ARC Review: Coco Caramel by Cathy Cassidy

Plot: Another delicious book in the Chocolate Box Girls series from bestselling girls' favourite, Cathy Cassidy. nbsp;Coco is the youngest of the Tanberry sisters nbsp;and while she thinks she's the most sensible, she's as headstrong as any of them. nbsp;Coco is crazy about animals and loves her riding lessons. When Caramel her favourite pony at the stables is sold, Coco scopes out the new owner - and she's not happy about what she discovers. Coco needs to rescue Caramel from a horrid fate.With big sister Honey going off at the deep end and Summer only just recovering from her eating disorder, there's no-one at Tanglewood to help Coco out. Can she do it alone - or will a new friend help her?A perfect next step for fans of Jacqueline Wilson, by the bestselling author of Angel Cake and Ginger Snaps.


Release Date: June 6 2013



My Review: 

This is the fourth book in the Chocolate Box Girls series. Click to see my reviews for Cherry Crush (Book 1), Marshmallow Skye (Book 2) and Summer's Dream (Book 3) .

I received this book from Puffin publishing, Thank you very much. I devoured this book in the day it arrived and now I have so many thoughts on it.

This book is from Coco's point of view. When reading  the other books, Coco never jumped out to me as an important character. I kind of felt that she was just there, but not really essential to the story of the sisters. Now, I really understand the importance of her character and all she has to deal with because of her family. She is always in the background, as an observer of all of her sisters problems and troubles. She is often over looked by her family also. She is a really opinionated young girl, who feels strongly about animal rights and dreams of becoming a vet.

I really liked the friendship that blossomed between Coco and Lawrie. He was a mystery at first as he tried to keep himself closed off from her, but when they became more comfortable with each other their friendship developed. They are both passionate about animals and horses. He was a really nice boy beneath the facade he presents in the beginning. It was really sad to hear him talk about his past. The twist in this book was huge and it totally surprised me.

The book also addresses important issues that would not be found in a lot of children's books. I think that this should change as children should learn about these issues as to refrain from falling into bad habits themselves. In this book a very thin Summer is still present, fighting her Anorexia. Honey is also a source of conflict for the family as she continues to defy her mum and gets in with a very bad crowd.

The ending of this book has left me in total suspense for the next and final book, Sweet Honey, . After the events of this book I cannot wait to read a book entirely from Honeys perspective.  Cathy Cassidy bring to life a flawless story of love, animal rights and family struggles in this amazing book. Her writing style makes the character so unique and their stories flow from the page. I would recommend this book to anyone who is 10 and up.

Rating: 

Five Star Book

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