"This is the best kind of romantic tale: innocent and unfussy, yet overwhelming. Author Panetta’s story is baked to perfection: a crush that turns to infatuation—and later love—in the confines of a professional kitchen bristling with hot stoves, stuffed shelves, and perfectly shaped spanakopita." —Los Angeles Review of Books
"Panetta and Ganucheau's graphic novel debut is as much a love story between people as it is with the act of baking. Ganucheau's art, in black ink with varying shades of blue, mixes traditional paneling with beautiful double-page spreads of detailed baking scenes, where the panels sometimes take on the shape of braided loaves...A tender blend of sugary, buttery, and other complex flavors that's baked with a tremendous dash of heart."—Kirkus, starred review
"Beautiful artwork depicts characters coping with life’s increasing responsibilities and is especially sumptuous when focusing on the yummy desserts. This is both a delicious foray into the world of baking and young love and an endearing, realistic tale of two teens helping one another grow. A fresh take on the coming-of-age story that spotlights the triumphs and travails of young people."—School Library Journal, starred review
"Bloom is a charming and compelling look at the first summer after high school, with the angst of choice and decision looming and the blush of first love. (Plus: there's baked goods!)"—Melissa Fox, Watermark Books, Wichita KS
"Illustrator Ganucheau’s black, white, and blue art is drawn in a simple, naturalistic style with manga-adjacent expressions that suit the story...a pleasantly diverse cast and realistically varied relationship dynamics from Panetta (Zodiac Starforce) offer a thoughtful look at how one grows into and out of relationships, with all the commensurate joy, awkwardness, and reconciliation that family and friends offer." —Publishers Weekly
"A quiet, earnest romance with warmth and depth." —Booklist
★ 02/01/2019
Gr 8 Up—Aristotle Kyrkos has graduated from high school and desperately wants to move to Baltimore with his friends to make it in the music industry. His father, owner of their family-run bakery, is less than understanding of Ari's "anywhere but here" mentality, so, with the summer tourist season coming up, Ari hires a replacement. Enter Hector Galea. On sabbatical from culinary school, he's in town to organize his late grandmother's estate and figure out where his life is going. His skills boost the family's struggling business, and Ari realizes the reason he's spending so much time in the bakery has nothing to do with the delicious cupcakes and baguettes. With Baltimore starting to feel like a distant dream, Ari must make a decision about his future. Beautiful artwork depicts characters coping with life's increasing responsibilities and is especially sumptuous when focusing on the yummy desserts. This is both a delicious foray into the world of baking and young love and an endearing, realistic tale of two teens helping one another grow. VERDICT A fresh take on the coming-of-age story that spotlights the triumphs and travails of young people. A must-read for teens craving a realistic love story.—Michael Marie Jacobs, Darlington School, GA