Gingerbread

Gingerbread
by Rachel Cohn
YA fiction. 172 pp.
Simon Pulse. 2002.

I don't remember why exactly I picked up this book. More than likely it's because Cohn has a tendency to coauthor with Levithan, whom I adore. So I figured I would check out her solo stuff.

In Gingerbread, Cyd is living at home with her mom and stepfather after having been kicked out of boarding school. Something having to do with a boyfriend and an abortion, as I recall. (I read this in November, so the details are now a bit on the sketchy side.) She has a new boyfriend, but this creates tension at home, so she leaves San Fran to live with her bio dad in NYC. But he's not everything she dreamed of. Fortunately, she gets to know her half-brother who is pretty cool. Eventually she realizes that her mom and stepfather are actually quite supportive and loving, which is a good thing.

After reading Gingerbread, I realize that Cohn is the one who introduces the more whimsical and light nature to the stories she and Levithan coauthor. What I remember liking about Cohn's writing in Gingerbread is the development given to the supporting characters. They feel fleshed out, though they aren't necessarily, and Cohn has done this without relying on stereotyping or stocking them. In the end, the book isn't a must read, but it's an enjoyable and good read. I'll likely read the next book in the series just to see what happens with the characters.