New Agey embellishments (an 'atonement list') seem like a misstep for a spirited heroine stuck in a middling narrative. Not knowing their connected past, James promptly goes gaga for the overhauled Davie, whose need for sweet revenge adds a welcome dark edge to an otherwise predictable trajectory toward self-empowerment. With a little Hollywood stardust, she redefines herself and begins living the life she's dreamed of until James, the rich golden boy she had a crush on back home, walks into her nightclub. But it's the 'Molly Ringwald Ending' that guides this fragile 15-year-old when she bolts town with a lesbian trucker named Mama Jane and lands a gig as a '40s-style chanteuse in L.A. Davidia Jones, a nerdy child of poverty, is abused by her alcoholic mother and despicable father and is the subject of merciless taunting at her high school. Carter, a new voice in fiction with smarts, attitude, and sassiness to spare.This debut novel of longing for family, love, and acceptance finds some interesting territory before settling too early into inevitability.

With wholly original characters and a cinematic storyline, 32 Candles introduces Ernessa T. But is life ever that simple? Just as they’re about to ride off into the sunset, the past comes back with a vengeance, threatening to crush Davie’s dreams-and break her heart again. She lets him fall as deeply in love with her as she once was with him. To Davie’s astonishment, James doesn’t recognize her, and she can’t bring herself to end the fantasy.

When a cruel school prank goes too far, Davie leaves the life she knows and reinvents herself in the glittery world of Hollywood-as a beautiful and successful lounge singer in a swanky nightclub.ĭavie is finally a million miles from where she started-until she bumps into her former obsession, James Farrell. Tormented endlessly in school with the nickname 'Monkey Night,' and hopelessly in unrequited love with a handsome football player, James Farrell, Davie finds that it is bittersweet to dream of Molly Ringwald endings. But in her case, life doesn’t imitate art. You can find out more about her at her author site,. She considers representing for fierce nerds everywhere as her highest calling and thanks you for reading this blog.

Just when she’s resigned herself to her fate, she sees a movie that will change her life- Sixteen Candles. Other than founding Fierce and Nerdy, Ernessa is the author of 32 CANDLES, a novel about a fierce nerd from the south. She has the meanest mother in the South, possibly the world, and on top of that, she’s pretty sure she’s ugly. 32 Candles is the slightly twisted, utterly romantic, and deftly wry story of Davie Jones, who, if she doesn’t stand in her own way, just might get the man of her dreams.ĭavie-an ugly duckling growing up in small-town Mississippi-is positive her life couldn’t be any worse.

32 candles by ernessa t carter