Tween Tuesday: The Boy on Cinnamon Street by Phoebe Stone

4 soft & spicy snickerdoodles!

Cover Love:  Yes.  I love how this one looks.  It shows there is romance (as much as there can be between 12 year olds).  I think it's very eye-catching.

Why I Wanted to Read This:

I had read some really good reviews and wanted to find a sweet tween romance.  This one fit the bill!
Here's the synopsis from GoodReads:

7th grader Louise should be the captain of her school's gymnastics team - but she isn't. She's fun and cute and should have lots of friends - but she doesn't. And there's a dreamy boy who has a crush on her - but somehow they never connect. Louise has everything going for her - so what is it that's holding her back?

Phoebe Stone tells the winning story of the spring when 7th grader Louise Terrace wakes up, finds the courage to confront the painful family secret she's hiding from - and finally get the boy.

I Kept Reading Because:  I wanted to see Louise heal!

Romance?:  Yes, a little sweet tween one.

What I Liked:

I adored Louise (or Thumbelina as she wanted to be called).  The synopsis makes it sound as if she is a walking zombie, but that's not it at all.  She has quit most of the things she loved in her former life, but she finds things to enjoy and love in her new life.  It is really only after she regains her memories from her family's tragedy that she can bring both lives together.

There are so many character to love in this book:  Henderson, Reni (and their whole family) and her grandparents.  Louise has an amazing support system!

There is a mean girl sub-plot that I found really disturbing.  Especially if any of the girls knew of Louise's history.  I don't think they did, but that would make it worse.

I kept guessing and guessing what had happened to her mother and I didn't get it right.  And once I knew, my heart just broke for Louise.  I can certainly see why she decided to stop where she was and forget everything before.  But she really needed to move ahead and luckily everyone was there for her when she was ready to move forward.

Henderson!  I LOVED Henderson.  I just loved how much he cared.  I don't think this is a spoiler because it's pretty easy to figure it all out from the start.

To Sum Up:  I have many readers who like to read something sweet and emotional--something that might make them cry.  This book will fit the bill perfectly!

Book bought for my library!