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katewrites's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
sreddous's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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
5.0
This is a subtle and mature look into how domestic violence can uproot a family. There's some dark and difficult family stuff in here -- but, it's family stuff that real-life tweens have to face sometimes. This book and its plot and characters handle these difficult topics with nuance, slow pacing, and a lot of grace.
My favorite part of this book is watching how Alba mulls over considering her own coping skills. Things like forgiveness and understanding are beautiful but complicated, and it's satisfying and interesting to watch Alba sort through all her complicated feelings. In this regard, I personally really liked the slow pacing.
The little romance is cute. The friendships with the other kids as well as the inter-generational friendships are all wholesome and well-developed. It's lovely to see how Alba learns valuable lessons and coping skills and finds love and patience from all sorts of diverse people.
For younger readers, I would add that there are some jokes that I'd maybe describe as PG-13, they're sort of potty jokes where the word "penis" is actually said -- I'd say this book should be "upper middle grade" and is almost YA because it's not unrealistic that tweens/middle-schoolers make dick jokes and such sometimes. But still, it might be a biiiiit much for elementary-school-ages. It didn't really bother me, but I can see why some people might think the dick jokes are a bit much for the advertised age group.
(Content warning: domestic violence)
My favorite part of this book is watching how Alba mulls over considering her own coping skills. Things like forgiveness and understanding are beautiful but complicated, and it's satisfying and interesting to watch Alba sort through all her complicated feelings. In this regard, I personally really liked the slow pacing.
The little romance is cute. The friendships with the other kids as well as the inter-generational friendships are all wholesome and well-developed. It's lovely to see how Alba learns valuable lessons and coping skills and finds love and patience from all sorts of diverse people.
For younger readers, I would add that there are some jokes that I'd maybe describe as PG-13, they're sort of potty jokes where the word "penis" is actually said -- I'd say this book should be "upper middle grade" and is almost YA because it's not unrealistic that tweens/middle-schoolers make dick jokes and such sometimes. But still, it might be a biiiiit much for elementary-school-ages. It didn't really bother me, but I can see why some people might think the dick jokes are a bit much for the advertised age group.
(Content warning: domestic violence)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
Minor: Cursing
sonnahue's review
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? Yes
5.0
well_read_redhead's review against another edition
4.0
This is a good little middle grade book. Also very LGBTQ friendly!
emperor_e's review against another edition
5.0
This one was written extremely well. I enjoyed the characters in this book. Of course I appreciated the main character, who doesn’t love baking? Now if the author can just publish another mg book soon I will be reading it (please). Although I thought the title sounded slightly cheesy, the book is very good and I think the title fits it well. Also lovely job on the cover, I absolutely love it. If you want really well written books, with great characters that are done extremely well, with baking in them, this book is definitely for you. I RECOMMEND IT.
naomiysl's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A very sweet coming of age story in which our young protagonist acts actually young, in ways I find refreshing. I love how specific this book is. Not just vaguely "diverse" but actually reflective of a specific identity. I also really love how all the adults really are looking out for the kiddo in this book. She's got a village at her back, and learning that fact is the journey. Also the queer inclusion and acceptance is cozy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
liralen's review
4.0
Nice balance of serious and lighter here: Alba is freshly in Barcelona, having been sent to stay with her grandmother while her mother figures out what to do about her relationship with Alba's abusive father. Barcelona is full of unknowns for Alba, starting with the fact that, suddenly, the people in her life seem happy to have her there. Gradually, she starts to find her place—one loaf of bread at a time.
I love seeing books set in non-English-speaking places, written for an English-speaking audience—it's just a little taste of somewhere else. I'd have liked to see more of Barcelona in here (Alba spends most of her time in her grandmother's neighbourhood), as it's somewhere I've never been and I love me some vicarious travel. But I'm thrilled with the minimal nod paid to romance. I'm not sure how realistic it is for Toni to pick up gluten-free baking as a marketing scheme (gluten-free is a whole different ball game and would require a lot of experimentation and know-how, even knowing how to bake with gluten; also, a gluten-free loaf at a gluten-filled bakery will be fine for many but not for people with certain severe kinds of gluten intolerances), but I can get behind Alba's growing interest in bread and the bakery.
I love seeing books set in non-English-speaking places, written for an English-speaking audience—it's just a little taste of somewhere else. I'd have liked to see more of Barcelona in here (Alba spends most of her time in her grandmother's neighbourhood), as it's somewhere I've never been and I love me some vicarious travel. But I'm thrilled with the minimal nod paid to romance.
Spoiler
I was worried that Alba's mother would, when she came to Spain, immediately get together with Toni, her childhood friend—but it's very clearly a 'we were basically siblings as children and romance is not on the table'—and although Alba has a little romance of her own, it doesn't get far before she decides that there's a bit too much going on at the moment and she's not in a place to start something. Very nice to see.library_kb's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I really enjoyed this middle school novel which deals with some really tough topics in an approachable, and ultimately hopeful way. Alba gets sent to live with her grandma in Spain to get away from her abusive dad. She is dealing with anger at her mother, for staying in the situation and not getting out sooner, and dealing with some PTSD. As a way of dealing with her situation, she meets a bread baker and learns how to make bread, forming friends and relationships in the process. While the ending did feel a little wrapped up too neatly for me, I did think that the hopeful and positive ending was a good balance to many of the difficult things that are portrayed in this book and was appropriate for the age category. I appreciated the portrayal of Alba, who liked wearing clothes bought in the boys section and keeping her hair short, and how she dealt with people who made assumptions about her based on that. It also had great portrayal of Spanish and Filipino languages and cultures. Highly recommend! (Also, this made me want to travel to Spain SO MUCH--the setting descriptions were 100%)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse