Donut Days

Emma is the daughter of two evangelical ministers, but there is trouble at their church.  It seems that some of the parishioners don't want Emma's mom is preach anymore.  Now Emma is fighting with her best friend and fighting her true feelings for her best guy friend all while trying to win a scholarship.

"Emma!" Mom cried, like I'd just torn up a picture of Jesus.  p.39

When I was young, we went to church all the time and were heavily involved with it.  A lot of my family are very religious and a few are evangelists especially the family that live up in the Bible Belt.  So I understand the atmosphere and the upbringing that Emma has in Donut Days.  I know those very religious and devout families and I understood her fight to get to choose her own way, a way that might not agree with her family's expectations.  I felt sorry for Emma because she genuinely wants to help her family in their difficult time and her parents just push her away.  They don't understand how this big fight over her mom's right to preach can effect her which is so blind sighted I can't even believe it.

I thought the whole doughnut camp thing was so funny and I enjoyed how Emma used that experience to learn new things about herself.  I didn't like how the flashbacks were handled.  The writing seemed awkward and heavy handed at those points.  But I enjoyed the characters and thought the whole thing was sweet and the story was original.  

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