First, let me say, you need to read this book! I loved Cat so much, she reminded me of what it was like being a teenager. The story is told so well, and the characters are all well-developed. The recipes were a nice addition, and while I won't give any spoilers, the first one made me giggle. The magic was unique, and was integrated into the story seamlessly. I'd love to see another book with Cat and friends. ( )

Deliciously baked goods meet magic for a fun adventure...and tons of ideas to munch on, too.

Cat's mother doesn't bake. She doesn't cook, either, which means they always eat frozen foods, which are simply warmed up. Cat thinks nothing of it until she actually enters a bakery...something her mother would have never, ever allowed if she was there. One bite of a homemade pretzel, and Cat is in heaven. When a school schedule mix-up has her placed in a culinary class, Cat quickly learns that fresh baked is awesome, but every time her friends eat her treats, they act weird. When her mother finds out Cat's baking, she's anything but happy...and soon, Cat learns why.

The idea of cooking emotions into food isn't a new one, but this book takes it for a delicious and entertaining spin. Cat is pure tween as she gets ready for the last day of summer, and it's hard not to smile at her hectic ridiculousness as she heads to the pool. The reader gets to know Cat well before the magic settles in, and that's great because it allows her somewhat silly, yet full of goodness self to come through and set the perfect stage to come.

The flow of magic into the plot has a slow build, and allows it to dribble in with natural finesse. I did find it a bit slower than I like at times, but then, I tend to be an action fan. Still, we get to know Cat well, and it's hard not to feel with her as she learns about what she can do, and then how to handle it. The entire thing beats every day tween-girl drama in with more than a pinch of insecurities, family, first crushes and friendship.

But that's not all. At the end of each and every chapter is a recipe, which readers can bake themselves. The directions are written as if Cat had written them herself. Some of these are more advanced, while others are very simple. The cookbook and plot make for a fun, tasty mix. I picked up a complimentary ARC and found this to be a fun read. ( )

Bake Believe by Cori Cooper is magical, warmhearted, and will have you craving baked goods by the end. Cat Anderson's excited to get back to her friends and to her classes. Only by some mistake, she ends up in a culinary class. She has no idea what she's discovering when she bakes her first batch of cookies and soon learns a family secret. She finds a newfound path and part of herself as she learns more about her family's special gift with cooking. Just maybe she can learn that to use her newfound gift to make the world a better place.

Bake Believe is an upbeat and lighthearted tale of baking, magic, and the power to change the world told from a teenage perspective. The story is similar to baking in how it gives you the same warmth and bubbly feeling that comes from making or being given delicious baked goods. Cori Cooper captures the essence that baked goods can provide in their warmth and sweetness through the humorous and lighthearted tone of the story. The primary theme of the book is happiness, self-discovery, and the power of baking via a unique gift that allows Cat to create food that reflects her emotions. Her family has a special gift to affect people through food, such as when Cat makes cookies when she was sad and in doing so filled a boy she likes with this sadness. By unlocking these abilities, she's able to find a part of herself that enjoys cooking and allows her to see the joy that sharing food with others can bring.

Cori Cooper delivers a story that will give you a bubbly feeling and will make the whole family want to get into the kitchen. The writing has an upbeat style that is driven through humor and cooking references which work well with the fun personality of Cat. The writing has fun phrases such as 'you don't want to have a bland tortilla life' and 'to bake the world into a better place' with food references that are clever, witty, and will make you hungry. The book focuses on the art of cooking and shows food as a catalyst to bring people together which has a magical spin woven into it through Cat's unique abilities. Each chapter comes with a variety of yummy baking recipes including snickerdoodles, banana bread, and pancakes. Bake Believe is clever, charming, funny, and will have you wanting to bake cookies by the end.
-Liz Konkel for Reader's Favorite