| Gingerbread | 
 enlarge | Author: Rachel Cohn
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
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You Save: $7.98 (100%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  112 reviews
Sales Rank: 66828
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 5 x 0.6
ISBN: 068986020X
EAN: 9780689860201
ASIN: 068986020X
Publication Date: June 1, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy!
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Product Description
"I will be as wild as I wanna be."After getting tossed from her posh boarding school, wild, willful, and coffee addicted Cyd Charisse returns to San Francisco to live with her parents. But there's no way Cyd can survive in her parents' pristine house. Lucky for Cyd she's got Gingerbread, her childhood rag doll and confidante, and her new surfer boyfriend. When Cyd's rebelliousness gets out of hand, her parents ship her off to New York City to spend the summer with "Frank real-dad," her biological father. Trading in her parents for New York City grunge and getting to know her bio-dad and step-sibs is what Cyd has been waiting for her whole life. But summer in the city is not what Cyd expects -- and she's far from the daughter or sister that anyone could have imagined.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 107 more reviews...
 Life is full of frogs, you just have to learn to jump over them August 11, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
When one thinks of Gingerbread, heady spices and molasses-like sweetness comes to mind, the book however was a literary equivalent of Angel Food Cake - fluffy, light and sweet enough to entertain but not overly filling. It's something that I can read in one sitting and then get up without a headache, possibly ready to begin the next book in the series. Young Adult fiction has come a long way, reading books about disgruntled sixteen year olds are certainly easier than being one all over again and even though I am no longer a teen I certainly remember how tough it was. Standing strong against the ripping winds of corruption and negative influences while dealing with feelings for boys, parents and especially how I saw myself was no walk in the beach and even though I had a blast growing up I am relieved to be done with it.
For Cyd, living with her step dad Sid and mother Nancy and her younger half siblings in San Francisco is more an a nuisance than paradise. Her richly decorated home, stylish mother, lenient step father and her relationship with her new awesome boyfriend Shrimp are slowly crumbling up into a black hole that she has dug up in her past, the spoiled relationship with her then boyfriend Justin who got her hooked on his dark lifestyle and got her pregnant without giving her any support. After her life changing decision to write her own future Cyd becomes even more cynical, witty, sarcastic and sometimes warm and human on her quest to fix her broken relations with her parents, Shrimp and her biological father in New York. Her last memory of him was when she was five years old and him giving her a doll that she named Gingerbread, carrying it with her to this day. The visit to the East coast opens her eyes in more ways than she has imagined and it's up to her to either find the light or slink away into the shadows with no helping hands to pull her up. The mystery of her parents split, her other half siblings and potential new boys are lined on up the horizon for the reader to grab onto and enjoy. It's all up to her whether she wants to grow up and change or act like a spoiled brat.
The writing was easy to read and made the book flow like an express train. I enjoyed the brief glimpse of Cyd before she was with Shrimp and how her current situation evolved. This isn't deep fiction but a fun romp though pages filled with growing pains and emerging roots of maturity. I'm all ready reading the sequel "Shrimp" and cannot wait to find out what happens when Cyd is back in San Francisco after her life changing summer in New York. This book is like a nice, light slice of cake; it's no dinner but still fills you up.
- Kasia S.
 love this book May 23, 2008
I love this book! There is something about it that just stuck with me and even though I've only read it twice, could probably read it again I can still remember little things that I don't want to give away and I've never read a book like this before, it was so unique, still is and the next two books are amazing too but without reading this one first I'd be lost so if you've read the summary and think you'll like it, buy it!
Ginger bread November 30, 2007
I am doing my book review on Gingerbread.The author's name is Rachel Cohn.There is a girl named Cyd Charisse. She just moved back in with her parents after she spent the summer with her her real dad in New York City.Cyd has a child hood rag doll named Gingerbread. She carries her around with her every where. Cyd is with a guy named Shrimp and he is a surfer and so is his brother.Cyd starts to like Shrimps brother Wallace.Wallace has a girl friend and when Cyd stayed the night over at Shrimps house Cyd and Wallace started flirting.Cyd is trying to work on her relationships with Shrimp and her real dad Frank.My opinion on this book is that it is a good ,fun book to read.I would recommend this book to high school girls because it is talking about boys. Also Cyd did drugs and when she found out she was pregnant she stopped doing drugs and so I think this book could help some girls out.
