Book Review: Dairy Queen

Quick synopsis from Goodreads:
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.

My rating: 5/5 stars!

My review:

Oh, Dairy Queen, where have been all my life?

I enjoyed every single moment of this book. Some made me laugh, others made me sigh, and a few made me shake my head in disbelief. But most importantly, all of them made me wanting more. From page one, I knew that this book would be something special.

I loved D.J. She was sarcastic, funny, modest, and just a tad bit awkward. She isn't that kind of girl who has the looks and the brains, and nor is she that kind of girl where you can't help but just love her right from the beginning. She slowly grew on me, and before I knew it, I had grown so attached to D.J. that I felt like I was part of her family (...in a good way?). And I loved her narrative style. It wasn't flawless, with weird placements of comas and some sentences that kind of trailed a little too long. But it was simple, yet you could see that D.J. was still trying to figure herself out, as sometimes I could feel that her mind was jumbled with plenty of thoughts. Quirky and and a funny kind of sarcastic, I think that's how it could be described.

I found the "cow theory" of D.J.'s very thoughtful and smart, and it definitely gave the story a little boost, in the moral perspective of things. I think it made a lot of sense, and it opened my eyes into seeing a broader view of how humans behave.

The relationship of D.J.'s whole family was a great part of the story. It was complex and sometimes it was hard to figure out what was going on, but I loved it. You can tell that they were too scared of really communicating amongst themselves, and seeing the whole journey as they try to open up more to each other was really sweet. Especially with D.J. and Curtis.

And who can forget D.J. and Brian? Their relationship was a big part of the reason why I love this book. I'm glad the author didn't make of it something too fake or sappy, because I could not have bared to read it. It was light, funny, awkward, and most importantly, from the heart. It didn't overpower the story, but at the same time, it wasn't those kind of romances that came and went. It was very steady in pace and the romance was never rushed.

I never knew I would say this, but: I think I like football! The way it was described in the book made me want to play the sport! (Though I would never because I'm too scared to even catch the ball in fear of breaking one of my fingers...) It was just that element that bound this whole story together, and I loved it for that.

Dairy Queen will undoubtedly land a spot in my all-time favorite books, with its average, yet attaching characters, fun romance and a fresh story full of self-discovery and family bonding.