User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
"maybe just... don't try to be what you think you should be. be what you love."
Rating: really liked it
I am such a sucker for soft, queer boys. MY HEART.
Rating: really liked it
Aw, this one wasn't for me π I felt that the plot meandered, was paced strangely, and that the relationships didn't grow in understandable ways. I was constantly asking the book questions like "why is Ari still working at the bakery if he hired a replacement? why do we never see him practicing with his band? why is he having so much fun baking if he keeps saying how much he hates baking?" I just was not a big Ari fan, haha. Oh well! I know so many other people have loved it.
Rating: really liked it
sometimes I just have to abandon my tbr and read about gays for the serotonin
3.5
Rating: really liked it
this was so adorable!! if you're looking for two soft boys baking and falling in love, look no further!
Rating: really liked it
3.5 stars
I saw so many glowing reviews for this that I basically harrassed my library into buying a copy, but I'm sad that my lasting impression of it is that is was just kinda average? There were certainly things I loved about it like the character development and the setting at a bakery and the gorgeous art style and how Hector would call Ari out when he was being a baby or manipulative, but I thought the rest of the plot was just kinda typical. Small town, summer, slow burn romance, family drama, a mistake that leads to more family drama and a breakup, then they make up. It felt pretty formulaic and stereotypical, so I was never really shocked or emotional at anything that happened. Also, Ari irritated me for most of the book, even though I know he was purposefully characterized as sensitive and sort of passive. Those moments were just frustrating for me, and I don't feel like we got to see enough of him growing out of that before the book ended. I think the struggle was realistic for Ari to not know what he wanted to do with his life, but that subplot almost seems unsolved by the end of this?
This book was definitely beautiful and had cute and meaningful moments, but I just feel like I've read it before. If you like any of the elements I mentioned earlier, though, it's worth the read.
Rating: really liked it
I found this book very frustrating.
Ostensibly this is a romance between two young men (18 or 19?). Although nothing romantic really happens until about two-thirds of the way through the book.
What frustrated me is that Ari, the character who is working in his dad's bakery, is a selfish, self-absorbed, whiny, immature, pouting little brat. And I'm supposed to think Hector falls in love with him!!!!
When they finally kiss, I'm like, "NOoooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!! Don't kiss him, Hector!!!!!!!" And that's bad. That's not how you should feel when reading a romance. You should think the two people falling in love are cute, good people, and deserve each other.
Literally the only reason I can see for Hector "loving" or "caring about" Ari is because he thinks that Ari is handsome or has a good body. That's it. Full-stop. There's literally NOTHING attractive about Ari's sniveling personality. He has no work ethic. He has no drive. He hangs around shitty people who say shitty things and doesn't stand up for himself or others. He's passive-aggressive. He's whiny. He's pouty. He's like a child - and not a happy child! A depressed, needy child prone to crying jags.
I'm all for the idea of this plot - baker's son wants to break away from a future of spending his whole life working in his dad's bakery, falls in love with a new-man-in-town who is a strong, responsible, hard-working, good person - but it falls apart because the baker's son is weak, pathetic and insufferable.
Really baffled by this. I can't believe I'm supposed to rejoice in this 'love story.' Instead, it left me feeling like Hector could do WAY better than Ari, deserved WAY more than Ari, was going to end up in a relationship where he had to do all the heavy lifting, had to do all of the emotional work, had to baby and 'take care of' his boyfriend, has to hold his boyfriend's hand through every little thing, has to deal with Ari's snits and whiny, crying passive-aggressive trash behavior,... Who has TIME for this shit? Does Hector, who actually functions as an ADULT MAN, want to yoke himself to this CHILD?! WHY?!?!!? The only possible conceivable answer is that he feels lust for Ari and wants to fuck him. That's not what the book says, the book says Hector 'cares about' Ari, but for the love of Pete I don't see how!!!!
TL;DR I know people are all trying to write these cutesy, uplifting little romance graphic novels now. I understand it's a thing. But I need the two protagonists in the romance who fall in love with each other to both be good people whom I like. People who may be flawed, but have enough good, strong personality traits for me to be rooting for them. And when two people end up together, I want to feel HAPPY, like both of them have achieved a GOOD THING, and be happy about their pleasant future together, NOT feeling like one has just been sadly burdened with a partner who is emotionally fragile, very insecure, very weak, and whom he will have to delicately and gently 'care for' and 'look after' for their whole entire relationship. JFC. Poor Hector.
Points for the art and for trying. But it's a failure. I did not support this couple and thought Hector was making a HUGE mistake.
Rating: really liked it
I don't know exactly what led me to read
Bloom , the wonderful new graphic novel by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau, especially considering that I had read exactly one graphic novel before this, and it didn't quite make an impact on me. But something about this story of friendship, love, family, and baking captured my attention, and it has definitely piqued my interest in reading more graphic novels in the future.
