Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood

Bliss was a semi-predictable but nonetheless lovely fantasy story. Rose Bliss, the most responsible of the four Bliss children, is left with the task of running the family bakery while her parents are out of town. While this would normally be an overwhelming job, it's made even more so since this is no ordinary bakery. It's a magical bakery whose confections seem to clear up everything from heartbreak to the flu. But not while the 'rents are away! For now, the magical cookbook is locked away and only Rose has the key. However, no sooner have Mr. and Mrs. Bliss driven away than mysterious Aunt Lily arrives on her motorcycle, claiming to be a long-lost relation and vowing to help lift the burden of running the bakery from Rose's shoulders while her parents are gone. There's something odd about Aunt Lily, though, if only Rose could figure out before it's too late...

Tween readers will enjoy this tale of a girl who's burdened with more than her share of responsibility and has a few insecurities about her appearance and self-worth. Mayhem and mischief abound, and many of the recipes reminded me of Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's "cures" from Betty MacDonald's classic tales. I enjoyed this book, and the cliffhanger ending was just enough to peak my interest in a sequel.

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

“Hershey’s Kisses, the Thin voice said. Twenty-five calories.
The Thin voice whispered, Brown rice, one hundred thirty-five calories. Steamed broccoli, two cups, fifty calories. One bite of chicken, thirty-six calories. Two hours on the exercise bike.

A diet is temporary, the Thin voice said knowingly. Being thin is forever.”

The Thin voice won’t go away. It is constantly there to remind Lisabeth Lewis that she is a failure. Everyone is thin, why not her? Life deals another twist of cruel fate when Lisabeth makes a deal with Death himself. Her new job? She is now Famine…as in one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Lisabeth must now face hunger in a way that she never thought of. She is slammed face first into a world were millions go without food every day, not because they are on a diet, but because they are on the brink of starvation and death. Lisabeth must learn to use her new power to not only help fight the injustices of the world and keep balance, but also the personal demons that live inside her.

Jackie Morse Kessler uses the historic story of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the current epidemic of eating disorders to create a story that will suck you in. As the Thin voice plagues Lisabeth into a world of despair, you are completely enthralled at the ironic twist of her being forced to be Famine. Kessler’s unique writing style is sharp, refreshing, and completely addicting. Given the fact the Hunger is only 177 pages, Kessler is able to create a storyline that is well developed, but quick to the point. Hunger is the first installment of the Riders of the Apocalypse series. Rage, the second in the series, was released in April of 2011 and the third installment in the series, Loss, was just released in March 2012. Once you start this series you will not want to put it down.

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

“This is the box, Ed. Inside is everything. This is it, Ed. The whole
story of why we broke up."

In Why We Broke Up, Min Green explains to her completely different ex-boyfriend the moments that led to their break up. As Min makes her way through a keepsake box, she reveals the start of the relationship, how they fell in love, and the heartbreak that was unavoidable. The mundane objects in Min’s box all represent a moment that made Min questioned the romance of such a dissimilar couple.

 A Printz honor for excellence in Young Adult Literature, Why We Broke Up will send you back in time to when you felt that first pang of love and the earth-shattering pain of your first breakup. We have all been there and we go through it with Min as she re-hatches what exactly went wrong for the basketball team co-captain and classic film connoisseur couple.

Author Daniel Handler, from the famed Lemony Snicket series, weaves a tale of love and heartbreak that we have all known. This book made me laugh, cry, and want to scream at the extreme use of fragmented and run-on sentences. About forty or so pages into Min’s story I was sure Handler had set me up for a disastrous storyline, but I stuck with it and am I glad I did. The feeling of nostalgia that haunts this book cannot be denied. A tale of first love and heartache is one that anyone can relate to. We might not all have Min’s story, but we have all felt her pain.

Be sure to check out the back cover as some of today's most popular authors share their first love/first heartbreak stories.

Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald

From the moment seventeen-year old Sadie saw Garrett Delaney she knew that they were perfect for each other. How couple they possibly not be together? Fast forward two years and Sadie and Garrett are inseparable...as best friends. They share everything together...movies, music, and clothing styles. Only problem is that Sadie is still madly in love with Garrett. Too bad he is so busy dating every other girl but Sadie to notice. Now Garrett is off to writers camp for six weeks and Sadie is left at home. Will this be the opportunity she needs to get over Garrett? Or will the six weeks apart make him realize that she is the one for him? 

