Chick lit with a cute twistThe Espressologist by Kristina Springer
Reading Level: Young Adult
Release Date: April 28, 2009
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 576
Source: Amazon Vine
Reviewed By: Kate McMurry
Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has learned by closely watching the hundreds of people she's served that you can find out an awful lot about someone by their favorite coffee drink. Not only that, it's possible to predict which types of coffee drinker would be good romantic partners for each other. When Jane's ambitious boss learns of her talent, he ropes her into a special four-week, money-making promotion for the Wired Joe's coffee shop where they both work. Jane will make matches for free one evening a week and allow her boss to increase his sales and get them both a big bonus and a raise. At first only interested for the boost to her college savings fund, Jane is soon completely jazzed when her matchmaking succeeds beyond her wildest dreams. Except for the fact that poor Jane can't seem to make a match for herself!
This is an adorable, fast-paced story. Jane is an endearing, quirky character. I really enjoyed hearing about her analyses of people and how it turned into matchmaking. There's also a fun relationship with her best friend, and it was very amusing reading about all the various matches Jane made.
The book is well written, highly readable, and G-Rated. I enthusiastically recommend it to anyone who enjoys young adult female-centric comedy.
Heroine: 4
Subcharacters: 4
Writing: 4
Chick-Lit Plot: 5
Romantic Subplot: 4
Overall: 4
A dystopian YA fantasy
. The book is well written but very dark, and it frequently contains subject matter that is too mature for pre-teens and young teens. Because all the characters are 13 or younger, older teens will find it hard to identify with them, but adults who are fans of Stephen King or Dean Koontz might actually enjoy this story.