Cherry Money Baby by John Cusick

Cherry Kerrigan loves her simple life, her family’s tiny trailer, even working at Burrito Barn. Forget college — she’s marrying her sweetheart from next door. But here comes Ardelia Deen, a glamorous starlet who sweeps Cherry into a world of fast cars and penthouse parties. Now Cherry’s small-town life just seems so . . . small. When Ardelia drops a bomb of an offer — one involving a baby — Cherry knows her life will change forever, no matter what she decides. John M. Cusick focuses his signature wit on Hollywood royalty and the wide-eyed dreams of Small Town, U.S.A. in a novel about discovering who you are . . . and changing your mind.

(Terrible summary via Goodreads because I am lazy this morning)

Did I mention feeling lazy? Here, have bullet points.

Things I liked
– Cherry, who was a very engaging main character, prickly and selfish, yet incredibly sympathetic.
– Lucas, who was a nice contrast to Cherry’s high-strung personality, but who at the same time never came across as boring.

Things I had a problem with
– The plot, which relies really heavily on coincidence and improbable events. The initial event is one thing, but there are several other key plot points which are also coincidental.
– The secondary characters, who all read to me as a little too broadly painted, a little too close to stock.
– That point about secondary characters is especially important with Ardelia, who quite a bit of the book hinges on; because she doesn’t come across as a real person, the effect of the story is lessened.

For all of that, it was an interesting story. One I was immediately sucked into–and perhaps more importantly–remained sucked into. This is largely because of Cherry and her mix of toughness and vulnerability.

Book source: public library
Book information: Candlewick, 2013; YA

I read this book for the 2013 Cybils. You’ll be able to see all of my Cybils reviews by clicking here.