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bookph1le's review against another edition
2.0
Whew. This one took a long time to finish. It was a really clever idea, but the execution didn't excite me very much. More complete review to come.
Full review:
When I read the premise of Bliss, I was very intrigued. It sounded like such a fun idea: would the temptations of her family's magical bakery prove too much for young Rose Bliss? My daughter and I read the book over the course of several months and, though reading it in short chunks didn't help, it never really captured me the way I might have thought. Minor spoilers to follow.
I think the biggest problem with this book is it's far too wordy. It felt to me like there was a lot of filler that could have been trimmed, which would have made it a tighter, more compelling story. Since it's middle grade, I found it kind of odd that it delved into minutiae that struck me as the sort of details only adults might fully be able to appreciate. I know a lot of these things went straight over my daughter's head.
What I did like about the novel was Rose. I'm sure most kids can identify with feeling a little invisible at times. The book has some good things to say about the way people tend to fills the roles they're assigned. Rose is seen as the mature, responsible one, and she is, but she chafes under the weight of those expectations. She's likable and sympathetic, yet flawed in a way that makes her seem entirely real. Why wouldn't she find it hard to refuse someone who makes me feel like she exists? I really enjoyed her and thought her character was deftly handled.
Another strong point was Rose's relationship with Aunt Lily. Littlewood isn't heavy-handed about presenting Aunt Lily in a very self-serving way, but my daughter picked up on the subtext. We talked a lot about Aunt Lily and whether Rose really saw Lily as she actually was. I liked that she and I were able to dive into a pretty deep analysis of the book, yet in a way that clearly caught my daughter's interest instead of giving her the impression that we were having a literary lecture.
Still, there's just something so flat about this book. The recipes are interesting and the little stories accompanying them are fun, but they just never seemed to live up to their potential. Littlewood has something to say about the burdens of having special abilities and whether or not it's always a good idea to use them, and I thought it was all to the good that the recipes had consequences, but I didn't think the writing was quite deft enough to carry the stories. It's missing an essential spark that makes stories like this come to life.
While it felt fairly obvious to me that this book was meant to set up a series, I don't plan on coming back to it. It's not a badly done novel, it just wasn't one that really pulled me in. My daughter said she liked it, but she wasn't as excited about it as she has been with some of the other books we've read together, and she took a long hiatus at one point in favor of reading something else--usually a good indication that she's not entirely engaged with a story.
Full review:
When I read the premise of Bliss, I was very intrigued. It sounded like such a fun idea: would the temptations of her family's magical bakery prove too much for young Rose Bliss? My daughter and I read the book over the course of several months and, though reading it in short chunks didn't help, it never really captured me the way I might have thought. Minor spoilers to follow.
I think the biggest problem with this book is it's far too wordy. It felt to me like there was a lot of filler that could have been trimmed, which would have made it a tighter, more compelling story. Since it's middle grade, I found it kind of odd that it delved into minutiae that struck me as the sort of details only adults might fully be able to appreciate. I know a lot of these things went straight over my daughter's head.
What I did like about the novel was Rose. I'm sure most kids can identify with feeling a little invisible at times. The book has some good things to say about the way people tend to fills the roles they're assigned. Rose is seen as the mature, responsible one, and she is, but she chafes under the weight of those expectations. She's likable and sympathetic, yet flawed in a way that makes her seem entirely real. Why wouldn't she find it hard to refuse someone who makes me feel like she exists? I really enjoyed her and thought her character was deftly handled.
Another strong point was Rose's relationship with Aunt Lily. Littlewood isn't heavy-handed about presenting Aunt Lily in a very self-serving way, but my daughter picked up on the subtext. We talked a lot about Aunt Lily and whether Rose really saw Lily as she actually was. I liked that she and I were able to dive into a pretty deep analysis of the book, yet in a way that clearly caught my daughter's interest instead of giving her the impression that we were having a literary lecture.
Still, there's just something so flat about this book. The recipes are interesting and the little stories accompanying them are fun, but they just never seemed to live up to their potential. Littlewood has something to say about the burdens of having special abilities and whether or not it's always a good idea to use them, and I thought it was all to the good that the recipes had consequences, but I didn't think the writing was quite deft enough to carry the stories. It's missing an essential spark that makes stories like this come to life.
While it felt fairly obvious to me that this book was meant to set up a series, I don't plan on coming back to it. It's not a badly done novel, it just wasn't one that really pulled me in. My daughter said she liked it, but she wasn't as excited about it as she has been with some of the other books we've read together, and she took a long hiatus at one point in favor of reading something else--usually a good indication that she's not entirely engaged with a story.
wangliv's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
4.0
mehsi's review against another edition
3.0
Short review:
This was a fun book, however there were times I just wanted to drop the book. Rosemary was a nice character, but I felt she was a bit too whiny and was a bit to easy to manipulate. I also just got annoyed with her constant: My parents and my brothers take everything for granted, I am not awesome, I am not (insert something else). It all just got really boring and urgh soon. Which is a shame.
