Stay Sweet Review

This book was a sweet start to the summer.

Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian follows recent high school graduate Amelia as she returns to a historic ice cream shop for her final summer before college. As the new head girl, Amelia is expected to uphold the legacy of Meade’s Creamery, a female-run small business that started during World War II. However, the summer bring new changes and challenges when the original owner passes away and her grandnephew comes to town and takes charge.

When I picked up Stay Sweet, I wasn’t exactly sure how I would feel after reading it. I heard mixed reviews, so I only expected a fun summer read, but maybe a little forgettable. However, I was instantly sucked into this story and it helped me get out of a recent reading slump!

As for the characters, they aren’t necessarily anything out of the ordinary. Amelia is an ordinary girl who takes her role as head girl seriously and feels like she pales in comparison to her more outgoing friend. Grady is a somewhat typical contemporary love interest who wants to prove his worth to his father, but also forging his own path. Cate, Amelia’s best friend, is popular and outgoing with a more carefree attitude that which eventually causes tension between her and Amelia. While the characters weren’t necessarily out of the ordinary for YA contemporary, they were incredibly relatable and likeable enough to keep the reader’s attention.

I think my favorite part of this book would have to be learning the history of the Creamery. There’s multiple flashbacks throughout the book that reveal the origins of the stand and enforce the girl power message that this book promotes. Especially at the end of the story, when hidden secrets of the Creamery are revealed, the importance of having great friends you can count on is really reinforced. I think these are great messages for the target audience of this book.

Overall, Stay Sweet is a cute summer YA book with a great message for younger readers. I give Stay Sweet five out of five stars.

Advertisement