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Love Sugar Magic #1
Щипка пакости
„История, която е изпълнена с хумор, магия, приятелство и сестринство.“ – БУК ПЕЙДЖ.
Семейството на единайсетгодишната Лио притежава най-обичаната пекарна в Роуз Хил, Тексас. „Любов и захар“ предлага вкусни изкушения за всякакви случаи. А никой повод не е по-важен от годишния фестивал.
Лио се надява тази година да ѝ позволят да участва в подготовката за големия празник. Все пак всичките ѝ сестри вече помагат. Но когато майка ѝ отново ѝ отказва с довода, че е твърде малка, тя решава да разбере истинската причина. Затова се промъква тайно в пекарната, където открива, че майка ѝ, леля ѝ и четирите ѝ по-големи сестри притежават магически способности. Те са brujas – вещици от мексиканско потекло, които влагат по малко сладка магия във всичко, което приготвят.
Сега, когато Лио знае, че и тя притежава магически способности, е повече от решена да се присъедини към семейния бизнес. Дори и все още да не може да го разкрие на майка си и сестрите си.
И когато най-добрата ѝ приятелка Керълайн има проблем, който трябва да бъде разрешен, Лио получава идеалната възможност да изпита способностите си. Нужно е само едно малко заклинание. Какво толкова може да се обърка?
Семейството на единайсетгодишната Лио притежава най-обичаната пекарна в Роуз Хил, Тексас. „Любов и захар“ предлага вкусни изкушения за всякакви случаи. А никой повод не е по-важен от годишния фестивал.
Лио се надява тази година да ѝ позволят да участва в подготовката за големия празник. Все пак всичките ѝ сестри вече помагат. Но когато майка ѝ отново ѝ отказва с довода, че е твърде малка, тя решава да разбере истинската причина. Затова се промъква тайно в пекарната, където открива, че майка ѝ, леля ѝ и четирите ѝ по-големи сестри притежават магически способности. Те са brujas – вещици от мексиканско потекло, които влагат по малко сладка магия във всичко, което приготвят.
Сега, когато Лио знае, че и тя притежава магически способности, е повече от решена да се присъедини към семейния бизнес. Дори и все още да не може да го разкрие на майка си и сестрите си.
И когато най-добрата ѝ приятелка Керълайн има проблем, който трябва да бъде разрешен, Лио получава идеалната възможност да изпита способностите си. Нужно е само едно малко заклинание. Какво толкова може да се обърка?
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 2, 2018
About the author
Anna Meriano
16 books158 followersI grew up in Houston with an older brother and a younger brother and a large but close-knit network of aunts, uncles, and cousins spreading across the state of Texas. I graduated from Rice University with a degree in English, and earned my MFA in creative writing with an emphasis in writing for children from the New School in New York. There I was lucky to meet CAKE Literary founders Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra, who started me on the Love Sugar Magic journey.
I live in Houston with my dog Cisco. I have taught creative writing and high school English and currently work as a tutor for students of all ages across Houston. In my free time I love knitting, playing full-contact quidditch, and singing along to songs in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language.
I live in Houston with my dog Cisco. I have taught creative writing and high school English and currently work as a tutor for students of all ages across Houston. In my free time I love knitting, playing full-contact quidditch, and singing along to songs in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 678 reviews
February 1, 2019
Review posted on Fafa's Book Corner!
Beware spoilers ahead!
Trigger warning: Death mentioned, mention of cancer, bullying, physical violence, and abuse of magic powers.
A Dash of Trouble was read for the theme January Jam Jar. For a book group called Devour Your TBR on GR.
Leo's family runs a bakery. As she is too young Leo isn't allowed to partake in the bakery activities. Leo soon realizes that there might in fact be another reason to it. With the help of her best friend Caroline, Leo discovers that her family are practicing magic!
Behind her families back Leo begins to practice magic on her own. Leo decides to use her first spell to help Caroline. Rather than doing any good Leo instead creates a big mess. Can Leo right her mistakes with the help of her family and Caroline?
I heard about A Dash of Trouble through Twitter. The cover and the synopsis was cute so I decided to purchase myself a copy. I am happy to say that I loved it! The book is written in third person limited following Leo. There are chapter titles, and chapter numbers along with an illustration. There are poems. The spells were mostly in Spanish. At the end of the book there's a section labeled Leo's Lucky Recipes. And lastly baking similes.
This was such a cute book! While also being unique. I loved the magic system and how the baking was involved. All the baking terminology and process was accurate. I also liked how present the culture was even in the spells!
