The Queen Of Kentucky

(Paperback)

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Description

Fourteen-year-old Kentucky girl Ricki Jo Winstead, who would preferred to be called Ericka, thank you very much, is eager to shed her farmer's daughter roots and become part of the popular crowd at her small town high school.

She trades her Bible for Seventeen magazine, buys new "sophisticated" clothes and somehow manages to secure a tenuous spot at the cool kids table. She's on top of the world, even though her best friend and boy next door, Luke, says he misses "plain old Ricki Jo."

Caught between being a country girl and wannabe country club girl, Ricki Jo begins to forget who she truly is: someone who doesn't care what people think and wouldn't let a good-looking guy walk all over her. When Luke reveals that he's the victim of domestic violence, Ricki Jo realizes that being a good friend and being true to herself are more important than being popular.

Reviews

Booklist
Kirkus
Credible teen characters, realistic dialogue, and enough drama to engage reluctant readers.--SLJ
Ericka is forthright and down-to-earth...young readers looking to break out of an old persona into a new one will find both her complaints and her moments of triumph all too familiar. They'll just wish for their own Luke, who clearly wins all awards for best best-friend-turned-boyfriend in a tween novel.--BCCB
Reading Alecia Whitaker's funny and sweet debut was like spending time with my best friend. Ricki Jo Winstead totally won me over, and she'll win you over, too.--Joanna Philbin, author of The Daughters series
This coming of age romance... will capture readers with its honesty and heart.--PW
Whitaker's debut sparkles as she takes the reader on a tour of two unforgettable places: small town Kentucky and the heart of our charming and hilarious narrator, Ricki Jo.--Gwendolyn Heasley, author of Where I Belong

Author Bio

Alecia Whitaker grew up on a small farm in Cynthiana, Kentucky. She is an actress and writer and currently lives in Manhattan with her husband. Alecia has performed in the New York City Fringe Festival and is a visiting creative writing teacher and ambassador for The Kentucky Governor's School for the Arts.