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Review: Joined at the Joints Marissa Eller

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Joined at the Joints by Marissa Eller

Joined at the Joints
Marissa Eller
Holiday House
Published July 2, 2024

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About Joined at the Joints

When baking-obsessed Ivy meets a super-hot boy who shares her rare diagnosis, sparks fly outside of the kitchen for the first time in her life!

Chronically ill seventeen-year-old Ivy has stayed in watching the Food Network all summer—pies are better than people, and they don’t trigger her social anxiety. So when her (also) chronically ill mom and sister cook up a plan to get Ivy out of the house and into a support group, Ivy doesn’t expect to say more than a few words.

And she certainly doesn’t expect Grant. Grant is CUTE: class-clown cute, perfectly-messy-hair cute, will-always-text-you-back cute. There’s an instant connection between them. He has the same diagnosis as her–juvenille rheumatoid arthritis–and he actually understands Ivy’s world.

But just because he understands Ivy’s pain doesn’t mean he can take it away. And she wishes he could—because it’s getting worse. Ivy has always tried her best to appear pain-free, but between treatment plans, symptom management, and struggling with medical self-advocacy, being sick feels more and more difficult. Will Ivy’s delicious new romance pan out? Can she keep up the façade, for him and for the world… or should she be brave and let it go?

Marissa Eller serves up a sweet, satisfying romcom that tackles the realities of chronic illness—and coming-of-age milestones from friend breakups to first kisses—with wry humor, tons of heart, and a huge helping of honesty. Nuanced, poignant, and deeply enjoyable, readers will fall for Eller’s voice in this compelling debut that offers all the right ingredients.

My Review

This is such a sweet book. I loved that because both characters understand rheumatoid arthritis, there’s not a lot of one character educating the other. Both Ivy and Grant have some similarities and differences in their experiences, and they share enough common ground to offer support to one another when it’s needed.

Ivy is a great character. I love stories about baking or cooking, so the scenes in which she prepares food were great. When a character’s love language is food, I find it easy to connect with them. I also liked her relationship with her sister, Caroline. They look out for one another but give each other space and autonomy, too. They have a great balance. The descriptions of their younger brother, Ethan, made me laugh, too. He felt like such an energetic character, even when he was just in the periphery of a scene.

The relationship between Grant and Ivy is great, too. They like each other from the start, but it didn’t feel too insta-love-y to me. Maybe because Ivy is so shy and takes so long to admit that she likes him and that he seems to like her, too. I liked the progression of the relationship and how they leaned on one another.

In terms of a summer romance, Joined at the Joints hits all the right notes. It’s sweet, thoughtful, and full of fun. Definitely a good one for a weekend read.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Ivy and Grant have juvenile idiopathic arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis). Ivy also has social anxiety. Ivy’s sister, Caroline, has celiac disease. Her mom has lupus. Caroline and Ivy join a support group for teens with chronic illnesses.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
F-bombs used infrequently. Strong profanity used somewhat infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A baseball strikes a character, leaving an ugly bruise. Ivy experiences growing pain in her joints that becomes increasingly debilitating. Some references to ableist comments.

Drug Content
Just the drugs prescribed by Ivy’s doctor.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, ,

The Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking
T. Kingfisher
Argyll Productions
Published July 21, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking

Fourteen-year-old Mona isn’t like the wizards charged with defending the city. She can’t control lightning or speak to water. Her familiar is a sourdough starter and her magic only works on bread. She has a comfortable life in her aunt’s bakery making gingerbread men dance.

But Mona’s life is turned upside down when she finds a dead body on the bakery floor. An assassin is stalking the streets of Mona’s city, preying on magic folk, and it appears that Mona is his next target. And in an embattled city suddenly bereft of wizards, the assassin may be the least of Mona’s worries…

My Review

I heard about this book from Mara at BooksLikeWhoa on YouTube. I can’t remember which video in which she talks about this book, but she doesn’t often review middle grade, and she liked this one, so I knew I needed to try it. I’ve also really wanted to read something by T. Kingfisher since I hear so many positive things about her books. I think this was a great place for me to start, since I had a great time with this book.

There’s something really special about fantasy that doesn’t take itself too seriously and kind of makes fun of some of the fantasy tropes. In this case, this story is about a girl who has a magical affinity for bread. She can make gingerbread men dance. She can convince the baguette of her enemies to be so stale it’s a brick. And she’s somehow the only person who can stop a serial killer.

I loved the goofiness of some of the moments in the book. Mona is fourteen, and still feels young and awkward. She sometimes makes analogies and then says funny things that acknowledge the hyperbole of her analogy. It’s a really playful book. I also loved the way that Mona grows throughout the story. She finds courage and confidence in her abilities, and she builds relationships with other characters.

