Vinegar Street

...here--on Vinegar Street--nothing about Poppy alarms anyone. No one bats an eyelid at her ankle-length black dress (decorated with a pattern of white skulls) or her long silk gloves (black, naturally)or her hair (very long, very straight and very black). And as for her shoes (the clumpiest, highest and--you've guessed it!--blackest platforms you've ever seen) ... well, amongst the rubble and weeds of Vinegar Street, Poppy fits in just fine.

Vinegar Street is no ordinary street and Poppy Picklesticks is certainly no ordinary girl, but the two complement each other perfectly. So when Mandy Nylon--all blonde hair, perfect make-up, neon-white teeth, look-at-my-curves dresses and a backside that wiggles so hard you could attach cocktail shakers to it--moves into the street, Poppy's world is rocked. Everyone is charmed by the newcomer but Poppy and the tingling voice inside her head are pretty sure that there is more to this woman than meets the eye and a battle of wills that leaves the reader pretty breathless ensues.

Philip Ridley certainly has a way with words and in Vinegar Streethe lets rip with a barrage of snappy dialogue and crafty prose that runs like a river of poetry across the pages and into the imagination. Older readers will simply love the sharp and snappy humour, and the tight characterisation that drives the unusual and intrepid plot as it races towards its conclusion.

A dream of a book for readers like their fiction with a twist, VinegarStreet is a confident and unforgettable story that lets the imagination fly. Age 11 and over. --Susan Harrison

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This book is suspenseful and has a tinge of magic! - Rated
Alert! Danger!
Poppy Picklesticks is a born inventor. Living on the tattered, rickety and broken Vinegar Street with Uncle Larry, FudgeMa and Auntie Bruiser is Poppy Picklesticks. Tingle Voice a secret, mysterious voice inside her, senses danger one-day when a moving truck parks in front of #7 Vinegar St. unloading flowery furniture the kind she hates. But it's still Poppy's dream house. The next day she hears horrible humming which is the new owner of #7 Vinegar Street. Poppy dislikes the pink nail polished, curly haired Mandy Nylon the minute she meets her.
But Mandy Nylon hides a secret and her real self. The nasty woman also repainting the crumbling walls of the houses, weeding gardens full of wondrous treasure. She's making practically all houses on the block "Her Way." In one word, "BEAUTIFUL" yuck! Everyone is under Mandy Nylon's evil spell except FudgeMa (Poppy's mother) and Poppy herself. Can Poppy reveal Mandy Nylon's big secret and save Vinegar Street or does she have to get kicked out of her house she loves she's lived in all her past life?
Well you've got to read the book first.

What did I like about it?
This book is quite suspenseful and has a tinge of magic that I really like myself. Even though it's a chapter book don't miss the pictures by Stephen Lee. Some are hilarious and are really creepy. I would probably recommend it to ages 9 and up. This is a 5 out of 5 star book! Don't miss this great read and that's final!
By Maya H.

I spent the next seven hours thinking about it! - Rated
Vinegar Street by Philip Ridley

Vinegar Street is a great book. It tells the story of Poppy Picklesticks, a twelve year old girl, who happily lives her weird life on Vinegar Street. Then, one terrible day, a huge car pulls up in Vinegar Street. In the car, sits Mr Harmony, the Housing Company man. But who's that Lady with him? Well, it's none other than the horrendously fashionable, loud-mouthed, Curvy-Wurvy, Girly-girly Mandy Nylon. Poppy suspects that Mandy is up to something, and clues lead her to believe that Mandy is hiding something in her house. But what ! Phillip Ridley has a reputation for writing weird and wonderful stories and he hasn't let his readers down with this one. I stayed up half the night reading it and when I'd finished it I spent the next seven hours thinking about it!

Unlike any other book I have read - Rated
I loved this book, it was really a very good buy I am willing them to make it into a t.v. series! I think it would be most appreaciated by some one aged 10-13. The wonderfull rivelry between Poppy and Mandy is truley greatly written. Light hearted and funny I`d recomend you try it!

Poppy and Vinegar Street Rock ! - Rated
The book is wonderful, I've never read any other books by Philip Ridley but now I know just what a genius he is! The story is unbelievable but easy to relate to. I'm twelve too, twelve years,three months and six days old, and I think Poppy is marvelous. Imagine being able to contact your friend by using telepathy! Work of a Genius!

This is an excellent book! - Rated
I think this book is excellent.I have read all of the other Philip Ridley books and i didn't realise he was bringing out another book. I think the ending is really exciting and i think it is the right kind of ending for the book.As soon as i started to read i couldn't stop.It is really easy to read and i think this book is for children about 9-12.