Book Review Wednesday: Dairy Queen

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book, well, it completely rocked. So did the audiobook reader, so if you like audios, this one will be better on audio, unless you're from Minnesota/Wisconsin or are really good at reading in accents.

Anyhoo, I'm not from that area, but trust me, I've seen my share of cows. As I listened to this, it made me super nostalgic for my Minnesota relatives, too. Such a great voice, all the way through! I kept waiting for DJ to say 'uffda' or 'you betcha' but sadly, she didn't. Probably because she's from Wisconsin.

This book started a little slow, or so you think at first. But really, it's just that DJ is a bit understated. She's not the raging-with-hormones love-at-first-sight kind of girl. She's kind of quiet. So is the beginning of the book. It's hilarious, but that's understated too. So you're reading along about this amusing, practical, big-boned, quiet girl (see how I just described a cow?) and then suddenly it grabs you by the heart and rips it out of your chest.

That's how I felt reading this book. It was pretty amusing, and I was going along as I should, much like a cow, just listening to it and smiling now and then. And suddenly, I burst into tears without warning. Because that's how quietly DJ sneaks into your heart. You don't even realize you're in love until it's way too late to walk away. And though the action in the book isn't Hunger Games-like, as I was driving to work I found myself gripping the steering wheel in excitement and torment and just wanting to scream at my CD player, "KISS HER, YOU IDIOT! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, KISS HER!!!" The suspense will literally kill you slowly, in the best, most hilarious way.

I can't recommend this book enough. It's not graphic, the language is mild, and it's funny enough that my 7 year old was laughing hysterically at the few parts he heard. And so was I.

Heartwarming, heart-wrenching, hilarious, happy dance.

Notice how I didn't even mention football? Or lesbians? Or family drama? Because this book isn't about that so much as about DJ. Can't wait to read the rest.



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