In Getting Over Garrett Delaney, Sadie starts to realize there is more to life than Garrett. She ventures out and makes new friends, while connecting with old ones. She begins to learn relationship lessons that many girls in their twenties and thirties are still learning. Getting Over Garrett Delaney is a great reminder of how often anyone can get so caught up with the person they are infatuated with that they forget about everything else in life. Abby McDonald paints a funny story with some unique characters and some hard truths. Sadie has to take a hard look at herself and realize the person she has become might not be the person she wants to be.

The Cahill Witch Chronicles: Book 1: Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

In an alternate 1800s New England, sixteen-year-old Cate Cahill is a witch. So are her younger sisters Maura and Tess. Unfortunately, witchery is considered devil-sent. “Women who can do magic – they’re either mad or wicked. Destined for an asylum at best, or a prison ship or an early grave.” So Cate and her sisters must hide their magic, practicing only where they cannot be discovered and learning more about control than ability.

When a nosy neighbor persuades Cate’s father to hire a governess, it increases Cate’s fear that their secret will be revealed. Not only that, but her intention ceremony is quickly approaching, and she must publicly and irrevocably declare her vow to join the Sisterhood or announce her engagement – to her choice or someone the Brothers choose for her.

Then there’s the diary, and the letter, and the prophecy…and there’s Finn.

This novel was absolutely riveting. The author has done an amazing job weaving all of the details and plot threads into a cohesive and fascinating read. I highly recommend this one to fans of romance, paranormal romance, historical fiction, and suspense.

Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani

In Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani, Shalini has only known one world: India. She lives in a massive house with 37 of her relatives and loves it. She has been engaged to Vikram, the man of her dreams, since she was three years old. Nothing could spoil her wonderful life…except when her father decides to take a new job and uproot her family to L.A. How could she possibly adjust to this completely different lifestyle? Her little sister seems to jump right in, while her mother struggles more and more with these new surroundings. As Shalini adjusts to live in California, will she be able to hold onto the world she has always known and the person she has always known herself to be?

                I instantly gravitated to Lovetorn because of my unhealthy obsession with anything related to India. This was a pretty easy and straightforward read. The author provides a glossary to help the reader understand the different foods, phrases, and words that Shalini uses. This is a great reference tool and I was really glad it was included. Daswani creates a storyline around Shalini’s mother that I thought was very well written and crucial to Shalini’s struggles to accept this new lifestyle. Some of Shalini’s actions and feelings did not seem genuine to me. I think the author could have spent more time on Shalini’s transition from being completely in love with Vikram to realizing that she might feel different. I would have liked to have seen the author develop more into the secondary characters, especially Sangita, Shalini’s little sister and Toby, an American boy who makes Shalini rethink everything she knows. Other than that, Lovetorn provides an insightful look at the lifestyles of India and the transition that many teen immigrants face.  

My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan by Seth Rudestsky

Justin Goldblatt is tired of being the unpopular kid in high school. Sure there are about six kids that he is more popular than, but Justin dreams of being the guy that everyone wants to be. So he devises a plan. First he needs to get Chuck the quarterback to notice him. With a quarterback as a boyfriend, Justin will be unstoppable. Too bad is plan is destined to fail. 

  My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan is the first novel by Seth Rudestsky, who is a Broadway actor and SiriusXM radio host. One thing that really irked me about Rudestsky’s writing style was his tendency for the character of Justin to randomly ramble about absolutely nothing that pertained of helped the story. I wasn’t invested in the storyline and I felt like I needed adderall to keep up with his writing. The premise behind the storyline is interesting, especially when Justin has to pretend to be the boyfriend of Becky, the most popular girl in school. Now add in the fact that Becky is the secret girlfriend of Chuck, the object of Justin's affection, and you have a recipe for disaster for poor Justin. The two supporting characters of Spencer and Becky did help keep the story grounded, but the main character of Justin was more annoying than relatable