I loved the idea of a magic bakery where you can eat all kinds of food that do something magic (like curing an illness no one can cure, or lets you tell the truth only). However that there is a book where all this mentioned, it was to be expected that someone would steal it or try to get their hands on some of the recipes.
I also find it weird that they let some random family member inside their house/bakery. Another example of Rose and her letting everyone walk over her. Of course without Lily it wouldn't be a good book, this book needed a bad girl/guy who would try to get their hands on stuff.
All in all a fun book, but will I buy the second book? I am not sure yet. Maybe, maybe not.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
This was a fun book, however there were times I just wanted to drop the book. Rosemary was a nice character, but I felt she was a bit too whiny and was a bit to easy to manipulate. I also just got annoyed with her constant: My parents and my brothers take everything for granted, I am not awesome, I am not (insert something else). It all just got really boring and urgh soon. Which is a shame.
I loved the idea of a magic bakery where you can eat all kinds of food that do something magic (like curing an illness no one can cure, or lets you tell the truth only). However that there is a book where all this mentioned, it was to be expected that someone would steal it or try to get their hands on some of the recipes.
I also find it weird that they let some random family member inside their house/bakery. Another example of Rose and her letting everyone walk over her. Of course without Lily it wouldn't be a good book, this book needed a bad girl/guy who would try to get their hands on stuff.
All in all a fun book, but will I buy the second book? I am not sure yet. Maybe, maybe not.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
bumblemee's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
War süß, hat Spaß gemacht. Die Idee der Glücksbäckerei fand ich super kreativ und schön umgesetzt. Ich glaube, ich hätte diese Reihe sehr gern gemocht, hätte ich sie als Kind gelesen.
Nett zum zwischendurch hören, wenn man was Entspannendes möchte.
Nett zum zwischendurch hören, wenn man was Entspannendes möchte.
harleyrae's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5 stars
This book was super cute and quirky, it was just such a fun and magical read. The problems these kids tackle were funny and crazy, in the end I quite enjoyed this read. I did feel like though when I wasn't reading this I didn't care, it just feels like it's not a very memorable read. I'm not sure if I will continue on yet, but hopefully someday I'll make a trip back into this world.
This book was super cute and quirky, it was just such a fun and magical read. The problems these kids tackle were funny and crazy, in the end I quite enjoyed this read. I did feel like though when I wasn't reading this I didn't care, it just feels like it's not a very memorable read. I'm not sure if I will continue on yet, but hopefully someday I'll make a trip back into this world.
book_concierge's review against another edition
2.0
From the book jacket: Rosemary Bliss’s family has a secret. It’s the Bliss Cookery Booke – an ancient leather-bound volume of enchanted recipes like Singing Gingersnaps. Rose and her siblings are supposed to keep the Cookery Booke under lock and key while their parents are out of town, but then a m mysterious stranger shows up. “Aunt” Lily rides a motorcycle, wears purple sequins, and whips up exotic dishes for dinner.
My reactions
Okay, I knew it was a children’s middle-grade book, and I knew it involved magic. But still … this was just so awful I don’t even need some Cookies of Truth to write this review.
Rose is only eleven, but she is so unsure of herself, so certain she isn’t pretty or clever or (insert positive attribute here), and she bemoans her lack of looks, brains, etc on practically every page! Given her lack of confidence, it’s no wonder that she’s quickly seduced by Aunt Lily’s glamour and flattery. This, of course, makes me wonder why her parents would entrust the key to the special cabinet to Rose – or any of the children, for that matter. Why not just lock it up and take the key with them? Clearly, I’m not the intended audience, but I can’t imagine my nieces and nephews enjoying this either.
Still, I admit that some of the unintended results of their experiments were entertaining. So I’ll give it 2 stars.
My reactions
Okay, I knew it was a children’s middle-grade book, and I knew it involved magic. But still … this was just so awful I don’t even need some Cookies of Truth to write this review.
Rose is only eleven, but she is so unsure of herself, so certain she isn’t pretty or clever or (insert positive attribute here), and she bemoans her lack of looks, brains, etc on practically every page! Given her lack of confidence, it’s no wonder that she’s quickly seduced by Aunt Lily’s glamour and flattery. This, of course, makes me wonder why her parents would entrust the key to the special cabinet to Rose – or any of the children, for that matter. Why not just lock it up and take the key with them? Clearly, I’m not the intended audience, but I can’t imagine my nieces and nephews enjoying this either.
Still, I admit that some of the unintended results of their experiments were entertaining. So I’ll give it 2 stars.
williamabookworm's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
wondeurstruck's review against another edition
3.0
I honestly bought this because of the cover lol, but it turns out quite good as a children book. However, I won’t understand it if I did read the Indonesian translation as a child (so I guess it was the translator’s responsibility). It was exciting and the character Lily was unpredictable too. Looking forward to buy the next book.
amy_jo_verlinden's review against another edition
5.0
Het was super leuk om dit boek nog eens te lezen na enkele jaren, heel mooi en je krijgt direct zin om het volgende boek te lezen!