Most people think The Zone is an amusement park, but Candy Thompson knows it's really a slave labor camp. What else would you call a summer job that requires a teen to set aside her whole social life for the privilege of standing out in the hot sun selling cotton candy? There is an upside. Particularly the mysterious gentleman in the Lone Ranger costume. Who is that masked man? But someone else is just as interested. And romantic competition isn't the only problem. Besides being hard work, her job is eating up major time. How is Candace supposed to stay involved with her church? Worse yet, will she lose her best friend, Tamara, who resents how Candy's job limits their time together?
Sixteen-year-old Candace thinks her vacation is ruined when her father forces her to apply for a job at the local amusement park, but when she meets a mysterious “Lone Ranger” there she finds love and learns the value of true faith and friendship.
Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars(4.5 out of 5 stars)
5 of 5 Reviews Showing:
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Vicki (New Zealand), June 07, 2009
I think that this book truly showed how a teenage girls mind works, the detail was amazing and I felt like I could relate to Candy in a way. Even though she dislikes Candy Floss (as we call it in New Zealand)her passion for serving grows. I strongly recommend this book to anyone on a winters night (the detail of heat warms you up)!!
3 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Ashten (New Jersey), April 20, 2009
Well.. This book was pretty good, it is a really easy read. Although, I didn't agree with all the things that Candy did, such as when she goes out with a guy she doesn't know all that well. I just don't want younger girls to get the idea that you meet a guy that is cute and it is like, your cute, you like me.. let's date! It really all depends on what your standards are.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Susy Flory (Castro Valley, CA), March 15, 2009
The Summer of Cotton Candy is a sweet and lighthearted story that brings to life the summer adventures of Candace Thompson, a 17 year old who is forced to leave her comfort zone the summer between her junior and senior years to work at The Zone, a gigantic and amazing amusement park.
Assigned to work a cotton candy cart (that is mechanized and unexpectedly takes off at will to zoom to new locations throughout the park), Candace must learn how to deal with rowdy customers, best friend problems, the challenges of holding down a summer job, and, best of all, the joy and pain that comes with having a boyfriend for the very first time (who, by the way, has bright blue eyes and plays Robin Hood at The Zone).
A wholesome and engaging coming of age tale, Cotton Candy shows us a young woman of faith coming to terms with who she is, and who she wants to be in the future, as she grapples with a wealthy best friend who always wants to buy her things, even though she can't return the favor, and a high school dropout boyfriend who is gorgeous but only lives for the moment, although he is bright and talented. Will Candace be who her friends want her to be? Or will she find her own path?
Highly recommended for teen and pre-teen girls, and those who want to remember exactly what it's like to be that age, with all the worries, concerns, and simple pleasures that entails.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Deborah (Reston, VA), October 20, 2008
I really wish that an amusement park like The Zone existed. It sounds like an awesome place to not only visit but to work as well. The job doesn't sound too hard and the perks are great. I wish this could have been my summer job! I really liked how Candace evolved throughout the story. She starts off dreading everything and wishing she was somewhere else. She sort of self-centered in the beginning with no drive or motivation. As the story continues, she grows up, makes friends, and begins to see her herself as someone with a purpose. Working at the amusement park is chaotic but it's a colorful and exciting ride. I could totally picture the park with the great descriptions the author had made. I could see the costumes, hear the rides, smell the food, and immerse myself in the crowd. The book was a total sensory experience, the next best thing to actually being there. The only thing that irked me was the whole Becca situation. I personally would have reacted exactly the same way Candace did whenever someone would only casually warn her about Becca. If it was such a life threatening issue, she really should have been officially warned by the park. I also didn't like Tamara's attitude throughout the book. She was being VERY petty in my opinion. Just because she has money to throw around doesn't mean everyone else does. I understand her being jealous of Candace having new friends but for Tamara to keep giving her a cold shoulder for obeying her parents just really irked me. This series is a great alternative to fans of Gossip Girl and other trashy teen lit series. There's nothing offensive at all in the books, but teens will relate to reading about people just like them in real situations. I'm looking forward to enjoying the rest of the seasons with Candace and the rest of The Zone gang!
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Stacey (Las Vegas, NV), June 04, 2008
My 14 year-old daughter adored “The Summer of Cotton Candy”. In fact, I was almost unable to pry it from her hands to review it, myself. But I feel this was a wonderful thing because of the moments I spent with my teenager discussing the story of Candace and her job working the cotton candy cart at the colorful amusement park. I enjoyed hearing about the friends she made and the dates she went on.
This author really captured my daughter’s attention and kept her reading! And that’s a tough thing to do with teenaged girls. The characters engaged her right away, and kept her interested through to the last page of this wonderful novel! In fact, not only did my daughter tell me about the book as she read and enjoyed it, she also read to me! Debbie Viquie has a crisp writing style that captures the readers attention to the point that even a teenager doesn’t want to put the book down. We can’t wait to see the rest of the books in this series.
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