Bittersweet (2012) (edit title/settings)

• Rated 5 stars

“Loved It!”

• Rated 4 stars

“By the look of this cover, I was expecting something very girly and sweet. And that's exactly what I got. A girl who's fighting with different wars in her family, friends, as well as in herself. As a child Hudson was the prima dona ice skater. Her dad was her biggest supporter. But one day she finds a piece of clothing in her room that changes her entire world. She gives up skating and acts as though she never did it to begin with. Then one day out of the blue, something comes and turns her world upside down all over again. Along the say there's this gorgeous guy who is making life a lot harder than it needs to be.
First off, I want to say that I love this cover. The colors go great and I love the heart with the puzzle pieces. I just wish it had a cupcake on it instead of a cookie. Only because a HUGE chunk of the story is about cupcakes. Every chapter features one. (Note: Be sure to have something to nibble on when you read this, because it will indeed make you hungryyyy.)
I also really liked this refreshing bit of realistic fiction. Everything was done like a movie. From the ice skating, to the hockey, to the females and their fights between friends. It was extremely believable and even taught me a thing or two about two sports I knew nothing about before hand.
The best thing about this book was the characters. Bug was sooo cute and so funny. I pictured him with some huge glasses that magnified his eyes like a real bug. And I loved that he was so smart. Its not normal that characters are that age and at that level. Then there was Josh. He was definitely swoon worthy. With me being such a music fanatic, I would have fallen for him with that first jump drive. As for Dani, I really didn't know what to think about her. Although she was nice, she was also a little needy too. It was like she couldn't do anything without Hudson. It just seemed a little awkward for me. Lastly, Hudson was an amazing MC. I was immersed in her snark and sarcasm. Her wit made the book.
The one thing I did not like about the book was everyone's selfishness. It just seemed like everyone was more into what they wanted and didn't care about Hudson. Like she had so much on her shoulders and she was just a teenager. I understand that she didn't want something, but at the same time she needed to figure it out for herself. Not have everyone mad at her because she wanted to do it.
This book was the perfect winter read. With all the snow and ice it more than made of for the lack of cold weather here in Texas. Although the weather in the book was cold, Bittersweet didn't fail to warm me up with love and laughter. (Ok maybe that was a bit corny, but its 100% true lol)”

• Rated 5 stars

“If you’re a sucker for a love story like me, you should definitely read Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler. This book is about a girl named Hudson Avery, who has always dreamed of being a professional ice skater. But suddenly, her world starts to fall apart and she throws away all her chances of going pro. Years later, she is stuck in her mother’s restaurant baking cupcakes while daydreaming about getting back on the ice. One day, Hudson receives a letter that could change her future, an invitation to a competition that if she won, would give her a college scholarship, a second chance at her dream. Hudson sees this as an opportunity that she cannot pass up, so she goes out to the frozen lake to practice. One day on the ice, Hudson smacks right into the hockey captain, Josh Blackthorne. He notices her raw talent and mentions it to his friend, and co-captain, Will. Will makes Hudson a deal that she cannot refuse, train the hockey team in exchange for private ice time. Just as this comes up, Hudson is forced to pick up extra shifts at Hurley’s in order to make ends meet. As if baking cupcakes, waitressing, school, training the hockey team, babysitting her brother, and training for competition weren’t enough, boys come into the picture. Hudson finds it easy to talk to Josh and has a major crush on him, but he is sending her mixed signals. Will on the other hand has no problem showing his feelings for Hudson. Josh is the one that’s always on Hudson’s mind, but Will is the one giving her the ice time she so desperately needs. She must choose between them, before she runs out of chances. This book is very relatable to any teenage girl. It is also very intriguing and hard to put down. Hudson has many important decisions to make throughout the book and you want to keep turning the page to find out what happens. Even though I am in love with this book, it was, at times, at bit slow. It describes Hudson’s thoughts and imaginations about what she wishes will happen, instead of her actually getting the nerves to do it, which I definitely found frustrating at times. I would recommend this book to any teenage girl in high school. Overall, I absolutely loved this book and I cannot wait to read another love story by Sarah Ockler.”

• Rated 5 stars

“This was so beautiful! I really liked the humor in it. All and All this book is very good and cute! ”

• Rated 4 stars

“I was hesitant to read this, but ended up enjoying it a lot. I don't really have any critique on it. =)
On the middle recommendation scale. ”

• Rated 3 stars

“I loved 20 Boy Summer, and requested this one. Not bad, but it felt like a typical teenage romance--a good-enough one.”

• Rated 4 stars

“I just loved "Twenty Boy Summer" so I was looking forward to reading Ockler's new title. "Summer" was such a hard-hitting, real book that it created a hornet's nest of controversy. "Bittersweet" felt like a different book in a lot of ways. It reminded of a Sarah Dessen book. Hudson is a young lady in crisis. Her family disintegrates after her father is caught in an infidelity and with him go her lifelong dreams. She finds herself three years later hiding behind the title of "Cupcake Queen"--or so she believes. Baking is her refuge, but she doesn't want the life she believes her mother has planned out for her. In this working, single-parent family, a lot of the parenting falls on Hudson. This is probably true for quite a lot of teens out there, so they will be able to relate to Hudson. In fact, it might be true in two-parent working families as well. All too often, teens find themselves in the position of parenting their siblings, so Hudson will probably strike a chord with a lot of readers. She wants more out of her life, but is terrified that she is stuck. She doesn't want to hurt the people she loves, but doesn't know how else to break free. And there is a slow, sweet romance here that is just adorable. Not quite "Twenty Boy Summer," but still a worthwhile read. ”

• Rated 3 stars

“My only complaint about this book were the flatness of some of the side characters. Hudson changed a lot over the course of the book, but very few other characters went through any sort of development. Hudson's best friend Dani got out of her shell a little bit, but that was a direct result of her falling-out with Hudson. Josh didn't seem to have much depth to him; he and Will were opposites, with Josh being the consistently nice guy and Will being the bad boy. I wasn't a huge fan of either of them.

The writing style was beautiful and I liked the plot. Just some of the characters got to me.”

• Rated 4 stars

“It made me want cupcakes so badly! It also reminded me a fair bit of the movie "Waitress". I'm a fan. ”

• Rated 3 stars

“Realistic story. Some flaws, notably in knowledge of figure skating. No competitive skater would ever push off with their toe pick, and a singles skater cannot do a death spiral. Good enough to keep me reading.”