Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian // The BEST Summer Read

Stay Sweet, by Siobhan Vivian
Publication: April 24, 2018, by Simon Schuster Books FYR
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 368
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating: 

Summer in Sand Lake isn’t complete without a trip to Meade Creamery—the local ice cream stand founded in 1944 by Molly Meade who started making ice cream to cheer up her lovesick girlfriends while all the boys were away at war. Since then, the stand has been owned and managed exclusively by local girls, who inevitably become the best of friends. Seventeen-year-old Amelia and her best friend Cate have worked at the stand every summer for the past three years, and Amelia is “Head Girl” at the stand this summer. When Molly passes away before Amelia even has her first day in charge, Amelia isn’t sure that the stand can go on. That is, until Molly’s grandnephew Grady arrives and asks Amelia to stay on to help continue the business…but Grady’s got some changes in mind…

My Thoughts:

Stay Sweet was adorable, beautiful, scrumptious and practically everything I could've ever wanted in a summer read. For the entire summer, I have been reading contemporary book after contemporary book, searching for that perfect read that I will never forget about and make my summer, however, prior to reading this newbie by Siobhan Vivian, I had not found it. In the midst of springtime, the cover for this book was released and I fell in love instantly, knowing that there's no better book to describe summer than one about ice cream and falling in love. Additionally, it's about friendship and family, and a mix of all of those topics that are sure to leave you shedding some tears.

What is extra special about this story is the fact that it includes a historical aspect; the founder of Meade Creamery, Molly Meade, lived during the WWII era, and we readers get to take a look into her life and discover her greatest secrets through her diary entries (which, not to be picky about, but were difficult to read due to the font choice) which were a delight nevertheless. I saw many relations between Amelia, our protagonist, and Molly, showing that one's passions and ambitions can carry from one generation to another. *dabs at the tears streaming down my face*

Essentially, this novel is about Amelia, who is spending her last summer in her small town, Sand Lake, before she heads out to university far away. As she has done every summer in high school, Amelia is working as a scooper for Meade Creamery, an ice cream stand set up by Molly Meade, a woman who decided to make ice cream for her and her friends to forget about the fact that their boyfriends and fiancees were fighting in the Second World War. This year, Amelia has gotten promoted to Head Girl, giving her all of the major responsibilities it takes to work in the stand. Before the stand even opens for the summer, Molly passes away and Amelia is left unsure if the stand will continue, until Molly's grandnephew, Grady, comes into their lives, wanting to use the stand as a business investment.

This book just screamed out 'feminism,' and it's a perfect time and age to show it. I loved the fact that Vivian used such a clever idea and job for the girls in the book: ice cream scooping, to show a message: that everyone has the capability to do anything, even girls. In the novel, we get to see our protagonist, Amelia, managing a business and earning respect from Molly's grandnephew. And the romance was A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E. I cannot digress how much I adored Grady and Amelia. It was one of the most respected relationships ever.

Stay Sweet was gorgeous. I certainly will never forget about it due to its memorable characters, setting, and ending. I have never read anything like it; it truly changed my life. This was certainly Siobhan Vivian's best.

What is the best summer book you've read this year?

The Last Boy and Girl in the World by Siobhan Vivian // Aww! The Title Fooled Me!

The Last Boy and Girl in the World, by Siobhan Vivian
Publication: April 26, 2016, by Simon and Schuster BFYR
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

What if your town was sliding underwater and everyone was ordered to pack up and leave? How would you and your friends spend your last days together?
While the adults plan for the future, box up their possessions, and find new places to live, Keeley Hewitt and her friends decide to go out with a bang. There are parties in abandoned houses. Canoe races down Main Street. The goal is to make the most of every minute they still have together.
And for Keeley, that means taking one last shot at the boy she’s loved forever.
There’s a weird sort of bravery that comes from knowing there’s nothing left to lose. You might do things you normally wouldn’t. Or say things you shouldn’t. The reward almost always outweighs the risk.
Almost.
It’s the end of Aberdeen, but the beginning of Keeley’s first love story. It just might not turn out the way she thought. Because it’s not always clear what’s worth fighting for and what you should let become a memory.

