The Thing About Leftovers by C.C. Payne: Book Review

The Thing About Leftovers is a middle-grade coming-of-age novel written by C.C. Payne. It was first published in July 2016 by Nancy Paulsen Books.

The Thing About Leftovers is a story about a girl trying to be perfect so she can feel like she belongs in her family.

Synopsis

Fizzy Russo is ten years old and raised to be a good Southern girl who doesn’t say anything mean about others and is not a nuisance. However, it gets hard when her parents become divorced, and her mom’s new boyfriend doesn’t seem to like her.

One day she learns of the Southern Living Cook-Off, and she knows she has to enter as her dream is to have her own cooking show. But, how can Fizzy win the contest when she feels a bit like leftovers, and most people don’t like leftovers, do they?

Positives

I found this to be a super easy read. Then again, I am not the target demographic for this book. That said, I believe most kids would be able to read the book with ease. It is just under 300 pages, so I would say the target audience would be kids in 3rd grade and up.

The kids in the story seem relatable. The author kept the focus mostly on Fizzy, but you also get to see into the lives of her two friends-Zach and Miyoko. There are a few other kids mentioned in the book as well, but mostly in passing.

Negatives

The biggest issue I had with the book was the adults, especially Fizzy’s parents. I understand that when parents divorce, they don’t want to talk to each other. But are you so oblivious to your previous life that you ignore your child? Fizzy’s dad is remarried when the story begins, and he seems almost not to be a part of Fizzy’s life even when she is at his house for the weekend. In addition, her mom is dating someone who bullies Fizzy. How can you not see your child when they are hurting so much? Especially when their life has been flipped upside down?

My Opinon

I truly enjoyed reading this book. But, of course, it helps that there is plenty of food in the story. I mean, when doesn’t food make a story enjoyable?

My childhood has been blessed not to have been raised with divorced parents. I am not saying it’s bad if parents divorce; that is not what I am saying. I know plenty of people are better off because their parents are not together any longer. I am saying that I can’t relate to what Fizzy is dealing with in the book, feeling like leftovers. But I can relate to the feeling of not being enough. So in that way, I can relate to Fizzy.

I enjoyed seeing her grow and mature as the story progressed. She was relatively new to the neighborhood and school. And because of that, she had no friends and didn’t feel as though she deserved any. As time passes, she makes two friends without trying, merely by being there. It takes her time to realize that maybe leftovers aren’t all bad, and sometimes they are even better than they were when they were originally made.

Looking for some more books to read? Check out my other book reviews and my monthly reading wrap-ups.