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whimsyfaerie's review against another edition
3.0
*3.5 stars
to start off, the cover and the artwork inside is so lovely!
mimi is so sweet and her passion for baking is so adorable! she really puts all her effort into it. also, her nickname mimi mouse is the cutest!
vick is so cute too! (light spoilers) the part where he bursts into giggles because of henry’s song is just the cutest thing ever.
i would have liked this book a bit more except i was kinda disappointed with the last fourth of this book. it was a bit confusing and rushed, but other than that, i still recommend it! especially if you love baking because the way food is described in this book is so good!
oh also, the main character is biracial!!
little quote i thought was wholesome: “not everything in life can be sweet. salty and sour, spicy and bitter-it’s the combination of tastes that make the food delicious. and that’s what makes life worth savoring, too.”
age rating: 9+
to start off, the cover and the artwork inside is so lovely!
mimi is so sweet and her passion for baking is so adorable! she really puts all her effort into it. also, her nickname mimi mouse is the cutest!
vick is so cute too! (light spoilers) the part where he bursts into giggles because of henry’s song is just the cutest thing ever.
i would have liked this book a bit more except i was kinda disappointed with the last fourth of this book. it was a bit confusing and rushed, but other than that, i still recommend it! especially if you love baking because the way food is described in this book is so good!
oh also, the main character is biracial!!
little quote i thought was wholesome: “not everything in life can be sweet. salty and sour, spicy and bitter-it’s the combination of tastes that make the food delicious. and that’s what makes life worth savoring, too.”
age rating: 9+
a_ab's review against another edition
2.0
Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me, but then, I am not the target audience, so it wasn't meant to. I am sure it would work a whole lot better for the right reader, since there is nothing outright bad about the book.
To me this reads more like a fanfiction than a retelling — as in "what are the cool immortal characters from the original up to these days" sort of a fanfiction. I am a fan of the play as a whole much more than I am a fan of Titania and Oberon from the play, so their modern day endeavors weren't of much interest to me.
The modern day family story was more interesting to me, but I would have liked that story a whole lot more without the over the top fairly magic shenanigans.
I ended up feeling bored and while this book felt like a fanfic, it failed my personal fanfic measuring test: if this was my first introduction to the original, it wouldn't have inspired me to read the original work it was based on. Since in this case the original is my favorite Shakespeare's play, I was rather disappointed by the treatment it got in this book. If anything, my familiarity with the play might have spoiled the book, because it made painfully obvious what was going on from the very beginning and the plot development in the book was one of the most underwhelming trajectories for that setup.
To me this reads more like a fanfiction than a retelling — as in "what are the cool immortal characters from the original up to these days" sort of a fanfiction. I am a fan of the play as a whole much more than I am a fan of Titania and Oberon from the play, so their modern day endeavors weren't of much interest to me.
The modern day family story was more interesting to me, but I would have liked that story a whole lot more without the over the top fairly magic shenanigans.
I ended up feeling bored and while this book felt like a fanfic, it failed my personal fanfic measuring test: if this was my first introduction to the original, it wouldn't have inspired me to read the original work it was based on. Since in this case the original is my favorite Shakespeare's play, I was rather disappointed by the treatment it got in this book. If anything, my familiarity with the play might have spoiled the book, because it made painfully obvious what was going on from the very beginning and the plot development in the book was one of the most underwhelming trajectories for that setup.
chaosandbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really cute middle grade that focuses on baking and family. The author did a great job of incorporating whimsy into reality and showing how it applies to a love for baking. I thought it was very unique in concept and enjoyed having a middle grade protagonist without the tragic family backstory. I adore the incorporation of Midsummer Night's Dream and the food descriptions were so delightful they inspired me to bake and experiment myself.
fyziksgirl's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This book was fine. A clever take on Shakespeare, so you'll probably enjoy it more if you like his work but they give you enough info to follow even if you have no knowledge of it. The language was a bit off and the pace a bit slow at times for us, and it felt bogged down in the descriptions of food in my opinion, but it was hard to tell how much of that was the writing vs the audiobook narrator.
rasunshiny's review against another edition
4.0
Sweet isn't sweet without savory. One isn't good without the other-i Thought everyone knew that. Even the most sugary dessert needs a dash of salt.
Midsummer's Mayhem merupakan novel debut [a:Rajani LaRocca|18056266|Rajani LaRocca|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1527695693p2/18056266.jpg] dan merupakan re-telling dari [b:A Midsummer Night's Dream|1622|A Midsummer Night's Dream|William Shakespeare|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327874534l/1622._SY75_.jpg|894834]. Ini juga kali pertama aku membaca re-telling novel, and it was a good reading experience.
Aku suka bagaimana penulis memodifikasi [b:A Midsummer Night's Dream|1622|A Midsummer Night's Dream|William Shakespeare|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327874534l/1622._SY75_.jpg|894834] dengan tema baking. It's always intriguing when bake with magic. Aku suka sekali bagaimana penulis membangun cerita tentang dunia peri beserta dongeng yang diceritakan dalam lagu dengan dunia manusia terkhusus lingkup pembuat kue. Cerita mengalir dengan sangat lancar mulai dari awal hingga akhir. Aku pun suka dengan hal kecil, seperti bagaimana Mimi dan seluruh anggota keluarga diperkenalkan dengan cara yang singkat dan berkesan. Membaca Midsummer's Mayhem membangkin jiwa masa kecilku yang masih asik main di kebun tetangga.