WIZARD’S GUIDE TO DEFENSIVE BAKING is a quirky, fun read that will appeal to fantasy lovers looking for a laugh. I could see fans of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON by Cressida Cowell enjoying this a lot.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
I don’t remember character descriptions that included race details.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to use magic. One character can reanimate dead horses and their bones.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. In the opening scene, Mona finds a girl on the floor of the bakery who has been murdered. Mona’s sourdough starter, Bob, has become carnivorous, or so the rat skeletons she found in the basement seem to indicate. Someone attacks Mona more than once. Brief descriptions of a people group who burn villages to the ground before moving on to a new place to burn. A few scenes describe a battle.

Drug Content
Mona mentions that once, as a child, she and a boy stole a bottle of sacrificial wine and drank it. This made them both really sick.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: Just a Pinch of Magic by Alechia Dow

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Just a Pinch of Magic
Alechia Dow
Feiwel & Friends
Published October 10, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Just a Pinch of Magic

Alechia Dow’s middle-grade debut is as warm and sweet as a cinnamon bun, bursting with magic and sure to please the pickiest readers.

Wini’s family of enchanters runs a little bakery, but with the prices of magical ingredients skyrocketing, they’re going under. Desperate to save her family’s business, Wini takes a risk by casting a (sort of illegal) spell that would allow them to gather their own supply of their most needed magical ingredient: Love. But the spell doesn’t work. And Wini soon discovers that it didn’t just not work, it backfired. Badly. Now the whole town is in danger, and the Enchantment Bureau is sniffing around for whoever cast the wayward spell.

It’s just been Kal and her dad for as long as she can remember. They’ve weathered everything together, including Kal’s mental health struggles. But just as they’re about to move to a new town for a fresh start, Kal’s grandfather—who mysteriously vanished years ago—has suddenly reentered their lives with a desire to make amends. He joins them in opening their bookstore in the new town, but Kal can’t help but wonder if he has anything to do with the whispers around her new home about wicked magic. And it’s not just the whispers of the magical books in their shop.

When Wini and Kal cross paths—both hoping for the chance to finally make a friend without worrying about their family histories following them—the girls bond over being fellow outcasts. Together they search for the solution to fixing the magic gone awry in their beloved town—and just maybe get their dads to go out on a date.

My Review

If you, like me, have followed Alechia Dow on social media, you’re probably not at all surprised to see a book centered around delicious baked goods. I was SO excited for that component of this book. I’ve enjoyed the author’s posts about her baking experiences.

I loved both Wini and Kal’s characters. The story alternates chapters from both girls’ points of view. They both feel isolated from the magical community, Kal because she grew up in a nonmagical world, and Wini because of her family history and its impact on the town.

Both girls are smart and really need a good friend. They tentatively try to be that for each other, but friendship doesn’t happen without its bumps and bruises.

I loved the small magical town where they live, and the way the people relate to one another. It felt rich and interesting, and I would love to revisit the same setting for another story. The last few chapters of the story covered a lot of ground, but I enjoyed every page of this book, especially the recipes included between chapters! I am really excited to try a few of those out.

All in all, I’d say this is a perfect middle grade debut. It’s got magic, friendship, and delicious cookies. Who could ask for more than that?

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Wini and her family are Black. Wini’s dad and Kal’s dad are attracted to one another.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Wini’s dad and Kal’s dad are attracted to one another.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic. Mentions of vampires, ghosts, and other supernatural creatures.

Violent Content
Situations of peril.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of JUST A PINCH OF MAGIC in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success by Jessica Parra

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success
Jessica Parra
Wednesday Books
Published May 16, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Rubi Ramos’s Recipes for Success

Graduation is only a few months away, and so far Rubi Ramos’s recipe for success is on track.

*Step 1: Get into the prestigious Alma University.
*Step 2: Become incredibly successful lawyer.

But when Alma waitlists Rubi’s application, her plan is in jeopardy. Her parents–especially her mom, AKA the boss–have wanted this for her for years. In order to get off the waitlist without her parents knowing, she needs math tutoring from surfer-hottie math genius Ryan, lead the debate team to a championship–and remember the final step of the recipe.

*Step 3: Never break the ban on baking.

Rubi has always been obsessed with baking, daydreaming up new concoctions and taking shifts at her parents’ celebrated bakery. But her mother dismisses baking as a distraction–her parents didn’t leave Cuba so she could bake just like them.

But some recipes are begging to be tampered with…

When the First Annual Bake Off comes to town, Rubi’s passion for baking goes from subtle simmer to full boil. She’s not sure if she has what it takes to become OC’s best amateur baker, and there’s only one way to find out–even though it means rejecting the ban on baking, and by extension, her parents. But life is what you bake it, and now Rubi must differentiate between the responsibility of unfulfilled dreams she holds, and finding the path she’s meant for.

My Review

One of the things I loved about this book is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. There’s a lot of celebration of puns and baking and the goofy awkwardness of first relationships and love. I loved those parts of the story.

