So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life… and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.
It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last…
I’m going to start with what I absolutely loved about this book, the setting. The winter setting is so different from the standard summer love story. I have always had such a deep love of winter, and maybe that’s because I live in the more moderate climate of Canada where it just rains all the time, but when it does snow and when I can go up to the mountains, i find it so incredibly magical. Ockler did an amazing job setting the scene for cold, blustery days that I could feel myself wanting to wrap up in my scarf and mittens.
The characters in Bittersweet were all so beautifully fleshed out. Hudson was an incredible protagonist, being drawn in so many different directions throughout the book, that she lost and found herself again in a perfect display of character development. My favourite character by far though would have to be her little brother, Bug. Bug was incredibly unique, with his experiments, adorable little glasses eh was always pushing up, and his whip like smarts, made him an instant favourite sibling in the book world for me.
I would have loved to have seen more interactions between Hudson and Josh, and less of a love triangle. It left too little time for me to realistically feel like Hudson had developed real feelings for Josh because of the few times they were together in the book. Luckily, the love story is so not the main focus of this book.
And the cover has to be one of my favourite covers out there. It shows Hudson’s love of baking, the icing sugar looks like snow to fit the setting, and the title has such a sweet meaning behind it.
A beautiful story about loosing important people, gaining new ones and realizing the importance of family, Bittersweet was an incredibly deep read. Sarah Ockler has fast become one of my favourite Young Adult Contemporary authors.
I have this book checked out from the library, but haven’t been able to get to it yet. It does sound really good. I’m definitely in more of a summer mind-set right now, but I’m always up for a good book. Great review!
-Natalie @Natflix&Books