I loved the family aspect! Leo is very close with her family. I liked how unique all the sisters' were. Isabel the kind oldest and calm one. Marisol the second oldest while a bit rude still caring in her own way. Alma and Belen the twins who are the closest in age to Leo. Thus are a bit closer. I also liked Leo's parents and aunt Paloma.
Leo and Caroline's friendship was also well done! Caroline's mother passed away due to cancer prior to the book. Sometime after that Caroline and her father moved. The family returns back home. And it's like no time has passed at all between the girl's. There's also Brent whom I took some time to warm up to. Regardless he grew on me.
I absolutely loved the diversity! Leo's family are Spanish. There culture is present in their magic, as the women are Bruja's. Caroline is half Colombian. She helps Leo translate some spells. The book actually begins with The Day of the Dead festival.
I felt that the author wrote realistic middle graders. All the social problems even felt so. Especially with Brent and the peer pressure he felt in leaving Caroline. Which also ties in to the magic mishaps. Leo decides to put a love spell on Brent so he would go back to being friends with Caroline. Of course this doesn't end well. And it effects the social hierarchy system.
I really liked Leo's growth! Throughout the book Leo believes she can solve the problem on her own. In doing so she lies to her family and Caroline. Even to herself. All under the assumption that if her family found out rather than helping her they would stop her from using magic. Leo sees the error in her ways and confesses to everyone. While also owning up to her mistakes.
Overall I loved A Dash of Trouble! I highly recommend this series.
Beware spoilers ahead!
Trigger warning: Death mentioned, mention of cancer, bullying, physical violence, and abuse of magic powers.
A Dash of Trouble was read for the theme January Jam Jar. For a book group called Devour Your TBR on GR.
Leo's family runs a bakery. As she is too young Leo isn't allowed to partake in the bakery activities. Leo soon realizes that there might in fact be another reason to it. With the help of her best friend Caroline, Leo discovers that her family are practicing magic!
Behind her families back Leo begins to practice magic on her own. Leo decides to use her first spell to help Caroline. Rather than doing any good Leo instead creates a big mess. Can Leo right her mistakes with the help of her family and Caroline?
I heard about A Dash of Trouble through Twitter. The cover and the synopsis was cute so I decided to purchase myself a copy. I am happy to say that I loved it! The book is written in third person limited following Leo. There are chapter titles, and chapter numbers along with an illustration. There are poems. The spells were mostly in Spanish. At the end of the book there's a section labeled Leo's Lucky Recipes. And lastly baking similes.
This was such a cute book! While also being unique. I loved the magic system and how the baking was involved. All the baking terminology and process was accurate. I also liked how present the culture was even in the spells!
I loved the family aspect! Leo is very close with her family. I liked how unique all the sisters' were. Isabel the kind oldest and calm one. Marisol the second oldest while a bit rude still caring in her own way. Alma and Belen the twins who are the closest in age to Leo. Thus are a bit closer. I also liked Leo's parents and aunt Paloma.
Leo and Caroline's friendship was also well done! Caroline's mother passed away due to cancer prior to the book. Sometime after that Caroline and her father moved. The family returns back home. And it's like no time has passed at all between the girl's. There's also Brent whom I took some time to warm up to. Regardless he grew on me.
I absolutely loved the diversity! Leo's family are Spanish. There culture is present in their magic, as the women are Bruja's. Caroline is half Colombian. She helps Leo translate some spells. The book actually begins with The Day of the Dead festival.
I felt that the author wrote realistic middle graders. All the social problems even felt so. Especially with Brent and the peer pressure he felt in leaving Caroline. Which also ties in to the magic mishaps. Leo decides to put a love spell on Brent so he would go back to being friends with Caroline. Of course this doesn't end well. And it effects the social hierarchy system.
I really liked Leo's growth! Throughout the book Leo believes she can solve the problem on her own. In doing so she lies to her family and Caroline. Even to herself. All under the assumption that if her family found out rather than helping her they would stop her from using magic. Leo sees the error in her ways and confesses to everyone. While also owning up to her mistakes.
Overall I loved A Dash of Trouble! I highly recommend this series.
August 18, 2017
LOVE LOVE LOVE. A smart, clever debut. Perfect for fans of Wizards of Waverly Place and The Book of Life.
August 30, 2017
Loved loved loved.
A family of brujas who channel their magic through baking, and the youngest member of the family learning how to deal with her newfound powers. So many hilarious moments, and a big focus on family and friendship.
Some of the funny moments reminded me of one of my favorite tv shows when I was growing up: Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
It comes out in 2018, and I can't wait to reread it when it does!
A family of brujas who channel their magic through baking, and the youngest member of the family learning how to deal with her newfound powers. So many hilarious moments, and a big focus on family and friendship.
