Review and Giveaway: Sweet Treats & Secret Crushes by Lisa Greenwald (Amulet Books)

For review: Amulet Books. Published 1 November 2010
From Amazon: Three friends spend an unforgettable snow day in their Brooklyn apartment building, making and distributing fortune cookies to their lonely neighbors -- and confronting the secrets that they've been keeping from each other. Confident Kate doesn't notice much but the latest gossip, and shy Georgia can't say out loud what's always on her mind. They make homemade fortune cookies along with bubbly Olivia, whose epic, single-minded crush on PBJ (real name: Phillip Becker-Jacobs) is starting to frustrate the other two. Using specially-targeted fortune cookies, they try to work together to bring some love to their building on Valentine's Day, while reminding each other why they're such good friends to begin with.

Like My Life in Pink and Green, Lisa Greenwald delivers a cute and enjoyable read.

This time the story is told by three main characters - Olivia, Kate and Georgia. The three girls have been friends forever, but lately they haven't been getting along as well as they use too. Over the course of the day they each learn a valuable lesson about themselves and each other.

I really liked all the three characters. They are all very different, and each had their own story to tell. You can easily see why they are friends but also understand why they are having difficulties - they come across as real people with real insecurities. I really liked that. I found it really endearing watching them remind themselves why they are such great friends.

I loved the setting for this - there is just something really exciting about living in an apartment building! I loved the way all the friends lived in the same building and I liked the idea behind the fortune cookies and handing them out to all the residents - such a great way to meet characters and find out snippets of their lives. There also seemed to be magic attached to the fortune cookies - there are times when the fortunes are really spot on!

I really like Lisa Greenwald's writing style. She makes me care about the characters and gradually increases my interest in the story. I seem to find myself becoming completely glued to the story and can't wait to find out what happens. I love that her stories have a feel good factor - you know they will end happily so you enjoy the journey!

This is a great story for Middle grade / tween readers, or readers wanting their first teen read. It's super cute - and I really fancied a fortune cookie after reading it!

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I have 3 copies of Sweet Treats & Secret Crushes by Lisa Greenwald, published by Amulet Books to giveaway. 

The contest is open to everyone - there will be 1 international winner and 2 UK winners. 
Closing date is 12 December.
You don't have to be a follower to enter.

Good luck:)

This giveaway is now closed. The winners will be notified shortly.

My Life in Pink and Green by Lisa Greenwald

For Review: Amulet Books (Abrams) Published September 1st 2010

From Goodreads: Twelve-year-old Lucy Desberg is a natural problem solver. After the local homecoming queen shows up at her family’s struggling drugstore with a beauty disaster that Lucy helps to fix, Lucy has a long line of makeover customers for every school dance and bat mitzvah. But all the makeup tips in the world won’t help save the pharmacy. If only she could find a way to make the pharmacy the center of town again—a place where people want to spend time, like in the old days. Lucy dreams up a solution that could resuscitate the family business and help the environment, too. But will Lucy’s family stop fighting long enough to listen to a seventh-grader? This book is a funny and sweet debut featuring an unforgettable narrator who knows what she wants, whether it’s great makeup, a killer business plan, or a better world.

This is such a cute and enjoyable book. Straight away I found myself rooting for Lucy - she is such a sweet a character and found myself easily swept up in her story. She has such a great spirit and is very likable as a result.

There are many thinks going on in the book. Lucy is made aware that the pharmacy her family own - a place she thinks of as a second home - is struggling and may close. She desperately doesn't want this to happen so she comes up with various ideas to help. Add to this friend issues, an after school green club and a couple of boy crushes and we have a very enjoyable story.

I loved Lucy's family and really enjoyed their dynamic. Her mother is somewhat scatty but in a funny way. Her Gran is caring but obviously under a great deal of pressure. I also loved how close Lucy is to her sister Claudia - and that she still played a large part in the story even though she was away at college.

I also really enjoyed the focus on green issues. I thought it was a great way to bring it to people's attention without being too preachy. It's something Lucy becomes passionate about and as a reader I found myself interested too.

Although this is aimed more at tweens than teens I think older readers would enjoy it too. Lucy comes across as older than her depicted age and many of the storylines would appeal just as much to older readers as they would to younger ones. I really enjoyed reading about Sunny and Lucy's first crushes. Who doesn't remember their first crush? Both storylines were dealt with in a really honest and gentle way and I couldn't help but love it.

I'm really looking forward to reading Greenwald's next book 'Sweet Treats & Secret Crushes' when it's published in November.