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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a great book for young teens. It is fun and interesting.
I felt this was a fun fantasy, that was easy to read.
T Kingfisher has really vivid writing which kept me engaged throughout.
I felt this was a fun fantasy, that was easy to read.
T Kingfisher has really vivid writing which kept me engaged throughout.
Adorable. Points for the loveable animated gingerbread man sidekick. Cute. The author does a great job of predictable and cozy.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking is very fable-like in setting and storytelling style. As a result, - even though I do understand that this is a stylistic choice - the characters felt superficial. For the majority of the book, I had trouble sympathizing with the protagonist, Mona. The way the characters are described is a bit like in a fairytale: more from a distance than I am used to and enjoy. It took a long time for them to grow on me.
The first half of the book was a lot of Mona running, panicking and whining. Despite the whimsical tone and some fun magical details, the story was alternating between boring and annoying. Luckily, in the second half it picked up and made up for it by delivering what I wanted to read the story for in the first place: the hilarious dough magic.
I really enjoy the way magic is done in this book. It's an individual, completely random and highly specific talent that some people are born with. It can feel like a curse if you end up with an awkward talent. How useful it is, is largely up to the creativity of the magic user, the 'magicker'. While there are some very general rules of thumb, the way it works is pretty much intuitive. This is how I would imagine magic to work, rather than contrived, with lots of rules or spells that one needs to learn by heart etcetera. Respect to Kingfisher for making magic feel real in a story that is written in a fairytale style!
I LOVED the concept of Bob the homicidal sourdough starter (my love for mycology and slime moulds definitely helped here) andhow his offspring proved the most effective line of defense outside of the city gates . The evil giant gingerman cookies were also a hilarious touch. I wish we would've heard some tales about what they had been up to from the street rats (who also went behind enemy lines at night, where the giant cookies were sent to wreck havoc ). I also enjoyed the more serious underlying message, which critiqued politics in fairytale monarchies. This added depth and makes A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking a young adult rather than a children's book.
The cookie magic, and Mona's emotional connection to her creations in particular, make for hilarious anekdotes. Here are some of my favourite Mona quotes. They give a good impression of the whimsical tone of the book:
The first half of the book was a lot of Mona running, panicking and whining. Despite the whimsical tone and some fun magical details, the story was alternating between boring and annoying. Luckily, in the second half it picked up and made up for it by delivering what I wanted to read the story for in the first place: the hilarious dough magic.
I really enjoy the way magic is done in this book. It's an individual, completely random and highly specific talent that some people are born with. It can feel like a curse if you end up with an awkward talent. How useful it is, is largely up to the creativity of the magic user, the 'magicker'. While there are some very general rules of thumb, the way it works is pretty much intuitive. This is how I would imagine magic to work, rather than contrived, with lots of rules or spells that one needs to learn by heart etcetera. Respect to Kingfisher for making magic feel real in a story that is written in a fairytale style!
I LOVED the concept of Bob the homicidal sourdough starter (my love for mycology and slime moulds definitely helped here) and
The cookie magic, and Mona's emotional connection to her creations in particular, make for hilarious anekdotes. Here are some of my favourite Mona quotes. They give a good impression of the whimsical tone of the book:
"But still... Death by sourdough starter? Not a good way to go. You had to feel sorry for them."
and:
"You can't really hug a cookie, but I leaned my cheek against him, feeling deep relief."
and:
"You haven't lived until you've seen a cookie look smug."
and finally:
"We still have the best sourdough in the city, even though Bob's experience in battle has made him extra rambunctious and we have to feed him on the end of a pole. Sometimes he dissolves the pole."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Murder, War, Classism
Minor: Death of parent
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Very fluffy and cute - might be exactly what you are looking for. It fell a bit short for me but I had a nice time.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A self-ware, good take on the child soldier trope
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Hate crime, Stalking, Murder, War
Moderate: Excrement