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lobeliaparides's review against another edition
5.0
It was a really good book, though sad at times. I couldn't get over Shelvis, I thought the name was hilarious. Though it was sad that their father was not there, at all, for them. But they still had a happy ending without him and that's what matters. :)
stephlo's review against another edition
3.0
I actually think this is more of a four star read in terms of style, engagement, plot, but I just couldn’t give that rating for a book that has two deeply problematic patterns normalized in it: first, casual sexual harassment/assault that is cast as something women should just have to deal with, and second, very intense parentification. The main character, a high schooler, took on WAY too much responsibility—I was also raised by a single mom and I completely understand the economical pressures that put unfair weight on Hudson’s shoulders, but this can actually be a deeply traumatic experience for youth and I thought the author totally dropped the ball on the real messaging of the stresses of poverty with any substantial acknowledgement of how unfair Hudson’s situation actually was.
Again, well written on the surface level, but don’t throw in serious issues for the sake of plot if you can’t critically engage with them, in my opinion; there is definitely a way to do that while still keeping this a lighthearted YA book. And definitely don’t teach teenage girls to that sexual harassment is part of the job.
Again, well written on the surface level, but don’t throw in serious issues for the sake of plot if you can’t critically engage with them, in my opinion; there is definitely a way to do that while still keeping this a lighthearted YA book. And definitely don’t teach teenage girls to that sexual harassment is part of the job.
christajls's review against another edition
4.0
I could go for about a dozen cupcakes right about now.
dizzybell06's review against another edition
3.0
I would give this book a 3.5. While I really enjoyed the book, I wanted to scream at Hudson a lot of the time. It's not that I didn't like her character I just think she created some unnecessary drama - she seems to have unresolved issues with almost everyone she comes into contact with and does little to fix these issues. I enjoyed the cupcake flavored - they all sounded really good. Although I like the ending I wish there was more of Josh in the book and that the book could have either had them get together earlier on or continued so we could read a little about their relationship. I also would have liked to see how the wolf pack ended their season - whether they won or not and what happened to the coaches and time if they did or didn't win. I think some of the best parts of the book were between Hudson and the wolf pack and I wish there could have been more of that towards the end of the book.
girlinthepages's review against another edition
3.0
While I enjoy Sarah Ockler's writing, I once again seem unable to truly find my groove with them. I was enticed by Bittersweet from the gorgeous cover, the baking premise, and the wintery setting (it's rare to find a book that takes place during the winter/Christmas that doesn't feel dominated by the holiday, but this definitely doesn't!). However, though I enjoyed the plot and overall story, my dislike and frustration of many of the core characters marred by overall enjoyment of the novel.
Bittersweet follows Hudson, a "retired" figure skater in her late-ish teens, who gave up her dream in the midst of family drama and is starting to look back on what she potentially missed, as she toils all of her free time away working in her mom's diner. A series of events lead her back to the ice, where she's desperate to compete in one last competition that could re-launch her skating career, college scholarship included, which is likely her only way out of her tiny town in rural New York, where the thread of having to inherit the diner from her mother one day looms. As Hudson sneaks in skating in her free time, she's helped along by an unlikely partnership with her high school's local ice hockey team.
Now, there were a lot of elements to this book that I loved- the diner setting was fun and interesting, the family dynamics were a huge part of the novel (from her AWOL Dad, her mother who made me want to pull my hair out, and her ADORABLE little brother and his pet hamster, Mr. Napkins), and I found myself looking up ice skating videos online to keep up with the terminology and found myself fascinated by the amazing feats of athleticism that figure skaters do. Also, as the cover artwork suggests, there's a theme of baking throughout the story, with Hudson baking cupcakes at her mom's diner to help them stay afloat, and the beginning of each chapter begins with one of Hudson's cupcake recipes, which generally mirrors her mood or what is going to happen in that chapter. It's really unique and adds a very personal touch to the novel.
However, there were so many frustrating decisions made by the characters that I found myself annoyed for a great portion of reading the book. The hockey boys were largely sexist, immature jerks (and I did not warm to them by the end), Hudson's mom was bleeding the family dry (financially and emotionally) with her diner business, and Hudson herself yo-yo'd between being extremely selfish and extremely self-sacrificing. I also took issue with her friend Danni, who wavered between being extremely supportive and extremely judgemental. Yes, flawed characters are interesting and no one is perfect, but the characters were just constantly upsetting each other or not communicating with each other and navigating their drama and the consequences grew tiresome after a while. There was also a love triangle situation with Hudson and two hockey boys, and while handled much better than other YA love triangles, I also didn't find myself super convinced by one side or the other- in fact, I think there was ENOUGH going on with Hudson's family life and skating life that adding a romance to the mix almost felt like too much.
