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The Small Crimes of Tiffany Templeton
The Serpent King meets Girl in Pieces in this moving and darkly funny story about a teenage girl coming of age and learning how to grieve in small-town Montana.
Tiffany Templeton is tough. She dresses exclusively in black, buys leather jackets that are several sizes too big, and never backs down from a fight. She's known in her tiny Montana town as Tough Tiff, and after her shoplifting arrest and a stint in a reform school, the nickname is here to stay.
But when she comes back home, Tiffany may not be the same old Tough Tiff that everybody remembers. Her life is different now: her mother keeps her on an even shorter leash than before, she meets with a probation officer once a month, and she's still grieving her father's recent death.
As Tiffany navigates her new life and learns who she wants to be, she must also contend with an overbearing best friend, the geriatric cast of a high-maintenance drama production, her first boyfriend, and a town full of eccentric neighbors--not to mention a dark secret she's been keeping about why the ex-football coach left town.
Tiffany Templeton is tough. She dresses exclusively in black, buys leather jackets that are several sizes too big, and never backs down from a fight. She's known in her tiny Montana town as Tough Tiff, and after her shoplifting arrest and a stint in a reform school, the nickname is here to stay.
But when she comes back home, Tiffany may not be the same old Tough Tiff that everybody remembers. Her life is different now: her mother keeps her on an even shorter leash than before, she meets with a probation officer once a month, and she's still grieving her father's recent death.
As Tiffany navigates her new life and learns who she wants to be, she must also contend with an overbearing best friend, the geriatric cast of a high-maintenance drama production, her first boyfriend, and a town full of eccentric neighbors--not to mention a dark secret she's been keeping about why the ex-football coach left town.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published March 10, 2020
22 people are currently reading
2899 people want to read
About the author
Richard Fifield
2 books328 followersThank you so much for checking out my goodreads page! I adore readers, all readers, and I am beyond blessed to be able to have my books out in the universe. I love to interact with readers--its my favorite part of the job! My first book, The Flood Girls, was released in 2016 by Simon & Schuster/Gallery, and received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publisher's Weekly, and was chosen by Target as a book of the month. In 2019, I published and edited a compilation of memoirs of women from Montana, entitled We Leave The Flowers Where They Are, with proceeds benefiting arts advocacy programs for underserved women throughout the state. My current book, The Small Crimes Of Tiffany Templeton, is my first foray into YA, and published by Penguin/Razorbill. I received an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College, and worked for twenty years as a social worker for adults with intellectual disabilities. Currently, I live in Missoula, Montana, where I spend my time volunteering as a creative writing teacher, creating haute couture, and doting on my rescue dogs. I would love to hear from you! Thank you so very much for being a reader--I'm a huge fan of so many authors, and am grateful to be able to interact with friends on this website, old and new!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
May 4, 2020
2 out of 5 stars.
March 10, 2020
Small town intricacies, larger than life inhabitants!
Tiffany Templeton (Tough Tiff) doesn't fit and yet she's in exactly the right space for being her.
Having been sent to detention school for shoplifting we relive her past story via letters written to her Probation Officer. Her current situation is puzzling and it takes time for the past and present to combine. When it does she's on her way to becoming whole.
Tiffany has secrets. Many. In some ways she's the secret keeper for the whole town, even if they don't know it.
Tiffany's fractured, by her mother's attitude towards her, by her father's betrayal and death, by the love she had for him, by her brother Ronnie's weirdness (definitely a head case), and the larger community.
Mind you she's also her own worst enemy. And she's faithful to the only real friendship she has with the flamboyant David who really has usurped Tiffany's relationship with her mother.
This is one dysfunctional family. But then the whole town of Garbadine is dysfunctional. Tiffany's mother is diabolical in a weird sort of way. How she holds the town to ransom is unbelievable. As is how she treats people who defraud her. But then by the end we all know where Tiffany gets her stubbornness from.
When David decides to stage Tiffany's play exciting and strange things happen. The actors are a hoot. But then this is Garbadine. The standout characters who help on Tiffany's road to redemption are Kelly Plotz, Betty Gabrian, the sheriff and Waterbed Fred.
There area some truly mind stopping moments here dealing with angst, forgiveness, love and hope. I loved the last line in the book, the sudden change of view signalling hope.
Not an easy read because despite the craziness it just sounds all too real. Tiffany's journey is harsh, and yet wonderful.
A Penguin Razorbill ARC via NetGalley
Tiffany Templeton (Tough Tiff) doesn't fit and yet she's in exactly the right space for being her.
Having been sent to detention school for shoplifting we relive her past story via letters written to her Probation Officer. Her current situation is puzzling and it takes time for the past and present to combine. When it does she's on her way to becoming whole.
Tiffany has secrets. Many. In some ways she's the secret keeper for the whole town, even if they don't know it.
Tiffany's fractured, by her mother's attitude towards her, by her father's betrayal and death, by the love she had for him, by her brother Ronnie's weirdness (definitely a head case), and the larger community.
Mind you she's also her own worst enemy. And she's faithful to the only real friendship she has with the flamboyant David who really has usurped Tiffany's relationship with her mother.
This is one dysfunctional family. But then the whole town of Garbadine is dysfunctional. Tiffany's mother is diabolical in a weird sort of way. How she holds the town to ransom is unbelievable. As is how she treats people who defraud her. But then by the end we all know where Tiffany gets her stubbornness from.
