Second line cover

Second line

by Poppy Z. Brite

"'The Value of X' introduces Rickey and G-man, who are slowly realizing there are only two important things in life: cooking...and each other. It's a love story that unfolds over eggplant quiche, Gulf oysters, and braised pork shanks in the vibrant, gritty world of 1990s New Orleans. Rickey and G-man must navigate the end of childhood, the challenges of family and separation, and their divergent ambitions, to unearth the elusive, intangible worth of true love: the total value of X" --Cover, p. 4. "When 'D*U*C*K' picks up, Rickey and G-man are owners and co-chefs of Liquor, of New Orleans' most popular restaurants. Not content with fighting off vengeful former employees or conquering the competition, Rickey pushes G-Man to cater the Ducks Unlimited banquet, where every course must include the ducks the hunters have bagged. Rickey's crew is ready but he's not sure he can do it all and deal with the guest of honor: childhood hero, former New Orleans Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert" --Cover, p. 4.

More by Poppy Z. Brite

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?