Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice (Pumpkinheads Review)
Updated: Jan 25, 2020
PUMPKINHEADS
Writer: Rainbow Rowell
Artist: Faith Erin Hicks
Publisher: 01 FIRST SECOND
Rating: 8/10
Hey guys! With us entering one of my favorite times of the year, Autumn/Fall, I could think of no better book to review. Leaves are falling, there's a slight chill in the air, and Pumpkin flavored everything as available everywhere. So when I saw this book I knew I had to give it shot. Once again, this is part of me stepping away from the usual books I buy and branching out to discover some amazing stuff. PUMPKINHEADS is definitely one of those books. So grab yourself a pumpkin spice latte and cozy up on the couch and enjoy this amazing little book.
I'll admit that while I had heard of Rainbow Rowell's books I had never given them a shot, boy what a mistake that has been. She has a way of capturing the essence of her characters and breathing like into each one. The way she depicts these young kids as they're about to head off to college or trying to muster up the courage to talk to their crush, stirred up all those old memories of my younger days.
The official synopsis is this
Josiah’s ready to spend the whole night feeling melancholy about it. Deja isn’t ready to let him. She’s got a plan: What if―instead of moping and the usual slinging lima beans down at the Succotash Hut―they went out with a bang? They could see all the sights! Taste all the snacks! And Josiah could finally talk to that cute girl he’s been mooning over for three years …
Josiah and Deja are both loveable characters in their own right and easily relatable in their own ways.
Josiah is your typical romantic who has this idealized image of love. He's had a crush on this girl, who he calls "Fudge Girl" for the past 3 years but has never done anything about it. Who here hasn't had one of those crushes that you just can't seem to get the courage to talk to. All the while, Josiah has made it his mission to be the MVPPP (Most Valuable Pumpkin Patch Person) every year, which has kept him from really going after his crush. But that's all about to change.
Enter Deja. Deja is perhaps my favorite character of the book. She's this spunky, bisexual, a little overweight, black girl, and easily the best character of the book. I love that Rowell casually brings attention to her sexuality, without making it a focal point to the character. It didnt feel forced at all, whereas it seems that some stories do it just for the sake of doing it. Deja has such a magnetic
personality that everyone is naturally drawn to her. She's got such a cute personality and had me laughing throughout the book.
The whole "mission" of the book is Deja helping Josiah try to talk to his "Fudge Girl" before he loses his opportunity. So they spend their last night at the Pumpkin Patch getting into all sorts of hijinks. This was all beautifully illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks, who by the way has now become one of my favorite cartoonists. She gave this book such a warm and charming feeling. The subtle nuances that she put into each character really brought this book to life.
Al in all, it was the simplicity of this book that really won me over. Just the story of two friends who have developed such a strong bond over the past four years and what a profound effect they had on each other. How sometimes you can have everything you've always wanted right in front of you but not realize it. Everything about this book is pure joy. So if you're looking for that perfect Fall book, look no further than PUMPKINHEADS.