Oscar knows what he wants to do and he has for a long time. His dream is to spend everyday in his food truck with his grandfather making their food, but school keeps holding him back. When he gets assigned to a new project, his world starts expanding beyond what he knows. Cute idea.

DNF for now

Unfortunately it's a little difficult to get through this book but I will be revisiting it again because the premise is promising and I'm sure it will get better once I get really into the book. I'll update this space once I reread

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

This was really cute! I cant believe it took me this long to read. I thought the story was very unique and something that will stick with me for a long time

I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. It seemed like it was going to be a pretty standard teen coming of age with romance but it is much more than that. It is about family and following your dreams even if what you want doesn't line up with what others expect of you. I loved the relationship between Oscar and his Farfar. It was easy to connect with these characters, they were extremely realistic. I would recommend to anyone looking for an enjoyable read.

I really liked this book and how she got over someone. I enjoyed the romance and the friendships. I liked she came to enjoy her family. I liked that she was able to get over a boy and move on with her life. Great story.

I really enjoyed this story. It made me laugh, it made me (almost) cry. It was a very well paced, emotionally balanced story.

Literal tears. This book left me in literal tears. I thought from the synopsis that it might be a bit tough to read but it really took your heart and made you feel.
The book has romance, yes, but it spends most of the book looking at grief and loss. We find out Lou's story and his grandfather's story. The author does an amazing job of not just giving details but actually bringing you into the story/past and making it come alive.
If you are looking for a story about learning to grieve this is it. Just be aware it will make even the most hardhearted people cry.

While this book has many standard elements, they are shown with a bit of a twist. Our protagonist has been raised by a grandparent, but atypically it is his grandfather. He's an immigrant, but atypically he is from northern Europe. He's a driven character, but driven in ways we don't typically see. He's focused on building the food truck into a sustainable business. The plot, while seeded with dark elements, has an ultimately rosy outlook on life. The characters are well developed and emotionally connected with the plot.

I really enjoyed the development of the characters in this novel. FarFar was just a loveable character and his relationship with both Oz and Lou was tenderhearted and loveable. Oz's growth at the end really helped the development of the story.

Donuts and Other Proclamations of Love is enormously charming with its mouthwatering sweets. This book is packed with real life experiences to friendship, family relationship, first love and as well, ensuing your true passions in life.

The long and intriguing title is definitely my cup of tea. As such, Oscar prepares himself about his high school graduation but he is more invested in Farfar’s food truck. His independency to cooking is his top priority rather than planning his college journey. The hundred apples situation in the cafeteria was then hit Oscar’s focus and determination to continue his path, thanks for Lou’s disturbance. Moreover, the voice of the main character is very plain and direct, sometimes I can easily predict his actions but nevertheless, he has a real quirky vibe which made him very funny and unique at some point.

Reading this book is like almost riding a roller coaster because I was really hesitant to say that this is a romance book but more likely it is sided on the genre of social themes and slice of life. But the romance part was slightly achieved and was executed but it didn’t hit me that much. Hence, I was more invested in how Oscar transitioned his life in dealing professional path without the involvement of college. And Oscar reminds me of my high school friend (same situation with him) who’s pursuing his dream in business and I knew at that moment that choosing a path is always a nerve-wracking moment, wherein you will experience such dilemma. But the most exciting part of decisions is your own decisions and that makes everything sense. Therefore, Donuts and Other Proclamations of Love proves that everything happened for a reason and you are responsible with your actions.

Certainly, Jared Reck’s crafted well insightful characters and providing confidence in their representations. Donuts and Other Proclamations of Love is an absolute warm and funny read, as it agrees with relatable and firm happenings in today’s venture with a real time effective solutions.

(Massive thanks to PRH International for providing an eARC edition of this book my way.)

This was an awesome addition to contemporary YA. It was relatable, had a lot of heart, and was fun. I will definitely be purchasing for my library (and making Jared Reck a staple in our collection!).

Farfar. Oh, sweet Farfar. Oscar's seventy-five-year-old, gay, immigrant grandfather who became his guardian when he was just four years old, soon after he lost his beloved partner, Amir. I truly adored him. The ways he shared his culture, loved Oscar and his friends so dearly, and supported them in all of their endeavors, were just so incredibly sweet. As someone who adores their own grandparent, I was so invested in everything Farfar. Also, the way he called their cat "pussgurka," kiss pickle, was so cute! If for nothing else, please read this book and experience the beautiful relationship between Oscar and Farfar.

Unfortunately, it took me a very long time to become invested in the overall plot, particularly the romance. It's so clear from the beginning that Oscar's feelings for Skylar were temporary and frankly, shallow. I'm surprised that no one raised an eyebrow at the age difference between them. She was a sophomore and he a senior which, though age-wise they may only be a couple of years apart, means they are at completely different maturity levels and places in their lives.

Lou was, eventually, much more loveable. We became less and less annoyed by her as Oscar did, which was well done by the author. I wish we could have seen more of their time together alone in order to better follow the development of their relationship.

Additionally, it felt as if the plot following Bryce could have used a more solid conclusion.

