Bittersweet (edition 2012)

An old follower of my blog would have read my dazzling review of Twenty Boy Summer already, so when I found this book that got a Sarah Ockler on its cover, it was a definite read.

Bittersweet is indeed a bittersweet read, talking about family and teenage life, dream, hope, love, and friendship. Our main character, Hudson Avery was once a brilliant figure skaters, but on the night of the competition, she found a cheetah bra that belonged not to her nor her mother. And when her family was falling apart, Hudson took a surprising turn : Abandoning her shining future, and start to work as Cupcake Princess.
But when fate took Hudson to try figure skating once again, she was tore between her fragile new life and her haunting old one.

I love how I can relate completely with Hudson. I could feel truly sorry for her, and I could felt her sadness when life hit her hard. When she was happy, I was happy too, and when her heart was breaking, I felt sad as well. It was all so strange, but I love the thrill I had while reading this book.

I also love how Sarah Ockler portrayed Hudson's relationship with Josh and Will quite realistically, not all that lovey-dovey-out-of-their-mind love. It was such a believable love triangle, and I could totally understand why Hudson decided to give another chance for Will. Once again, Sarah Ockler was able to capture teenage's fragile emotion perfectly.

The main character itself-i think-was lacking some surprise. It was all so predictable, and Hudson and Josh and Will was quite a bit uninteresting. One character I found quite unique was Dani, Hudson's only friend when she left her skating world. Dani was truly a great friend, but she still stood for her own belief. I also love Hudson's mom, the way she talk and tell others to do their job, etc. was really a perfect picture of a "Mom".

Overall, Bittersweet is not as brilliant as Twenty Boy Summer, but I think it's still so worth the read. If you love contemporary, and you love Sarah Ockler as I do, definitely try this one. ( )

When Hudson’s parents were still together, she felt secure in her future. When her parents split up and her dad left town, though, Hudson’s dreams came crashing down. Now she chooses to stay out of the spotlight she once felt so comfortable in and instead bakes cupcakes at her mom’s failing diner. As she obsesses over what might have been, Hudson also worries about what will be. When she decides to give her dreams another try, a cute boy walks into her life.

Sarah Ockler’s third novel offers up much of the complicated family dynamics that make her contemporary YA novels such standouts. Smart writing, complex main characters, and no easy answers elevate this novel above many contemporary YA novels being published today. However, something about this novel didn’t stick with me, and it isn’t joining its predecessors on my list of favorites.

It probably has something to do with the stunningly boring love interest(s). Both Will and Josh were remarkable only in how absolutely unremarkable they were. For a while, I kept mixing them up (this might say more about me than about Ockler’s story, though). Neither love interest was at all compelling, and the fact that Hudson struggled to choose one, at least on some level, was fairly irritating. It felt unnecessary.

That being said, there’s a lot to love here. Hudson is an extremely flawed character, but her voice is authentic and compelling. She’s a normal teenage girl who is stuck in a really sucky situation. Her mother is struggling to support her and her brother, Bug. The fact that money is tight, her mother is stressed, and many of the household chores fall on Hudson’s shoulders feels believable throughout the story. Everything about Hudson’s situation feels real.

It is in writing Hudson’s family that Ockler really excels. Both Bug and Hudson’s mother were well-drawn, complex characters. The scenes between the three of them were by far the most compelling and well-done. Readers looking for books about complicated families will be satisfied by the meaty story Ockler provides here.

There’s also some nice commentary on athletics and a love of a sport here. Hudson’s thoughts about figure skating feel real and are complicated, as they should be. While Hudson loves the sport, she also hates it, and can’t separate her feelings about it from her feelings about her parents’ divorce. All of this is exceedingly well done.

This is a quiet, slow-moving story. Readers looking for huge drama or lots of rising action should look elsewhere. Mostly character-driven, this story will appeal to readers looking for a quiet coming-of-age story. It meanders a little, especially in the middle, but there’s no reason that this book won’t be loved by many people.