Some of the funny moments reminded me of one of my favorite tv shows when I was growing up: Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
It comes out in 2018, and I can't wait to reread it when it does!
February 17, 2018
An adorable and exciting debut. I can’t wait to get this one into the hands of kids.
Read
September 18, 2020Such a delightful book! A Dash of Trouble is filled with magic, the sweetness of family and growing up, and filled with cute surprises. I adored this!
- Follows Leo, a young Mexican girl who discovers that her family are brujas! With her newfound powers, Leo tries her hand and magic at fixing things - only to create chaos that spirals out of control.
- This is just such a feel-good and sweet story. The story is filled with so many funny and earnest moments - and I absolutely adored Leo. She's trying her best!
- Leo's family owns a bakery, so the descriptions of all the baking are as sweet as the story!
- The story is also full of heart, and is a love letter to the relationships we have with our sisters, our mothers, and our family.
Trigger/content warning:
- Follows Leo, a young Mexican girl who discovers that her family are brujas! With her newfound powers, Leo tries her hand and magic at fixing things - only to create chaos that spirals out of control.
- This is just such a feel-good and sweet story. The story is filled with so many funny and earnest moments - and I absolutely adored Leo. She's trying her best!
- Leo's family owns a bakery, so the descriptions of all the baking are as sweet as the story!
- The story is also full of heart, and is a love letter to the relationships we have with our sisters, our mothers, and our family.
Trigger/content warning:
July 25, 2021
Actual Ratin: 4.5 stars
I read this for a middle grade fantasy vlog! https://youtu.be/0Daa8kHwbFw
This was so fun and charming! The youngest in a family of sisters feels left out because there's a big secret everyone is keeping from her: they are baking witches or brujas! Leo snoops around and ends up getting into some very sticky situations messing with magic she doesn't know how to use. It's a book about family, friendship, and finding your inner strength. This will appeal to anyone who knows what it's like to the youngest trying to tag along!
I read this for a middle grade fantasy vlog! https://youtu.be/0Daa8kHwbFw
This was so fun and charming! The youngest in a family of sisters feels left out because there's a big secret everyone is keeping from her: they are baking witches or brujas! Leo snoops around and ends up getting into some very sticky situations messing with magic she doesn't know how to use. It's a book about family, friendship, and finding your inner strength. This will appeal to anyone who knows what it's like to the youngest trying to tag along!
January 8, 2018
Wonderful, warm and utterly brimming over with magic! This is a middle grade that is best served with your favorite sweet treat and a mug of hot chocolate, on a day when you can really sink into your sofa cushions and savor it.
May 18, 2020
4.5 stars
January 20, 2024
Детско фентъзи, което неочаквано ми хареса.
Лио е на единадесет години и е петата дъщеря в голямо семейство, което крие тайни от нея. Любопитна по природа, тя започва свое собствено разследване, при което открива, че е вещица и може да прави магии. Знанието за това довежда до куп комични ситуации и неразбории.
Книгата е за семейството и приятелството. От нея се разнася аромат на шоколад, захар и магия. Семейството на Лио е открило свой начин за магическия процес чрез кулинарството. Така те помагат на хората и решават проблемите им. Тепърва Лио ще трябва да открие какви магически способности има. Стилът на авторката е лек и приятен, а книгата е подходяща за цялото семейство.
Лио е на единадесет години и е петата дъщеря в голямо семейство, което крие тайни от нея. Любопитна по природа, тя започва свое собствено разследване, при което открива, че е вещица и може да прави магии. Знанието за това довежда до куп комични ситуации и неразбории.
Книгата е за семейството и приятелството. От нея се разнася аромат на шоколад, захар и магия. Семейството на Лио е открило свой начин за магическия процес чрез кулинарството. Така те помагат на хората и решават проблемите им. Тепърва Лио ще трябва да открие какви магически способности има. Стилът на авторката е лек и приятен, а книгата е подходяща за цялото семейство.
August 14, 2021
Повече такива детски романи трябва да има. Забавни, свежи, оригинални. Истории, които коментират значими теми за всеки порастващ читател, но на съвременен език, с доза вълшебство и щипка хумор. За да знаят децата, че литературата не е някоя страшна и строга учителка, която размахва заплашително пръст, а е приятел и съветник.
February 5, 2019
A cute and fun story about a family of brujas (witches)! The youngest daughter discovers the family secret and sneaks around trying to cast a few spells, with some unexpected but amusing results.
April 20, 2020
5 stars
Can I just say that I absolutely have to start picking more middle grade up because this book is absolutely amazing and also the most adorable thing that I've read in a long time, so clearly, middle grade is getting something right that's totally missing in YA.
