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blogginboutbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure I've ever read a book set in Barcelona, so I found the setting of ALL YOU KNEAD IS LOVE to be unique and refreshing. The blend of Spanish and Filipino cultures is a fun story element, giving the story an original flair. I also enjoyed the novel's emphasis on community, family, acceptance, and forgiveness/second chances. Although it deals with some tough subject matter, overall the tale is hopeful and empowering.
I didn't love Alba, who spends most of the story acting self-centered and victim-y. She's sympathetic, but I got tired of everything being about her own pain and suffering. She does grow over the novel, becoming more likable in the end, but I still didn't care for her much. The other characters in the book are colorful and fun, which helped balance out Alba's more annoying qualities.
As far as pacing goes, ALL YOU KNEAD IS LOVE feels slow and overly long. The plot (Alba's quest to save the bakery) doesn't really start until around page 200 and even then, it really doesn't cause THAT much conflict. As a result, the story gets dull in places, sagging with too much detail and too many unnecessary scenes. I hung in there, but I'm not sure a middle grader would.
All in all, then, ALL YOU KNEAD IS LOVE ended up being just an average read for me. While there were a lot of things I liked about the novel, there were a number of things that irritated me, dampening my overall enjoyment of the book.
I didn't love Alba, who spends most of the story acting self-centered and victim-y. She's sympathetic, but I got tired of everything being about her own pain and suffering. She does grow over the novel, becoming more likable in the end, but I still didn't care for her much. The other characters in the book are colorful and fun, which helped balance out Alba's more annoying qualities.
As far as pacing goes, ALL YOU KNEAD IS LOVE feels slow and overly long. The plot (Alba's quest to save the bakery) doesn't really start until around page 200 and even then, it really doesn't cause THAT much conflict. As a result, the story gets dull in places, sagging with too much detail and too many unnecessary scenes. I hung in there, but I'm not sure a middle grader would.
All in all, then, ALL YOU KNEAD IS LOVE ended up being just an average read for me. While there were a lot of things I liked about the novel, there were a number of things that irritated me, dampening my overall enjoyment of the book.
mrs_bookdragon's review against another edition
4.0
This book will have you craving bread and finding yourself wanting to make your own. I loved that food was used as a way to ground the main character in her emotions and help her navigate all that was going on in her life. Tanya also depicted the setting, Spain, so beautifully and was glad I could pretend travel!
fallingletters's review against another edition
5.0
Review originally published 16 March 2021 at Falling Letters. I received a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
I feel like I have now read enough excellent middle grade books that feature protagonists cooking or baking that I should make a list of them. All You Knead is Love would be the latest addition to that list.
When I read middle grade contemporary, I often do so from a professional perspective. I prefer fantasy; I read contemporary to be aware of great new titles with diverse representation. Rarely do I connect with middle grade protagonists on a personal level. So I was surprised to find myself relating to Alba, even though our experiences differ greatly. Feelings of anger and frustration and sadness and the desire to run away from the problems that cause those feelings? Probably relatable to a lot of readers these days! At one point, I wrote a note, “Kid, I am feeling this”.
This is not to diminish Alba’s personal experiences. The story opens with Alba’s mother loading her onto a plane to Spain, because she doesn’t want Alba around as she tries to leave her abusive husband (Alba’s father). Alba has had a rough go of things, with a fractured relationship with her mother due to the abuse they have both experienced at the hands of Alba’s father. Alba’s parents also take issue with her gender expression. Her father’s downright awful about it; her mother wants her to be more feminine.
Abuela Lola (grandmother in Spanish and Tagalog), on the other hand, takes no issue, asking Alba about her gender identity early on in a poignant scene. Guerrero has noted, “I decided to make Alba non-gender conforming like my own daughter, because I felt there was a void in MG literature when it comes to representation like hers. Both my daughter and Alba identify as she/her, but they do not conform to the traditional mold of what a girl is supposed to be.”
Alba’s relationship with the grandmother she never knew is one of my favourite parts of the story. Throughout the story, Alba contrasts her experiences with Abuela Lola to what she has experienced growing up with her parents. In one instance, as Alba and Abuela Lola sit down to dinner, Alba notes that “Having someone there, and present, was disorienting” (16%), because it’s such a contrast to how she often ate dinner with her mother.