Ari's family owns a bakery that has fallen on hard times. They're struggling to make ends meet, hoping they won't have to close. Even though Ari loved baking with his father as a child, the last thing he wants to do now is spend his days slaving over hot ovens. He isn't quite sure what he wants to do now that high school is over, although he and his friends are talking about trying to make it with their band. But his parents need him to help them—for as long as it takes.
In an effort to find a way out of the bakery, Ari places an ad looking for a replacement. He finds Hector, a young man in town recovering after the death of his grandmother, who loves baking more than anything else. As Hector breathes new life into the bakery, he and Ari begin to develop a friendship, the intensity of which surprises both of them. This relationship could be the start of something special—if only Ari's impulsive behavior doesn't ruin everything.
Ganucheau's illustrations are absolutely beautiful, and they are full of emotion and life. At times I found myself re-reading portions of the book so I could spend some time concentrating on the illustrations. This is a simple story, but it had so much heart, and I found myself rooting for Ari and Hector's relationship to flourish, even when Ari screwed things up.
Graphic novels may not be for everyone. Honestly, I might have thought I was one of those people until I read
Bloom . It put a smile on my face and charmed me completely. Can you really ask for anything more from a book?
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2018.html.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Rating: really liked it
I was having a really crummy day but then I decided to read my ARC of this. It was so fun and easy to read. A great story that took my emotions for a ride.
Thank you to First Second for providing me with an ARCBottom Line:
5 Stars: Yuri on Icing π
Age Recommendation: 13+ (Occasional swearing, brief kiss)
Cover: 3/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters 5/5
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Rating: really liked it
Hearstopper if nick and charlie worked at a bakery
Rating: really liked it
This is just so cute!
Ari and Hector π
You two are so made for each other.
And with all that baking and food, it made me super hungry all this time.
I love how the characters are well developed and their personalities are so heartwarming. I would like to meet this family and friends of Ari. They are so supportive and there for him. Ari (Aristotle) is not a person you would adore but he owns up to his mistakes and Hector happens in his life making things better.
This one is so sweet! The kisses though π
We all need a Hector in our lives. I need oneπ
Rating: really liked it
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“I would love to have something like that... to be on a team with someone... and to be better together than you ever could be alone.” I didn't like the story or the characters. There are many inconsistencies in the plot, it doesn't seem to follow a logical order and the ending happens very hastily. Many scenes don't end properly, they skip from one part of the book to another without any explanation. It was very disappointing, to be honest.
The characters aren’t much better, they have no evolution or chemistry. It was impossible for me to connect with them. It’s a shame.
The illustrations are beautiful
(the only thing I really liked), just for that I gave it two stars. It wasn't the worst I've read, but I wouldn't recommend it anyway.
Rating: really liked it
OMFG!!
WHY YOU DID THIS TO ME!
I AM SUCKER FOR CUTE, QUEER BOYS AND THIS BOOK IS JUST PERFECT.
OMG! the baking scenes, travelling together, cooking together, sitting on rooftop etc.
And heck that first kiss though...that was sooo fucking cute!!BUT THEN NO NO NO WHY DID THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN.
And I love ARI'S MOM AND Dad they are soo cute!!!
And why the heck all girls are so hyperactive { HANNAH, MEG} i mean i am not complaining and all.....its just they are hard to handle....though i love them.
AND I WANT MORE!!
Rating: really liked it
This Review βοΈ Blog π Twitter π¦ Instagram π·
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My last couple of reviews were huge so this review is going to be cute and fluffy, just like this book!
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I suffered to get a copy of this book because I really wanted to read it! I am not disappointed but not impressed either. Those graphic novels are all becoming the same: Check, Heartstopper, Fence. They all involve 2 guys with a too fluffy, too fast relationships because the books are short for something meaningful!
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They sometimes involve a breakup for a short time and then they get back to each other quickly! I liked 2 things about this one though: The colors used are some of my favorite hue which is blue/green.
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At one point one of the characters is being a dick and the other character is like “Hakuna your Tatas sister and don’t blame me for this”, well he did not exactly say that but the idea is that this is one of the first times I see this in a novel and I think it should be a more prevalent occurrence!
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Summary: I think this was okay, a fast read that is a bit too cute for my own taste and that I think I read before in other graphic novels! The food and cooking made me hungry and it did not take a huge effort to read this so I am not complaining… much. If you feel you will like this, maybe check it out from the library.
You can get more books from Book Depository
Rating: really liked it
overall, a lovely story, but i just wish the narrative was a bit stronger. will still pick up the next though!