I thought everything about this book was absolutely perfect. There is not a single thing that I would change about it. I adored the family dynamics that were present in the story. I love any and all family dynamics in general but the ones in this story were just so,,, *chef's kiss* I loved reading about the relationships the sisters had with each other and now I would also like to be a part of their family because it's so warm and loving and ahhh!! I adored how different Leo's relationship was with each of her sisters and how all the sisters had distinct personalities, even though there were so many of them.
I also really loved Leo's relationship with her parents and with her mom especially. That scene where they were baking cinnamon buns together?? Literally brought tears to my eyes, I am so emo, I love family relationships so much.
I also really loved the magic in this?? I love the idea of baking magic and I feel like this book did it really well. I thought it was well developed and I cannot wait to explore more about it in the next book. Also, I would like baking magic. As someone who loves baking a lot and who regularly uses it as a coping mechanism, I really appreciated the amount of baking in this book and the love everyone has for it. I love it so much.
I also, of course, loved our main character, Leo. She's fierce and feisty and refuses to be left behind. I feel like she has very Youngest Sibling energy about her, which I say after having observed the way my younger siblings act around me. Her character development and her depth as a character absolutely blew me away and I would die for her. I also really love her friendship with Caroline and I think it's very pure.
I also thought the plot was incredibly well done. The pacing was immaculate and the way it transitioned from being this happy-go-lucky book about some flying cookies to oh-no-i-think-i-messed-this-spell-up-and-i-don't-know-how-to-fix-it was absolutely stunning. I loved all the twists and turns the story took and while I did predict some of the twists, I still really enjoyed my time reading them and finding out about them. I just,,, loved every direction it took and I had such a fun time reading this book which is really all I could have asked for.
I'm so glad I picked this book up. It's one that I was anticipating enjoying, but not quite as much as I did. The homey, happy atmosphere that this book has about it is absolutely just what I needed during these trying times. I could not stop smiling reading this book and it's been a while since I've read a book like that. I will be pushing this book onto everyone I know because what's there not to love about love, sugar, and magic?
Can I just say that I absolutely have to start picking more middle grade up because this book is absolutely amazing and also the most adorable thing that I've read in a long time, so clearly, middle grade is getting something right that's totally missing in YA.
I thought everything about this book was absolutely perfect. There is not a single thing that I would change about it. I adored the family dynamics that were present in the story. I love any and all family dynamics in general but the ones in this story were just so,,, *chef's kiss* I loved reading about the relationships the sisters had with each other and now I would also like to be a part of their family because it's so warm and loving and ahhh!! I adored how different Leo's relationship was with each of her sisters and how all the sisters had distinct personalities, even though there were so many of them.
I also really loved Leo's relationship with her parents and with her mom especially. That scene where they were baking cinnamon buns together?? Literally brought tears to my eyes, I am so emo, I love family relationships so much.
I also really loved the magic in this?? I love the idea of baking magic and I feel like this book did it really well. I thought it was well developed and I cannot wait to explore more about it in the next book. Also, I would like baking magic. As someone who loves baking a lot and who regularly uses it as a coping mechanism, I really appreciated the amount of baking in this book and the love everyone has for it. I love it so much.
I also, of course, loved our main character, Leo. She's fierce and feisty and refuses to be left behind. I feel like she has very Youngest Sibling energy about her, which I say after having observed the way my younger siblings act around me. Her character development and her depth as a character absolutely blew me away and I would die for her. I also really love her friendship with Caroline and I think it's very pure.
I also thought the plot was incredibly well done. The pacing was immaculate and the way it transitioned from being this happy-go-lucky book about some flying cookies to oh-no-i-think-i-messed-this-spell-up-and-i-don't-know-how-to-fix-it was absolutely stunning. I loved all the twists and turns the story took and while I did predict some of the twists, I still really enjoyed my time reading them and finding out about them. I just,,, loved every direction it took and I had such a fun time reading this book which is really all I could have asked for.
I'm so glad I picked this book up. It's one that I was anticipating enjoying, but not quite as much as I did. The homey, happy atmosphere that this book has about it is absolutely just what I needed during these trying times. I could not stop smiling reading this book and it's been a while since I've read a book like that. I will be pushing this book onto everyone I know because what's there not to love about love, sugar, and magic?
January 5, 2018
Absolutely loved this middle grade novel about Leo, a young Bruja who is navigating her newfound powers and family secrets. The dynamics of her large, loving, and hilarious family were an absolute delight to read, and I especially adored Leo's relationships with her sisters. I just want to hand this book to kids everywhere.
December 18, 2019
Review originally published 28 July 2019 at Falling Letters.
