“If this was a movie or something I’d give this awesome speech and everyone would cheer and it would be great. But it wasn’t a movie-it was my life. And I don’t have much to say in the best of situations.”Initial Final Page Thoughts.If you need me, I’m gonna be in Schwenksville. Also… this review is brought to you by the letter ‘R’… for REALHigh Points.This book is re-… OK, I’ll stop that right there. DJ Swchenk. Brian. Summer lovin’. A girl with ambitions. Diversity. Cows. Pick-up trucks. Water fights. Painting. Brothers. Nervous phone calls. Head butts. Brownies. Low Point.(Prepare for a ramble, this actually is only one low point. But I just like the sound look of my own voice words.)This year I got tricked into staying up and watching the Superbowl. I was told “It’s like rugby. Except you can’t really see their face because they wear protection so you can’t objectify the players like you do with rugby. But apart from that… there’s no difference.”Disclaimer: There are more reasons to why I watch and enjoy rugby than the prospect of Jonny Wilkinson in tiny shorts. Like Toby Flood, Delon Armitage, Mark Cueto, Chris Ashton and when we play Scotland… everyone but especially Richie Gray but don’t tell anyone because I can’t love the enemy….in tiny shorts. Like I get to watch it with my dad and my brother and it makes me all goosepimply when the crowd starts singing ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’ at Twickenham. But anyway… it turns out there is a huge difference between American Football and rugby. I get far too into games of rugby (I could have given Martin Johnson a run for his money in the scowling stakes this past Six Nations *grumbles*). I know rugby. I understand rugby (well, I’m not an expert and I still have to ask my granddad, who gives me an exasperated look and states “This is why girls shouldn’t watch sport” or “The effin’ ref, Jo, that’s what’s happening.”) sometimes but I understand about 95% of what is happening… which is good for a girl). I do not know American football and I do not understand American football. I tried to watch Friday Night Lights but every time Kyle Chandler was on the screen all I could think about was Early Edition and that episode of Grey’s Anatomy and that can of worms was opened and… yeah.So this book often lost me in that sense…. But it didn’t take away any of the enjoyment, but I just think it would have increased the enjoyment if I actually knew what the eff was going on. Heroine.OK, I’m pretty sure I am was DJ Schwenk in another life. She is awkward, she isn’t all that clever but she is so real genuine as a teenager and she was so believable. Also she is gutsy and cynical and not a girly girl without being too overwhelming or ‘YEAH. LOOK AT ME. I’M A MASSIVE TOMBOY AND FEMINIST. WHATCHA GONNA DO, HUH? YEAH. I’M GONNA PUNCH YOU IF YOU LOOK AT MY BOOBS’ because, to me, that’s just as bad as a YA heroine being simpering and blarrgh.The line isn’t that fine between these two categories and I wish more authors would take a leaf out of Ms Gilbert Murdock’s book and create characters that experience feelings that every day people have but not lose themselves completely when things go belly-up.DJ is such a refreshing heroine and I can’t wait to find out more about her. Best Friend.I really hope we see more of Amber in the next book… such an original relationship and I can’t wait to see where it will go.Love Interest.Brian, you are as cute as a button. And even though you’re flirtytirty relationship with DJ was very subtle it was still present and so cute… and surprisingly swoonworthy.From other reviews of this book I have read, I thought this book was going to be a love-free zone, so I was pleasantly surprised when I ended up getting a bit tummy-flippy at certain parts.Again, I don’t think your story is finished yet and I bet you continue to make me go weak at the knees and wish I knew more about American football so I could understand a single word you said and not just focus on you painting barns topless.Which I didn’t do. Nuh-uh not me.Theme Tune. Milkshake- KelisHAHA…I’m kidding. *looks shifty*I thought it would be really difficult to find a song about this book because surely there are hardly any songs about cows and dairy and farming… right? WRONG.I found lots.But I’m saving them for t’other books in this series which I can’t wait to get my grubby mitts on. Although… they might not even be about farming. But whatever. So here’s Numero 1.For All The Cows- Foo Fighters. Because I love the Foo Fighters and I have seen them about a million times live and whenever I have seen them they were with my best friends at the time and Dave Grohl will always have a special place in my pants heart.Boy/Girl Angst Level.2/10. YOU GUYS, I have found a book with absolutely no boy angst. Well, OK. About two pages. But it’s completely OK, because D.J is a normal girl who is real and thus doesn’t have approximately a million chapters of ‘WHY DOESN’T HE LOVE ME?’ She has normal hang-ups but doesn’t blabber on about them. She gets on with things which is what normal and real life people do and it’s awkward and sometimes I had to read this book through my fingers because it reminded me so much of myself but it’s real. And I loved it. Sadness Scale.5/10. This was a tough one because there were some parts that really made me quite sad and it was kind of like when you’re in the cinema and you get a bit choked up at a part and you look to the person next to you and it’s not affected them at all. And then you feel a bit silly for getting a bit worked up. That was like looking at D.J’s life. It wasn’t that she didn’t let things bother her.. but she just didn’t let other people know they were bothering her.Oh, I just loved D.J. Recommended For.People who are looking for a realistic fiction where a girl is just a girl and a boy is just a boy. No one changes into something at night, no one has a taste for blood and no one has the fate of the world resting on their skinny shoulders. People who were awkward. People who have ever dreamed of being taunted with a jock strap by a sweaty boy of doing something that you love. People who have older brothers. People who have always wanted to live on a farm. People who like American Football… I’m presuming the depiction is quite correct? People who love brownies that you can eat like soup. People who collect animal skulls. People who wouldn’t know where to even begin if someone handed them a power hose. People who have ever used the excuse ‘Um, we were just doing sit ups Dad”. You can read this review and lots of other exciting stuff on my blog here
If Dairy Queen taught me anything, it was, first and foremost, that I am a horrible read-along buddy. Seriously. I was only supposed to read five chapters of this today and I wound up reading all twelve chapters until the end, reading in the hallways, through classes, and on the bus ride back home. Needless to say, it was a little hard for me to put this book down after a point and even now, I can't get it out of my head. Dairy Queen is everything you wish for in a contemporary novel and so much more. It's original. Yes, original! You'd think in a genre dominated by Ruby Oliver and Jessica Darling that we couldn't possibly get another lively, spunky, and heart-warming heroine to join the two, but DJ Shwenk makes a niche for herself. Dairy Queen is unlike any other contemporary novel I’ve read, simply because it is set on a farm. D.J. Shwenk helps her parents by working on their farm all day, but her rote summer routine is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Brian Nelson. Brian is the quarterback of the rival high school, Red Bend, which D.J.’s school, Hawley, has practically always lost to. While this may not be such a big deal to most people, to D.J. whose two older brothers are professional football players in college, it certainly is. Thus, their exchange doesn’t quite go as planned and Brian leaves off in a storm – only after letting D.J. know exactly what he thinks of her, of course. D.J.’s life isn’t perfect – her younger brother, Curtis, won’t talk; she flunked English (actually failed); her father’s hip is broken and he can’t cook even though he insists on doing so; her mother is busy and seems to be hiding secrets; Amber, D.J.’s best friend, seems to be more aloof than usual; and of course, D.J.’s older brothers haven’t spoken to her family in a very, very long time. With the help of Brian, her own voice, and a little bit of courage, this summer just could be the one to change D.J.’s life – if only she’ll try. It’s difficult for me to put into words exactly what I love so much about D.J. Shwenk. I suppose, at the heart of everything, she’s surprisingly real. D.J.’s problems aren’t like most protagonists you’d come across and her voice is heart-warmingly honest, making it a true delight to read. Dairy Queen will make you laugh, it’ll make you smile, it’ll make you cringe, it’ll make you want to bury your face under a pillow, and it’ll make you want to punch people. Yet, by the end of it, it’ll make you so hopeful and happy that your heart just may burst. It’s one of the sweetest novels I’ve read, not only about growing up, realizing your mistakes, and correcting them, but also about family. Dairy Queen isn’t just D.J’s story – it’s the story of her father, her mother, her brothers, and even Brian. It shows us all that everyone is flawed, but despite that, they have the capability to do something about it. Dairy Queen tackles on a lot of difficult subjects, but it’s never overdone that it takes away from the novel or so pushed under the table that you crave more depth. In fact, the balance Murdock strikes is perfect. Furthermore, the romance in this novel is so subtle that you can’t help but admire it. It is, first and foremost, a friendship and from there it grows in such a way that you could almost miss it if you weren’t paying close enough attention. Although Dairy Queen is a quick book, it’s by no means forgettable and so much about it can brighten up your day just by thinking about it, making it one of those contemporaries you want to thrust into the hands of every unsuspecting person who may walk down the street. Thus, consider me virtually thrusting this into your unsuspecting hands because even if you don’t comprehend the full scale of the depth this novel provides, it’ll cheer you up for a few hours and truly make you think. Dairy Queen made me look upon my own life and my own family, much like D.J. is forced to reflect upon hers. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the emotional and educational journey that Dairy Queen took me on, making me pause, contemplate, and wonder both about myself and my family, was what made this novel ring so true with me. It isn’t like Sloppy Firsts where Jessica Darling and I could practically be the same person. It isn’t like Ruby Oliver where Ruby could be my wise older sister, raining down her years of well-learned trouble down on me. It is completely different, completely unique, yet completely heart-warming all the same. Just as D.J. has made her own niche in the world of contemporary fiction, Dairy Queen too will make its own niche – right in your heart.You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.
What do You think about Dairy Queen (2006)?
