Girls Dinner Club

by Jessie Elliot

Book Overview

The love of Junie's life for the past year is suddenly acting like a crazed puppy. Celia's dad has found the most ridiculous woman in all of Manhattan-and decided, after fifteen years of being single,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060595396
• ISBN13: 9780060595395
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Length: 246 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.4" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 14 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 9 to 12

Customer Reviews

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Celia, Junie, and Danielle all become friends on a whim. Celia and Junie are already friends when GIRLS DINNER CLUB starts, and one night, Danielle was at Celia's house while Junie was there. Danielle offers to make them both dinner, and because of this all the girls become friends by regularly meeting at each others houses and making and having dinner together. They celebrate with each other through the good times and the bad. Some of the things that happen to the girls include: crushes, boyfriend problems, and family issues; just the basic teenage girl problems. It's definitely not written in a depressing way, as there are so many funny things that happen in the book. During one of their dinners together they even get in a food fight! It shows a great friendship that grows between the girls. I would recommend this book to any girl who loves to read about friendships, relationships, and great food. While I was reading GIRLS DINNER CLUB all I could think about was how good of friends the girls became. All formed such a close bond over something everyone loves--food! This is the first book that Jessie Elliot has written and there will hopefully be more to come. Even though this is Ms. Elliot's first book, it feels like she has written a million stories! GIRLS DINNER CLUB is so well-written and the characters seem so real that it feels like you could be their friend, as well. Reviewed by: Taylor Rector

Wonderful

I am an adult who enjoys well written teen fiction. The Girls Dinner Club is a wonderfully crafty novel. All of the main characters are flawed, but through it all, the author manages to keep them enjoyable. You can feel the camaraderie of these three girls, despite the fact that they are all so different. They each, in their own ways are suffering, but still manage to be there for each other. I thought the whole dad and eccentric girlfriend was a tad cliché, but yet the author makes it work with a bit of a twist at the end of this storyline. The writing is wonderful and entertaining and the pacing was just right! I hope this author is working on another novel of this quality. It would be great if she would bring back these characters. It would be interesting to see them grow together.

An Awesome Read

This book has it all: great friendship, food, heartbreak, boys, and everything in between. This is one of my favorite books. I can really relate to everything the girls are going through, because it is well written and is about things everyone goes through. It is a great story about finding friendship where you least expect it, and having good friends who are going to help you through tough times. Junie, Danielle, and Celia are so realistic and fun to read about! I recommend it!

Enjoyable novel that celebrates the pleasure of friendship and the joy of cooking

Junie and Celia are best friends who welcome Danielle into their circle. The three girls soon discover that they enjoy cooking together. Danielle and her grandmother teach the other two to concoct luscious Italian dishes. While the girls are inspired to try other recipes and invent their own food creations, they become closer, sharing the most intimate details of their lives and drawing support and comfort from each other. Junie's parents are always gone. Trying sex with her boyfriend, Brian, has been a turning point for their relationship. Junie did not enjoy the act and hasn't been able to confide in Brian. She leans on her friends as her connection with Brian unravels. Eventually, Junie finds herself crushing from afar after one glimpse of Danielle's hunky cousin, Roberto. Amazingly, he seems to be attracted to her as well. Rob is a cheese expert and teaches Junie some fascinating facts about this calcium-filled food. However, as time goes by, Junie finds herself daydreaming about Brian again and feeling irritated by some of Rob's mannerisms. Celia's cozy life with her dad is rocked when he brings Jane home. Celia despises Jane, and is horrified that her dad would get involved with her. However, she ends up grudgingly escorting Jane's British nephew, Henry, around New York and discovers a redeeming feature --- Henry can cook! Still, Celia can't wait to see the end of Henry's trip to New York. Or can she? Danielle adores her grandmother, Nonna, but loathes the paths her mother and sister have chosen to follow as lingerie saleswomen. Nonna and others urge Danielle not to waste her beautiful singing voice, but Danielle has her reasons for turning them down. When bad boy Steve returns, she more or less forgets how he broke her heart. Then she uncovers an amazing family secret, and her perspective on her own life changes. This is an enjoyable read, celebrating both the intense joy of cooking good food and the pleasures of friendship. The reader comes to care about each girl, rooting for successes and worrying over setbacks. Each character is clearly defined, and there are frequent funny scenes. The one way to improve this book? Include recipes! [...]

My review

I loved this book. I laughed, cried, and smiled. It was slow at some parts but later on i could not put it down. You knew what was going to happen at some parts but others you did not. I would read this book if you get the chance.