When David decides to stage Tiffany's play exciting and strange things happen. The actors are a hoot. But then this is Garbadine. The standout characters who help on Tiffany's road to redemption are Kelly Plotz, Betty Gabrian, the sheriff and Waterbed Fred.
There area some truly mind stopping moments here dealing with angst, forgiveness, love and hope. I loved the last line in the book, the sudden change of view signalling hope.
Not an easy read because despite the craziness it just sounds all too real. Tiffany's journey is harsh, and yet wonderful.
A Penguin Razorbill ARC via NetGalley
April 6, 2020
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I want Tiffany as one of my new friends. Can someone make that happen?
---------------
Full review can be found here: https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com...
Let’s be honest with each other for just one moment. The first thing that drew me to this book was that badass cover. I knew I wanted to read this based on the cover alone. I had zero idea what it was about and frankly I didn’t care. I’m a cover snob and this cover is what I am always talking about.
Second, the fact that this is slated as “For fans of The Serpent King…”was also another reason I knew I had to read this. TSK is one of my Top 5 All Time Favorite Books. You cannot toy with my emotions like that. You tell me this is going to rip my heart out like TSK, then I’m ditching my TBR and making this priority number 1.
I enjoyed this one, especially the MC. Tiffany was a strong character with an even stronger voice. She was raw, gritty, real, believable, and very well fleshed out. I believed her voice, her anger, her frustrations, her emotions. I wanted to jump into the story and help fight those battles with her. Tiffany’s mother was such a piece of work, holy cow. Far too many things about her made me want to smack her with a hefty dose of reality, but that’s just more proof of Fifield’s ability to craft such substantial characters.
Having grown up in a small town, I knew her obstacles all too well. That being said, the setting Fifield created was very well developed. Too many times I felt I was back in my small six block long hometown and it scared me a bit. The way he was able to create such a spot on world was a little mind blowing and impressive.
I really became invested in the overall story but there were a few times I felt there were just too many story lines fighting for space. (If you read the story, you’ll know what I mean.) I felt the confession letters Tiffany wrote to her probation officer were eye-opening to the character of Tiffany herself. Every time another was revealed/read, they gave me pause. They made me stop for a moment and give more thought to what Tiffany must have been going through, the internal battles she was fighting.
I cannot say it enough – I enjoyed this one. I was not disappointed by what I read, but as this was my first Fifield book, I feel I need to read his other books now.
---------------
Full review can be found here: https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com...
Let’s be honest with each other for just one moment. The first thing that drew me to this book was that badass cover. I knew I wanted to read this based on the cover alone. I had zero idea what it was about and frankly I didn’t care. I’m a cover snob and this cover is what I am always talking about.
Second, the fact that this is slated as “For fans of The Serpent King…”was also another reason I knew I had to read this. TSK is one of my Top 5 All Time Favorite Books. You cannot toy with my emotions like that. You tell me this is going to rip my heart out like TSK, then I’m ditching my TBR and making this priority number 1.
I enjoyed this one, especially the MC. Tiffany was a strong character with an even stronger voice. She was raw, gritty, real, believable, and very well fleshed out. I believed her voice, her anger, her frustrations, her emotions. I wanted to jump into the story and help fight those battles with her. Tiffany’s mother was such a piece of work, holy cow. Far too many things about her made me want to smack her with a hefty dose of reality, but that’s just more proof of Fifield’s ability to craft such substantial characters.
Having grown up in a small town, I knew her obstacles all too well. That being said, the setting Fifield created was very well developed. Too many times I felt I was back in my small six block long hometown and it scared me a bit. The way he was able to create such a spot on world was a little mind blowing and impressive.
I really became invested in the overall story but there were a few times I felt there were just too many story lines fighting for space. (If you read the story, you’ll know what I mean.) I felt the confession letters Tiffany wrote to her probation officer were eye-opening to the character of Tiffany herself. Every time another was revealed/read, they gave me pause. They made me stop for a moment and give more thought to what Tiffany must have been going through, the internal battles she was fighting.
I cannot say it enough – I enjoyed this one. I was not disappointed by what I read, but as this was my first Fifield book, I feel I need to read his other books now.
May 3, 2020
I am going to be honest: This book sucked.
Lets start with Tiffany because, oh boy, this is gonna be a long one. She was very plain and that was probably the reason I was able to vibe with her. She's not annoying, or particularly unique or special. She's fine. However, she literally had no character development. One could argue, that because she gave back the stuff she stole it means she grew as a character but I beg to differ. In my opinion, the actions had no motives behind them and all her 'growth' took place off page at juvenile detention. She was also impossible to connect with.
Tiffany's mom's character was a big problem for me. She was, especially at the beginning, low-key abusive and had a minor eating disorder. It was, if at all, addressed heavy handed-ly in a one off sentence or two. Her character also made no sense, but I'll talk about that later.
Tiffany's best friend, David, was literally every single gay stereotype imaginable. Disgusting. More on that later as well. Their friendship was also sort of toxic. Tiffany's boyfriend literally made no sense. They interacted like four times throughout the novel, and had absolutely zero chemistry. The insta love was off the charts.
