Logan Sweet, son of the Candymaker, lives in the candy factory known as “Life is Sweet.” He has an unlimited supply of chocolate pizza, smells candy wafting out of rooms wherever he goes, and sees chocolate fountains and taffy around every corner.

The Candymakers is an exciting book that is written from the viewpoints of four of the 32 contestants in the Annual Candymaking Contest: Logan, Miles, Daisy, and Philip. They are each on the mission to create the best candy to surprise the judges. With only a couple of days to make their own treats, all four kids rush to construct their creations. Along the way, they explore the factory and all of its rooms: the Marshmallow room, the Taffy room, the Tropical room, and countless others. After the tour of the rooms, the contestants are supplied with all of the materials needed to make their candy and are shown numerous demonstrations to help them with the candymaking process. When the time comes to make their candies, who will come out on top at the Confectionary Association’s annual contest?

Nothing in this story is as it seems. Through every chapter, Logan becomes more and more curious about his fellow contestants. What is in Miles’ huge backpack and what caused him to learn to speak backwards? What is in Phillip’s notebook that he keeps writing in, and what is he hiding from the others? Is Daisy really there for the contest, or is she there for something else? What is the secret ingredient that Phillip and Daisy are looking for? “The Candymakers” presents all of the answers to these questions as well as some interesting surprises.

I would recommend this book to anyone to loves candy or clever plot twists. I really liked reading this book because of the compelling personalities of the characters. Julia Blackmon, a 7th grader, said, “I love the element of mystery! There are so many different stories that end up tying into one, and I found that really entertaining while reading the book.”

I especially admired Philip, who despite his selfish nature is actually shy and passionate on the inside, and finds it in his heart to resolve an old dispute. All of the details and loaded language in this book made for a very charming story. On top of that, being able to see the world from each character’s perspective makes it very enjoyable, and if you liked this book, try reading other books by Wendy Mass as well.