As Alba grows comfortable living with Abuela Lola, baking with her mother’s childhood friend Toni, and exploring Barcelona with Toni’s son Joaquim and Marie (daughter of the Chinese family who owns a restaurant in Abuela Lola’s building),
At almost four hundred pages, there are further strengths in this story that I haven’t commented on. I’ve alluded to other key relationships in the paragraph above, but I haven’t touched on Alba’s experience with the Filipino community her grandmother introduces her to. Different aspects of family (blood, found, repaired, rediscovered) play a central role in the story. Alba and Abuela Lola’s relationship is just one exemplar. Alba also experiences her first ‘romantic’ encounters, in a way that’s entirely appropriate for middle grade and doesn’t overshadow other aspects of the story. I have to say I am glad there was no ‘redemptive’ romantic storyline for Alba’s mother! Overall, All You Knead is Love beautifully explores family, community, and finding belonging.
Oh, and I can’t wrap up this review without commenting on the setting. How nice it would be to wander the narrow streets and bask in the sun on a Barcelona beach right now… Guerrero’s descriptions did a great job at transporting me away from the grey dreary pandemic winter of the west coast.
The Bottom Line
I feel like I have now read enough excellent middle grade books that feature protagonists cooking or baking that I should make a list of them. All You Knead is Love would be the latest addition to that list.
When I read middle grade contemporary, I often do so from a professional perspective. I prefer fantasy; I read contemporary to be aware of great new titles with diverse representation. Rarely do I connect with middle grade protagonists on a personal level. So I was surprised to find myself relating to Alba, even though our experiences differ greatly. Feelings of anger and frustration and sadness and the desire to run away from the problems that cause those feelings? Probably relatable to a lot of readers these days! At one point, I wrote a note, “Kid, I am feeling this”.
This is not to diminish Alba’s personal experiences. The story opens with Alba’s mother loading her onto a plane to Spain, because she doesn’t want Alba around as she tries to leave her abusive husband (Alba’s father). Alba has had a rough go of things, with a fractured relationship with her mother due to the abuse they have both experienced at the hands of Alba’s father. Alba’s parents also take issue with her gender expression. Her father’s downright awful about it; her mother wants her to be more feminine.
Abuela Lola (grandmother in Spanish and Tagalog), on the other hand, takes no issue, asking Alba about her gender identity early on in a poignant scene. Guerrero has noted, “I decided to make Alba non-gender conforming like my own daughter, because I felt there was a void in MG literature when it comes to representation like hers. Both my daughter and Alba identify as she/her, but they do not conform to the traditional mold of what a girl is supposed to be.”
Alba’s relationship with the grandmother she never knew is one of my favourite parts of the story. Throughout the story, Alba contrasts her experiences with Abuela Lola to what she has experienced growing up with her parents. In one instance, as Alba and Abuela Lola sit down to dinner, Alba notes that “Having someone there, and present, was disorienting” (16%), because it’s such a contrast to how she often ate dinner with her mother.
As Alba grows comfortable living with Abuela Lola, baking with her mother’s childhood friend Toni, and exploring Barcelona with Toni’s son Joaquim and Marie (daughter of the Chinese family who owns a restaurant in Abuela Lola’s building),
Spoiler
Alba’s mother comes crashing back into her life. I didn’t anticipate that to happen (roughly halfway through). It kept the story engaging and pushed Alba to further confront her feelings and how she and her mother might relate to one another going forward.At almost four hundred pages, there are further strengths in this story that I haven’t commented on. I’ve alluded to other key relationships in the paragraph above, but I haven’t touched on Alba’s experience with the Filipino community her grandmother introduces her to. Different aspects of family (blood, found, repaired, rediscovered) play a central role in the story. Alba and Abuela Lola’s relationship is just one exemplar. Alba also experiences her first ‘romantic’ encounters, in a way that’s entirely appropriate for middle grade and doesn’t overshadow other aspects of the story. I have to say I am glad there was no ‘redemptive’ romantic storyline for Alba’s mother! Overall, All You Knead is Love beautifully explores family, community, and finding belonging.
Oh, and I can’t wrap up this review without commenting on the setting. How nice it would be to wander the narrow streets and bask in the sun on a Barcelona beach right now… Guerrero’s descriptions did a great job at transporting me away from the grey dreary pandemic winter of the west coast.
The Bottom Line
_christinacreads's review
5.0
Actual Rating 4.5 ☆
“But the truth is, if you don’t love yourself, it doesn’t matter how much someone tries to love you. They can try and try and try, but at the end of the day, it’ll be for nothing."
All You Knead Is Love by Tanya Guerrero is about Alba, a Filipino-Spanish-American 12 year old who ends up shuffled off to live in Barcelona with her estranged grandmother while her mom works on her relationship with Alba's narcisstic, abusive father.
This is a contemporary middle grade and lower YA coming-of-age novel about a multiracial girl who tries to understand and express herself and connect to her mother's culture and heritage through exploring unknown family connections and community through a passion for food.