The plot is virtually non existent. It centers around the play they are putting on but Tiffany just kind of watches David do all the work and does nothing. She technically wrote the script but the writing was all done previous to the novel. There is no emotion, there is no grief, there is no anything. I don't mind when plots are centered around a character learning to grief, or about depression or something, and not a big, clear cut event, I just gave a book like that five stars. But this book had no character journey to take the place of said clear cut event. There is also an abundance of small subplots that are mentioned once, then all tied up nicely within the very last 30 pages. Its messy and impossible for the reader to keep track of all of them and to care.
The story is set in a small town Montana and it must have a population of 15 because that is the only way the whole story could make sense. Tiffany's mother rules the town and controls the only gas station, and every single citizen is terrified of her which is never really explained well. The story also takes place over almost a year and just skips around.
The writing was plain and basic. It was not descriptive and I can not describe a single thing in this book after reading it. The arguable best part of this book was the letters to Tiffany's probation officer. They provide an insight into the previous soul less and plain Tiffany. But they have no impact on the plot at all and are just there so that the reader knows her backstory.
Some things about this book really left a bad taste in my mouth. Like I said previously, David is a walking stereotype, such as gay best friend, fashion expert, interior designer, likes musicals, and more. I mean, at a point Tiffany even says that 'all gay men are neat freaks, its a fact'. Also, Tiffany refuses to change Indians to Native Americans in her play script. Their is an over abundance of girl hate and weirdly, feminism is used as a mocking term and she calls herself a feminist after she loses her boyfriend and best friend by being a horrible person. It was really weird. There was also a lot of fat phobia and ableism.
Overall, how did this book even get published?
Lets start with Tiffany because, oh boy, this is gonna be a long one. She was very plain and that was probably the reason I was able to vibe with her. She's not annoying, or particularly unique or special. She's fine. However, she literally had no character development. One could argue, that because she gave back the stuff she stole it means she grew as a character but I beg to differ. In my opinion, the actions had no motives behind them and all her 'growth' took place off page at juvenile detention. She was also impossible to connect with.
Tiffany's mom's character was a big problem for me. She was, especially at the beginning, low-key abusive and had a minor eating disorder. It was, if at all, addressed heavy handed-ly in a one off sentence or two. Her character also made no sense, but I'll talk about that later.
Tiffany's best friend, David, was literally every single gay stereotype imaginable. Disgusting. More on that later as well. Their friendship was also sort of toxic. Tiffany's boyfriend literally made no sense. They interacted like four times throughout the novel, and had absolutely zero chemistry. The insta love was off the charts.
The plot is virtually non existent. It centers around the play they are putting on but Tiffany just kind of watches David do all the work and does nothing. She technically wrote the script but the writing was all done previous to the novel. There is no emotion, there is no grief, there is no anything. I don't mind when plots are centered around a character learning to grief, or about depression or something, and not a big, clear cut event, I just gave a book like that five stars. But this book had no character journey to take the place of said clear cut event. There is also an abundance of small subplots that are mentioned once, then all tied up nicely within the very last 30 pages. Its messy and impossible for the reader to keep track of all of them and to care.
The story is set in a small town Montana and it must have a population of 15 because that is the only way the whole story could make sense. Tiffany's mother rules the town and controls the only gas station, and every single citizen is terrified of her which is never really explained well. The story also takes place over almost a year and just skips around.
The writing was plain and basic. It was not descriptive and I can not describe a single thing in this book after reading it. The arguable best part of this book was the letters to Tiffany's probation officer. They provide an insight into the previous soul less and plain Tiffany. But they have no impact on the plot at all and are just there so that the reader knows her backstory.
Some things about this book really left a bad taste in my mouth. Like I said previously, David is a walking stereotype, such as gay best friend, fashion expert, interior designer, likes musicals, and more. I mean, at a point Tiffany even says that 'all gay men are neat freaks, its a fact'. Also, Tiffany refuses to change Indians to Native Americans in her play script. Their is an over abundance of girl hate and weirdly, feminism is used as a mocking term and she calls herself a feminist after she loses her boyfriend and best friend by being a horrible person. It was really weird. There was also a lot of fat phobia and ableism.
Overall, how did this book even get published?
February 21, 2020
I loved The Flood Girls when it came out a few years ago and Richard Fifield is such a delight online, so I was really excited to check out The Small Crimes of Tiffany Templeton. All I can say is that I was definitely entertained.
The story itself is interesting and the characters are what really bring it to life. I especially enjoyed the group of senior citizens, led by Betty Gabrian. Richard was great at bringing a small town to life: the good, bad, and ugly. Tiffany had a strong voice and presence, but I was wondering where things would go for her in the future. She seemed too big for her town. David was quite a character, but he also seemed full of contradictions. It bothered me when he was rude to Tiffany, even though he would make it up to her in his own way. Tiffany's mom Vy was also a piece of work, with her weight obsession and no-nonsense attitude when it came to parenting. Her brother Ronnie was really something else altogether. You almost have to see it to believe it when it comes to his shenanigans!
While the story was enjoyable to read, I felt like there was too much going on in one novel. Some storylines could have been worked with and fleshed out more if others weren't in play so much. I really liked Tiffany's confession letters to her probation officer (Kelli). Those gave me the deepest look into her personality. However, I felt like some parts of the story got dropped to make way for other parts. I also got confused between all the older women, as they would switch back and forth between their real names and the characters they were portraying in the play. There were too many of them to keep straight in my head.
Overall, this was a creative and humorous novel; very quirky. I look forward to seeing what Richard comes up with next.
