Review: The Crepe Maker's Bond - Julie Crabtree

The Crepe Makers Bond - Julie Crabtree

Electronic Version

Received from NetGalley

Expected to be published - Spring 2011

Ariel is the head chef in her family kitchen.  Cucumber salads, fettuccine carbonara, fish tacos, and peanut butter pie are just a few of the dishes she crafts when she's feeling frustrated by the world.  And it's turning into a frustrating year.  Ariel, Nicki and Mattie have been inseparable friends since they were little kids, but now Mattie's mom has decided to move away.  It's the girls' last year in middle school, and they can't fathom being separated.  The friends concoct a plan that will keep Mattie in the Bay area -- she'll move in with Ariel and her family.  But before you can say "bff", the party is over.  Everything Mattie does gets on Ariel's nerves, and it's not long before the girls are avoiding each other.  This was supposed to be their best year ever, but some painful lessons are threatening to tear their friendship apart.  Can the girls scramble to make things right before the bond crumbles?

My Review:
I thought this book was great!  I don't know which I enjoyed more -- the plot, or the recipes (which I will definitely be trying out!).  The story was a cute story about learning how to deal with the loss of a close friend.  Honestly, this was something I tried as a kid also -- my best friend and I thought it would be SO fun if we lived together, because then we could really be sisters -- let's just say that after the long weekend she spent at my house, I was glad I was an only child!
I loved Ariel's passion for cooking.  It thrilled me that she is only in 8th grade, but cooking far better than I ever have, and probably ever will!  The names of all of the recipes are super cute too! Like I said, I will definitely be trying some of these soon!
I was not fond of Nicki's character, as I thought that the secret she had kept throughout the book was pretty lame. It seemed like it was something so crucial to the plot, but when you find out it just makes you roll your eyes.
Overall, it was a cute little story about the bonds that are created between friends, and how easily they can be damaged.  I would recommend this book to YA lovers for a quick read.

My Rating:
Overall: 3
Characters: 3
Plot: 3
Writing Style: 3


About Julie Crabtree

Julie was born in Torrance, California in 1970.  She moved to Ahwahnee, California, in the mountains near Yosemite National Park, as a young child, where she grew up.  Julie attended the University of California at Davis, earning her degree in English literature, and then went to a private business school to obtain her paralegal certification.  She spent a year in Spain, teaching English.  After many years as a legal administrator in the San Fransisco bay area, Julie quit work to stay home with her two young daughters.  She began her writing career in the magazine market, and published her work in the San Fransisco Chronicle Magazine, Green Prints, MotherVerse Magazine, Highlights for Children and the American Library Association's Knowledge Quest magazine.  Her first novel, Discovering Pig Magic, winner of the 2008 Milkweed Prize for Children's literature is available everywhere books are sold.  The Crepe Makers' Bond, the highly anticipated sequel to Discovering Pig Magic, will be released in Spring 2011.  In late 2007 Julie relocated to the tiny coastal town of Crescent City in extreme Northern California.  While she loves to write, Julie also thrives on reading, particularly contemporary fiction.  Her other hobbies include gardening (with an emphasis on strange and exotic succulents), and cooking difficult and extravagant meals.  She can be found frequenting the beaches around her home with her dog Digby and a good walking stick.  A longtime yoga in a small Crescent City studio in 2007.  

Happy Reading!