Miles is constantly trying to come to terms with what he saw, in any way his mind will let him, rational or not. He is a child trying to live through the trauma of seeing someone die, and his empathetic nature is hijacked by his anxiety. It was a delight to see such complex and well-rounded characters interact in the novel, but Miles may have been my favorite by far. Mass harnesses the imaginative qualities of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and spins an entirely different tale that goes so much deeper than simplistic parables about misbehaving children. The cover really sealed to deal on making me want to try the book.

Or Philip, the suit-and-tie wearing boy who’s always scribbling in a secret notebook?” Miles, the boy who is allergic to merry-go-rounds and the color pink?ĭaisy, the cheerful girl who can lift a fifty-pound lump of taffy like it’s a feather?

Logan, the Candymaker’s son, who can detect the color of chocolate by touch alone? Who will invent a candy more delicious than the Oozing Crunchorama or the Neon Lightning Chew? “Four children have been chosen to compete in a national competition to find the tastiest confection in the country. I can’t sum it up any better than the blurb from goodreads without giving too much away though! Equal parts action packed and whimsical, The Candymakers was my first choice for writing questions at my system’s Battle of the Books.

The candymakers by wendy mass