Sarah Zorn tells her story in three parts, all through journal entries. In the first third, Sarah is living in her tiny hometown in Wisconsin, worrying about her best friend, a boy, who is NOT her boyfriend. But then her somewhat loopy grandmother, known to all as Z, shows up with two tickets to Rome, and says she wants Sarah to go with her. Then we make an abrupt leap, and the journal entries are all in Rome, with nobody but her grandmother that we know. I found this disconcerting. However, the first two parts are brought together for the most part in the final portion of the novel, in which Sarah is back home again, and worrying about her not-boyfriend, but even more about her grandmother and all that she learned about family history while she was in Rome.
This book is set in the same world, and involves some of the same characters as are in Murdock's "Dairy Queen" Trilogy; however, it is not part of the series, and can be read independently before or after reading the others - or just by itself (though "Dairy Queen" is the best book of the lot, so if you only read one, make it that one.) ( )

This one didn't really fit with the others. I know it's supposed to read a little younger, but that didn't make sense for me as part of the rest of the series. It really doesn't work to have the last book be for a younger audience. ( )

This is cute. Sarah's relationship with her grandma is complex, and I love how honest the story is about how that makes Sarah feel. I don't read enough books about intergenerational family relationships. But Sarah never quite felt real to me. Her "sciencey" tone of voice felt forced sometimes. She is, alas, no DJ (but who is?). ( )

It's weird to not have DJ as the main character. The very few moments she was around I wanted a new book with her in college. I so miss her. Sarah was a very mg character. Though her story was interesting on it's own. I did get a little emotional and dad about it all ending. ( )

I picked this up from the new shelf at the library because I really admired [Dairy Queen]. At first, I was sorely disappointed with 14 year old Sarah as narrator. The first section of the book is pretty juvenile, which I guess is the point. The presence of DJ as a minor character helped some.
I was glad of the relief when Grandma Z takes over the narrative in the second section, though she proves almost as juvenile.
The last section, where Sarah is just old enough to process some of the complexities of life, is well done. I guess it was worth the trip. Though how ANYONE could spoil being in Rome is still a mystery to me.
Ps: Murdock makes a point of the regional name of something. Sarah remarks that the Italians call it cola while she knows it as pop.
Things may have changed in the interim, but 50 years ago, my Wisconsin cousins made fun of my Pittsburgh use of the word pop, insisting SODA is correct.