffee.
I read and find out that she loves her boyfriend very much.
I read and find out that she secretly has a crush on her boyfriend's brother who has a girlfriend.
I read and find out that ... hey, attention, after going through these 70 pages something is starting to happen!
As the blurb told us, Cyd Charisse becomes "as wild as she wanna be". So... she stays with her boyfriend for the night. Woo-hoo. Craziness.
But, of course, her parents caught her and she is sent to her biological father in New York City for the rest of the summer.
Is something worth noting happening there? No.
Do the characters undergo internal transformation ? No.
Was it a book full of plot twists, interesting characters, with a cool plot? Definitely no.
What's surprised me the most was how Cyd can be such an annoying person and STILL have some friends and even a boyfriend. She reminds me a little of a "typical bad teenager". Through the whole book, she's like "oh, my mother loves me and wants us to spend time together, but I want to spend time with my boyfriend, my mother is stupid, everyone is stupid because they don't give me what I want!" To be honest, at the beginning of the book I thought she was handicapped.
Now I don't know - does Cyd really have a defect, is she traumatized after her parents split up or after a secret abortion, or is she just like that?
I think her morbid attachment to Gingerbread the doll can be a disorder and a trauma. Her very childish and annoying behaviour can also be a reaction to the unpleasantnesses she has experienced.
Or she is just an idiot, and I am, as usual, looking for a deeper meaning where it is not.
The fact is that this book is hell boring. The main character is very poorly written - the author created a girl who behaved like a child/mentally-disabled-person/incredibly-selfish-person-eternally-mad-at-the-whole-world. And the worst part is that I don't know if it is a deliberate procedure or if the author cannot write.
And, unfortunately, it doesn't leave a pleasant feeling of understatement and space for your ideas and reflections. After reading you are just fed up.
Anyway, as I said, I like raspberries. And this book was definitely NOT a tasty raspberry.
I desperately need a good book. I think I even know what I'm going to read this time. And I'm afraid it won't be any Rachel Cohn's book. Oopsie.
July 25, 2010
Cyd Charisse has been returned to her family’s house in San Francisco after being expelled from boarding school. Her boyfriend Justin was beautiful, but he was trouble - and he got her into a whole lot of trouble too. Needless to say, Cyd’s parents aren’t too thrilled when they discover Cyd was caught having sex with said boyfriend. They aren’t happy, either, when Cyd immediately finds someone new in San Francisco. Shrimp, however, is nothing like Justin and Cyd’s folks just don’t seem to understand. After they ground her, though, Shrimp tells her that maybe it’s a good thing for them to have some space since they’ve been spending every waking moment together. This throws Cyd into a deep depression. No one seems to love her or want her. Her mom has had enough and decides that Cyd needs to do something to shake her out of her funk, so she sends her to New York to meet the father she’s never known. Her biological dad, Frank had an affair with Cyd’s mom, but didn’t leave his wife when he found out that she was pregnant. He has basically kept Cyd a secret. She doesn’t really get on with him all that well, but does find a niche of sorts with her half-brother and his boyfriend in their coffee shop/café where she ends up being their barista while she’s in the city. She even makes some headway getting to know her difficult half-sister, Rhonda Lisbeth. What the time in NYC does give her is a sense of independence and time away from the events that happened in boarding school. What no one knows is that she had an abortion – and Justin didn’t help her pay for it, and he didn’t even bother to go with her. She’s crushed over that. When she randomly runs into Justin in NYC just as she’s finding her feet again, everything crashes down. Coincidentally, Cyd’s mom picks this time to fly out and visit, and in a weak moment Cyd tells her everything – expecting her to lash out at her. Mom doesn’t. She actually understands – especially as she went through a similar difficult patch in her own life when she decided to have Cyd. Instead of criticism and anger, Cyd suddenly has support, and this makes all of the difference. The book closes on Cyd thinking about where her life might take her with some tentative plans in the works – maybe not like the American expectations of college and career, but something that will make her happy and something that temporarily will suit her. She also realizes that she needs to make some other changes as well, especially regarding her relationships with other people – less hostile, more friendly, make new friends. Things are looking up!
There’s not a whole lot of discussion of what Cyd was like before she went to boarding school. You get the impression, however, that she was no cup of tea – that she’s been kind of difficult from the very beginning. She’s obviously very affected by the abortion that she’s had, but she also seems so young that sometimes it’s hard for her to wrap her mind around it. She carries around this doll that she named “Gingerbread” who she got after her biological father met her once at the airport with a piece of fresh gingerbread. The doll is like her connection with her childhood and her innocence and occasionally Cyd has these conversations with Gingerbread in her head like they’re talking telepathically. She’s obviously hurting the whole time, and trying to find some way out of it and some way to express it.