Gingerbread: Not the Food, the Novel September 21, 2007
Rebellious. Social Outcast. Defiant. These are just a few words to explain Cyd Charisse, No not the dancer-actress, the unruly teen in Gingerbread. Author, Rachel Cohn, makes Cyd feel like your best friend and describes San Francisco as one of your top ten must visits. But at times, San Francesco seems too glamorous due to Cyd's high class family, to which she clearly doesn't belong.
Her best friend in the world is Gingerbread. The raggy doll she got from her father when she was young. Gingerbread is like a little person to Cyd. Cyd talks to Gingerbread and confines her deepest feelings in her, knowing she can't say anything. Gingerbread is Cyd's partner in crime and goes everywhere with Cyd.
Cyd's a down to earth girl living the high class life. Drugs, sex, and underage drinking, get her into trouble throughout her adolescence. All she wants is to be with her beloved boyfriend Shrimp. Shrimp is a "five-foot-five, surfer-shirt-wearin', baggy-jeans-slouchin', Pop Tart-eatin', spiked-hair-headed" guy that Cyd is head-over-heels for. Her parents aren't exactly thrilled to see them together, and as such, Shrimp is the reason Cyd gets sent to "bio-dad, Frank" in New York City. There she finds the one person who feels like she belongs, Danny. Danny is her gay half brother who owns the Village Idiots, a cafe and bakery. Cyd spends most of her time in New York with him. But Cyd makes more trouble in the Big Apple, particularly with the Latino limo driver, gets sent back to San Francisco.
My favorite seen in the book is when Cyd goes to a pub with Autumn, her bi-sexual friend, and gets Irish soccer players to buy them drinks. Cyd gets everything she wants, especially from the guys. With her long legs, black hair, and I don't care attitude, she ideal for any San Francisco guy. My favorite character is Sugar Pie, Cyd's best friend, psychic, and life coach. I like her because she is a cute old lady with a mean attitude. I love that this book is so care free, and easy to understand, plus I couldn't put it down. If I were grading this book I would give it an A because of the never ending drama, easy reading, and interesting characters.
I love Gingerbread, and I'm the type of person who despises reading. It's mostly for a teen girl, not saying guys won't like it too. Even if you're someone like me, who hates to read, try Gingerbread. It's an unforgettable novel that will change your perspective on life, relationships, and friends.
Gingerbread June 12, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Gingerbread Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2002, 172pp., $15.95
Rachel Cohn ISBN 0-689-84337-2
Close your eyes and think for a minute about the name Cyd Charisse. What comes to mind? Well the famous dancer and actress of course! Now close your eyes and try to picture a 16 year-old girl with the same name. What comes to mind now? Well, probably some over dramatic blonde girl who comes from a rich family, gets whatever she wants, and is most likely a good dancer. Right? Well think again because Cyd Charisse from the book "Gingerbread" by Rachel Cohn is the exact opposite. Cyd is a black wearing, family hating teenager with 4-inch black boots and raging hormones. And wherever there are raging hormones, relationships always follow. Justin, her ex-boyfriend who landed her on probation at a nursing home where she met Sugar Pie, and Shrimp who she thought was Mr. Right. Is he? Though what bothers her most is that she has a rich and famous father who lives in N.Y.C. along with an older stepbrother and stepsister from her father's other relationship by which Cyd has never met. Now that her mom and step-dad have decided that Cyd is ready to learn the truth about her father, they agree to send her to visit them. But how will the reunion go? Gingerbread, favorite doll and only memory of her father will help her through it all.... and Sugar Pie too.
Rachel Cohn is an amazing author with astounding voice that gives Cyd Charisse the sarcastic, realistic personality of an actual teenager! Along with amazing voice comes incredible and creative word choice that will keep you hooked until the last page.
I would recommend this book to ages 12-16 for enjoyment and age appropriate reasons. This book can also be very helpful because the situations in this book can, and really do happen.
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