Crush. Candy. Corpse.

by Sylvia McNicoll

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Pub Date Feb 17 2012 | Archive Date Apr 14 2014

Description

Paradise Manor is depressing—the smells are bad and the residents are old. Sunny would much rather be doing her volunteer hours at Salon Teo, but her teacher won't let her. Who says volunteering at a hair salon doesn't benefit the community?

But working with the Alzheimer's patients has a surprising effect on Sunny. Along with Cole, the grandson of one of the residents, she begins to see that the residents don't have much more choice about their lives than she does: what they eat, how they are treated by staff, even what they watch on television. So Sunny does what she can to make the residents happy—even if she has to sometimes break the rules to do it.

When tragedy strikes at Paradise, Sunny's left to make the decision about whether or not to honor a promise that Cole made to his grandmother about her life . . . and her death.

Advance Praise

Short-listed - Red Maple Fiction Award 2013Short-listed - SYRCA Snow Willow Award 2013-2014
"The book casts [Sunny] as a typical teen in many respects, with all the powers of observation and all the daily struggles with the distractions of everyday life in adolescence... a good, solid examination of an important ethical topic for teens to consider."- VOYA
"...fast-paced and powerful. From the touching dedication to the unravelling of the forty-first hour, my attention was held....McNicoll has created a character that many students will relate to."- Resource Links
"The book follows high school student Sonja (Sunny) Ehret as she stands trial for manslaughter. Every chapter alternates between last year (Sunny serving volunteers hours on an Alzheimers ward), and this year (Sunnys manslaughter trial). So just how are the two connected? Well you have to pick up this uh-mazing book to find out! I actually read this book in less than a day as I could just not put it down."- Brianne Peters http://booksintransit.wordpress.com
"Crush. Candy. Corpse. is a strong narrative that engages the readers to contemplate some big philosophical issues surrounding health care, assisted suicide and the fine lines of right and wrong."- Stacey Matson Keen Readers
"McNicoll expertly combines three different narratives and works on multiple levels to provide us with various versions of the same story so that we are compelled to look at all points of view and draw our own conclusions." Recommended.- Melanie Fishbane, Canadian Children's Book News
"Sunny is a strong, realistic, witty character with whom the intended audience will readily identify... The portrayal of Alzheimer's patients is extraordinarily well done...The compassion of Sunny, Cole and Gillian will linger long in the minds of the intended reader...The dialogue is witty and engaging, reflective of today's world, moving the plot along smartly and revealing character intuitively...The themes of compassion for the elderly, euthanasia and falling in love will resonate with the intended audience." Highly Recommended.- Joan Marshall CM Magazine
"captivating...Sylvia McNicoll gets Sunny's voice perfect, introducing the narrator as a teen who can make questionable decisions (as we all do when inexperienced) but who has the capacity to see beyond her initial assessments and amend her own actions and beliefs accordingly."- Helen Kubiw, CanLit for Little Canadians
The narrative is brisk and engaging and presents an intriguing debate on assisted suicide, quality versus quantity of life, and the treatment of seniors with Alzheimers.- Denise Reich, Shameless Magazine
"Sunny is a realistic and believable protagonist experiencing authentic events and responding with genuine reactions."- The Deakin Review of Children's Literature