A very honest book.
There’s not a whole lot of discussion of what Cyd was like before she went to boarding school. You get the impression, however, that she was no cup of tea – that she’s been kind of difficult from the very beginning. She’s obviously very affected by the abortion that she’s had, but she also seems so young that sometimes it’s hard for her to wrap her mind around it. She carries around this doll that she named “Gingerbread” who she got after her biological father met her once at the airport with a piece of fresh gingerbread. The doll is like her connection with her childhood and her innocence and occasionally Cyd has these conversations with Gingerbread in her head like they’re talking telepathically. She’s obviously hurting the whole time, and trying to find some way out of it and some way to express it.
A very honest book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2011
The book Ginger Bread is displaced as a comedy/Gothic drama, in my personal option. To be honest the reason I picked out this book to read was because of the interesting cover. The moment that I saw the cover I knew I had to read this book the cover just drew me in. Ginger Bread tells the story of a very loving, gothic,and outgoing girl called Cyd Charisse. She has a surfer boyfriend that she loves with her whole heart. She's also a coffee addict and tales her doll gingerbread with her just about everywhere. The doll means the most to her because as she repeats in the book it was the last thing her dad gave to her when she was a little girl, before he left. She has a very wild and not caring attitude about herself which is what over all becomes her biggest conflict and problem in the end.
When Cyd become too much for her parents to handle she then is told that she is being sent to her dad's, who she hasn't seen since he gave her gingerbread. She has this attitude that she has nothing left and cares for nothing so she doesn't care. When she is told to live with her dad Cyd feels like her life is already spinning out of control. She doesn't know what to do, so maybe some time away from her boyfriend and home will do her good and change her for the better. Not every one is so happy to see her though. She finds out she has half brothers and sisters, some of which don't welcome her in the best way possible. Cyd also becomes very close with her father's personal driver, Luis who isn't all that bad looking if you know what I mean. Cyd learns a lot while she is away from home more then she ever thought she would've, whether she takes it back home with her you have to decide for yourself.
I recommend this book to everyone even guys! The Protagonist Cyd isn't the typical teenage girl she likes to have fun and go wild, but she also doesn't care what people say about her and will make her point to stand out. The way the author writes makes you feel as if she is talking to you, almost like you are having a conversation with her. When you read the book it threw Cyd's point of view, so she makes it feel like you are her best friend and she is telling you everything.
When Cyd become too much for her parents to handle she then is told that she is being sent to her dad's, who she hasn't seen since he gave her gingerbread. She has this attitude that she has nothing left and cares for nothing so she doesn't care. When she is told to live with her dad Cyd feels like her life is already spinning out of control. She doesn't know what to do, so maybe some time away from her boyfriend and home will do her good and change her for the better. Not every one is so happy to see her though. She finds out she has half brothers and sisters, some of which don't welcome her in the best way possible. Cyd also becomes very close with her father's personal driver, Luis who isn't all that bad looking if you know what I mean. Cyd learns a lot while she is away from home more then she ever thought she would've, whether she takes it back home with her you have to decide for yourself.
I recommend this book to everyone even guys! The Protagonist Cyd isn't the typical teenage girl she likes to have fun and go wild, but she also doesn't care what people say about her and will make her point to stand out. The way the author writes makes you feel as if she is talking to you, almost like you are having a conversation with her. When you read the book it threw Cyd's point of view, so she makes it feel like you are her best friend and she is telling you everything.
May 18, 2014
Rachel Cohn again wrote another great book that many teenage girls could relate to. After reading her book called Pop Princess, when I saw that she had written another I just had to read it too. When you look at the title and the picture on the cover you think of something different than what exactly the story is. Gingerbread is a book about a teenage girl that was sent back home to San Francisco after being kicked out of the rich fancy boarding school in New England, but when Cyd Charisse gets home she causes even more trouble.
