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A review by katykelly
The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar
5.0
Bake Off former girlfriends get 'bready' to 'crumble'!
Yes, I had to. This book has more puns in it than my son's joke book. These are actually quite good though!
This book also ticks a lot of boxes - two Asian female protagonists, same-sex relationships, currant (note my spelling) baking show plotline, social media backlash and prejudice/stereotyping, parents and their role with adolescents, body image and plus-sized characters. And doughnuts.
While you might think it's trying to be all things to all people and get as many contemporary issues crammed in as possible, this is a rather sweet and moreish confection.
Shireen has only recently broken up with her girlfriend, Chris. Their parents run rival bakeries, and Shireen dreams of one day having her own shop and brand. Which is why she's applied to be on a young person's Irish Bake Off TV show.
The story begins as Shireen finds out she's got a place (with her best friend abroad visiting family and struggling to help her cope with the break-up or celebrate her good news)... only to discover so has her ex-girlfriend. But happily, there are other very friendly and attractive contestants to help her forget...
A sticky tale of adolescent angst, dealing with the emotions of yourself and others, making mistakes and learning from them. There's Mary Berry and Gordon Ramsay 'alikes' in the show's judges who made me chuckle. And a lot about being proud of yourself and your origins, being happy in your own skin, the ups and downs of rivalries.
It was refreshing to read a book set in Ireland and with such an eclectic mix of characters and ethnicities, foods and cultures represented. It was also enjoyable to work out what Shireen should do, both in love and in the competition. I'm not a Bake Off watcher, but I was very keen to see how the baking went each round!
Flawed (floured?) characters abound, from parents to children, but this was highly entertaining and with several key points to make to its audience. I REALLY want to see some of their creations on a screen as well.
For ages 12 and above.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample (yum) reading copy.
Yes, I had to. This book has more puns in it than my son's joke book. These are actually quite good though!
This book also ticks a lot of boxes - two Asian female protagonists, same-sex relationships, currant (note my spelling) baking show plotline, social media backlash and prejudice/stereotyping, parents and their role with adolescents, body image and plus-sized characters. And doughnuts.
While you might think it's trying to be all things to all people and get as many contemporary issues crammed in as possible, this is a rather sweet and moreish confection.
Shireen has only recently broken up with her girlfriend, Chris. Their parents run rival bakeries, and Shireen dreams of one day having her own shop and brand. Which is why she's applied to be on a young person's Irish Bake Off TV show.
The story begins as Shireen finds out she's got a place (with her best friend abroad visiting family and struggling to help her cope with the break-up or celebrate her good news)... only to discover so has her ex-girlfriend. But happily, there are other very friendly and attractive contestants to help her forget...
A sticky tale of adolescent angst, dealing with the emotions of yourself and others, making mistakes and learning from them. There's Mary Berry and Gordon Ramsay 'alikes' in the show's judges who made me chuckle. And a lot about being proud of yourself and your origins, being happy in your own skin, the ups and downs of rivalries.
It was refreshing to read a book set in Ireland and with such an eclectic mix of characters and ethnicities, foods and cultures represented. It was also enjoyable to work out what Shireen should do, both in love and in the competition. I'm not a Bake Off watcher, but I was very keen to see how the baking went each round!
Flawed (floured?) characters abound, from parents to children, but this was highly entertaining and with several key points to make to its audience. I REALLY want to see some of their creations on a screen as well.
For ages 12 and above.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample (yum) reading copy.