As you can see from the sample below, it just matches the story so well. And the artwork is excellent: relatively simple line drawings, done in a simple palette of blues, with great shading. It’s an enjoyable story with likable characters and just the right amount of conflict. It has a happy ending, which is both standard and expected in a romance kind of story. A couple meets and gets to know one another. And so begins a summer they’ll both remember for a long time.īloom follows a traditional romance story line. Luckily, he only wants to be a baker, and applies for the job. Hector recently came back to town to settle his grandmother’s affairs after her death. Then he’ll be free to head to the big city and pursue his dreams. But Ari has a plan: he’ll find someone who wants to be a baker and train them himself. Ari’s older sister just got married and they’re not sure they can make it without Ari working there. His parents want him to stay home and keep working in the Kyrkos’ family bakery.

SRCS – Statewide Remote Circulation Serviceīloom is the story of Ari and his plans for moving to the city with his band and making a career in music.

Mobile Hotspots, Chromebooks, and iPads.

Room Reservations – New Albany Central Library.

If you’re a fan of graphic novels or fa’apapa (a Samoan coconut bread), you’ll enjoy this a lot. At 368 pages it’s a solid read with enough space to let the characters breathe and tell a full story. It’s something I struggled with as a jerky teenager and I’m much happier being on the other side of it!”īloom reads like an indie teen film (think Lady Bird or Me, Earl and the Dying Girl) with bonus baking tips. Panetta has said he “wanted to write a story about rejecting cynicism and learning to be earnest and loving. The details are focused on the emotional complexities of youthful romance without the shadow of gay-shame. What’s really refreshing is that this is not a coming out story, there is no gay-angst to deal with. But Hector is no “pixie dream girl” trope, he’s also facing his own issues. Hector helps him see the things he’s grown used to ignoring.

His parents are caring but all Ari can see is how they’re getting in his way, while Hector sees them as a loving unit.Īs much as this is a romance between Ari and Hector, the book is more of a “coming of age” story for Ari as he comes out of his angry teen years and starts to step into his adulthood.

There is a fine balance between Ari’s wants and the pressures on the family as a whole the bakery is popular but is only breaking even. It’s a real testament both to her skill as an illustratior as well as pacing and plot. Ganucheau’s art, rendered in monochromatic shades of blue, moves effortlessly. Ari’s angst is juxtaposed against Hector’s joy and the pages of them getting lost in the art of baking have a wordless, lyrical lightness of touch.

Bloom, like the title, is a gentle, flowing read.

Bloom book kevin panetta