Cyd has always lived with her mother. Her mother had gotten pregnant at a very young age with a married man with a family. He lived in New York and gave Nancy(Cyd’s Mom) money or whatever she needed, but was never in their lives. One thing that he did give to Cyd was a rag doll when she was little that was named Gingerbread. This gives her the confidence to do anything. After Cdy got kicked out of school she came home and fell in love with a coffee shop/ surfer boy name Shrimp. Nancy wasn’t a huge fan of him while Sid(Cyd’s step-dad) loved him. Cyd was in love, but Cyd was caught at Shrimp’s by their driver and got grounded for the whole summer. Barely seeing Shrimp he decided that they needed to take a break and Nancy decided that Cyd should go to New York City for a few weeks and stay with her bio-dad. Once, in NYC Cyd ment her dad, half brother, and half sister. She fell in love with her Step brother and his boyfriend and never wanted to leave them. Many of different things happen in NYC that would change the way she does things and think.
Anyone who has separated parents that they don’t see I feel like can relate to this perfectly, but that doesn’t just have to be the case. Gingerbread is one of those books that you can take something away from or relate to in some sort of way. You will only want to keep reading to find out what happens next in this book. Cyd Charisse isn’t your average girl and neither is her story. You just have to read to find out the things that happen in NYC and if Shrimp and her get back together in the end.
Cyd has always lived with her mother. Her mother had gotten pregnant at a very young age with a married man with a family. He lived in New York and gave Nancy(Cyd’s Mom) money or whatever she needed, but was never in their lives. One thing that he did give to Cyd was a rag doll when she was little that was named Gingerbread. This gives her the confidence to do anything. After Cdy got kicked out of school she came home and fell in love with a coffee shop/ surfer boy name Shrimp. Nancy wasn’t a huge fan of him while Sid(Cyd’s step-dad) loved him. Cyd was in love, but Cyd was caught at Shrimp’s by their driver and got grounded for the whole summer. Barely seeing Shrimp he decided that they needed to take a break and Nancy decided that Cyd should go to New York City for a few weeks and stay with her bio-dad. Once, in NYC Cyd ment her dad, half brother, and half sister. She fell in love with her Step brother and his boyfriend and never wanted to leave them. Many of different things happen in NYC that would change the way she does things and think.
Anyone who has separated parents that they don’t see I feel like can relate to this perfectly, but that doesn’t just have to be the case. Gingerbread is one of those books that you can take something away from or relate to in some sort of way. You will only want to keep reading to find out what happens next in this book. Cyd Charisse isn’t your average girl and neither is her story. You just have to read to find out the things that happen in NYC and if Shrimp and her get back together in the end.
November 13, 2011
A true coming of age story. Cyd is mature in many ways, already having had experience with drugs and sex at a young age. She knows how to manipulate people to get what she wants and she understands most people’s motives. Regardless, she is very selfish and hides behind her childhood memories of her father who remains with his “real” family on the other side of the United States. Cyd doesn’t feel like she fits with her own family and instead entertains the idea that life would be much better with her real father. In an effort to help her, her mother sends her to spend the summer with her father. Here, Cyd learns that she and her father are very alike-—in a bad way-—and through this she begins to take a look at herself. Deals with mature themes such as drugs, abortion, sex, etc. Has a constant humor/sarcastic tone throughout that help the reader enjoy the character even though she makes questionable decisions. There is a sense of growth within the arc of the story, yet still leaves a feeling of incompleteness. Two more books follow this one so the character may continue to grow throughout.
May 20, 2012
From where I've abandoned this book, Gingerbread, by Rachel Cohn is about a girl named Cyd Charisse that has been kicked out of her boarding school forced to live back home with her mom Nancy and her step dad Sid. After Nancys been so against Cyd's new surfer-like boyfriend Shrimp, she has trouble living at home with her parents even though Sid tries to back up Cyd about her boyfriend. No matter what Nancy says about Shrimp, he's still Cyd's main ingredient that she can't live without.
I picked up this book, because I saw the cover was really interesting ( different cover from the one on goodreads) and after reading the summary at the back, I thought this would be a good book for me.
I DIDN'T finish this book, because after reading a few chapters, a lot of characters started to be introduced, causing a lot of confusion. Mostly because when talking about one character, the story would flip to another character all of a sudden.
I think older teenagers or even some sdults would like to read this book, because they'd be able to keep up with the story as well as enjoying the topic of the book.
I picked up this book, because I saw the cover was really interesting ( different cover from the one on goodreads) and after reading the summary at the back, I thought this would be a good book for me.
I DIDN'T finish this book, because after reading a few chapters, a lot of characters started to be introduced, causing a lot of confusion. Mostly because when talking about one character, the story would flip to another character all of a sudden.
I think older teenagers or even some sdults would like to read this book, because they'd be able to keep up with the story as well as enjoying the topic of the book.