The Love Sugar Magic books exemplify some of my favourite elements of middle grade fiction: the fun combination of magic and baking, strong family relationships (with well-defined personalities for all seven family members!), a protagonist who demonstrates empathy and care for her best friend, and the incorporation of the protagonist’s family heritage and culture (Mexican in this case).
That ‘one little spell’ mentioned in A Dash of Trouble's description turns out to be a love spell. I initially thought, “Oh, a love potion gone wrong, sounds familiar”.
Leo proves to be quite stubborn in attempting to resolve her messes. She refuses to ask for help in a manner that I think would feel realistic to middle grade readers. Something else I loved about Leo is how much she cares for her friend Caroline (whose mother recently passed away) and strives to support her.
The Bottom Line: The Love Sugar Magic series presents a delicious mix of middle grade’s best characteristics in the entertaining yet thoughtful magical happenings that Leo works through with her friends and family.
The Love Sugar Magic books exemplify some of my favourite elements of middle grade fiction: the fun combination of magic and baking, strong family relationships (with well-defined personalities for all seven family members!), a protagonist who demonstrates empathy and care for her best friend, and the incorporation of the protagonist’s family heritage and culture (Mexican in this case).
That ‘one little spell’ mentioned in A Dash of Trouble's description turns out to be a love spell. I initially thought, “Oh, a love potion gone wrong, sounds familiar”.
Leo proves to be quite stubborn in attempting to resolve her messes. She refuses to ask for help in a manner that I think would feel realistic to middle grade readers. Something else I loved about Leo is how much she cares for her friend Caroline (whose mother recently passed away) and strives to support her.
Upon seeing Caroline’s redecorated room with a photo of her and her parents when she was a baby: The only thing [Leo] hated more than feeling sad was having other people feel sad for her, and she didn’t want Caroline to know how sad Leo felt for the small Campbell family in the picture. Leo let herself stare at the picture for three seconds. One for Mr. Campbell, whose smile had no lines of worry; two for tiny baby Caroline, who was sound asleep and smiling; and three for Mrs. Campbell. Then she turned and looked at real-life Caroline and refused to let any sadness into her voice. “It looks great.” (pg. 126-7)
The Bottom Line: The Love Sugar Magic series presents a delicious mix of middle grade’s best characteristics in the entertaining yet thoughtful magical happenings that Leo works through with her friends and family.
December 9, 2020
Cute, crafty witchy tale. I feel if I was Leo I would want to explore magic too instead of waiting to grow up lol.
April 24, 2019
This was a winner for everyone. The kids have taken an interest in baking (we watch Great British Baking Show together) and this book about a family of baking brujas was a great way to scratch that itch. It wasn't uncommon for them to ask to bake something from the book after we read about it. And there are recipes in the back if you want to! The kids in particular want the flying-pig cookies from the cover.
This book has such a great sense of family and even though Leo is the youngest in her family of 7, we get to know her and everyone else really well. You get a real feel for the family, their traditions, and their heritage. There's also a lot about friendship, as Leo tries to jumpstart her friendship with Caroline, who's been gone for several months while her mother was getting medical treatment before she died. Also impressive worldbuilding for the magic in the book, it has a real structured feel while also giving constant delight with each new thing you learn along with Leo. Should appeal really well to kids who are younger siblings, kids who want to grow up faster, and kids who may be a little too reckless sometimes. Leo is bold and charming.
We plan to continue reading the series!
This book has such a great sense of family and even though Leo is the youngest in her family of 7, we get to know her and everyone else really well. You get a real feel for the family, their traditions, and their heritage. There's also a lot about friendship, as Leo tries to jumpstart her friendship with Caroline, who's been gone for several months while her mother was getting medical treatment before she died. Also impressive worldbuilding for the magic in the book, it has a real structured feel while also giving constant delight with each new thing you learn along with Leo. Should appeal really well to kids who are younger siblings, kids who want to grow up faster, and kids who may be a little too reckless sometimes. Leo is bold and charming.
We plan to continue reading the series!
February 16, 2020
Every now and then a book comes along that is just so purely delightful that you can't help but grin while you read it. Anna Meriano's debut novel, A DASH OF TROUBLE, is 100% one of those books. Leo and her large, loving, wonderful family are characters that I already miss, and who I can't wait to meet again in the next book in the series. At times funny (I laughed out loud a TON as I read), at times heartstring-tugging, and at times tender, the voice and the plot in this book perfectly capture what it feels like to be in that awkward time between childhood and teenagerhood, desperately wanting to be treated like a grown-up when everyone around you seems bent on continuing to see you as a little kid.
