Review Detail

“Mint to Be” by Katie-Cicatelli-Kuc is a sweet story about two best friends who lose their way with each other, only to try to discover how to be in each other’s lives again.

When Emma moves away for boarding school, Aiden is shocked. Emma didn’t even say goodbye, and it is too much for him to fathom that she would leave without even a backward glance in his direction. The book moves between the present and the past, flashing back to how things were over the years between them, including how they became friends, what they mean to each other, and how Emma told Aiden she was accepted to boarding school when she received the letter saying so. In the present, they are having a hard time adjusting to Emma being back in town after quite a while away at school. The fact that she also brought back her boyfriend, whom Aiden nor anyone else in her family or their small town has met, and it’s a recipe for trouble. Her new boyfriend, Sam, doesn’t quite understand the intimate nature of their small town, and Emma and Aiden need to find time away from him in order to settle their own issues.

The story has themes of friendship, betrayal, and loss, but also shows how one can learn to get over the past in order to move forward into the future. An added bonus is that there is a “scratch and sniff” sticker on the front cover of the book that smells like peppermint! Any lover of the holidays will get a kick out of this special touch.