November 7, 2022
This was a reread for me, but the last time I read this book was back in like... 2006/2007. I saw it on a list of books for a reading challenge, and figured why not check it again as an older adult.
It's always interesting to look back on books that you thought were good and could relate to back then. As a much older adult now, I realize how trivial some of our problems are when we are younger, and how they often feel like the end of the world. If only those were the worst of our problems now.
MC Cyd is a rebellious young adult whom was kicked out of her boarding school and sent off to live with her bio-dad out in NYC. "Gingerbread" is her childhood ragdoll that she still holds strongly to.
On the surface, Cyd seems like a whiny, sometimes ungrateful girl, but if you read into why, you may understand her a tad more. Trauma and crappy life experiences have wounded her, causing her to put on this ... act so to speak. Is she still whiny and annoying in parts of this book? Absolutely.
Overall, this book is DEFINITELY not meant for adults like me, and while I did love this book when I was younger, I definitely had a hard time getting through it now.
It's always interesting to look back on books that you thought were good and could relate to back then. As a much older adult now, I realize how trivial some of our problems are when we are younger, and how they often feel like the end of the world. If only those were the worst of our problems now.
MC Cyd is a rebellious young adult whom was kicked out of her boarding school and sent off to live with her bio-dad out in NYC. "Gingerbread" is her childhood ragdoll that she still holds strongly to.
On the surface, Cyd seems like a whiny, sometimes ungrateful girl, but if you read into why, you may understand her a tad more. Trauma and crappy life experiences have wounded her, causing her to put on this ... act so to speak. Is she still whiny and annoying in parts of this book? Absolutely.
Overall, this book is DEFINITELY not meant for adults like me, and while I did love this book when I was younger, I definitely had a hard time getting through it now.
September 9, 2017
I finished reading this adolescent novel a few days ago, but I delayed reviewing it because I couldn't decide which fault bothered me the most. I think my primary complaint is the constant anacronisms. I realize that anachronisms usually just indicate things that are historically out of place; but I finally settled on this word because as far as I know there is not a word in our language to describe the phenomenon of age-inappropriate speech and behavior. Anyway it was very distracting and irritating that the main character is a sixteen-year-old girl who talks and acts like she's six (a la Junie B. Jones or Ramona) in most ways but also talks and behaves like a sex-crazed cast member of Sex in the City. I also find it disturbing that a novel distributed as adolescent fiction promotes (or at least presents as normal and acceptable) illegal and immoral alcohol consumption and premarital and indescriminate sexual activity. I will say that the author had a coherent plotline and that the characters were marginally well-developed.
November 24, 2009
I found this in a local charity shop so didn’t realise it’s an American publication – it’s available if you are able to order online.
This was my first Rachel Cohn book and I enjoyed it. Cyd Charisse certainly has a very unique voice – at first I wasn’t sure I was going to like her she was so ‘in your face’ but she soon grew on me. I liked her no holds barred attitude and the way she spoke.
The book is really quirky – one of the characters is a doll called gingerbread (hence the title)! – but is great fun too. The main drew of the book for me were the different relationships – Cyd and Shrimp, Cyd and her family and Cyd and her ‘bio dad’ (and his family). The dynamics of these were really interesting and I especially liked her banter with her half-brother.
I have already bought the second book called Shrimp (which is available in the UK) and there is also a third called Cupcake
3.5 Stars
This was my first Rachel Cohn book and I enjoyed it. Cyd Charisse certainly has a very unique voice – at first I wasn’t sure I was going to like her she was so ‘in your face’ but she soon grew on me. I liked her no holds barred attitude and the way she spoke.
The book is really quirky – one of the characters is a doll called gingerbread (hence the title)! – but is great fun too. The main drew of the book for me were the different relationships – Cyd and Shrimp, Cyd and her family and Cyd and her ‘bio dad’ (and his family). The dynamics of these were really interesting and I especially liked her banter with her half-brother.
I have already bought the second book called Shrimp (which is available in the UK) and there is also a third called Cupcake
3.5 Stars
October 7, 2008
I thought this book was much much much better than the other Rachel Cohn book I have read, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.
What I didn't like about this book was the "totes hip" jargon she uses throughout the book. Take these for example:
"I'm down with the 411 on my..." (p 13)
"I dig you mucho." (p 30)
"Those boys are sumpin' sumpin'." (p 41)
"No biggity" (p 43)
"...learning the trade from Lucinda's pops. Dig?" (p 47)
It feels like she helped Diablo Cody come up with the character of Juno and Juno and Cyd Charisse are best friends forever. (BFF.)