My Thoughts:

I came into this book, deciding to pick it up at the moment I did because I expected to legitimately read about the last boy and girl in the world. I actually expected to read about a dystopian-like romance with us trying to discover why are they the last, or if they are just the beginning, you know? The title kind of fooled me. But either way, this was so adorable and I must admit, Siobhan Vivian keeps on doing it. Keeps on surprising readers with her flair and beautiful writing that just keeps on making us beg for more. Begging on our knees. At least I am. I would totally want some kind of continuation to Keeley's story and how everything fits together perfectly. But at the same time, it did end more perfectly than I could have ever wanted it to. I must say that there is just one main point in my mind that keeps on echoing in a spiral: love is gorgeous. Listen: I don't think I'll get some kind of personal intake from this, because I know I will not ever form some kind of high school romance, but this story works in so many ways and FOR THOSE WHO WANT ROMANCE AND SOMETHING NEW? READ THIS THING. NOW.

Siobhan Vivian has similar writing to the magnificent Jenny Han. Well, they are best friends after all, and they probably rub off on each other. I remember reading Burn for Burn and discovering that I could not even imagine whose perspective was written by who. I kind of feel the same way now; it was like Jenny Han's presence was in here. That's a positive thing, my friends. This is a cutesy contemporary that comes with (A) a flood that really has you looking out your window for any severe thunderstorms (B) a cute rebellious guy and (C) that back-and-forth motion of a relationship. This is about two love-struck teenagers, after all. There HAS TO BE that back-and-forth motion where we end up expecting that the relationship is going to downfall and plummet into the dirt. I cannot give you any hints if there was a good turnout for Keeley and Jesse (there, that's his name! I almost forgot!)

This story, again, is about a flood that shocks a very small town. That's so interesting to read about, because the flood actually does take a major toll on the plot. We read about the many circumstances that Keeley has to overcome, and most of these hardships involve the flood in one way or another. We read about the hardships of her parents' relationship, and how their opposite personalities really rip their love apart, and it all occurred because of the flood. And in a way, things came together between Keeley and Jesse because the flood occurred. Their "huge school" did not make this happen, but their attraction did. And let's mention that there was a year age gap between them; it's not like they knew each other well.

I had a few issues with this: Levi and Elise. These were two side characters that us readers did not expect to come into play of this book at all. But towards the end, we not-know-it-alls realize that they did play a big role in Keeley's life. Levi is that side-character that just shocks us, and we've always felt his presence by Keeley's side. And then we have Elise, who is that third wheel in the relationship that we do not want to tear apart: Morgan and Keeley's. I've always been told that there can never be a friendship of three people, and this is why. I kind of raged that these two characters were plummeted into the plot, but whatever, honestly.

I read this book on my road trip to Chicago (#BEA16!) and for the majority, it was something that really pulled me in. It took me a few good hours to read, but I was so interested into knowing what would happen next that time literally flew by. Before I knew it, I was in Chicago and more books were being thrown into luggages. YIPPEE! This is Siobhan's usual style of writing, and I thank her very much for that. We don't have some major contemporary confusion, just a nice, rich story about a girl who is torn apart between reality and love.

Me, as an avid reader, occasionally finds contemporaries to be kind of fluffy. Too fluffy sometimes. I found the plotting very detailed in this story and that was a huge highlight for me. This turned out to shock me in more ways than another, and I was so excited to read the ending, and feeling that burst of rainbows inside of me. Siobhan Vivian does it again, she whips a relatable protagonist with so much angst in her that I just FEEL her, alongside friendships and romance. 2016 is not the same without this book, y'know?

*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*

What are some YA contemporaries that you know of that shock readers by the end? Have you read Siobhan's books before? (If you had, did you enjoy it/them?)