The Truth about Twinkie Pie

The Truth about Twinkie Pie
Kat Yeh
Little Brown, 2015  335 pgs
Grades 6-8
Realistic Fiction

Galileo Galilei (GiGi) is offered a new start.  Her sister DiDi (short for Delta Dawn) and she have relocated from the south to a posh Long Island town so GiGi can attend an exclusive private school.  Her hairdresser sister has sacrificed everything to give GiGi the best advantages life has to offer.  DiDi cooks all the old recipes their deceased mother use to make and keep's mom's memory alive with stories from the past.  GiGi embraces the new start by changing her name to Leia and pledging to be more social.  A lucky break occurs on the first day of school when she collides with golden boy, Trip, and he invites her into his social circle.  Not everyone welcomes Leia, especially "It Girl", Mace, who has a history with Trip.  Leia makes some nerd-girls friends she has more in common with, friendship with Trip develops into a crush, and relations with DiDi become strained as DiDi welcomes Mace as a helper at the hair salon.  Quiet by accident Leia discovers that her mother isn't dead and is currently residing in a trailer park in South Carolina.  Leia plans on running away with Trip to find her mother, only things don't go exactly right.  The traveling companion changes, Leia is surprised by what she finds in South Carolina, and her whole life is not what she always thought it was.  Now Leia must return to New York and pick up the pieces, where another surprise awaits her concerning, this time, her relationship with Trip.

The books I keep by my bedside table are at such a disadvantage.  I read them before falling asleep at night.  As a very busy working mother, often I get through one page before I fall asleep and then the next day completely forget what I've read and have to re-read.  Usually I always find the books I read at night slow to get through.  Not so with Twinkie Pie.  This book reads so quickly and I had a hard time putting it down, often staying up way too late.  Surprises abound in this book, all in a realistic and authentic way.  The characters are developed and interesting.  My favorite character is DiDi, who is almost too good to be true.  I love how she cooks as if she is on a cooking show on TV.  The recipes DiDi uses are originally mom's and are included at the end of some of the chapters.  I wanted to try a recipe in the book, but they are all so unhealthy that it put me off.  An author's note at the end gives the reader permission to alter the recipes to make them healthier.  The first recipe in the book is mom's famous Twinkie Pie of the title.  The book ends with the new and improved recipe for Twinkie Pie, showing how DiDi and Leia's relationship has evolved, much like the recipe.  Yeh illustrates that people aren't always what they seem, family is what we make it, we all make mistakes so shake them off and move on with life, and the importance of food showing love. The Truth about Twinkie Pie is almost a mystery.  Much of the book involves Leia trying to hunt down Mom's shade of lipstick, leading to her actual whereabouts, but is not a mystery in the traditional sense.  It is a plot driven novel with interesting characters that is very enjoyable to read.  This book will appeal more to girls than boys and although romance is hinted at, it remains innocent and age appropriate. So far this has been the best book I have read published in 2015.  Oh wait, this is the ONLY book I have read so far published in 2015.  Regardless, its a great book and I would highly recommend it.