Hal menarik lainnya adalah bagaimana para tokoh menggunakan berbagai rempah-rempah dan dessert khas India sebagai sebagai resep unik. Berhubung aku tidak suka membuat kue dan bukan penggemar berat juga, aku agak kesulitan membayangkan berbagai kue yang dbuat para tokoh. Namun deskripsi yang sederhana dan indah membuatku berhasil mendapat gambaran bahkan jadi kepengin untuk makan kuenya. Penggunaan bahan-bahan serta topping dalam cerita ini juga memiliki makna dan latar belakang. Di akhir cerita aku sampai ikut terharu dengan penjeasan Mimi dan Vik.
Ohya, jika kamu suka buat kue juga diselipkan resep di akhir cerita, loh!
This is Kulfi; a dense, creamy Indian ice cream, often flavored with nuts, cardamom, rosewater, or fruit.
Selain mengikuti kisah Mimi dan kecintaanya terhadap membuat dessert pembaca juga disuguhi eratnya pertemanan dan hubungan keluarga dalam buku ini. Again, at the end of the day family is the safest place.
I already have a family that teasures me. And we love each other, even though we argue, and feel jealous, and aren't always as kind as we should be.
it's truly recommended!
4 of 5 stars
lyricluciferin's review against another edition
3.75
This was cute! Super was not expecting it to be a midsummers adaptation but after figuring it out early on, in hindsight it's kind of obvious. Cute middle grade version of this.
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book is a retelling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with a foodie twist! There are so many ingredients in this story that will appeal to a wide audience: a baking competition, fairies, sibling rivalry, love enchantments gone wrong, themes of growing up and fitting in—the book has all these and more. Mimi has always wished she had a way to stand out in her family of talented (and outgoing) siblings; her brother’s an actor, her oldest sister’s a dancer, and her other sister is a soccer star. Mimi’s just Mimi. So when she has a chance to enter a baking competition, she sees this as her chance to really shine! Only problem is, things start to go wrong. First her food critic father turns into a ravenous beast who seems to have no taste discernment whatsoever—and Mimi had been counting on him for help in the competition! Then her sisters end up in an all-out battle over two boys who very suddenly seem to both fall head-over-heels in love with one of them. Even with the support of her mysterious new friend Vik, it’s hard for Mimi to believe that she has what it takes to truly make a name for herself and bake her way to success.
There’s a lot here for kids to love: Cooking competition shows are so popular now (my daughter loves them)–and this book doesn’t skimp on the descriptions of Mimi’s fancy, mouthwatering recipes. Plus, kids will get a kick out of the boys’ antics as they try to win Mimi’s sister’s affections—they make fools of themselves in some pretty adorable ways. And most every kid will be able to relate to Mimi’s struggles to fit in and find her place in the world.
A delectable read that will have you reaching for the nearest cookbook (or maybe heading for the nearest bakery)!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
This book is a retelling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with a foodie twist! There are so many ingredients in this story that will appeal to a wide audience: a baking competition, fairies, sibling rivalry, love enchantments gone wrong, themes of growing up and fitting in—the book has all these and more. Mimi has always wished she had a way to stand out in her family of talented (and outgoing) siblings; her brother’s an actor, her oldest sister’s a dancer, and her other sister is a soccer star. Mimi’s just Mimi. So when she has a chance to enter a baking competition, she sees this as her chance to really shine! Only problem is, things start to go wrong. First her food critic father turns into a ravenous beast who seems to have no taste discernment whatsoever—and Mimi had been counting on him for help in the competition! Then her sisters end up in an all-out battle over two boys who very suddenly seem to both fall head-over-heels in love with one of them. Even with the support of her mysterious new friend Vik, it’s hard for Mimi to believe that she has what it takes to truly make a name for herself and bake her way to success.
There’s a lot here for kids to love: Cooking competition shows are so popular now (my daughter loves them)–and this book doesn’t skimp on the descriptions of Mimi’s fancy, mouthwatering recipes. Plus, kids will get a kick out of the boys’ antics as they try to win Mimi’s sister’s affections—they make fools of themselves in some pretty adorable ways. And most every kid will be able to relate to Mimi’s struggles to fit in and find her place in the world.
A delectable read that will have you reaching for the nearest cookbook (or maybe heading for the nearest bakery)!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
amygatzemeyer's review against another edition
3.0
My kids loved this one, but I thought it was so-so.
jaij7's review against another edition
4.0
A story with friendship, family, summer and lots of baking. My fifteen year old encouraged me to read this book. I really liked it.
imcbear's review against another edition
3.0
I had a lot of fun reading this. It was a little slow in some points but I loved that there hints of some magic (that is well known in a way). I thought the author did well with expressing how overwhelming family can be but also how rewarding it can be at times too.
I don't read many middle-grade books, I'm only now starting to get into them more, but I really liked this one for what it was.
I don't read many middle-grade books, I'm only now starting to get into them more, but I really liked this one for what it was.