This was a nice read! I'd recommend Donuts and Other Proclamations of Love to anyone who loves reading about food, sweet romance, and grandparent relationships!

What a great book. This hit so many topic that young people face today and I know would have been a book I would have really loved to have had when I was that age. Very well done.

I don't have enough words to say how much I truly love this book. Farfar immediately became one of my favorite YA adults of all time. The depth of his character, both figuratively and literally, was impressive, and truly gives readers an adult role model, or anchor character, depending on one's age. I was impressed, too, with how many different issues this book was able to weave together without ever feeling like it was doing too much. I can't wait to get this in my classroom next year!

The book focuses on three characters. Farfar is Oscar/Gubben’s grandfather who owns a food truck. Although he is happy with his new life in the United States, he still feels guilty about leaving his family behind to achieve his dreams. Oscar/Gubben has zero plans in attending college after he graduates high school, in which he was encouraged to finish by his grandfather; instead, his dream was to continue working at Farfar’s food truck where he has always felt the happiest and most content. Lou on the other hand, is your typical honor student whose goal is to get admitted into Ivy League universities.

My favorite things about the book:
- Farfar letting Lou and Gubben experience life on their own and then later on give lessons about it
- The grandfather and grandson bond: I can feel the love and happiness between Farfar and Gubben just by reading the story
- The cute and innocent love story of Lou and Gubben and how they slowly discovered the beauty of first love
- Gubben, chasing his dreams despite what other society will say about him not going to college
- Lou’s passion for saving the earth through her waste management initiatives for the school
- The food mentioned in the story, especially kebab and donuts (yum)

What I dislike about the book:
- The ending, which went by hastily, missing some things that needed to be said or done before the epilogue.

Jared Reck has to be an ELA teacher - the symbolism in this amazing book is off the charts! Donuts and Other Proclamations of Love features the symbol of a food truck to reveal the theme of fitting everything into your life that matters to you. If it doesn't fit, it doesn't go on the truck. So, what matters to Oscar, high school senior and culinary wizard who works with his grandfather on their food truck? First, family matters - It is just the two of them - his grandfather brought him to the US from Finland when he was four after his father died of a drug overdose. Cooking matters - that's what Oscar wants to do with his life. But school, that doesn't matter to Oscar. However, his grandfather knows that there's a lot Oscar needs to learn. But life has a funny way of teaching you what you need to know.
Told throughout the course of Oscar's senior year of high school, this is a lovely story of first love, finding yourself, and working towards a greater good for the world. Offering acceptance without preaching and hitting on a lot of timely themes like environmentalism, protests, food insecurity, and LGBTQ+ acceptance.

This book felt like it was trying really hard to be something, I'm just not sure what. I wish that it had focused more on the character development or plot development instead of focusing so much on the exposition and making sure that the characters sounded young. I did appreciate the straightforward focus on someone who has a different path that's not going to college. I felt like that was real and identifiable and something we don't see in YA often enough.

I absolutely loved this book! It is probably the best YA contemporary that I have read in awhile. It is so realistic with believable characters that you just want to hang out with. It is being advertised as a romance and while there is a one it isn’t what the story is really about. It is about family and following your dreams even if they don’t meet others expectations of you.

Oscar or Gubben (which is what he is called by his grandfather) is such a soft and wonderful character that many are going to be able to relate to. He loves to bake and would be happiest just to leave school and work in his grandfather’s (Farfar) food truck. School has always been hard, it is hinted that there is a learning disability but nothing concrete, so senior year is not something he is looking forward to. His struggles and attitude towards school is something many kids can relate to. Oscar’s relationship with his Farfar is what takes center stage for the most part in this story, and what a wonderful relationship it is. Farfar has wonderful advice for Oscar which he doles out in small portions and sometimes Oscar hears it, but sometimes is frustrated by it to.

Lou is such a good match for Oscar, although it takes him a long time to realize it. The romance aspect of the story was exceptionally well done and was very realistic. I loved how Lou just quietly entered his life and waited for him to accept her presence and realize that she was the best thing that ever happened to him.

There were other adults in Oscar’s life that also help and influence him along the way. A couple of them are even teachers. His speech teacher Mrs. Sommers does an excellent job of gently encouraging him and Mrs. Bixler who was in charge of the culinary lab was always there for him to help with suggestions about baking and life. I loved them both.

The story was just so nicely done, with Oscar being our sole narrator. It just felt so authentic and realistic, like I was just hanging out with Oscar and watching him bake and just having a great time doing it. There is a steady pacing to the story, and a lot of it is just Oscar’s thoughts and feelings about life. The whole story line of waste reduction in the cafeteria was amusing, and I could appreciate how they solved the issue even though it involved a dis on Washington apples. I would advise not reading this hungry, because there is some delicious descriptions of cooking and baking that will make you crave cupcakes and munkar.

If you are looking for a soft contemporary romance with characters that are believable and realistic, this is a book you should definitely take a look at. You will find yourself smiling the whole way through.

I wanted to enjoy this book because of the content, but the exposition was exhausting and it took me a long time to really get into the book. It's a good teen read, but I will not be buying this one for my library.