Movie casting ideas:
Tiffany: Rory Jackson
David: Christian Martyn
Vy: Amy Poehler
Betty: Stella Stevens
Bitsy: Ferdia Walsh-Peelo
Ronnie: Alexander Ludwig
Kelli: Alexandra Shipp
The story itself is interesting and the characters are what really bring it to life. I especially enjoyed the group of senior citizens, led by Betty Gabrian. Richard was great at bringing a small town to life: the good, bad, and ugly. Tiffany had a strong voice and presence, but I was wondering where things would go for her in the future. She seemed too big for her town. David was quite a character, but he also seemed full of contradictions. It bothered me when he was rude to Tiffany, even though he would make it up to her in his own way. Tiffany's mom Vy was also a piece of work, with her weight obsession and no-nonsense attitude when it came to parenting. Her brother Ronnie was really something else altogether. You almost have to see it to believe it when it comes to his shenanigans!
While the story was enjoyable to read, I felt like there was too much going on in one novel. Some storylines could have been worked with and fleshed out more if others weren't in play so much. I really liked Tiffany's confession letters to her probation officer (Kelli). Those gave me the deepest look into her personality. However, I felt like some parts of the story got dropped to make way for other parts. I also got confused between all the older women, as they would switch back and forth between their real names and the characters they were portraying in the play. There were too many of them to keep straight in my head.
Overall, this was a creative and humorous novel; very quirky. I look forward to seeing what Richard comes up with next.
Movie casting ideas:
Tiffany: Rory Jackson
David: Christian Martyn
Vy: Amy Poehler
Betty: Stella Stevens
Bitsy: Ferdia Walsh-Peelo
Ronnie: Alexander Ludwig
Kelli: Alexandra Shipp
January 13, 2020
I had hoped for a little more with this book, however, I was pleased. Tiffany spies on people and so having spied she is a keeper of secrets. At the start of the story, Tiffany is being sent home from detention school. Not because she is done, but the detention center was shut down. Her mother has a caustic tongue. Her brother is a waste of space and her father is deceased. I really enjoyed the growth of Tiffany. I loved Kelli, the probation officer. I thought several characters were just wacky enough to be lovely.
October 24, 2020
I am kind of obsessed with books about small towns. Living in Utah, I’ve driven through so many small towns, where there is seemingly only a gas station and little else in the town. What would it be like to be a teenager in a place like that? Well, I hope they have a Tiffany Templeton. Tiffany lives in a trailer park in Gabardine, Montana. Her mom, Vy, is the owner of that single gas station and therefore the most powerful person in Gabardine. The book begins when Tiffany has just been released from juvenile detention, and her crimes are revealed throughout the book in letters she writes to her probation officer. But Tiffany also did some writing while she was away - she has written a play. Directed by her friend David who is Max Fisheresque (a la Rushmore), staring the ladies of the nursing home.
I love this book so much, as I loved his first book, the Flood Girls. Seriously, buy it, read it, escape the last stretch of election season and enjoy this delightful book.
I love this book so much, as I loved his first book, the Flood Girls. Seriously, buy it, read it, escape the last stretch of election season and enjoy this delightful book.
January 25, 2020
This book was received as an ARC from PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group - Razorbill in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
This book for me was not what I was expecting at all. Usually when you hear the words small crimes, you feel like it would be a story of overcoming obstacles and regaining your life back but for Tiffany Templeton, whenever she made an opportunity for growth, someone stopped her or got in her way. All through the book, it focused on punishing Tiffany for her reputation rather than giving her an opportunity to come back and start fresh. The trend is now for the YA category is focus more on a realistic fiction approach rather than fantasy/dreamlike approach. Our teen book club will have discussions for a while on this book.
We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
This book for me was not what I was expecting at all. Usually when you hear the words small crimes, you feel like it would be a story of overcoming obstacles and regaining your life back but for Tiffany Templeton, whenever she made an opportunity for growth, someone stopped her or got in her way. All through the book, it focused on punishing Tiffany for her reputation rather than giving her an opportunity to come back and start fresh. The trend is now for the YA category is focus more on a realistic fiction approach rather than fantasy/dreamlike approach. Our teen book club will have discussions for a while on this book.
We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
April 20, 2020
Initially, I found this hard to warm to. I couldn’t work out why Tiffany was regarded so negatively, and I found it difficult to really develop much interest in events following on from her release from juvenile detention. Slowly, however, as we peeled back the layers of this small town and learned more about Tiffany I came to have a healthy respect for her.
I think the first thing I have to say is that the town of Gabardine really does - on first impressions - seem like the kind of place you’d want to leave and never return to. It’s dying on its feet and the characters who’ve found themselves living there are rather small in their outlook. Nobody seems to have anything marking them out in any way, but that small-town closed mentality actually came to make sense. As we learn more about the people around Tiffany it almost feels like we’re being encouraged to pay homage to the fighting spirit of people who know there’s little point to what they’re doing, but do it anyway.
Tiffany is a girl who you warm to. There’s a softness under this brash exterior, and she has a curiosity about her that suggests she’s smart enough to escape this place - but if she stays it’ll be out of love for those around her. Finding out about her ‘small crimes’ and what each actually represents was a fascinating process. While her brother and mother had a certain grotesque element to them, by the end there was a definite shift in Tiffany’s thoughts about them.
