THE EDMONSON VOICE
  • Home
  • News
  • Community
    • VOICE Calendar >
      • About VOICE Calendar
    • County Schools Calendar
  • Obits
  • Sports
    • WildcatsLive/Schedules
    • Recorded Game Videos
  • Weather
  • Features
    • Recipe Of The Week
    • Opinion
    • Ask Mongoose
    • Arts/Entertainment
    • Legal/Professional Policy
    • Our Staff
    • Contest Rules
    • Our Sponsors
  • FAQs
Picture
Picture
Picture
Edmonson County's Number One Source For Local News and Information

New Feature: Book Reviews With Fallon Willoughby

6/10/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
by Fallon Willoughby

Breakfast Served Anytime
Sarah Combs
Published: April 8th 2014
Candlewick Press
Pages: 272
Price: $16.99

“A coming-of-age debut evokes the bittersweet joys and pangs of finding independence in one unforgettable summer away at ‘geek camp.’ Beautifully told by debut author Sarah Combs, this honest and touching story of growing up is imbued with the serene atmosphere of Kentucky’s natural landscape. ”

A friend recommended this book to me, saying it was the best Young Adult book at the Southern Kentucky Bookfest this year.  I trusted her advice and it made it one of my selections and I am glad that I did. I met the author when hosting one of the Young Adult panels on the Friday of Bookfest, and she was really nice.  She signed my book, and said she would steal my name!  She is not on social media however, which could work against her in this day and age.

The book follows a young seventeen year old girl, Gloria, as she prepares to make one of the most important decisions of her life - which college to attend. It helps the story that she falls in love along the way.  Even better, it is set in Kentucky, and Gloria, is preparing to go to “geek camp” for four weeks.  It is an exclusive program for the bright and talented Kentucky kids, who are then offered a scholarship to attend a Kentucky college for free. The program works to try and keep the best and brightest of those in Kentucky IN Kentucky.

Gloria is a typical teenage girl, with typical teenage problems. This makes the book ever more relatable. She isn’t perfect. Always a good sign.  One unique fact about Gloria, however, is that her mother abandoned her and her father, and this is a topic Gloria muses on several times. Listening to her ranting and rambling voice took me back to my seventeenth year, and I greatly enjoyed it.  Gloria’s voice shines through and is what truly makes this book worth the read. The book is incredibly well written. I often flag my book, noting special quotes or passages I particularly like. I usually wind up with three or four but this book has 11.  One of which was:

“She would murder a perfectly good moment just to take a picture of it, I swear.”

As has been mentioned, the book is set within Kentucky. Gloria herself is from Louisville, so her point a few is different from the other teenagers she talks to who come from rural towns within Kentucky.  One of my favorite characters is from a farm his parents own that has been in his family for generations, and though he wishes to get a college degree, his life plans revolve around that farm.  The book presents us with characters who know what they want to do for the rest of their lives, and characters (like Gloria) who are not so certain anymore what they wish to do. This is very realistic, and great to experience for all. 

However, one topic lightly brought up a few times is mountaintop removal and mining.  From the synopsis I truly thought mountaintop removal was going to be more of a main point throughout the story. It is not.  It causes a couple of fights.  They go and visit a site of mountain removal. That’s it.  Boom. Bang. Done.  I really thought that this could have been a topic brought more into focus. However, the novel achieves what it was meant to within the context of a four week “geek camp” and the character growth of Gloria is a very worthwhile read.  It brings to the forefront some of the best things about Kentucky, and that is always a plus.

Young Adult books usually give us romance, and this book does not fail on that front.  We see several young relationships, breakups and trouble.  Gloria herself also battles with love, and it is a hilarious experience for her.  The pace of the book is well set with the plot.  There is intrigue, fun and true teenage moments. 

Another great advantage to this book is that it gives us a snapshot of the future lives of each individual we come close to, without it being cheesy or simply an addition to the end. I always wonder where the characters will wind up or what choices they will make. This book gave me the answers to this question in a cool, unique way for most of the characters we encounter.  I appreciate that more than the author can know.

This book is a very specific genre – Young Adult - as I mentioned. If stories told from a teenage girl’s point of view are not your thing, you will not enjoy it. That is all a matter of preference. However, if you are (at any age!), then pick this one up. It’s a great read, has some wonderful moments in it, and is lighthearted enough to you laugh out loud at least once. If you love to read, and discuss books, you will also enjoy the camp that Gloria attends, and all the moments that come from it.

Picture
Fallon Willoughby is from the Chalybeate community of Edmonson County.  She has a BA in English and History from WKU and will soon graduate with an MA in Student Affairs.  She was born and raised in Edmonson County, married her high school sweetheart, and has one son. A woman of many titles, she currently tutors and works at Sears.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    COMMENTING/LEGAL
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
HOME
NEWS 
COMMUNITY


OBITS
FEATURES
WEATHER
​​
WILDCATS LIVE
​
SPORTS
CONTACT
copyright 2014-2023 The Edmonson Voice.
Call or text: 270-597-6550 ​editor@edmonsonvoice.com
PO BOX 94
BROWNSVILLE, KY 42210
CLICK HERE FOR DEADLINE INFO
  • Home
  • News
  • Community
    • VOICE Calendar >
      • About VOICE Calendar
    • County Schools Calendar
  • Obits
  • Sports
    • WildcatsLive/Schedules
    • Recorded Game Videos
  • Weather
  • Features
    • Recipe Of The Week
    • Opinion
    • Ask Mongoose
    • Arts/Entertainment
    • Legal/Professional Policy
    • Our Staff
    • Contest Rules
    • Our Sponsors
  • FAQs