Bliss Adair and the First Rule of Knitting
by Jean Mills
Realistic Fiction
Romance
* * * * Stars (Great!)
Bliss Adair is an accomplished knitter as well as a math wiz. She spends a lot of time helping out at her folks’ yarn store, which puts her in the unfortunate position of hearing something she shouldn’t and now wishes she didn’t know. When she connects that piece of information with an acquaintance at school, she can’t stop thinking about and about him. And when they are paired up for a math competition it gets worse, because they have to spend a lot of time together. Which, to be honest, isn’t awful. Bliss really likes Finn. He’s nice and funny and easy to talk to and smart and… he has a girlfriend. Who has a best friend. Who glares at Bliss like she wants to destroy her. So, it’s probably, almost certainly, a dead end. Keeping a secret, especially after she’s got confirmation that it’s true, is really hard, and Bliss almost tells Finn, but the timing is never right, and she’s never sure if it’s the right thing to do (because it’s going to hurt a lot of people). Things get complicated, and then become very awkward when the truth finally comes out. The characters in this novel are quirky and fun – especially Bliss and her family – and readers will come to love and root for them. For upper middle and high school readers.
Reviewed by YA Librarian