I will say that the tone of this book perfectly matched the title- while there's plenty of "sweetness" from the cupcakes to Hudson's adorable brother to the glitzy world of figure skating, the bitter makes it mark too through Hudson's resentment, the doors of opportunity that have been closed to her and the suffocating, impending nature of her future by the diner- a presence in her life that's as comforting as it is claustrophobic. While at times the characters' fickleness irritated me, I felt for the longing Hudson and so many others had of carving out their own opportunities and leading lives outside of their small towns and outside of the paths their parents have forged. It's bitter and hard and sometimes dark in its portrayal that not everyone has the means and privilege to reject their hometown and lead a completely different life once they hit 18.
Overall: I'm certainly glad I read Bittersweet- its small town warmth and diner setting enveloped me the way a comforting winter rerun of Gilmore Girls does. However, the characters' often frustrated me and I had trouble consistently rooting for any of them, or being supportive of their decisions. I also grew bored toward the middle as I had little investment in the hockey boys' plot line and have a short attention span in general when it comes to books. However, I feel as though I've lived and loved in a tiny town in northern New York after being immersed in Ockler's writing and it's the perfect contemporary novel to curl up with on a cold winter night with a plate of baked treats beside you.This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages
Bittersweet follows Hudson, a "retired" figure skater in her late-ish teens, who gave up her dream in the midst of family drama and is starting to look back on what she potentially missed, as she toils all of her free time away working in her mom's diner. A series of events lead her back to the ice, where she's desperate to compete in one last competition that could re-launch her skating career, college scholarship included, which is likely her only way out of her tiny town in rural New York, where the thread of having to inherit the diner from her mother one day looms. As Hudson sneaks in skating in her free time, she's helped along by an unlikely partnership with her high school's local ice hockey team.
Now, there were a lot of elements to this book that I loved- the diner setting was fun and interesting, the family dynamics were a huge part of the novel (from her AWOL Dad, her mother who made me want to pull my hair out, and her ADORABLE little brother and his pet hamster, Mr. Napkins), and I found myself looking up ice skating videos online to keep up with the terminology and found myself fascinated by the amazing feats of athleticism that figure skaters do. Also, as the cover artwork suggests, there's a theme of baking throughout the story, with Hudson baking cupcakes at her mom's diner to help them stay afloat, and the beginning of each chapter begins with one of Hudson's cupcake recipes, which generally mirrors her mood or what is going to happen in that chapter. It's really unique and adds a very personal touch to the novel.
However, there were so many frustrating decisions made by the characters that I found myself annoyed for a great portion of reading the book. The hockey boys were largely sexist, immature jerks (and I did not warm to them by the end), Hudson's mom was bleeding the family dry (financially and emotionally) with her diner business, and Hudson herself yo-yo'd between being extremely selfish and extremely self-sacrificing. I also took issue with her friend Danni, who wavered between being extremely supportive and extremely judgemental. Yes, flawed characters are interesting and no one is perfect, but the characters were just constantly upsetting each other or not communicating with each other and navigating their drama and the consequences grew tiresome after a while. There was also a love triangle situation with Hudson and two hockey boys, and while handled much better than other YA love triangles, I also didn't find myself super convinced by one side or the other- in fact, I think there was ENOUGH going on with Hudson's family life and skating life that adding a romance to the mix almost felt like too much.
I will say that the tone of this book perfectly matched the title- while there's plenty of "sweetness" from the cupcakes to Hudson's adorable brother to the glitzy world of figure skating, the bitter makes it mark too through Hudson's resentment, the doors of opportunity that have been closed to her and the suffocating, impending nature of her future by the diner- a presence in her life that's as comforting as it is claustrophobic. While at times the characters' fickleness irritated me, I felt for the longing Hudson and so many others had of carving out their own opportunities and leading lives outside of their small towns and outside of the paths their parents have forged. It's bitter and hard and sometimes dark in its portrayal that not everyone has the means and privilege to reject their hometown and lead a completely different life once they hit 18.
Overall: I'm certainly glad I read Bittersweet- its small town warmth and diner setting enveloped me the way a comforting winter rerun of Gilmore Girls does. However, the characters' often frustrated me and I had trouble consistently rooting for any of them, or being supportive of their decisions. I also grew bored toward the middle as I had little investment in the hockey boys' plot line and have a short attention span in general when it comes to books. However, I feel as though I've lived and loved in a tiny town in northern New York after being immersed in Ockler's writing and it's the perfect contemporary novel to curl up with on a cold winter night with a plate of baked treats beside you.This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages
nbwalks's review against another edition
5.0
This book reminded me of how much I love YA Contemporary. Lately I have mostly been reading Paranormal but now I've realized how much I've missed books like these.
It's not your average contemporary novel where EVERYTHING works out. It just leaves you with hope.
Hudson is a very relatable character. She has an uncertain future, hopes and dreams that she feels like she can no longer accomplish, along with normal teenage troubles. After her parents divorce, Hudson had to grow up fast. She can't really be a teenager because she has to take care of her brother and help her mom out with finances. She hides behind her cupcakes because of the pain she feels. This struck home for me because I'm practically in the same situation. My parents got divorced and I hid behind my books. I think Sarah Ockler did a great job at creating a realistic character that is in a tough situation. It never felt fake. It felt like Hudson was REAL and that was the best part.
All of the other characters were great too. Dani was a great best friend that I wish I had. Bugs was a fantastic little boy. Makes me wish I had a little brother. The whole wolfpack team were great too. They were created as boys really are. It was never exaggerated. Just perfect. I don't think I hated any of the characters. Even though it seemed like Will was about to become a jerk at some time, he never did. His vulnerability and the pressure from his family to be great causes the reader to empathize him. I don't know. I just couldn't help but love all of the characters...well, except maybe the dad. He's something else.
My point: Fantastic novel that I recommend to everyone!!!
It's not your average contemporary novel where EVERYTHING works out. It just leaves you with hope.
Hudson is a very relatable character. She has an uncertain future, hopes and dreams that she feels like she can no longer accomplish, along with normal teenage troubles. After her parents divorce, Hudson had to grow up fast. She can't really be a teenager because she has to take care of her brother and help her mom out with finances. She hides behind her cupcakes because of the pain she feels. This struck home for me because I'm practically in the same situation. My parents got divorced and I hid behind my books. I think Sarah Ockler did a great job at creating a realistic character that is in a tough situation. It never felt fake. It felt like Hudson was REAL and that was the best part.
All of the other characters were great too. Dani was a great best friend that I wish I had. Bugs was a fantastic little boy. Makes me wish I had a little brother. The whole wolfpack team were great too. They were created as boys really are. It was never exaggerated. Just perfect. I don't think I hated any of the characters. Even though it seemed like Will was about to become a jerk at some time, he never did. His vulnerability and the pressure from his family to be great causes the reader to empathize him. I don't know. I just couldn't help but love all of the characters...well, except maybe the dad. He's something else.
My point: Fantastic novel that I recommend to everyone!!!
bridgetteramirez's review against another edition
4.0
I could really use a cupcake after reading this. 3.5 stars.
rosalind14's review against another edition
3.0
3.5.
The three stars are pretty much solely because this book managed to combine three of my loves: figure skating, cupcakes, and New York. It's more of a rating of what this book could have been than what I was ultimately disappointed by upon reading. Hudson Avery (slightly off topic, but is that not one of the ugliest names for a girl?) abandoned her promising figure skating career after her parents' messy divorce; three years later, she struggles between priorities-- the possibility of a return to figure skating, her commitment to her mother's diner and passion for cupcake-making, and giving remedial training to the dismal boys' hockey team at her high school. I found myself continually frustrated with most of the characters, especially nearer to the end, and neither of the love interests did anything for me. This book could have been so much better. What's strange is that I loved Sarah Ockler's first book, Twenty Boy Summer. Neither of her later books have really compared for me.
All of that said, it did leave me with a lovely wintry cupcake-y sort of feeling, and I'd recommend it as a book to sit down with in a fluffy chair during a snow storm with a warm mug of hot chocolate and whipped cream.
The three stars are pretty much solely because this book managed to combine three of my loves: figure skating, cupcakes, and New York. It's more of a rating of what this book could have been than what I was ultimately disappointed by upon reading. Hudson Avery (slightly off topic, but is that not one of the ugliest names for a girl?) abandoned her promising figure skating career after her parents' messy divorce; three years later, she struggles between priorities-- the possibility of a return to figure skating, her commitment to her mother's diner and passion for cupcake-making, and giving remedial training to the dismal boys' hockey team at her high school. I found myself continually frustrated with most of the characters, especially nearer to the end, and neither of the love interests did anything for me. This book could have been so much better. What's strange is that I loved Sarah Ockler's first book, Twenty Boy Summer. Neither of her later books have really compared for me.
All of that said, it did leave me with a lovely wintry cupcake-y sort of feeling, and I'd recommend it as a book to sit down with in a fluffy chair during a snow storm with a warm mug of hot chocolate and whipped cream.
jgilge's review against another edition
3.0
This is the second book I've read by this author, and I liked it just as much as the first one. It was pretty predictable, but cute and sweet. I loved that the characters were easy to relate to, even if they were much younger than I am.