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ARC Review: Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian


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Rating: 3 stars.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. (Thank you!)

Stay Sweet is a book about ice cream, friendship and feminism. The main character Amelia is tasked this summer with keeping the town's famous ice cream stand open after tragedy strikes. She has to work with the owner's nephew, a cute college boy, and struggles to maintain her friendship with her best friend. 

What I really liked about this book was Amelia's emotional growth. She starts the book almost kind of whiny. Amelia doubts her ability to be a leader, doesn't think that she's very fun, and is wondering why she was chosen to be the manager of the ice cream stand. As the book progresses, Amelia discovers her passions and becomes more confident, which I really loved seeing. I also really liked the diary entries from the owner of the ice cream when she started making ice cream during WW2. I did feel like there was a point where there were too many, but I do really love the diary-from-the-past trope. The fact that the love interest is in college and is studying business was another element of this book that I enjoyed. (I'm in university and studying business so maybe I'm biased.) Stay Sweet has a bit of an entrepreneurial focus, in that you see all the work it takes to run a successful small business, which is something I have rarely seen in YA. 

What I didn't really like was the pace of this book. I found that it dragged in places, making it really easy for me to put down this book at times. I also found that Amelia's lack of self-confidence de-motivated me to read this book at times. 

If you're looking for a YA contemporary book with subtle feminist themes, you should definitely pick up Stay Sweet!
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