In some ways this reminded me of something by Steinbeck, but with more modern issues. It might not be to everyone’s tastes but I found myself quite charmed by it.
I think the first thing I have to say is that the town of Gabardine really does - on first impressions - seem like the kind of place you’d want to leave and never return to. It’s dying on its feet and the characters who’ve found themselves living there are rather small in their outlook. Nobody seems to have anything marking them out in any way, but that small-town closed mentality actually came to make sense. As we learn more about the people around Tiffany it almost feels like we’re being encouraged to pay homage to the fighting spirit of people who know there’s little point to what they’re doing, but do it anyway.
Tiffany is a girl who you warm to. There’s a softness under this brash exterior, and she has a curiosity about her that suggests she’s smart enough to escape this place - but if she stays it’ll be out of love for those around her. Finding out about her ‘small crimes’ and what each actually represents was a fascinating process. While her brother and mother had a certain grotesque element to them, by the end there was a definite shift in Tiffany’s thoughts about them.
In some ways this reminded me of something by Steinbeck, but with more modern issues. It might not be to everyone’s tastes but I found myself quite charmed by it.
Want to read
February 12, 2020So many readers have said that they bought or wanted to read a book solely based on the cover and I always was convinced they were 'crazy' until now, until I saw this book.
I
Want
To
Read
This
Now
Solely
Because
Of
Its
Cover
I'm so gay for this cover.
I
Want
To
Read
This
Now
Solely
Because
Of
Its
Cover
I'm so gay for this cover.
February 2, 2020
I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley. I was drawn to it partly because of the cover; those neon letters are fantastic! Also, I was drawn to the reference to The Serpent King in the teaser—I loved that story!
The plot is threaded together with current action and reflective letters from Tiffany to fill in backstory, and I think the formatting layout of a final copy will clarify some of the confusion I had here and there about whether this was happening now or in the past. The character development is what really sells this book. Even the static characters are intriguing, and Tiffany’s trajectory of change is fascinating. The author provides enough info to flesh out her character but also leaves enough holes to give me room to analyze and predict for myself. The author’s attention to minor details for consistency is evident, and I certainly appreciate this. Overall, solid YA with enough angst to keep readers on edge, enough growth to satisfy adult readers, and enough unanswered questions to make everyone want more.
The plot is threaded together with current action and reflective letters from Tiffany to fill in backstory, and I think the formatting layout of a final copy will clarify some of the confusion I had here and there about whether this was happening now or in the past. The character development is what really sells this book. Even the static characters are intriguing, and Tiffany’s trajectory of change is fascinating. The author provides enough info to flesh out her character but also leaves enough holes to give me room to analyze and predict for myself. The author’s attention to minor details for consistency is evident, and I certainly appreciate this. Overall, solid YA with enough angst to keep readers on edge, enough growth to satisfy adult readers, and enough unanswered questions to make everyone want more.
May 2, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and Razorbill for providing me a copy of this title in return for my honest review.
This book has sat on my TBR shelf started for about 2 months now. I unfortunately was unable to get into this title. It takes a lot for me to abandon a book and not finish I ended up giving up on this one after several attempts to read. I wanted to love out Tiffany, but the story felt confusing. I didn't understand her family life. I didn't connect to any characters. The town didn't feel realistic. I tried, and tried, and tried, to read this one and just couldn't do it. Maybe someday I'll try again, but for now this was a one star read for me.
I'm not sure if I missed something and maybe pushed a little harder to read, I would enjoy it, but for now if you're looking for something easy to pick up, maybe choose something else.
This book has sat on my TBR shelf started for about 2 months now. I unfortunately was unable to get into this title. It takes a lot for me to abandon a book and not finish I ended up giving up on this one after several attempts to read. I wanted to love out Tiffany, but the story felt confusing. I didn't understand her family life. I didn't connect to any characters. The town didn't feel realistic. I tried, and tried, and tried, to read this one and just couldn't do it. Maybe someday I'll try again, but for now this was a one star read for me.
I'm not sure if I missed something and maybe pushed a little harder to read, I would enjoy it, but for now if you're looking for something easy to pick up, maybe choose something else.
March 20, 2020
In this book, Tiffany lets us ride shotgun as she navigates her return to her small Montana town after being a girls' detention center. Small town eccentricities are writ magnificently (and often hilariously) large as the past and present of her story are woven together. Artists, sheriffs, cheerleaders, thieves, postal workers, drug dealers, bureaucrats, forest rangers, and waterbed salesmen all fall under her observant gaze as she seeks a little redemption and a little retaliation. Instead of telling a typical story about a typical girl in a typical town, this book will make you realize there is more going on in the trailer park and at the Ben Franklin than you think.
August 4, 2021
A great cast of characters! Set in this small town, with the trailer park being a micro setting, it felt like the setting was another character.
I thought basing the plot around a play worked really well. The dynamics between the characters I didn't always understand, but enjoyed following along regardless.
Another thing I thought was well done was that it really felt like we were in the perspective of an 16 year old girl. Some really dumb, selfish moments, others insightful.
I thought basing the plot around a play worked really well. The dynamics between the characters I didn't always understand, but enjoyed following along regardless.
Another thing I thought was well done was that it really felt like we were in the perspective of an 16 year old girl. Some really dumb, selfish moments, others insightful.
