The Cinnamon Bun Book Store

Throughout The Cinnamon Bun Book Store, protagonists Hazel and Noah doubt whether they are worthy of receiving love from the people they care about, and they frequently compare themselves unfavorably with others. Hazel’s upcoming 30th birthday is an occasion for pained introspection: “[A]ll of a sudden, with thirty sticking its proverbial tongue out at her, Hazel suddenly wondered if she’d missed out on something” (10). Though previously content with her quiet and stable life, Hazel begins to worry that she hasn’t spent her twenties the way others often do, having adventures and being reckless. Hazel feels that her character and lifestyle are deficient, as evidenced by her desire to “do something very un-Hazel-like” (10). Hazel’s desire to change herself or do things she knows she wouldn’t normally attempt suggests a growing dissatisfaction with herself. This dissatisfaction prompts her to engage in a casual relationship with Noah even though “Hazel didn’t do casual. She didn’t know how” (98). However, throughout the novel Hazel begins to learn that she doesn’t need to change herself to be someone she is happy with, especially as Noah helps her to see herself in a new light. Through her relationship with Noah, Hazel begins to learn that she is worthy, desirable, and enough just as she is and that she is capable of being both serious and fun at the same time.