4.5 starsI loved this book so much I read it in one sitting in the bathtub of all places. And trust me, I live in student housing in desperate need of renovation so that is by no means a cozy bathtub, but I was so engrossed in this story that I kept reading long after the water got cold.I admit, I grew up on a farm driving tractors ever since I was a little kid (so young that I look at my kids and think Were my parents really crazy enough to let me operate machinery when I was that age???) so I LOVED all of DJ's description of the farm. This setting was pitch perfect for me. Catherine Murdock knows about agriculture and farm living and Midwestern charm. That part about having to send a favorite cow, Joe Namath, away in her old age? I have lived this, so I felt a connection to this story and its characters that I haven't felt in a long time.Besides that setting, I was captivated by DJ's authentic voice. As she struggles to be seen by her family and find her own balance between her work on the farm and pretty much everything else that takes a back seat to that, I felt equal parts admiration and sympathy for this hard-working girl who needs a bit of appreciation.Of course I love a little romance in my YA books, and Dairy Queen has just a dash of romance that develops perfectly in that slow, realistic kind of way.I've had this book sitting on my shelf unread for two years, so thanks to Colette who read it and told me I was going to love it because she knew me back during the farm girl days. She was right.Everything that is wrong in Catching Jordan is right in Dairy Queen. THIS is what Catching Jordan should have been.
—Sandy
When I finally found a spare two minutes to sit down and start reading this book, I suddenly ended up drawn in for a couple of hours discovering that Dairy Queen is just as ridiculously funny, silly, and heartwarming as everyone had told me it was. And strangely inspirational too - I love anyone who dares to break the mold, especially young females who challenge gender stereotypes and go their own way. I will admit that I am not the biggest fan of chick lit novels, so I should warn you that this would probably never have got five stars from me, and the fact that it got four stars should not be taken lightly when I'm dishing it out in this genre. This book has all the elements you could want from a light-hearted, teen read: a funny, likeable and slightly snarky protagonist, cute boys, some family troubles - nothing too heavy, romance, friendships, insecurities and overcoming them... this stands out for me amongst others of its kind and I will give it the best compliment I can by saying that if you're a fan of Louise Rennison, E. Lockhart and/or Stephanie Perkins, I can see no reason why you wouldn't love this.D.J. Shwenk is a great character. You know why I think she is such a great character? Because she does sport and farming - two things that interest me about as much as Kim Kardashian's "novel" - and yet she still manages to keep my attention from the very first chapter. It takes A LOT to literally make someone laugh out loud while reading, as in, to actually pause and giggle stupidly to oneself and think if Big Brother was watching right now I would be arrested and locked away forever (am I paranoid? are these weird thoughts?). Anyway, this novel does this repeatedly and I'm glad I didn't read it in public.I put this book off for two reasons, 1) I never thought I would enjoy a book about either sport or farming, never mind both! And 2) I've been busy reading the dark, disturbing, depressing, supernatural and fantasy books, which is all very well but sometimes we need a little bright happiness from our novels. This delivers, trust me, this delivers.
—Emily May
May 2013 This book is as lovely as I remember. I feel goooood.Sept.2012When you read about people loving a book, it's hard not to expect to like it. I've read so many books which people gushed over, but when I read it, I was like, meh. Thankfully, Dairy Queen did not disappoint. What a lucky day to have found this on a dark corner of a bookstore. I was never so entertained as much lately, nor did I read a book more quickly. It just made me feel good. I'm sorry it had to end so soon. DJ Schwenk, the heroine, is charming and utterly likable. I just wanted to root for her up to the end, tell her off when she doesn't say the things she needs to say, but relieved to find out that she turned out just fine.I can't wonder why this book is a highly recommended YA novel. It's full of the good stuff, the real stuff, on how it's hard to handle family, friends, school and crushes. DJ's cow metaphor is something to think about. Everyone I looked at, their whole lives, did exactly what they were supposed to dowithout even questioning it, without even wondering if they coulddo something different.Basically, that's what this book is about. Being brave enough to look for something you're really happy to do, and do it. Which I really love. That, and the importance of saying things you should. But it turns out that even if I don’t talk a lot, when it’s something that matters I still have a lot to say.And what's a book I enjoy without it having that cute romance? Brian-the-jock (could-it-be-that-you're-actually-a-nice-person? Brian) and DJ have such a good chemistry, they look so cool, able to joke with each other like that, and Brian able to say what's on his mind, and DJ who finally has someone to really talk to. Their relationship isn't based on physical appearances (though it's not hard to argue that these two are actually good-looking people), it's not insta-love, and they both just mutually respect each other, despite differences, and the occasional conflict, which they patch up like an old married couple (ugh, how cute is that!) The development of their relationship is something that I respect. I wouldn't mind a Brian Nelson of my own. Not at all.Dairy Queen is a book one must not miss. And 5 stars, because, it doesn't try hard, it's an awesome YA novel, and, the cuteness.
—Ceecee
