A new move means a new start for Gigi. She wants to leave her nickname behind (Double G) and stop studying all the time to take some time and make some friends. Gigi now Leia (nicknames include G or G-Girl) has always been the girl who studied during lunchtime, after school, and even on weekends. Her sister, Didi, has always stressed the importance of G being ahead and studying whenever she could. It's what their mama would have wanted. Their mama died a long time ago and all they have left of her are her recipes and her dreams. Didi, was named after her mama. Her real name is Delta Dawn after an old country song. Gigi's real name... I'll let that be a surprise. Didi has always told stories about their mama and what she wants for her daughters. Didi became a hairdresser like her mama and Gigi is expected to be someone important like a famous scientist.

G has always been told that she must keep her head in the books, but with this new move she makes a plan to get some friends. Lucky her, she meets Trip - who she hates to say is a beautiful boy. She becomes great friends with him and his friend Billy. One person that doesn't like this development is Mace, who always has a rude thing to say to G. G doesn't let Mace get her down like she would in her old hometown. She lets it slide off her until she starts getting into her personal life.

"Walking through town with Trip, I thought about how easily he had folded me into his group. Sometimes when Didi makes peanut butter cookies, she'll get all cranky trying to blend the peanut butter in the sugar, eggs, and butter. See, the peanut butter always stays in a big clump and the eggs are all slimy and you have to really work at it before everything gets nice and smooth. But the way Trip pulled me into his buttery, sugary life, you'd never know when I was peanut butter in the first place."

There are so many things I want to say about The Truth About Twinkie Pie, but I don't want to ruin it. It's about so much more than I could have hoped. I just saw the cover and thought this is about food so I must read it. It's much more than a book about food although it does have some recipes that look delicious. It's about family, friendship, being heard, and creating your own way in life. There's a lot of trying to figure out who you are in this book too. There's so much at twelve years old and as a young adult too that you are trying to figure out - mostly your place in this world. G explores this theme throughout the story. She learns so much about herself.

There are so many twists to The Truth About Twinkie Pie. I thought I had it all figured out, but authors like Yeh continue to impress me with their deceptionally good writing. Also, there are so many moments that are so wonderful in this story. The friendships G makes and her interactions with Mace really shape this story. G is a fantastic character to follow and how the world changes before her eyes. I can't come up with the right words, however I will say that don't go into this book thinking it's just going to be another middle grade read. It's so much more than that. The Truth About Me is so good and I can't express my feelings for it as much as I would like to which is just so frustrating. I'll just say that if you like MG books you'll love The Truth About Twinkie Pie. Trust me. ( )

I really enjoyed this story. The plot is very character driven. Some parts of the plot were predictable, but they fit so well, I really wasn't disappointed by that. There was one plot twist that did surprise me and I loved it. It was written so well, and so accurately for the age group, that it bumped the rating up by one star. I also loved the added element of the family recipes. The author blended them into the storyline perfectly. She intended for them to match the plot. That was a very creative addition to a young adult/middle grades novel. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. ( )

12-year–old Gigi lives with her sister Didi who is a hairstylist in a trailer park. When Didi wins one million dollars in a cooking contest she is able to help realize the big dreams she has for Gigi by moving to Long Island and enrolling her in an upscale high school. Gigi, who hates her name and asks the new kids at school to call her Leia, becomes friends with Trip, a cool, handsome guy who accepts her as she is. This is a warm, sweet, wonderful tween novel about food, friendship, family and the secrets and love that bind us all together. Scrumptious recipes for Twinkie Pie, Love at First Salad, Impossible Pie, Cherries in the Snow and more are included. You’ll laugh, smile, cry, sigh, and most likely bake.

Sharyn H. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

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GiGi or as she wants to be called in her new, fancy private school on Long Island, Leia, is excited for a new start and to have some more control over her life. She is being raised by her sister, DiDi, who after a windfall of prize money from a cooking contest has moved them to New York for better opportunities. GiGi is a little self-absorbed at times and can hold on to a grudge. She misses her mother who "died" when she was born. GiGi is a high-achieving student who becomes a little unravelled when her sister befriends her arch-rival and she discovers that maybe her mom is not dead after all.
Each chapter ends with a recipe from the family cookbook that is integrated into the action of the story or the mood of what is happening.
A quick, enjoyable read that explores identity and family. ( )

Read the ARC. Definitely saving for the girls when they are older ( )