[.ca] Scrambled Eggs At Midnight (ISBN 0525477608)

Courtesy of Teens Read Too:
Calliope is a normal teenage girl. Well, she wants to be. Unfortunately, her chance at a normal life is overshadowed by the reality of her mother's job, which is that of a wench. "My mother is a wench. It says so right on her W-2." Consequently, the opening at the Asheville Renaissance Faire prompts Calliope's mother, Delores, to pack up and move to North Carolina for employment at the largest Renaissance Faire in the country. And, once again, Calliope is uprooted and whisked away on another one of her mother's whims. Eliot also wishes to take a stab at normalcy. He is the son of a religious pioneer, otherwise known as "The Dad", who founded the Sonshine Valley Christian Camp, which is a fat-camp filled with Christ. "The Dad" recently expanded his religious marketing horizon to include books and a television channel dedicated to serving the Lord and losing the weight. Eliot, however, is lost in all of the fanaticism, and reminisces on the memories of his family before his father became obsessed with his work. Then one day Calliope meets Eliot, and they are both fascinated with each other. Their friendship grows and strengthens, and soon their relationship, which both Delores and "The Dad" disapprove of, becomes all-consuming for both parties. But for once, they both feel like what they have is normal. Sadly, their relationship is threatened by many factors, including Delores's hopes to move once again, and "The Dad" being suspicious of Calliope's theological beliefs. Will Calliope and Eliot's determination to stay close persevere in the end? SCRAMBLED EGGS AT MIDNIGHT is, for the most part, a light-hearted read. The characters deal with situations somewhat out of the norm, but their personalities and conversations will be easy to relate to for most readers. I recommend this book to readers of all ages, but mostly to teenagers, who will more readily identify themselves with the characters of Calliope and Eliot. Reviewed by: Emylee