May 16, 2020
I can review this YA book by quoting from it, when the sheriff says, "Fantastic. Loved every minute of it. Especially the pack rats. Don't tell anybody, but you're now my favorite juvenile delinquent."
March 19, 2020
I loved this book and I loved Tiffany. Funny and full of compassion. Even the minor characters were well drawn and intriguing. Great read.
April 30, 2020
Tiffany Templeton (aka "Tough Tiff") is a fighter. Really, she's tough and she fights - no one messes with her in her small, poverty stricken town. After the death of Tiffany's father, she embarks on a crime spree by spying on her neighbors, breaking into their homes and and stealing evidence of their darkest secrets and wrongdoings. The spree ends with the stealing of $1 plus change in thank-you cards and a pen knife she stabs her brother with. (He's a jerk, so its was justified). Her stint in crime lands her in a juvenile detention center for 82 days. The book only tells brief highlights of her stay at the detention center, but instead of focuses on her return and her attempts to make apologies and amends and to somehow find her way forward in a town that offers no hope for a successful future.
My favorite quote from this book was from the end, during one of her apologies. The lady to whom she was speaking told her that spying on people only gives a brief picture and no context of anyone's life or situation or reason for doing what they did. This was a great story of a bad girl doing bad things....that were understandable. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoyed E. Lockhart's "The Disreputable History of Frankie Landeau-Banks."
My favorite quote from this book was from the end, during one of her apologies. The lady to whom she was speaking told her that spying on people only gives a brief picture and no context of anyone's life or situation or reason for doing what they did. This was a great story of a bad girl doing bad things....that were understandable. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoyed E. Lockhart's "The Disreputable History of Frankie Landeau-Banks."
March 29, 2020
What do you do when you're haunted by ghosts and not all of them are dead ones. This is what it seems life is throwing at Tiffany. Still grieving her father's death, she was as though dead to her mother in terms of emotional support. Her situation, coupled with a long duration of being teased by others at school, caused her to flip out and then end up in a detention center. Once freed, she vows to hunker down, rein in her feelings and blow town when she's able. However, there are plenty of hurdles between her and that goal. Read the book to see how she survives (or maybe not).
March 17, 2020
Absolutely fabulous! I love this book! Highly recommended!!!!!
May 5, 2021
I read his first book, The Flood Girls. and I really liked it. I waited very patiently for this book to come out. I won't say it was a disappointment but it took me a very long to get through it.
April 16, 2020
This book made me laugh and cry and still makes my heart ache. Richard Fifield has created characters so colorful and fun, yet nasty and mean, and above all very real, making Small Crimes of Tiffany Templeton an absolute pleasure to read. Tiffany is a seventeen-year-old reformed juvenile delinquent. The story opens on her early release from the Dogwood juvenile detention facility she's been in for the last 3 monthes. She's absorbed back into her old life in Gabardine, Montana - back into the same lonely, isolated routine. Tiffany tries to use the tools she learned in JD to control her temper and lonliness and convinces her acerbic friend David to produce a play she wrote while incarcerated. It is through letters Tiffany writes to her probation officer that we learn what happend after her beloved father's death to precpitate her "crimes." Gabardine is peopled with quirky characters including Tiffany's mother who commands the only gas station and keeps the town apprised of her quest for weight loss by posting daily updates along with gas prices. Tiffany's brother is a Forest Service officer who smells like meatloaf and has joined a cult.. David is flamboyantly gay and commands the cheerleaders, And there is the indomitable Betty Gabrian, a geriatric woman who encouraces Tiffany's writing and inspires her to get David to produce her play about the eight soiled doves (prostututes) who survived fires in Gabardine. David agrees and from there delightful chaos ensues.
This is a book about redemption, honesty, and friendship found in unlikely places. I recommend this book to readers of all ages and can't wait to order it for my library. I hope you all love it as much as I do and I appreciate the chance to read the ARC!
This is a book about redemption, honesty, and friendship found in unlikely places. I recommend this book to readers of all ages and can't wait to order it for my library. I hope you all love it as much as I do and I appreciate the chance to read the ARC!
February 23, 2021
Witty and engaging while covering serious issues of navigating life and growing up.
June 6, 2020
See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/yafict...
THE SMALL CRIMES OF TIFFANY TEMPLETON follow Tiffany after she has been released from reform school and returns to her small town, while still meeting regularly with a parole social worker. The book follows her through the current on-goings in her life and the letters she writes to the social worker (in training) about her past. There are clearly some secrets about the past that we learn from the start, but we don't yet know the lead up to them.
She and her BFF, David, are putting on a play that she wrote, and their actors/actresses are characters from around town.
What I loved: This is really a character-driven book, and the characterizations for people are quite expressive. Tiffany has a lot of opinions and these are shared from her point-of-view. I really liked some of the older people who participate in the play. Most people in the book are pretty unlikable (including Tiffany who has a lot of awful opinions, maybe some warranted, some not), which has its own appeal. I did enjoy some of the dark comedy in the book, like the refrain about the secretary who is good at her job.
What left me wanting more: There is a lot of ableist language in the book that felt gratuitous at times. While the mysteries could make the book compelling, I felt it fell a little flat, as I was not personally invested enough to want to dig deeper into the past and what had happened. Tiffany's parents were also fat, as she says, although her mother had bariatric surgery and tracks her weight on the gas station sign, and a lot of the language/discussion about her parents and their weight feels like fatphobia. I think toning down some of this and the ableist language (Tiffany doesn't seem to like much of anyone) would have made it easier for me to get into. A lot of the relationships are toxic also.
