Review: Cherry Money Baby by John M Cusick

Title: Cherry Money Baby
Author: John M Cusick
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Release date: September 10th 2013
Pages: 400
Genre: Young Adult contemporary
Source: BEA - I received a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!
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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.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I had absolutely zero expectations going into this novel. Cherry Money Baby sounded like it might be good, but it doesn't have a huge hook to reel you in. And that's what it turned out to be, too: there's no one special thing that would make this book amazing, but it's definitely a simple, good read.

I really liked the story of Cherry Money Baby. There is no one plot line that totally hooked me, no one thing I could say this book is really about. It's simply a good story. It develops in a very honest, realistic kind of way, making the pages turn all on their own. It's the kind of story that could head in any direction, and you just sit back and let it take you along. I don't know how to explain it; Cherry Money Baby is simply a story I enjoyed getting lost in.

I'm not sure what to make of the characters. Cherry was a little hard to relate to, because what she wants out of life is just so completely foreign to me. I didn't exactly like her, but I did enjoy reading about her. My favorite character is most definitely Ardelia: she is far from perfect, but she had me, like Cherry, hanging on to her every word. When the small-town stuff got too boring for me, I could always count on Ardelia to cause for another entertaining scene. There is something enticing about her character; I couldn't get enough of her. The scene in the park is my favorite!

The only part I didn't particularly like is the ending. Maybe I'm letting my own personal opinions get in the way here, but the final message just didn't sit right with me.

Still, Cherry Money Baby is a great read. It is understated and more on the slow side, but in the best way possible. Beautifully written and with a story unlike any I've read before (even if you can't tell from the description), Cherry Money Baby is a novel that I really enjoyed.