What I didn't like about this book was the "totes hip" jargon she uses throughout the book. Take these for example:
"I'm down with the 411 on my..." (p 13)
"I dig you mucho." (p 30)
"Those boys are sumpin' sumpin'." (p 41)
"No biggity" (p 43)
"...learning the trade from Lucinda's pops. Dig?" (p 47)
It feels like she helped Diablo Cody come up with the character of Juno and Juno and Cyd Charisse are best friends forever. (BFF.)
September 21, 2021
***Reviewed in 2009*** Surprisingly good. When I found out that this story deals with a teenage delinquent doing social service in a nursing home and confiding in her bio-dad about having had an abortion I thought "Why didn't I examine the plot more closely before I put this book on my wishlist?". Now I was given the book at Easter and read it quickly not expecting much. I am surprised about how much I like the heroine and about how much the story sticks with me. I am even thinking about keeping the book and reading the follow-up (Cupcake)..
February 18, 2008
I wasn't actually too excited to read Gingerbread, since a while ago I read the next book in the series and didn't enjoy it as much as I expected too, but Gingerbread was thrust upon me and I was urged to read it, so I did. And I was glad I did, because I loved it.
To read the rest of this review (and more!), please visit Trashionista
To read the rest of this review (and more!), please visit Trashionista
October 19, 2017
"Sometimes you need to lose a person to find yourself. Sometimes only then you can get that person back."
Rating: 3 / 5 stars
First up, I bought this series totally because of the cover and it sounded fun, like a while ago when I bought it. Now, that I actually picked it up. I'm feeling "uh-not-so-sure". This series revolves around Cyd Charisse, as the title of the series shown. Starting off with Gingerbread, I was already confused. There were too many characters introduced and it was all over the place. And I was like what is this Gingerbread? Doll or imaginary friend or what? Rachel created Gingerbread as if it was alive yet it was merely a doll but I don't know, it was all so weird. I didn't really get that part and the saddest part is the whole book is named after Gingerbread, yet I couldn't make connection with it and I couldn't see the significant of the doll.
Next is the plot line. This book has no direction for me. It has the content and main character. But where was it going? No definite direction, no specific purpose. It was just rambling about Cyd meeting her real dad and the purpose or the final destination was surfacing towards the end, like Cyd somehow learnt a few things and stuff and will turn up to be a better person after the trip, but honestly, it wasn't strong at all.
One thing that was good about this book is that at certain points, Rachel Cohn succeeded making connection with the readers effortlessly. There were parts that I could relate thus making reading this book fun and pleasing. The writing style was also easy to follow through. The characters are also fun and distinctive, personality wise, which is another aspect I like about the book.
Would I recommend this book? I'm not so sure. But you could give it a try if you like to read about a story of a teenage girl facing somewhat difficult situations in her life.
Rating: 3 / 5 stars
First up, I bought this series totally because of the cover and it sounded fun, like a while ago when I bought it. Now, that I actually picked it up. I'm feeling "uh-not-so-sure". This series revolves around Cyd Charisse, as the title of the series shown. Starting off with Gingerbread, I was already confused. There were too many characters introduced and it was all over the place. And I was like what is this Gingerbread? Doll or imaginary friend or what? Rachel created Gingerbread as if it was alive yet it was merely a doll but I don't know, it was all so weird. I didn't really get that part and the saddest part is the whole book is named after Gingerbread, yet I couldn't make connection with it and I couldn't see the significant of the doll.
Next is the plot line. This book has no direction for me. It has the content and main character. But where was it going? No definite direction, no specific purpose. It was just rambling about Cyd meeting her real dad and the purpose or the final destination was surfacing towards the end, like Cyd somehow learnt a few things and stuff and will turn up to be a better person after the trip, but honestly, it wasn't strong at all.
One thing that was good about this book is that at certain points, Rachel Cohn succeeded making connection with the readers effortlessly. There were parts that I could relate thus making reading this book fun and pleasing. The writing style was also easy to follow through. The characters are also fun and distinctive, personality wise, which is another aspect I like about the book.
Would I recommend this book? I'm not so sure. But you could give it a try if you like to read about a story of a teenage girl facing somewhat difficult situations in her life.
January 12, 2021
I find it laughable that grown-ass adults will admit yet complain about the fact they weren't this book's target audience and give it a 1 star review. And they'll bitch about how Cyd is a whiny spoiled character. Newsflash: she's a teenager with a lot of baggage. Not only on those fronts is she allowed to be that way, it wouldn't be realistic if she wasn't. So, to all the pissy 1 star reviewers: take several seats.
