Sugar - Deirdre Riordan Hall - A Short Summary & Review

 Sugar - Deirdre Riordan Hall - A Short Summary & Review

By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures

A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review

A girl finds hope after being weighed down.

A short summary:

Sugar follows a teenage girl struggling under the weight of expectations, self-doubt, and the quiet loneliness that so often defines adolescence. Burdened by body image issues and a deep sense of not belonging, she searches for something, anything, that might make her feel lighter, seen, and worthy.

Through moments of vulnerability, resilience, and self-discovery, Sugar becomes a story about learning to hope again after being weighed down for far too long. It captures the fragile space between who we are told to be and who we are slowly becoming, offering grace to a season of life that is rarely gentle.

My favorite quote from the book:

"I've always been too much and yet, not enough."

- Deirdre Riordan Hall, Sugar

Questions to ponder while reading:

What do you use for comfort?

What burdens do you carry?

My review:

This is a beautiful coming-of-age novel that understands just how hard the teenage years can be. Sugar doesn’t rush healing or offer easy answers; it honors the messy, confusing reality of growing up.

I related to so much of this book. The longing to be enough. The feeling of being “too much” and still somehow invisible. The quiet hope that maybe things can change, even when you’re not sure how.

Hall writes with honesty and compassion, making Sugar a deeply relatable and affirming read for anyone who remembers how heavy adolescence can feel, or who is still carrying those echoes into adulthood.

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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller based in Tontitown, Arkansas.

She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.

You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.

✨ #TakeTheBackRoads

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