Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood was last week’s Free Fridays Nook selection from Barnes & Noble. It’s geared for ages 8 and up, but I’d heard it’s a fun read for all ages. I love magical realism – Haruki Murakami and Aimee Bender are two of my favorite authors – so I thought I’d give it a try.
Title: Bliss (The Bliss Bakery #1)
Author: Kathryn Littlewood
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Released: February 14, 2012
Source: Barnes & Noble (Nook Free Fridays)Synopsis:
Rosemary Bliss’s family has a secret. It’s the Bliss Cookery Booke—an ancient, leather-bound volume of enchanted recipes like Stone Sleep Snickerdoodles and Singing Gingersnaps. Rose and her siblings are supposed to keep the Cookery Booke under lock and whisk-shaped key while their parents are out of town, but then a mysterious stranger shows up.
Overall, this was a fun read. Many times I laughed out loud. Littlewood has a way of portraying each character, no matter how minor, in a colorful and lively way. Plus, there were secret rooms, magical recipes, strange ingredients that come to life… did I mention secret rooms?! I recognized the villain as such from the moment she entered the story, and knew exactly what she would attempt to do. However, the character had enough complexity that I didn’t lose interest, and enjoyed reading what would happen next.
I do have to say, Rose’s whining about not feeling appreciated, not feeling trusted, started to annoy me more and more throughout the story. Her parents trusted her with the key to the cookbook. They left her in charge of protecting it – not her older brother. That point seemed completely lost on Rose.
