Annabelle Jacobs is a teenage girl whose mom used to be a famous sitcom star but is now not doing so great. Her mom is struggling with addiction, and that puts Annabelle in this weird, unfair position where she's basically parenting her own parent. Annabelle's voice is one thing that works really well. She's funny in a self-aware, sharp way that makes you want to root for her, even when she's being sarcasic or frustrated, which is honestly too often. And who can blame her?

There's family drama, a little romance, some celebrity chaos and some deeper moments when you realize this book is about growing up when the grown-ups aren't exactly showing you how. The humor helps soften the harder edges, but it doesn't sugarcoat the reality of living with someone who is battling addiction. Annabelle also has some cute quirks that I liked.

If I had to condense this down to one sentence that tells it all, it would be this: Hollywood drama meets real-life heartbreak - with a sarcastic teen narrator who totally steals the show.

The Corner of Bitter and Sweet was a great read. It dealt with deep issues but didn’t get depressing, remaining mostly light. The characters, especially Annabelle, are vivid, well-developed and relatable. A lovely coming-of-age story.