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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
fast-paced
Fannie Flagg never disappoints. I always love her characters and want to be friends with them.
Reading "The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop" is like taking a meandering Sunday drive with old friends in a pink Cadillac down a scenic rural highway to a cafe in your childhood hometown, where you miss a few turns, have to backtrack, laugh and cry a little, stop at a few roadside stands for honey and fried green tomatoes, and find when you get there that the journey was just as important as the destination.
This is a book that 100% succeeds in achieving what it set out to be. It's an extremely worthy follow up to a beloved novel published over three decades ago, and it feels fresh yet nostalgic. For that, how could I give it any less than 5 stars?
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This is a book that 100% succeeds in achieving what it set out to be. It's an extremely worthy follow up to a beloved novel published over three decades ago, and it feels fresh yet nostalgic. For that, how could I give it any less than 5 stars?
Blog: www.confettibookshelf.com
IG: @confettibookshelf
I've been a fan of Flagg's for many years and when asked by the publisher to review it I was excited to get stuck in with these favourite characters. Unfortunately, the structure of the first half of the novel is messy and inconsistent; flopping around between timelines, characters, and events with nothing tieing them together means that what should be an impactful opening simply comes off as a selection of crib sheets for the Whistle Stop world.
When Flagg finally decides on the narrative she wants to focus on, the book starts to gel together, but opportunities are missed to expand upon some aspects of the lives of her characters. Idgie and Ruth's relationship is 'sort of/possibly' confirmed but not actually named and this is seriously annoying. They're gay. They're lesbian. It's 2020, and I truly think Flagg could have been a bit braver and 'used her words' instead of skirting around the issue. As other modern issues are also given a derisory brush off, I do feel that Flagg is pandering to a readership of a certain age and political leaning; as a result, this highlights her as a writer definitely stuck in an era of blind nostalgia rather than realism. While Flagg's tone and style has never been 'gritty' as such, it would be refreshing to have her occasionally acknowledge modern life and lose the rose-tinted nostalgia for the past.
The plot of the story is low on impact, relying solely on coincidence and chance - the good guys win and the majority of the awful people's actions are brushed away as they all skip off into the sunset.
Because the chapters are so short, and mainly focus on either recollection or brief conversations, there's little opportunity to get a feel of the surroundings, an aspect usually so well done by Flagg in her previous novels.
'The Wonderboy of Whistle Stop' will no doubt delight Flagg's hardcore fans, but leaves little to entice new readers.
Copy provided by Publishers.
When Flagg finally decides on the narrative she wants to focus on, the book starts to gel together, but opportunities are missed to expand upon some aspects of the lives of her characters. Idgie and Ruth's relationship is 'sort of/possibly' confirmed but not actually named and this is seriously annoying. They're gay. They're lesbian. It's 2020, and I truly think Flagg could have been a bit braver and 'used her words' instead of skirting around the issue. As other modern issues are also given a derisory brush off, I do feel that Flagg is pandering to a readership of a certain age and political leaning; as a result, this highlights her as a writer definitely stuck in an era of blind nostalgia rather than realism. While Flagg's tone and style has never been 'gritty' as such, it would be refreshing to have her occasionally acknowledge modern life and lose the rose-tinted nostalgia for the past.
The plot of the story is low on impact, relying solely on coincidence and chance - the good guys win and the majority of the awful people's actions are brushed away as they all skip off into the sunset.
Because the chapters are so short, and mainly focus on either recollection or brief conversations, there's little opportunity to get a feel of the surroundings, an aspect usually so well done by Flagg in her previous novels.
'The Wonderboy of Whistle Stop' will no doubt delight Flagg's hardcore fans, but leaves little to entice new readers.
Copy provided by Publishers.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Not nearly as good as Fried Green Tomatoes but still very charming, emotional, and nostalgic. This story warmed my heart and I loved revisiting the people of Whistle Stop! While I’ll always prefer the original novel, this was the kind of big-hearted and chatty book I enjoy from time to time.
Ranking it as 4 stars, but really 3.5, and only because of nostalgia and loving the original so much. I had the privilege of listening to Fannie Flagg, the author, reading this story, the continuation of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. If I had to read it, I probably wouldn’t have finished it, though I am glad that I did.
Although it is called Wonder Boy, and you think it will be centered around Buddy Jr, it really is stories including all characters from the town of Whistle Stop, so the title is misleading. The thread of the story is non-existent, and rambles along, not in any hurry, kind of like a stubborn donkey. Some threads are abandoned entirely, never picked back up, and leaves you wondering about things. It was hard to keep up with the timeline with all the hopping about, so that is why I rated it the way it is rated.
Although it is called Wonder Boy, and you think it will be centered around Buddy Jr, it really is stories including all characters from the town of Whistle Stop, so the title is misleading. The thread of the story is non-existent, and rambles along, not in any hurry, kind of like a stubborn donkey. Some threads are abandoned entirely, never picked back up, and leaves you wondering about things. It was hard to keep up with the timeline with all the hopping about, so that is why I rated it the way it is rated.
This feel-good book was just exactly what I needed to read these past few days. It's very reminiscent of "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" with so many of the characters from the book and movie. This novel introduces family from subsequent generations and there were so many laugh-out-loud moments. I had to go back and watch the 1991 movie and re-live the pleasures of that fine film. If you like Jan Karon or Philip Gulley, you will like the folksey, heart-tugging humor in this novel.
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent
***I received an advanced e-copy from Net Galley & the publisher in exchange for my honest review
Bud Threadgoode, you remember Ruth's son from "Fried Green Tomatoes", is all grown up now. Now that he has lived his life, married & had a daughter, been in the military & then owned his own veterinary practice, he has been reminiscing about his life back in Whistle Stop. So he sets off on an adventure, doing a runner from the assisted living facility he has been living at, and makes the journey back there only to discover the town no longer exists. What he does find is a new friend, someone who knew some of his family. They swap stories and memories from the good old days and Bud learns that home isn't necessariiy just a place.
I loved this book. In between the story about Bud and his daughter in the current day, there were stories, emails, newsletters, & all sorts of things from when Bud was growing up. So we get to relive some of the magic of Whistle Stop, of Idgie & Ruth, of Ms. Evelyn & Ninny. This is a fun, light read that will leave you with a smile on your face. I highly recommend it.
Bud Threadgoode, you remember Ruth's son from "Fried Green Tomatoes", is all grown up now. Now that he has lived his life, married & had a daughter, been in the military & then owned his own veterinary practice, he has been reminiscing about his life back in Whistle Stop. So he sets off on an adventure, doing a runner from the assisted living facility he has been living at, and makes the journey back there only to discover the town no longer exists. What he does find is a new friend, someone who knew some of his family. They swap stories and memories from the good old days and Bud learns that home isn't necessariiy just a place.
I loved this book. In between the story about Bud and his daughter in the current day, there were stories, emails, newsletters, & all sorts of things from when Bud was growing up. So we get to relive some of the magic of Whistle Stop, of Idgie & Ruth, of Ms. Evelyn & Ninny. This is a fun, light read that will leave you with a smile on your face. I highly recommend it.