If you're a fan of Stephanie Burgis's KAT, INCORRIGIBLE series, you absolutely must not miss Anna Meriano's A DASH OF TROUBLE. I can't wait to see what comes next in the LOVE SUGAR MAGIC series!!!
Also, I now need to go bake myself some gingersnaps.
If you're a fan of Stephanie Burgis's KAT, INCORRIGIBLE series, you absolutely must not miss Anna Meriano's A DASH OF TROUBLE. I can't wait to see what comes next in the LOVE SUGAR MAGIC series!!!
Also, I now need to go bake myself some gingersnaps.
October 1, 2021
Новото издателство „Лютиче” изгря с прекрасен детско-юношески роман, който гарантирано ще плени не само младите читатели, но и доста от по-възрастните (но млади по дух!) почитатели на фентъзи жанра. „Щипка пакости” е първи том от трилогията „Любов, захар и магия” на американската писателка Ана Мериано. Но вместо добре познатите митологични тропи, използвани така често от западното фентъзи, този път ни предстои среща с нещо далеч по-различно. Друга култура, други магии, други аромати... Очакват ни куп приключения с вещици от мексиканско потекло и рецепти за латино лакомства! Прочетете ревюто на „Книжни Криле“: https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...
November 26, 2018
This was very cute and very sweet, but ultimately the narrative voice was just too young for me. I don't mind middle grade that skews older, but I'm finding that middle grade that skews younger just doesn't work for me.
THAT SAID this is 1000000% a book that I would recommend to younger readers. I didn't love it, but it's not FOR me! I think younger readers would really enjoy this, and the content is generally delightful. The family dynamics, the emphasis on friendship, and oh my goodness the cooking and magic! All lovely.
If you're looking for a good read for a younger reader, this is definitely it.
THAT SAID this is 1000000% a book that I would recommend to younger readers. I didn't love it, but it's not FOR me! I think younger readers would really enjoy this, and the content is generally delightful. The family dynamics, the emphasis on friendship, and oh my goodness the cooking and magic! All lovely.
If you're looking for a good read for a younger reader, this is definitely it.
December 16, 2019
Loved this so much! It was so sweet and I love the family, the magic, the culture, all of it! Definitely recommend.
January 21, 2020
4,5 stars!
August 8, 2021
08/03/2021
1st read:
★★★★★
It's not even funny I cried sO much because I felt so comforted.
"She had always thought that she had problems making friends because it was such a difficult thing to do; she had never considered that there might be friends to be had if she had just looked a little harder."
I love the concept of magical baking. There is a variety of books with that trope, and the execution of this one is simply amazing!
It feels like you can smell the pastries through the pages. I love that there are actual recipes in here! I will most definitely make some of them, if not all.
Family dynamics play a huge role in this one. I love that the words they spoke in Spanish were actually written out. Leo's family is lovely! You can see how much they care about each other and how much they value family, in general. There is a lot of cultural representation in this book. The Día De Los Muertos is a big event in this book, it's magnificent!
Friendship plays an important role, too. The author didn't shy away from conflicts and gave the characters enough time to try and fix them.
My inner child is screaming, I wish I could give this to my younger self.
Baking has been a huge part of my life since I was a young kid and this is all I ever wanted! I connect so many memories with baking, the process of reading this made me feel so emotional.
I'm grateful that middle-grade books like this exist.
"it is not your fault. You did a nice thing, and you were honest about your feelings, which is a very adult thing to do. You are awesome.”
The book also deals with some heavier topics. I'd say it scratches the surface of them in a very well-executed way. I recommend you check out the trigger warnings for preparation/information.
The magic system is so good! It's well-thought-out, I love the connection to baking and everything about the brujas.
Have I mentioned the humor?? Immaculate.
It really balanced out my comfort crying, haha.
I will most definitely continue on with this series!
I do hope more people will read this!
I highly recommend this magical book.
1st read:
★★★★★
It's not even funny I cried sO much because I felt so comforted.
"She had always thought that she had problems making friends because it was such a difficult thing to do; she had never considered that there might be friends to be had if she had just looked a little harder."
I love the concept of magical baking. There is a variety of books with that trope, and the execution of this one is simply amazing!
It feels like you can smell the pastries through the pages. I love that there are actual recipes in here! I will most definitely make some of them, if not all.
Family dynamics play a huge role in this one. I love that the words they spoke in Spanish were actually written out. Leo's family is lovely! You can see how much they care about each other and how much they value family, in general. There is a lot of cultural representation in this book. The Día De Los Muertos is a big event in this book, it's magnificent!
Friendship plays an important role, too. The author didn't shy away from conflicts and gave the characters enough time to try and fix them.
My inner child is screaming, I wish I could give this to my younger self.
