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S. J. Adams
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Sparks: The Epic, Completely True Blue, (Almost) Holy Quest of Debbie Kindle Edition

by S. J. Adams (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 21 ratings
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Do you feel lost? Confused? Alone? (Circle one): Yes or No. The Church of Blue can help. We are not a cult. $5 for a holy quest is a good deal. Since sixth grade, Debbie Woodlawn has nursed a secret, heart-searing crush on her best friend, Lisa. But all those years of pretending to enjoy Full House reruns and abstinence rallies with Lisa go down the drain when her friend hooks up with Norman, the most boring guy at school. This earth-shattering event makes Debbie decide to do the unthinkable: confess her love to Lisa. And she has to do it tonight—before Lisa and Norman go past “the point of no return.” So Debbie embarks on a quest to find Lisa. Guiding the quest are fellow students/detention hall crashers Emma and Tim, the founding (and only) members of the wacky Church of Blue. Three chases, three declarations of love, two heartbreaks, a break-in, and five dollars worth of gas later, Debbie has been fully initiated into Bluedaism—but is there time left to stop Lisa and Norman from going too far? Click here to view the book trailer for Sparks.
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    12 - 18 years
  2. Print length
    266 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    7 - 12
  5. Publication date
    August 25, 2016
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Outrageous, irreverent, and spiritual, Debbie, 16, has long had a secret crush on her best friend, Lisa, so she tags along to Lisa’s Active Christian Teens group in their Des Moines, Iowa, suburb. But after Lisa hooks up with a macho guy, Debbie joins fellow students Emma and Tim in their made-up religion, the Church of Blue, and together, they embark on a holy-quest checklist that leads them through a wild series of adventures, including breaking into a church and finding a naked couple making out in the coat room. Nonbelievers will have fun with Debbie’s contemporary first-person narrative and her wry view of orthodox religion (“Sometimes unanswered prayers are God’s greatest gifts”), and many readers will relate to the good girl who thinks it “feels good to become a bad-ass” and screams the f-word. In the climax, she overcomes her shame, reveals her crush, and realizes that the quest might help her find love with another girl. Many readers will relate to the story’s underlying question: What does normal mean? Grades 10-12. --Hazel Rochman

About the Author

S.J. Adams previously worked as the chief of the Smart Aleck Staff, the team that created the acclaimed Smart Aleck's Guide to American History by Adam Selzer. Adams lives in Chicago. Visit the author online at smartalecksguide.com or SJAdamsbooks.blogspot.com for more information.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01L2WLDBO
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Flux (August 25, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 25, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1181 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 266 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 21 ratings

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S. J. Adams

S. J. Adams

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
21 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Jenni French
5.0 out of 5 stars Sparks
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2013
Verified Purchase
Debbie has been best friends with Lisa since elementary school, and she's always done whatever Lisa wanted, including watching reruns of Full House ad nauseum. But now Lisa's dating Norman, and Debbie is forced to face the fact that 1) she likes Lisa as more than just a friend and 2) she doesn't know who she is apart from Lisa.

Enter Emma and Tim, the only two members of the Church of Blue, an invented religion that Emma is using to keep her around Tim and to keep them both on the somewhat straight and narrow. Debbie embarks on a holy quest with the Bluddhists, hoping to run into Lisa and tell her the truth before she hears it from someone else. Hijinks ensue.

I really enjoyed this book, in spite of my skepticism after reading the title. It is a really quick read and filled with plenty of funny moments to counteract all the emotional drama that comes when teenagers interact. This book is on the Stonewall list for this year, and I can see why it won the award.
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Melissa Rodriguez
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't let the silliness fool you, this book has a lot to say.
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2015
Verified Purchase
This book has so much heart. It's funny and irreverent without being mean. As a person of faith I didn't feel insulted. It's almost like Terry Pratchett writing realism about teenagers. Sure, there's jokes about mooning old ladies and the governor of Iowa, but there's also insight on trying to be someone you're not, unrequited love, dealing with and learning about sexuality, particularly not being straight, the terror of potential rejection, eating disorders and body image, promiscuity and judging others, faith... the list goes on. This is a great book for anyone who is sick of the Tragic Lesbian trope, or any teens coming to terms with their own sexuality. Enjoy the laughs and smiles but look beyond them and think. Over all brilliant, beautiful book. SJ Adams is gifted by Blue with a powerful Spark.
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Amanda
5.0 out of 5 stars Cute Story
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is a really cute story of coming into who you really are. Loved the ending. If you're looking for a story about people coming together this one is it.
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Anna Powers
5.0 out of 5 stars Anna
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2016
Verified Purchase
Read. This. Book. If you are a teenager I HIGHLY recommend this really underappreciated timeless novel of teen angst and faith.
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The Figment Review
4.0 out of 5 stars By Courtesy of the Figment Review at Figment[dot]com
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2011
By Meredith Hilton

