Review: Dairy Queen

Title: Dairy Queen
Author: Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Pages: 275
Rating: 5/5

When you don’t talk, there’s a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said.

Harsh words indeed, from Brian Nelson of all people. But, D. J. can’t help admitting, maybe he’s right.

When you don’t talk, there’s a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said.

Stuff like why her best friend, Amber, isn’t so friendly anymore. Or why her little brother, Curtis, never opens his mouth. Why her mom has two jobs and a big secret. Why her college-football-star brothers won’t even call home. Why her dad would go ballistic if she tried out for the high school football team herself. And why Brian is so, so out of her league.

When you don’t talk, there’s a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said.

Welcome to the summer that fifteen-year-old D. J. Schwenk of Red Bend, Wisconsin, learns to talk, and ends up having an awful lot of stuff to say (Cover Blurb).

I loved this book. I really wish I had not let the cover of this book turn me off for so long. I've really missed out on reading something extremely entertaining and enjoyable! This book was a quick read, with a lot of humor, and a few laugh out loud moments. Plus, I'm pretty sure I have developed quite the crush on Brian Nelson. What a cutie pie!!

Set in a small town in Wisconsion, Dairy Queen tells the story of DJ Schwenk as she struggles to go to school, run the family dairy farm, and find her place in a family full of larger than life characters. The story itself is told by DJ, who on the outside is quiet and shy. However, on the inside, DJ has a lot to say about all sorts of things: football, farming, school and her family. And Murdock has developed DJ's character so well, that as the reader, you actually want to know what DJ is thinking about all these things.

Dairy Queen is more character driven then plot driven, so if you're looking for a lot of action this book won't have it. But what it does have is humor, sarcasm, and a wonderfully heartwarming story. I've already started the sequel, The Off Season and cannot wait to find out what happens to DJ and her family!