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler. Simon Pulse: 2012. Purchased copy. ( )

I love my YA contemporaries, and when I saw this over at Goodreads I decided to take a chance on it after seeing all the four and five star reviews. Whilst I liked the writing style of the author, the heroine Hudson got on my nerves, and the book featured a typical YA love triangle, and a bad parent which is becoming a very overused trope in YA.

Hudson is a fantastic skater, and when she was fourteen she was about to skate in the most important night of her night. But on that same night she finds out her Father is cheating on her Mother, and it messes her up big time. So she purposely messes her up her chance of the big time, and right after that her Father leaves them. Years later, Hudson is working at her Mother’s diner and she’s known as the Cupcake Queen. Hudson makes delicious cupcakes, but secretly, she’s always wanted to skate again. But with the diner in trouble, Hudson looking after her baby brother Bug, and with their financial situation not great, Hudson does a lot of her family and gives up a lot. But she hasn’t been able to give up her dream of skating, and she secretly skates without telling her Mother. So when Hudson receives a letter about a skating scholarship from her now deceased ex-coach, Hudson realises that her dream isn’t over. And when the co-captains of the local hockey team, Josh and Will, ask Hudson to help train the team, she agrees and realises that she can train through them for her skating also.

I loved the sound of this and it’s why I forked out on this book which was quite expensive. How I wished I hadn’t. There were so many things that really got on my nerves. One thing was Hudson’s shitty behaviour towards her best friend, Dani. Hudson constantly complains that life is tough and not fair. I couldn’t help but think you had a chance of a lifetime to be a champion skater, and you purposely blew it. Stop whining. She basically drop kicks Dani out of her life when she becomes involved with the hockey team, and Will and Josh.

Then there was the love triangle which you could predict a mile off. Hudson likes Josh, but because she ‘thinks’ he has a girlfriend without even asking him (yes, the misunderstanding) she ends up casually dating Will, who years back, made out with Hudson behind her then best friend Kara’s back, knowing that Kara really liked him. See a pattern here? So she casually dates Will, knowing that she really likes Josh, and you can tell by a mile off that Will is using her so all in all I ended up so frustrated reading this book.

But my biggest frustration wasn’t the love triangle. My biggest frustration was how in the book, I sort of got the message that fuck the career of a lifetime that Hudson could have as a skater. Hudson’s mother basically wants Hudson to have a career in a diner. Never mind that her daughter basically doesn’t have a life. And in the end, Hudson decides that she never really wanted to be a champion skater. She’s happy with her family at the diner, and she could teach kids how to skate.

*head meets wall repeatedly*

So despite her Mother’s diner being full every single time, somehow they are still short of money and have trouble paying rent and the bills. And despite their Father paying child alimony, they were always still short of money. So that didn’t make sense. Then we have the obligated shitty parent in YA who up till the divorce was a loving Father, but soon as he divorces the Mother, moves away to another state and never sees his kids.

*head meets wall repeatedly*

All in all, this book for me was a mountain hole of frustrations, and one that I won’t be picking up again.

( )

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler
Hudson Avery whose whole life was skating. Something happens to make her throw the competition so she loses as the rest of her life falls apart also.
Present day: her mom has the diner and she now works at it along with going to school and running The Cupcake Corner in the diner.
Love the 'cupcakeisms' at the beginning of each chapter! When a notice appears about a skating opportunity she starts practicing again til she collides with Josh the hockey team captain.
The coach also approaches her and wants her to aid the team with some moves in hopes it would improve their team game play.
When things become tense at work she loses herself in a daydream about her skating performances where she won awards and ribbons and all kinds of prizes.
Most all the kids can't wait to succeed and be able to leave the town. She hopes to be able to get the scholarship and then she will be leaving the area...
Love how the song dictates the name of this book and what it specifically means.
She never realized how much her one action affected others but maybe now she can work through it for the others involved... ( )

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) ( )