Scrambled Eggs at Midnight
“Eliot’s parents are too preoccupied with running a religious weight-loss camp, whose slogan is “What Would Jesus Eat?” to notice him. Calliope’s mother works as a wench at a Renaissance Faire and her father hasn’t spoken to her in years. When Eliot and Calliope meet, fireworks explode — both literally and figuratively. Filled with characters that readers will swear are sittng right there in their living room, and told in sparkling language filled with lines that are laugh-aloud funny and achingly real, Scrambled Eggs at Midnight is a delicious treat.”
Calliope is tired of being dragged by her mother cross-country from Renaissance Faire (don’t forget the “e”) after Renaissance Faire. Eliot longs for the day when his father used to sell swimming pools — before he “found God,” and subsequently founded the fat camp for Christian kids (“What would Jesus eat?”), thereby also discovering financial success. When Cal and Eliot meet, there’s instantly chemsitry — literally and figuratively. Do they have a future? Or will Eliot’s father and Cal’s mother (and her jouster boyfriend) tear them apart?
SCRAMBLED EGGS is a romantic comedy with an almost classic feel. Cal and Eliot feel like people you know even as they face unusual, even surreal, circumstances with humor and aplomb.
-Lesléa Newman, author of JAILBAIT
Through Calliope (aka Cal) and Eliot’s alternating, distinct and believable teen voices, Barkley and Hepler present a heartwarming glimpse into a summer romance. Before meeting, life for Cal and Eliot has been far from normal. For Cal, life has meant moving every few months when her mother gets the urge and for Eliot, life has centered on his evangelical father’s Sonshine Valley Christian Camp. However, despite their different backgrounds and parents’ wishes, Cal and Eliot share a summer of laughter and stolen romantic moments…A satisfying read made richer by the better writing than that offered in most teen romances.
-GregLSBlog
Calliope once lived happily with her artist parents. Then her mother decided to find herself, and now she and her daughter pack up and go at a moment’s notice, following Renaissance Faires around the country. Eliot once lived with his normal family on the Carolina coast where they were all very happy. Then his father found God and dragged them to the woods to start a Fat Camp based on the motto, “What Would Jesus Eat?” In alternating chapters, readers follow Cal and Eliot as they struggle with growing up, finding themselves, and finding one another. While each narrator has a clear and unique voice, the two work together in perfect harmony. Supporting characters-all adults-are well developed and distinctive. Reluctant teen readers may be drawn to this title by the bubble-gum-cutesy cover, but they will be hooked by the strong, quirky story of love and family.
-Kirkus Review