According to the good folks at The American Heritage Dictionary, a spark is "an incandescent particle," "a glistening particle of something, as metal," or "a flash of light; especially, a flash produced by electric discharge." But according to Emma and Tim, two high school misfits in Des Moines, Iowa, a spark is the "spark of blue" that everyone has inside of them , given by Blueda, visible only to those practicing Bluedaism, and capable of creating amazing things if it encounters a complementary spark of blue in someone else. This made-up religion of the two best friends is the fulcrum of the novel and the result of both of their decisions to kick destructive habits (eating disorders for Emma and drinking for Tom).

A shy teen, Debbie Woodlawn (and her religion) is the complete opposite of Emma and Tom. Since middle school, she has attended Active Christian Teens with her best friend, Lisa, a conservative Christian. And she's also watched hour upon hour of Full House reruns with her, eaten with her, hung out with her, watched movies with her . . . and pretended to like boys with her.

Actually, Debbie has secretly harbored a painful crush on Lisa for years, pretending to believe everything they tell her in Active Christian Teens meetings, pretending to like Full House, and hiding her real beliefs and preferences just so she can be around Lisa. When Lisa begins dating the most boring guy in school, Debbie is distraught. But then Emma and Tom step in, inviting Debbie on a $5 holy quest¯an introduction to Bluedaism. From the beginning of the quest onwards, Sparks is a roller coaster ride. Everything imaginable happens, from meeting bowling alley skanks and praying, to naked angels on tricycles.

If any of this sounds fun, that's because it is. Sparks is, quite simply, a fun read. The trio of Bluedists go on side trips and adventures on their way to helping Debbie express her love for Lisa, and each one is more ridiculous than the last. This book is definitely a page turner, if only because you want to read what incredibly crazy thing Debbie, Emma, and Tom are going to do next. And you'll definitely know what they're doing, because S.J. Adams's descriptions are so vivid and precise it feels like you're reading in Technicolor. The plot is so fast-paced and surprising that even if you know how the story's going to end up, you're willing to suspend disbelief and go along for the ride.

And by chapter three, you will pretty much know how the story's going to end up. Sure, there are some minor hiccups along the way, but for the most part, the plot follows the typical young adult hero template. Except this time it's not a young girl during the Holocaust or an Indian student attending Harvard, but a teenaged lesbian in love with her best friend.

Basically, don't look to Sparks to stir up deep thoughts. First off, books aren't the best tools for stirring (I'd suggest a spoon), and secondly, it's not going to challenge any of your assumptions, broaden any of your horizons, or rock any of your socks. What I can guarantee it will do is make you laugh¯and kind of want to go on a holy Bluedist quest yourself. So grab Sparks if you're headed for the beach or a long plane ride, and revel in irreverence.
3 people found this helpful
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Carson Hall
5.0 out of 5 stars Holy Nebraska, this is a great book!
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2017
I am a 58 year old woman who still enjoys reading YA fiction. This book was amazing! I don't have much time to read but I still finished it in two days. I'm sure you can get the synopsis from other peoples reviews, so I am just going to say that I found that I could totally relate to Emma, who seemed a little off to the other characters, but seemed to be someone that I would have loved to be friends with. CAUTION TO PARENTS: If you tend to be more on the conservative side you may want to read this before giving it to your kid. This deals with very adult situations and there are some situations that may be too adult for your child. I go to monthly book sales at my local library and on the 4th day you can purchase a full shopping bag full of books for $4.00. I have found some really great reads that I would have never even thought of reading, and I feel so fortunate that I came across this one.
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