Better Latte Than Never

In this reprint of Catherine Clark's FROZEN RODEO, Fleming is having the worst summer. She's stuck working at a coffee shop in a gas station to pay her parents back for crashing their station wagon. She's taking a French class where the professor is always absent. Her best friend is gone for the summer and the boy she likes is always making out with another girl. That doesn't even begin to describe her troubles at home - always having to babysit and help around the house without having time to herself. Fleming can't wait to leave town next year and head to college. Then she befriends another girl, forms a friendship with the boys she works with, and makes out with a new guy. Could the summer be looking up for her? Catherine Clark writes a summer novel where everything's going wrong, but then things begin to look up and Fleming discovers her life isn't so terrible after all. Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

First off, I must say that this was NOT supposed to be a romantic comedy, even though the cover says so. It was previously published as "Frozen Rodeo", which made much more sense. Do not blame the author for what the cover says. Now on to the review... Peggy Fleming spends her time working at a coffee shop inside of a gas station. If that's not horrible enough, most of the money she makes goes directly to her parents to help pay for the damages she caused with her car. When she's not working, Fleming is stuck at taking a French that she thought the boy she liked who was sorta but not really her boyfriend would be taking. When she finds out that not only is he not taking the class, he's also dating a waitress at the place her works, Fleming and her newly-found best friend begin plotting ways to make him jealous and get him back. Better Latte Than Never is another hilarious novel by Catherine Clark. I found Fleming very easy to relate to, especially with the boy and family troubles she was experiencing. Every character, even the minor ones, was well-developed and creative. I really enjoyed this and would reccommend it to anyone as a fun and fast read. *This was previous published as FROZEN RODEO*

A teenage girl's summer adventures include being chased by a crazy dog, working at the local Gas 'n' Git with a guy who thinks he's Bono, and attending a summer school French course taught by substitutes who don't actually know the language. Written in first person present tense, Better Latte Than Never (previously titled Frozen Rodeo) focuses on a teenager named Peggy. Middle name, Fleming. Her father is an amateur figure skater turned real estate agent and her mother is a very pregnant weather forecaster. Due to her father's career, the children all have been named in honor of famous skaters. The five year old twins are named Torvill and Dean. The quiet and thoughtful three year old is called Dorothy. That in itself is sure to crack up any skating fan - but wait, there's more. Peggy, who opts to go by Fleming, has a very interesting summer. After getting into multiple car accidents - in which she remains unscathed, but sadly cannot say the same for the vehicles - she is no longer allowed to drive and gets a job at the local Gas 'n' Git to pay her father back. Meanwhile, she takes a French class taught by a string of unqualified substitutes, fights her attraction for the cute waiter at IHOP, befriends a girl named Charlotte with a wild streak and bickers with her co-worker, Denny, who has an obsession with U2 and often attempts to look, sound and act like his idol, Bono. Anyone who has ever lived in a small town and dreamed of getting out of it will echo Fleming's thoughts about her city; anyone who has felt pressured to take care of their younger siblings will sympathize with her family plight. With a solid ending that ties every subplot and character together, I give this book a perfect score.

Peggy (AKA Fleming) expects the summer before her senior year in high school to be horrible. After crashing the family car twice, her parents force her to get a job as a coffee server at a local gas station, Git and Go, to repay them. In her spare time, she is taking summer school french, to grwduate early and get out of her hometown, Lindville (which is basically a gignatic beef processing center). She also is supposed to help her mother prepare for the birth of another child and babysit for the others. The only part of her summer she looks forward to is wooing her longtime crush, Steve Gopher, while he works at IHOP. However, this hope is quickly dashed when he a Jacqui ( a "ditzy" blonde) become a couple, and Peggy is left out. However, she forges new friendships, Denny (an obsessive U2 fan), Mike ( Steve's best friend who becomes her romantic interest throughout the summer) and Charlotte ( a girl with a definate "wild streak", as the book puts it). Whether it is Denny and Peggy stopping a robbery, making-out with Mike in a carwash or streaking through the lindville rodeo parade with Charlotte, Peggy has these and countless other comical adventures during the summer that prove that things don't always go as planned, but will turn out for the best. Though this book may seem like a typical young adult book, it offers much more. The adventures are unique and crazy ( No car, so steal a golf cart), and the characters are brilliantly well-developed. Extrodinarily comical moments make this fast-paced read a must read for anyone.

A wild and humorous tale of summer, Frozen Rodeo will have you peeing your pants with laughter. Though I have not read other works by Catherine Clark this book made me a huge fan of her and I look forward to more by this great author. Fleming and Company's antics are chocked full of laughs. This is a must have book for anyone, so go buy it!