Sweet Treats and Secret Crushes by Lisa Greenwald

I’ve finished my first book of the year! Finally. I took forever for me to finish Sweet Treats and Secret Crushes. It was an adorable story about three 13 year old girls who are best friends; but it was so so so tedious to read. I have learned my lesson that youth reading is not the same as young adult. This book had too much discretion and appropriately so. With all this discretion, secret crushes got nothing more than honorable mentions and sweet treats took over the whole story from beginning to end. As I read the book, I thought back to my own girlhood, and I remembered that thirteen year old girls are awesomely petty, and unrelentingly annoying. He said, she said, boo hoo hoo...Been there, done that.

However, Sweet Treats and Secret Crushes, is perfect for ages 10-14 and most appropriate for young girls who are starting to notice the boys in a new and exciting way. It’s relatable, and holds a young mind’s innocence in reserve. The girls merely talk about the boys they like but don’t have much interaction with them. At the end of the book they get the courage to establish new friendships with their crushes in a simple and innocent way.

Since graduating from undergrad, I like to keep my reading light. I’ve read Shakespeare, Woolf and Joyce and when I was in school I dreaded reading old literature- the language was overly complicated and finding intent behind something written 100 years ago took a lot of mental energy. Ever since I graduated, I’ve been keeping my reads light and fun, but I went a little too light with this one. I’m not saying that I would never read a youth novel again, I’m just saying I would take a little more to time read the inside jacket.