Baking has been a huge part of my life since I was a young kid and this is all I ever wanted! I connect so many memories with baking, the process of reading this made me feel so emotional.
I'm grateful that middle-grade books like this exist.
"it is not your fault. You did a nice thing, and you were honest about your feelings, which is a very adult thing to do. You are awesome.”
The book also deals with some heavier topics. I'd say it scratches the surface of them in a very well-executed way. I recommend you check out the trigger warnings for preparation/information.
The magic system is so good! It's well-thought-out, I love the connection to baking and everything about the brujas.
Have I mentioned the humor?? Immaculate.
It really balanced out my comfort crying, haha.
I will most definitely continue on with this series!
I do hope more people will read this!
I highly recommend this magical book.
Read
January 18, 2019So often, fantasy books—even feminist fantasy books—are about women claiming men’s power. Seizing a throne held by a man, perhaps. Cutting down a sword wielded by a man, often. Sorcery taught by a man, sometimes. Dominance stolen from a man during sex, occasionally. As if power comes only in masculine forms. As if in order to gain power, we must rob men of theirs: take their leadership, their weapons, their knowledge, their seed. As if the only path to power is the one they chose, they covet, they permit.
And that’s all fine, I suppose, though not nearly enough attention is paid to breaking down those particular patterns in fantasy works. But I frequently grow weary of those same tropes, those same plots, those same imbalances and authorities and uprisings.
Which is to say that I have a soft spot for fantasy books about traditionally feminine skills made magic. There’s something compelling about taking our foremothers’ crafts—baking, singing, knitting, and thread-spinning—and rendering them magic. It’s a ready metaphor for claiming our stories and our power, not in traditionally masculine ways, but in the traditionally feminine ways we have always used to survive: through sisterhood and secrets and a damned good loaf of bread.
(Side note: You can imagine the incandescence of my rage when these books about traditionally feminine skills made magic feature a male protagonist mastering those skills to save a damsel in distress. But that is a whole different book review or twenty.)
Anna Meriano’s A Dash of Trouble, the first book in her Love Sugar Magic series, overflows with brujería de la cocina. Leonora Logroño’s family owns the most beloved bakery in Rose Hill, Texas. And from the first chapter, the book gathered me up with scents of cinnamon and cardamom and baking bread and sugary cookies—not to mention the fact that Leo’s mom is the businessperson of the family, the one working, working, working to achieve her dream of owning a larger house down the street from her Amor y Azúcar Panadería.
People, I was smitten.
Please, fantasy authors, give me more women with small businesses born of everyday magics. Give me more women who, on the page, are spectacularly resourceful in bookkeeping and customer service and magic. Give me more women with big business dreams and big family dreams and big dreams that they’ll achieve through hard work and smart business and just a bit of magic. Please, fantasy authors, please?
Eleven-year-old Leo is part of that family of big dreams, the youngest of five sisters—and her frustration is palpable: She’s the youngest, the one with the fewest freedoms and responsibilities, the only one who isn’t fluent in Spanish, the one who has to go to school while everyone else gets to stay home and prepare for the bakery’s Day of the Dead celebration. Even as she clings to her much-loved childhood traditions, like dressing up for Halloween, she wants so badly to be grown up, to be taken seriously, to have responsibilities equal to her older sisters, and to be part of whatever secrets her family is telling in Spanish.
So she does what any eleven-year-old protagonist full of curiosity and vexation would do: She sneaks out of school to spy on her family. Leo has more than a dash of Claudia Kincaid and Trixie Belden.
What she discovers through her spying is her family’s magia: The women of her family, including her four older sisters, are brujas: They can influence emotions, make objects appear from nowhere, and commune with the dead. And all those “lucky” cakes that Amor y Azúcar Panadería sells? Well, they really are lucky.
When Leo’s best friend Caroline has a falling out with another friend, Leo finds the perfect opportunity to prove—mostly to herself—that she’s just as smart and responsible and grown as any of her sisters. So she and Caroline start solving Caroline’s problem with spells, spells with hilarious, unintended, regrettable consequences. Spells with consequences that maybe Leo can’t fix on her own. Consequences that might cost Leo her best friend. Consequences that Leo might, gasp, not be able to hide from her mom.
A Dash of Trouble deftly navigates all those minefields of being eleven. Of still finding comfort in rituals and objects that you increasingly see as babyish. Of wanting to be given more responsibilities and more freedoms and more independence. Of just knowing that you can tackle anything, solve anything, fix anything—until you can’t. Of walking that tightrope between being a little kid and growing up, even as those who know you best don’t even notice that you’re bigger and braver and bolder than you were even last week. Of learning what responsibility really means, and what being a good friend and a good daughter really means, and what fixing your mistakes really means, even among a series of truly unfortunate events.