Final verdict: THE SMALL CRIMES OF TIFFANY TEMPLETON is a YA contemporary about small-town life, secrets, and rebellion.
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
THE SMALL CRIMES OF TIFFANY TEMPLETON follow Tiffany after she has been released from reform school and returns to her small town, while still meeting regularly with a parole social worker. The book follows her through the current on-goings in her life and the letters she writes to the social worker (in training) about her past. There are clearly some secrets about the past that we learn from the start, but we don't yet know the lead up to them.
She and her BFF, David, are putting on a play that she wrote, and their actors/actresses are characters from around town.
What I loved: This is really a character-driven book, and the characterizations for people are quite expressive. Tiffany has a lot of opinions and these are shared from her point-of-view. I really liked some of the older people who participate in the play. Most people in the book are pretty unlikable (including Tiffany who has a lot of awful opinions, maybe some warranted, some not), which has its own appeal. I did enjoy some of the dark comedy in the book, like the refrain about the secretary who is good at her job.
What left me wanting more: There is a lot of ableist language in the book that felt gratuitous at times. While the mysteries could make the book compelling, I felt it fell a little flat, as I was not personally invested enough to want to dig deeper into the past and what had happened. Tiffany's parents were also fat, as she says, although her mother had bariatric surgery and tracks her weight on the gas station sign, and a lot of the language/discussion about her parents and their weight feels like fatphobia. I think toning down some of this and the ableist language (Tiffany doesn't seem to like much of anyone) would have made it easier for me to get into. A lot of the relationships are toxic also.
Final verdict: THE SMALL CRIMES OF TIFFANY TEMPLETON is a YA contemporary about small-town life, secrets, and rebellion.
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
February 11, 2020
Tiffany Templeton has the reputation of being tough, so tough she had to be sent to a facility for juvenile delinquents. When the center is closed, Tiffany is sent home early, on probation. Her dad is dead, her mother is distant, and no one in the tiny town where she lives trusts her Not because of her small crimes but her bigger crime of wanting more than the her surroundings allow her. A cynical coming of age story for jaded teens who like their fiction dark and realistic.
October 13, 2022
Title speaks truth, as it will eventually become apparent that not only are her crimes very minor ones, Tiffany and her confidante -- the now-shunted-to-an-old-folks-home Betty Gabrian -- are the best/only good characters in the book (along with Kelly, I guess, but she's a minor presence and not a compelling one). Overall this is a bit of a weird one, but worth reading. I love the cover and title, and the small-town-so-remote-it-doesn't-have-cell-service-and-barely-has-internet setting is SO vivid. Imagine an extra half-star just for that.
April 18, 2021
Richard writes characters that anyone from a small town in Montana will know. I enjoyed his vivid and quirky cast.
January 11, 2022
Took a while to get into this one. Cute and funny though. Worth the read.
March 10, 2023
It was like Harriet the Spy if she were a modern bad girl. Overall well written, but the pace was a little slow for my taste. I wasn't a fan of some of the content.
February 24, 2020
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley
This book wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I’m not sure what exactly I was expecting, but this wasn’t it. I would call this a very realistic fiction. This story is extremely character driven, even though there are lots of things going on in the book. And while there are some plot threads in the book I thought could have used some better fleshing out, this book is already 320 pages long and I felt it to be 320 pages long.
So, what is it about? Well, Tiffany Templeton is sent home from ‘reform school’ and now has to serve her probation. Coming from a small town, she has branded herself in everyone’s eyes as a delinquent. Tough Tiff, with her oversized leather jackets that her mother hates so much, is a delinquent…and I wanted to go to her town and smack certain people, including her mom for seeing her as only that.
Part of her probation is going to see probation officer in another town once a month. Her mother keeps a close watch on her and I daresay has a bit a resentment and hostility built up against her. Tiffany always gets the smallest room in the trailer. The newer trailer they got after their neighbor’s place went up in smoke is a double wide with a reinforced floor, because of her parents’ weight issues. While Tiffany’s brother no longer lives with them, Tiff is still given the smallest bedroom and the other room is left as the ‘guest bedroom’ though no one ever visits them.
Her father died semi-recently and his lovely African violets that he tended and nurtured still sit on the windowsill, dead. So while Tiff loved him very much and the writing leads me to believe he was the parent Tiffany was closest to, he’s not there to support her as she attempts to turn part of her life around. Instead she has a useless brother and a mother with a scathing tongue in her mouth as her family support.
Tiffany’s life is filled with a sharped-tongued best friend who can sometimes be quite rude to her, a drama production with a ‘dramatic’ cast, her first real boyfriend, and a trailer park filled with odd neighbors. Tiffany swears she’s going to try and turn her life around, filling her time with these things, but she still falls back on some old habits, like sneaking out of the house via her bedroom window and spying on people.
A reader could really go into the how and why or things in regard to the people and their behavior in this book. I found myself wondering if Tiff’s mom is just taking the pain of the loss of her spouse out a bit on Tiff, or if she was always such a bear to live with. The violets still on the windowsill obviously symbolize her inability to let go of them, even though they are dead, because she’s struggling to let go of her husband… Or I could be reading into things way too much. Anyhow, I really enjoyed the character personality analyses I got out of Tiffany’s letter to her probation officer.
