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Summary: a REAL book
Review: This book was hilarious and anyone would love it.
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Summary: Not to be missed
Review: Sixteen-year old Hallie Palmer is a wise-ass with big plans; as the small Ohio town's most successful gambler, she's saving her money to buy a car to take her to Vegas. But she skips school one time too many and gets kicked off the soccer team, gets kicked out of the casino permanently, loses her life savings on a bad bet at the track, and her mother is pregnant with child number eight, the cumulative effect being that Hallie quits school and runs away from home. Fortunately, she doesn't run far. She answers an ad for a yard person and goes to work for the town eccentrics; Olivia Stockton, a sixty-something radical feminist who alternates writing sonnets with writing pornography; her husband, the Judge, who is in the last stages of Alzheimer's; her son Bernard, an antique dealer and old movie aficionado with an obsession for cooking gourmet meals with a theme; his lover, Gil, the "normal one" (although he is a tooth prognosticator); and Rocky, an alcoholic chimpanzee the Stockton's saved from a certain death - he was trained to work with a paraplegic, who died. Hallie moves into their summerhouse and into their lives, and gets more of an education than she ever would have at school. This poignant, quirky, unforgettable coming-of-age story is filled with humor, pathos and love. Not to be missed.
Note: This is the first trade paperback original published by the Ballantine Reader's Circle. It comes with the reading group guide, an interview with the author and an excerpt from the author's next book (which was terrific - a comedic romance between a Scotsman with terminal cancer and a dying nun) all bound in the back.
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Summary: My First Review
Review: I just loved this book so much that I wanted to let everyone know. As a matter of fact, I haven't even finished it yet and I can say already that I have thoroughly enjoyed escaping into the life of this young girl who drops out of school, is fed up with her family, and wants to make enough money playing poker with the old guys in town to buy a car and drive to Vegas to make her riches. Everytime I pick it up I find myself admiring the ambition, courage, and wit of Pedersen's young character as she "finds herself" through the eccentric adults that have employed her as groundskeeper while she saves her money to begin her gambling journey.
Even though I haven't finished this book I can say that I already know that I will not be disappointed with its conclusion and I can't wait until I purchase my next Pedersen book.
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Summary: Junior Reader?
Review: I enjoyed the colorful illustration of these quirky characters, but I wasn't sure of the intended audience for this read. It seems like a traditional Judy Blume "coming-of-age" story, but without the heightened drama. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book to juniors or to adults because it lacks a climactic pace and is a bit too formulaic and predictable. The "education" theme is way overdone and the protagonist's character is inconsistent. She's smart enough to gamble and smart enough to "catch the crook" but she doesn't know big words? Whatever. I read this on a plane ride. It's a two-hour amusement.
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Summary: Great story
Review: This was such a cute book! It's been a while since I've given a book 5 stars. This is such a great story about how one can learn about life through others. Hallie is such a clever girl. Gil, Rocky and the Stocktons were such entertaining characters. I look forward to this author's next book.
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Summary: Beginner's Luck
Review: What a wonderful story, full of visual and heart felt situations that made you want to jump in and join the fun. Pederson presents life in an unbias fashion allowing each individual character to present their views on life with the utmost dignity yet quirky twist. I fell in love with the town, the characters and the whole situation. Finally a story of hope that proves that family is made up of love and not blood relations. I highly reccommend this read to loose oneself for awhile!
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Summary: Indulge yourself in a great read!
Review: I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a long time. Alternately poignant and hilarious, this book triggered the perfect reader's dilemma for me - whether to let myself get carried along cover-to-cover, or have the discipline to draw out my enjoyment of this wonderful suburban tale. Ultimately, the story and the characters were so absorbing, I gave in and read the book straight through. Ms. Pedersen's richly layered story gently reminds us that it takes more than blood to make a family. She has a remarkable talent for giving each character a unique and authentic voice. From the outset, I cared about what happened to Hallie, the Stocktons, Officer Rich, Rocky and the others because their unpredictable, quirky, loving, down-to-earth, pie-in-the-sky, angst-ridden natures made them real. In them, I caught glimpses of people I know, have known and would love to know in my life. I highly recommend that your treat yourself to this novel. Just make sure you clear your calendar; it is one book you won't want to put down before the end.
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Summary: Loved it!
Review: This genre of book (coming of age, quirky, etc.) can be tedious but this was truly delightful. Characters, setting, so nice. Lots of laughs out loud.
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Summary: Funny and old-fashioned
Review: "Beginner's Luck" takes place in the present, complete with computers and modern-day problems, but it has the charm and unexpected humor of the old Jean Shepherd stories. The character of Bernard is hilarious and whether you love or hate cooking you MUST read his one-liners on the subject. And if your mother is a 60s liberal OR arch conservative you have to read about Olivia, the eccentric matriarch. Haven't enjoyed a book this much in a long time. Hard to make comparisons -- maybe Nora Ephron at her best.
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Summary: A GREAT READ AND QUIRKILY WRITTEN -ALA VONNEGUT
Review: A great reading weekend. I read "Beginner's Luck," by Laura Pedersen. I had not intended to spend that much time on the book but it was too intriguing to put down.
I don't know how she feels about it, but her style reminds me of Kurt Vonnegot. Clever, tongue-in-cheek, quirky. Great character delineation and development. And, most of all, an unlikely combination of characters and story, which she makes not only plausible but fascinating. The amazing parts to me are her knowledge of the various subjects. She knows her horticulture, antiques, and the secret and obscure ingredients and methodology of the culinary arts, great but not widely known literature sources, gambling terms and "secrets for success therein. She is a good psychologist and imparts sound wisdom to Hallie. (Of course, that means that her advice and lack of advice agree with my thoughts.) It is what we tried to do with our children - encourage them to think things thru for themselves and not choose a path for them, but supply information, love and support. Hallie was an extreme case of independence and revolution, but Laura made it work, because of the characters with whom Hallie interacted. I laughed out loud alone at quite a few parts, and cheered at others. And, of course, she ended up quite learned in aspects of life she would never have touched, had she lived the typical teen age life. She was a "born" Unitarian, hence questioned everything and learned so much that way in things other than religion. I think that curiosity is a fundamental forerunner of Unitarians and seekers of knowledge. In short, I loved it and have ordered copies to give away. Stopped in at our library and mentioned the book to our Director and the Young Adults Director. They did not have a copy, but are ordering one. About half the libraries in the BCCLS (Bergen County Cooperative Library System) have the book, but all were out to readers. Surprising, since it is just recently out. When it comes in, our Young Adults Librarian is going to read it first, she was intrigued by my account of it. Laura Pedersen is very accomplished and has an intriguing, eclectic mind. Karyl V. Lynn
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