-Anyway, this book and its sequels were huge for me in my youth (GASP! THE TARGET AUDIENCE!) and I wanted to revisit it for nostalgia's sake. It holds up and doesn't disappoint.
-And to those who complained about her not learning any lessons (she absolutely did, several), and even the petty "there's too many nicknames, I can't keep up" gripe I saw -- did y'all even read it? If being introduced to a character called "Daniel" then being told he prefers to go by "Danny" is too much for you to keep up with in a book meant for 14-yr-olds, may I point you to the elementary-aged section of the library?
*Cyd Charisse 5ever.*🤩
-Anyway, this book and its sequels were huge for me in my youth (GASP! THE TARGET AUDIENCE!) and I wanted to revisit it for nostalgia's sake. It holds up and doesn't disappoint.
-And to those who complained about her not learning any lessons (she absolutely did, several), and even the petty "there's too many nicknames, I can't keep up" gripe I saw -- did y'all even read it? If being introduced to a character called "Daniel" then being told he prefers to go by "Danny" is too much for you to keep up with in a book meant for 14-yr-olds, may I point you to the elementary-aged section of the library?
*Cyd Charisse 5ever.*🤩
September 17, 2020
“Gingerbread” by Rachel Cohn was one of the worst books I’ve ever read. Not only was it boring and absurd but also sometimes I felt like it was sexist and disrespectful.
It tells a story of sixteen-year-old rebellious girl, Cyd Charisse, whose main dream is to live in a perfect word with her perfect boyfriend in their perfect commune. Unfortunately, Cyd’s parents aren’t fond of her “soulmate” and after a long disagreement they decide that it’s best for her to fly to New York to meet her biological father and his kids.
Now, I chose this book because I really liked its description, but when I started reading it, I was very confused. Firstly, it was hard to catch up with who is who. Names like Sugar Pie, Honey, Shrimp or Java were difficult not to mess up especially when they were mixed with normal names like Cyd and Sid (which were also very confusing). Secondly, after around first 50 pages (that I barely made through) I had to read the description again to see if I didn’t pick up a different book than I meant to. It turned out, I did pick the right book. The problem was that the action described at the back of the novel started on 100th page, which is almost halfway through the book. Luckily the other 100 pages were likable. The action started to get somehow more interesting, characters more charming and main character less annoying, which I thought was impossible.
Since I don’t know anything about Rachel Cohn I am not going to judge her, but I have to say that reading “Gingerbread” sometimes felt like reading a really bad Wattpad story written by a “rebellious” 10-year-old (with all due respect to Rachel Cohn and talented, 10-year-old writers).
Putting it all together I will say that I didn’t like this book. It’s hard for me to talk like that about any book, but this one really got on my nerves. There were some good aspects about it, but unfortunately, they were strongly overpowered by the bad ones.
It tells a story of sixteen-year-old rebellious girl, Cyd Charisse, whose main dream is to live in a perfect word with her perfect boyfriend in their perfect commune. Unfortunately, Cyd’s parents aren’t fond of her “soulmate” and after a long disagreement they decide that it’s best for her to fly to New York to meet her biological father and his kids.
Now, I chose this book because I really liked its description, but when I started reading it, I was very confused. Firstly, it was hard to catch up with who is who. Names like Sugar Pie, Honey, Shrimp or Java were difficult not to mess up especially when they were mixed with normal names like Cyd and Sid (which were also very confusing). Secondly, after around first 50 pages (that I barely made through) I had to read the description again to see if I didn’t pick up a different book than I meant to. It turned out, I did pick the right book. The problem was that the action described at the back of the novel started on 100th page, which is almost halfway through the book. Luckily the other 100 pages were likable. The action started to get somehow more interesting, characters more charming and main character less annoying, which I thought was impossible.
Since I don’t know anything about Rachel Cohn I am not going to judge her, but I have to say that reading “Gingerbread” sometimes felt like reading a really bad Wattpad story written by a “rebellious” 10-year-old (with all due respect to Rachel Cohn and talented, 10-year-old writers).
Putting it all together I will say that I didn’t like this book. It’s hard for me to talk like that about any book, but this one really got on my nerves. There were some good aspects about it, but unfortunately, they were strongly overpowered by the bad ones.
October 30, 2025
needed to finish something quick and easy to get back to books and lemme tell ya, this did not disappoint. i mean, ive read this so many times in my life it is seared into my dna but got bless this lil punk ass ya novel.
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