What I loved about this book—even more than its baking magic, even more than its panadería-jefe mom—is how active Leo is. Things don’t happen to Leo; she happens to them. She makes decisions, good and bad: She sneaks out of school, she convinces Caroline to cast spells, she fixes her own messes (with a bit of help from her dead abuela). Leo is a girl who gets shit done. And when you get to the big showdown between Leo and her mom, after her mom unravels everything that’s happened, Leo’s mom is equal parts exasperated that Leo didn’t tell her before and proud that Leo was independent enough and resourceful enough and determined enough to fix her own mistakes. Leo is more than my kind of heroine: She’s the sort of heroine that I give to my seven-year-old niece as she learns to navigate her independence and her mistakes and her power.
-Amy
August 28, 2022
Delightfully magical and fun, A Dash of Trouble is a sweet story of friendship, family, growing up and finding your place in the world. This was a joy to read and a series I'd both happily continue and recommend.
September 16, 2020
This was the sweetest book to start off with! It also confirms that I really wish my family had a bakery so I could work in it.
Def a book I plan to pass along to my 10 year old cousin, I think she’ll really enjoy this.
**First book finished for Latinx Heritage Month
Def a book I plan to pass along to my 10 year old cousin, I think she’ll really enjoy this.
**First book finished for Latinx Heritage Month
January 3, 2024
Not my usual level of reading but this was a fun, quick read that was sweet and lighthearted. Glad I picked it up.
May 16, 2018
It was all sweetness! :)
April 28, 2018
This was a very cute book. A young girl of 11 finds out that her mother and sisters can do magic and that she too holds the power to do magic through cooking (think Like Water for Chocolate) but she is told that she must wait till she is 15 years old. But after her best friend has a very awkward encounter with a boy she likes, Leo, takes it upon herself to try and flex her newly acquired magical skills and tries to help her friend out but of course, hijinks happen. I thought this was very cute, I loved the fact that there were recipes in the book and all the talk of food definitely made me very hungry reading it, I loved the parts that dealt with her sisters (being the oldest of three I love the closeness that happens between sisters) and her mother.
But with all its cuteness, I wished it focused more on Leo and her family and their family history with magic other than her misuse of magic, not that it was funny. I'm really happy that I got to read this book. It gave me very much CoCo vibes, it's a great movie by the way.
But with all its cuteness, I wished it focused more on Leo and her family and their family history with magic other than her misuse of magic, not that it was funny. I'm really happy that I got to read this book. It gave me very much CoCo vibes, it's a great movie by the way.
May 26, 2016
I was so lucky to read an early draft of this and THIS BOOK IS ADORABLE! It's funny and heartfelt and interesting and diverse and it taught me cool stuff without seeming like it was trying too hard.
I almost never read MG, but I cannot wait to add this book to my collection. All the congrats for Anna, who wrote a book that I wanted to hug, but could not, because I read it on the screen. Soon, little pretty. SOON YOU WILL BE MINE! :D
4.99 stars*
* Minus .01 star because this book is full of COOKIES and other delicious baked goods and it made me want to eat All the Things so I had to do double time at the gym after reading it ;)
I almost never read MG, but I cannot wait to add this book to my collection. All the congrats for Anna, who wrote a book that I wanted to hug, but could not, because I read it on the screen. Soon, little pretty. SOON YOU WILL BE MINE! :D
4.99 stars*
* Minus .01 star because this book is full of COOKIES and other delicious baked goods and it made me want to eat All the Things so I had to do double time at the gym after reading it ;)
May 12, 2019
Love, love, LOVED this.
I first read this because brujeria has always interested me and as a big fan of Sarah Addison Allen's Waverly series, I loved the idea of magic + food.
But this series is about so much more than that.
It's about growing up and family and love. I am obsessed with this series. It's strange, whenever I love something this much, it's so hard to talk about it because I feel like it should be read and experienced for the first time without a lot of preamble.
But this book, this SERIES, it makes me see magic in the world all around me and makes me really appreciate and love the people in my life. Also it made me so hungry. So. Hungry.
I first read this because brujeria has always interested me and as a big fan of Sarah Addison Allen's Waverly series, I loved the idea of magic + food.
But this series is about so much more than that.
It's about growing up and family and love. I am obsessed with this series. It's strange, whenever I love something this much, it's so hard to talk about it because I feel like it should be read and experienced for the first time without a lot of preamble.
But this book, this SERIES, it makes me see magic in the world all around me and makes me really appreciate and love the people in my life. Also it made me so hungry. So. Hungry.
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