Book Review – Six Dates to Disaster

Six Dates to Disaster by Cynthia Toney

Six Dates to Disaster is the third book in Cynthia Toney’s Bird Face Series. This series follows the life of teen Wendy Robichaud. Wendy is a good kid whose seemingly innocent decisions lead to some trouble in her life. I found her predicament in this novel to be quite relatable. Often teens don’t purposely make bad choices but instead get into trouble as good intentions somehow spiral out of control. In this book Wendy finds herself trying to raise money to visit her beloved elderly friend, Mrs. V. Trying to achieve her goal leads to some problems with friends, relationship, family and school.

Cynthia Toney’s style is always easy to read, enjoyable and flows so easily that I find myself devouring her stories quickly. As with her other books, this novel deals with many everyday challenges that teens might face such as financial difficulties, blended families, issues with dating and friendships, as well as facing consequences for their actions. Readers of the previous books in this series will be happy to know all the wonderful characters from the first two books are back. I don’t know if the author is planning on writing a fourth novel in this series but she left me wondering what happens next and hoping for more.

When Wendy’s family faces financial hardship, she must find a way to see Mrs. V and Sam again–but will she lose David forever in the process?

For her mom’s birthday, Wendy finds an old jewelry box at a flea market–the perfect gift for someone who loves salvaged junk. But inside the box is a cryptic note that appears to have been written recently. Wendy’s curiosity leads her on a search with boyfriend David at her side, eager to help. Who wrote the note, and did the intended recipient ever see it?

But Wendy needs more personal and urgent help–the financial kind. Wendy’s stepfather has lost his job, and the family’s plan to visit Alaska on vacation is headed down the sewer like a hard Louisiana rain. How will Wendy ever see Mrs. V or Sam again?

An opportunity arrives in the form of tutoring Melissa, one of the Sticks, and Wendy’s money problems appear to be solved–until the arrangement takes a turn that gets Wendy into trouble like never before.

In the final months of ninth grade, she might lose everything she counted on for the future.

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