So if you like stories that are fairly character driven and extremely realistic, you might enjoy this new book from Richard Fifield. Just be prepared to be annoyed at some people contained within the pages of this book!
This book wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I’m not sure what exactly I was expecting, but this wasn’t it. I would call this a very realistic fiction. This story is extremely character driven, even though there are lots of things going on in the book. And while there are some plot threads in the book I thought could have used some better fleshing out, this book is already 320 pages long and I felt it to be 320 pages long.
So, what is it about? Well, Tiffany Templeton is sent home from ‘reform school’ and now has to serve her probation. Coming from a small town, she has branded herself in everyone’s eyes as a delinquent. Tough Tiff, with her oversized leather jackets that her mother hates so much, is a delinquent…and I wanted to go to her town and smack certain people, including her mom for seeing her as only that.
Part of her probation is going to see probation officer in another town once a month. Her mother keeps a close watch on her and I daresay has a bit a resentment and hostility built up against her. Tiffany always gets the smallest room in the trailer. The newer trailer they got after their neighbor’s place went up in smoke is a double wide with a reinforced floor, because of her parents’ weight issues. While Tiffany’s brother no longer lives with them, Tiff is still given the smallest bedroom and the other room is left as the ‘guest bedroom’ though no one ever visits them.
Her father died semi-recently and his lovely African violets that he tended and nurtured still sit on the windowsill, dead. So while Tiff loved him very much and the writing leads me to believe he was the parent Tiffany was closest to, he’s not there to support her as she attempts to turn part of her life around. Instead she has a useless brother and a mother with a scathing tongue in her mouth as her family support.
Tiffany’s life is filled with a sharped-tongued best friend who can sometimes be quite rude to her, a drama production with a ‘dramatic’ cast, her first real boyfriend, and a trailer park filled with odd neighbors. Tiffany swears she’s going to try and turn her life around, filling her time with these things, but she still falls back on some old habits, like sneaking out of the house via her bedroom window and spying on people.
A reader could really go into the how and why or things in regard to the people and their behavior in this book. I found myself wondering if Tiff’s mom is just taking the pain of the loss of her spouse out a bit on Tiff, or if she was always such a bear to live with. The violets still on the windowsill obviously symbolize her inability to let go of them, even though they are dead, because she’s struggling to let go of her husband… Or I could be reading into things way too much. Anyhow, I really enjoyed the character personality analyses I got out of Tiffany’s letter to her probation officer.
So if you like stories that are fairly character driven and extremely realistic, you might enjoy this new book from Richard Fifield. Just be prepared to be annoyed at some people contained within the pages of this book!
July 13, 2020
This book is difficult to explain. Tiffany is struggling with accepting her father’s death. She has a formerly obese mom who after bariatric surgery posts her weight on the gas station sign which she owns and runs. Their relationship is rocky. Tiffany is also trying to not be the person she once was. She wants to be better.
I guess I’d have to say that this is a small town girl who is trying to make amends in order to change herself and reconnect with those around her. But that can be difficult when everyone else is struggling with their own issues, and others are just plain crazy.
I enjoyed Tiffany, but it felt like there was a lot going on, more than could be explained in 300 pages. Her life is sad. A trailer park life in a dusty old town full of poverty, sadness, lies, omissions, obsession and bullies. It’s an odd book not about moving up, getting away but about redemption in a trailer park, janky play and weird characters sort of way. I liked it and yet I didn’t. There should have been more explanation ??? Or maybe there should have been less. The author had so much going on I felt the characters weren’t as developed as they could have been.
Spoilers below
.
.
.
.
Includes ending. So Tiffany’s dad died and she found him. She knows the mail lady saw him first but left him there and didn’t call for help so Tiffany threatens the mail lady and later stabs her brother with a pen knife and for this is sent for 3 months to a detention center. Basically when she returns home she also tries to return stolen items and seeks forgiveness from her friend David, her neighbors and also has court appointments to help resolve her teenage angst. She ends up writing a play to help focus and David produces it. And in the end she still stays in this town. She resolves things with her mother and friend. It was okay.
I guess I’d have to say that this is a small town girl who is trying to make amends in order to change herself and reconnect with those around her. But that can be difficult when everyone else is struggling with their own issues, and others are just plain crazy.
I enjoyed Tiffany, but it felt like there was a lot going on, more than could be explained in 300 pages. Her life is sad. A trailer park life in a dusty old town full of poverty, sadness, lies, omissions, obsession and bullies. It’s an odd book not about moving up, getting away but about redemption in a trailer park, janky play and weird characters sort of way. I liked it and yet I didn’t. There should have been more explanation ??? Or maybe there should have been less. The author had so much going on I felt the characters weren’t as developed as they could have been.
Spoilers below
.
.
.
.
Includes ending. So Tiffany’s dad died and she found him. She knows the mail lady saw him first but left him there and didn’t call for help so Tiffany threatens the mail lady and later stabs her brother with a pen knife and for this is sent for 3 months to a detention center. Basically when she returns home she also tries to return stolen items and seeks forgiveness from her friend David, her neighbors and also has court appointments to help resolve her teenage angst. She ends up writing a play to help focus and David produces it. And in the end she still stays in this town. She resolves things with her mother and friend. It was okay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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