Rating: 
Summary: Poignancy in a laugh out loud novel
Review: Akwardness is part of growing up, and taking the wrong road is part of it.Kady is a kid yearning for freedom and who comes a long? Salvation, or at least that is how she sees Jon, a rich pot head.
When her ward or annoying pest, Rooster (who fondly refers to her as Madrina or godmother in his blind devotion) is hurt while she is stoned, Kaye is piled with guilt that soon makes way for fustration. Everything spins into a funnel, as Kady tries to make sense of her relationship with Jon, her position with school, her family, and even where she stands with Tony (next door neighbor, older brother to Rooster)And when things go into a tail spin, she must wonder if what she's done is right, and if she can fix it, or deal with the guilt. Mixed with hilarious characters, loony grandma, parinoid mother, silent dad, dynanmite neighbor, sweet friend, handful of remorseful crackpots, ever happy Rooster, and cranky Kady who is attempting to cover her roots, but as she swiftly learns: everything that she ever wanted it right there...
Rating:
Summary: Richie's Picks: ROOSTER
Review: Back in 1962 a migrant couple, whose third child has just been born is befriended by the elderly owners of a small Florida citrus orchard. The trees in the orchard have just been destroyed by a major freeze, and the migrant couple are given their American dream opportunity: they get to buy the land at a price they can afford, replace the trees, and wait seven years for the first crop. In the meantime the father supports the family by working at the local citrus processing plant. The mom helps make ends meet by buying cheap, tacky clothes and cans of "surprise" food--the ones which the labels have dropped off of. And the kids have a healthy schedule of never-ending chores in order to make it all work.
"Look over yonder, what do you see, the sun is a-rising, most definitely..."
Living next door are a father and his two sons, the remaining members of a family who had escaped by sea from Cuba. The younger son is the brain-damaged Rooster.
My reaction to ROOSTER is affected by my ability to relate to the main character, Kady, whose mid-1950's fictional birth was within a year of my own. The story, primarily set in 1969, is well ornamented with references to the clothing, music, TV commercials, and news of the day.
But, to me, it is the background tale of Kady's parents which really drives the story. The way Kady "is" and the way she and her brother respond to the culture and consumerism surrounding them can only be understood when you understand the way they have been raised.
"...I see the bad moon arising. I see trouble on the way. I see earthquakes and lightnin'. I see bad times today..."
My first thoughts of ninth grade (1969) are Woodstock and the Chicago 7 trial. But to Kady's parents, 1969 is to be the long-awaited first commercial crop that their orchard will produce.
Rooster has always called Kady his "madrina," his godmother; he believes that Kady can always make everything okay. But Kady is coming of age and becomes girlfriend to the son of a wealthy Florida land developer. The main story here is what happens when Kady and Jon's careless young love affects everyone around them, especially Rooster.
"What does it take to win your love for me? How can I make this dream come true for me?.."
This is a marvelous tale with a wealth of drama, romance, humor, cruelty, drugs, and rock 'n roll. This first novel by Beth Nixon Weaver is a 12 and up which I see as acceptable for classroom use: The romance is sensual, not sexual--the content is limited to kissing and the ambiguous "making out." Marijuana use is central to the story and is bound to be the catalyst for some important discussions.
"...And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make..."
Rating:
Summary: A Terrific Read!
Review: Beth Nixon Weaver is a powerful new voice among writers for young adults. In Rooster she has created the kind of memorable characters and vividly real settings that stay with you in the days after you finish the book. I find myself thinking often about Kady, fifteen and restless, determined to bridge the gap between her hardscrabble homelife and the lifestyle of the rich kids across the lake. Fragile, brain-damaged young neighbor Rooster, Kady's unwanted, worshipful shadow, is pathetically real. Flamboyantly senile Grampsie, who likes to wear her spiked tree-climbing boots around the house, is unforgettable! The gaudily painted ramshackle houses squatting on the edge of a dusty orange grove in the unair-conditioned Florida of the 1960s remain in my mind's eye still. Weaver is also a master plotter-her sinister clues kept me in a state of pleasurable dread, wondering what was going to happen, when, and to whom. But although I kept turning pages far into the night, I was never able to predict how the story would end.
Rating:
Summary: reading this is like tasting fresh-squeezed orange juice
Review: For all you folks out there that loathe teenybopper bologna books, you'd love this incredibly real, alive book. I sure as heck did. It so incredibly not a teenybopper book because it is genuinely funny, sweet, and makes you go through a roller-coaster of real emotions. I mean, I grew up in Florida and the imagery reminds me precisely of what growing up in Florida was like. It's stance regarding drugs and teenage life is revolutionary. Plus, it's the first time I've ever guffawed over a woman's non-existant affair with "dear walty." So if I were you, I'd give this book a shot--unless you like garbage, this book is for you!
Rating:
Summary: reading this is like tasting fresh-squeezed orange juice
Review: For all you folks out there that loathe teenybopper bologna books, you'd love this incredibly real, alive book. I sure as heck did. It so incredibly not a teenybopper book because it is genuinely funny, sweet, and makes you go through a roller-coaster of real emotions. I mean, I grew up in Florida and the imagery reminds me precisely of what growing up in Florida was like. It's stance regarding drugs and teenage life is revolutionary. Plus, it's the first time I've ever guffawed over a woman's non-existant affair with "dear walty." So if I were you, I'd give this book a shot--unless you like garbage, this book is for you!
Rating: 
Summary: Not that great.
Review: I got an ad from the author for this book in my email, asking me to read this. I read it last night. The people didn't seem real to me.
Rating:
Summary: inspirationally zany
Review: I got stuck at a book store for three hours yesterday and picked up this wacky book. This book is about a dirt-poor farm girl, Kady, that is idolized by a cuban refugee who happens to be retarded. While smimming in a muddy lake, Kady almost gets run over by a rich pot-head whom she falls in love with. As time goes on, she too gets involved with pot, causing her to spend more and more time with Jon the pot-head and less and less time with Rooster the retard. This is fine until Rooster decides to tag along with Kady and Jon. Whoops, can't go on, but you should. This book changes anyone who reads it because the characters seem real, the plot is meaningful, and the moral is touching. This is a must read!
Rating:
Summary: The Weavers remind me of Judy Blume or Susanna Vance.
Review: I really like this story. My sister read it as well, she's a Judy Blume fan but she thought it was good.
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable but flawed
Review: Most of this story is an enjoyable coming-of-age story in which a teenage girl starts to evaluate people on their merits instead of appearances. However, those of you who remember the ridiculous propaganda movies about marijuana they used to show in Health classes will recognize a silly scene right out of those films. A boy inadvertantly eats marijuana brownies and then--remember this?--thinks he can fly and so injures himself badly. I suspect today's readers will see this for what it is--inaccurate and manipulative.
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT BOOK!
Review: Reading this delightful book evoked memories of my own childhood in Florida during the 60's. The abiding issues of loyalty, responsibility, denial and finding one's passion are timeless then as now. I highly recommend this book!
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