Review Detail

Im going to make the world a better place, one cupcake at a time, is Foster McFees motto. Her goal is to have her own childrens cooking show on The Food Network, just like her idol Sonny Kroll. But first shes got to overcome a few obstacles.

She and her mother, Rayka, flee Memphis because of Raykas abusive boyfriend, Huck, the Elvis impersonator. At a result, Foster has a fear of all Elvis. She left her Las Vegas pillowcase behind, the one with all of her mementoes of her father who died in the Iraq war. So, shes got to learn that its whats inside that counts, the memories, the feelings. There are a few other obstacles she must overcome, but Ill leave you to discover those by yourself.

Rayka and Foster settle in Culpepper, West Virginia, a small town populated with big hearted people, among them Kitty and Lester who give them a place to stay, Perseverance Wilson who is trying to save a church from being sold and Miss Charleena, a movie star who moved back home to avoid the paparazzi.

Its been over two years since the last Joan Bauer book and thats too long to wait. She is a marvelous author. On her webpage she states, I need to find hope in the world. I need to laugh. Thats why I write. Her books are full of hope and full of laughter and just downright fun to read. Foster is a spunky twelve-year-old with big ambitions. Macon, her very short twelve-year-old friend wants to be a documentary film maker. Her mother wants to be a singer. Everyone in Culpepper seems to be working towards a goal. They all have hardships to overcome. But they also have spunk.

Bauers writing is descriptive, sometimes flowery, sometimes down to earth. Her plot is fun and moves quickly. But its her characters that take the cake (no pun intended). They are interesting, funny, quirky, and endearing. Youll take to them immediately and want to know what happens to them.

So, if youre looking for a fun to read, hopeful, funny book, Close to Famous is definitely for you. Then start at the beginning and read some of her earlier books, Hope Was Here, Rules of the Road, and Peeled. The only thing that could make Close to Famous more delicious would be to have some of the recipes in the back of the book, especially the Triple Chocolate Cupcakes.