Emma has some problems. First off, the church at which her parents are pastors seems to be imploding: there’s a conflict between factions as to whether women — most specifically Emma’s mom — should be able to preach. In addition, Emma’s having problems with her best friend, Natalie; they’ve been fighting in the months since their joint baptism and can’t seem to figure out a way to get past it. To top it all off, her parents have informed her that if she wants to use the funds they’ve saved for college, she’ll have to go to a Christian college, which is not something Emma thinks she wants to do.
So Emma decides to enter a contest run by a local paper and write a story on the camp before the Crispy Dream store opening. Perhaps she can win the scholarship they’re offering and at least right one of the wrongs in her life. Little does she know that the act of gathering the story will turn her life upside-down.
Donut Days is generally a good book, dealing with honesty issues, specifically, being more open about issues and problems within a family. Emma’s dealing with some pretty stressful problems in her world, and while there were times when I didn’t particularly care for Emma, overall I thought she was a likable character. I related to her struggles with her faith and her determination to make her own way.
However, the ending felt a bit melodramatic and forced, swelling to a crescendo that was out of place with the rest of the book. The denouement was just too saccharine for my tastes — which is too bad, since the rest of the book was really pretty good.
Rated: None