This story was painful, beautiful, healing, and heart warming. It is queer coded and there is sapphic representation for a couple of the side characters. And honestly, my favorite part about reading middle grade books with queer rep are the one star queerphobic and transphobic ratings in the comments section.
Alba as a character was a fully fleshed out child with hopes and wishes and dreams. She was endearing and complicated and messy and just so beautiful. My heart broke for her and her mother who suffered under her abusive father. I loved how she grew into her own and tried to understand herself and gain more confidence in the way she chose to express herself.
The setting was lush and rich and I felt like I was transported into the streets of Barcelona all the while maintaining that aspect of Filipino culture through the language and people there.
As a child who grew up in a frighteningly parallel situation, being able to read a book like this even at my ripe age of mid30s was so very healing. I didn't have the escape that Alba did in flying to Barcelona but I did have my books and boy it would've been so nice to read this story growing up.
This book was so beautiful and very emotional for me. It's a story of growth and acceptance, and understanding and healing. In the words of Alba's mother "We survived, the two of us."
“But the truth is, if you don’t love yourself, it doesn’t matter how much someone tries to love you. They can try and try and try, but at the end of the day, it’ll be for nothing."
All You Knead Is Love by Tanya Guerrero is about Alba, a Filipino-Spanish-American 12 year old who ends up shuffled off to live in Barcelona with her estranged grandmother while her mom works on her relationship with Alba's narcisstic, abusive father.
This is a contemporary middle grade and lower YA coming-of-age novel about a multiracial girl who tries to understand and express herself and connect to her mother's culture and heritage through exploring unknown family connections and community through a passion for food.
This story was painful, beautiful, healing, and heart warming. It is queer coded and there is sapphic representation for a couple of the side characters. And honestly, my favorite part about reading middle grade books with queer rep are the one star queerphobic and transphobic ratings in the comments section.
Alba as a character was a fully fleshed out child with hopes and wishes and dreams. She was endearing and complicated and messy and just so beautiful. My heart broke for her and her mother who suffered under her abusive father. I loved how she grew into her own and tried to understand herself and gain more confidence in the way she chose to express herself.
The setting was lush and rich and I felt like I was transported into the streets of Barcelona all the while maintaining that aspect of Filipino culture through the language and people there.
As a child who grew up in a frighteningly parallel situation, being able to read a book like this even at my ripe age of mid30s was so very healing. I didn't have the escape that Alba did in flying to Barcelona but I did have my books and boy it would've been so nice to read this story growing up.
This book was so beautiful and very emotional for me. It's a story of growth and acceptance, and understanding and healing. In the words of Alba's mother "We survived, the two of us."
mabel7's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
miszjeanie's review against another edition
5.0
All You Knead Is Love is a heartwarming middle grade novel about identity, family, community, and of course, food. Set in the magical city of Barcelona, this new release is perfect for fans of middle grade books set in Europe! It also features a lovable grandmother, realistically depicted friendships, and a sweet inter-generational friendship. If you enjoy middle grade books about food, come prepared, this one will have you salivating throughout.
Read my full review on the blog.
Many thanks to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review
Read my full review on the blog.
Many thanks to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review
droar's review against another edition
4.0
Ya'll know me and baking middle grade books... All You Knead is Love is a fun and sweet read on the slightly more serious spectrum of middle grade baking novels (& so much less full of puns than I expected from the title :((( ). It follows the standard format of baking middle grade stories (family trauma + new place, discover bakery/baking/food arts, begin to trust new place/family, bakery in trouble/trust shaken, kid saves the day & learns to trust/love/believe) but the family issues (Alcoholic father abuses Alba's mother, who in turn is extremely emotionally distant) and Alba's emotional response to them are explored so well. Alba is anxious in general, easily overwhelmed, and suspicious of people reaching out with love. Even when she's starting to reach out to the adults in her new life that express love and affections she has sudden moments of panic remembering past events that hurt her and her mother. It's an excellent young teen view of healing, especially in that it's not all fixed in the first 30 pages! (I mean, it's a middle grade book, many points are unrealistic but the bones are solid). I really enjoyed watching Alba grow out of her protective shell and build herself a home. I'll happily recommend this book to my middle grade readers in search of something fun with just a little weight!
ipushbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
mindfullibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
ALL MY LOVE. This middle school book managed to make me ravenous, break my heart, heal my soul, and make me come come thisclose to booking a flight to Barcelona. I don’t know if I’ve read a MG book that hit me so hard on all levels ~ this one blew me away. The culture, the relationships, the setting, the BREAD
librandian's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75