Book Review: Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian

A few years ago, I placed an order of books I thought I read before but didn’t remember if I did. One of those books was Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian.

I thought I remember reading the book, but I wasn’t sure. When I began to read it, I remembered reading it, but I decided to reread it. I remembered I enjoyed the book, so I wanted to reread the book again to enjoy it and remember the story.

The book is about a girl named Amelia, a seventeen year old that recently graduated high school and will attend college in the fall. During the summertime, she works her dream job: A server at Meade Creamery. Founded and run by Molly Meade, the ice cream stand began in 1944 as a way for Molly and her friends to no longer feel so lovesick while the boys fought in World War II. Since then, the ice cream shop became a staple of summertime at Sand Lake. Every summer, a new group of girls are hired to work at the stand and a new girl is hired to be “Head Girl” with duties similar to a manager’s.

During the summer this book takes place, Amelia and her best friend Cate are the oldest employees of the stand. For Amelia, working at the stand is even more special because she was named Head Girl. Aside from nerves and concerns about how worthy she is to be named Head Girl instead of Cate, everything is normal until Molly Meade passes away. Even though it is believe she does not have any heirs to her estate, her great nephew, Grady Meade, is the new owner of the ice cream stand and her estate. As the new owner of the ice cream stand, Grady wants to make some changes to make the stand earn more money. These changes upset Amelia and puts the tradition she knew of Meade Creamery in jeopardy.

This novel is a Young Adult book, but it is the kind of book adults of all ages will really enjoy. The focus of the plot is on Amelia and how she deals with major life changes that are expected, such as graduating college and going to college, to the unexpected, Molly Meade’s passing and Grady. The way the book tells the story is both believable and enjoyable. I especially love the underlying story of Molly Meade’s life and the life she had beyond what the town’s people knew.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is complicated enough to keep your attention yet well paced enough to keep your attention. The story is a fun story that is not all about teenage first love but is a great story to read during the summertime. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a novel to read during the summer and anyone looking for a summer novel that isn’t completely focused on romance.

Well, that’s all for now! Thank you for reading!