Review: The Baking Life of Amelie Day by Vanessa Curtis

The Baking Life of Amelie Day by Vanessa Curtis
Series: Standalone
Genre: Middle Grade
Length: 240 pages
Published on 9th September 2014 by Curious Fox
Purchase: Amazon / B&N / The Book Depository
Vanessa Curtis: Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Received from publisher

Synopsis:
Amelie Day loves to bake - cupcakes, biscuits, bread, tarts and muffins - so she's thrilled when she's invited to compete in Britain's Best Teen Baker of the Year. But Amelie has Cystic Fibrosis and some days she can barely breathe. Determined not to let her condition or her mum stop her, Amelie musters all her flour power, but will it be enough to get here there?

The Baking Life of Amelie Day was one of the first books I finished off this year, and I ended up devouring it over the space of two days.

Middle grade books aren't something I read very often but after reading Zelah Green by this author and enjoying it so much, I couldn't refuse seeing how another of hers was.

The Baking Life of Amelie Day is a quick and easy read, with interesting characters and a great story line - which makes it a perfect read to get out of a reading slump.

Amelie is the first character I've read about who has Cystic Fibrosis, and I think its important that this book is from Amelie's point of view because she doesn't let her illness define her and it is not the first thing that is mentioned. Her love of baking is.

She is aware how others worry and care about her, but she also knows what she wants out of life. Baking is something that makes her happy and she loves experimenting with recipes and allowing her best friend and family try them out.

When she is accepted to take part in Britain's Best Teen Baker of the Year competition television show she knows she has to attend and bake the best cake possible to win. 

I really loved Amelie as a character and her determination to do what she wanted, I like her growth throughout the book, and the experiences she goes through to make her dreams come true.

Another great thing is that her recipes are also featured in the book, I'm not a baker myself but maybe sometime the boyfriend and I can attempt to make something. I look forward to read more of Vanessa Curtis' books as they always seem to impress.

4 stars / 5 stars