RUBI RAMOS’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS has a lot more than that to offer, though. We experience the pressure Rubi faces in her parents’ expectations for her, and her conflicting desires for her own life. She wants to do what’s right by her parents and honor the sacrifices they’ve made for her. But she also wants to find a way to make room for her own dreams. The struggle felt so real.

The romantic elements of the story are really sweet. It’s a simpler plot element, so there’s not a lot of drama or big trope-y conflict. That made for kind of a refreshing read, actually.

I think fans of baking stories like SALT AND SUGAR by Rebecca Carvalho or sweet romances, like books by Kasie West will enjoy Rubi’s tale of culinary confections and family connections.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Rubi and her family are Cuban American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A white girl on Rubi’s debate team and in another leadership group with her makes some racist comments.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of RUBI RAMOS’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: This Place is Still Beautiful by XiXi Tian

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This Place is Still Beautiful
XiXi Tian
Balzer + Bray
Published June 7, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About This Place is Still Beautiful

Two sisters. A shocking racist incident. The summer that will change both of their lives forever.

Despite having had near-identical upbringings, sisters Annalie and Margaret agree on only one thing: that they have nothing in common. Nineteen-year-old Margaret is driven, ambitious, and keenly aware of social justice issues. She couldn’t wait to leave their oppressive small-town home and take flight in New York. Meanwhile sweet, popular, seventeen-year-old Annalie couldn’t think of anything worse – she loves their town, and feels safe coasting along in its confines.

That is, until she arrives home one day to find a gut-punching racial slur painted on their garage door.

Outraged, Margaret flies home, expecting to find her family up in arms. Instead, she’s amazed to hear they want to forget about it. Their mom is worried about what it might stir up, and Annalie just wants to have a ‘normal’ summer – which Margaret is determined to ruin, apparently.

Back under each other’s skins, things between Margaret and Annalie get steadily worse – and not even the distraction of first love (for Annalie), or lost love (for Margaret) can bring them together.

Until finally, a crushing secret threatens to tear them apart forever.

My Review

I love sister books. THIS PLACE IS STILL BEAUTIFUL gives us both sister’s points of view, which I absolutely loved. I’m sure there are other books that have done this, but I can’t think of any right now.

Margaret and Annalie are so different from one another, and we really get to see that in action as we go back and forth between their perspectives. But we also get to see something the girls seem (especially at first) unaware of: the way they admire each other’s strengths.

They grew up in a mostly white southern Illinois town, feeling different, and responding to it differently. We watch them reflect on moments they faced racist or prejudiced comments or behavior. We learn why they reacted so differently when someone painted a racist slur on their garage door.

Watching both girls navigate the aftermath of that night really gripped me. I think it might be easy for some readers to dismiss what happened as not serious, as some of the characters in the book do. But walking in Margaret and Annalie’s shoes gives us the chance to sidestep our own prejudices and listen. Really listen. If we do that, we hear a story that resonates with us all: two girls who have a right to feel safe, respected, and loved in their community.

Though the plot centers around uncovering the truth about the graffiti on the door, THIS PLACE IS STILL BEAUTIFUL offers so much more. It is part love story, part tribute to a rural small town, and part story about finding your voice and discovering who you want to be and what that means.

All in all, I am a huge fan of this book, and I am really excited to see what XiXi Tian writes next. I think fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon’s YOU’LL MISS ME WHEN I’M GONE or YOU’VE REACHED SAM by Dustin Thao will love this book.

Content Notes

Content warning for use of a racial slur, some racist comments and behavior and teen drinking.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Annalie and Margaret are Chinese on their mom’s side. Annalie’s best friend, Violet, is Filipino. Margaret’s ex-boyfriend Rajiv is Indian. Other characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. In one scene, it’s clear the boy wants to have sex, and the girl stops him because she isn’t ready. In another scene, a boy and girl kiss, collapse into his bed and the scene cuts to later, after they’ve had sex.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A racist slur appears spray-painted on the front of Annalie and Margaret’s garage. In one scene, Annalie confronts a boy who charges toward her aggressively before they are interrupted.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol at a party. Annalie gets drunk. References to Margaret drinking alcohol while away at college.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THIS PLACE IS STILL BEAUTIFUL in exchange for my honest review.

Review: A Taste of Magic by J. Elle

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , ,

A Taste of Magic
J. Elle
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published August 30, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Taste of Magic

NYT bestseller J. Elle makes her MG debut in the delightful story of a girl who bakes up a plan to save her inner-city magic school.
Twelve-year-old Kyana has just discovered she’s a witch! This means classes every Saturday at Park Row Magic Academy, a learning center hidden in the back of the local beauty shop, and Kyana can’t wait to learn spells to help out at home. The only downside is having to keep her magic a secret from her BFF, Nae. But when the magic school loses funding, the students must pay huge fees at the fancy school across town or lose their magic! Determined to help, Kyana enters a baking contest with a big cash prize. Will she be able to keep up her grades while preparing for the competition and without revealing her magic? What about when a taste of magic works its way into her cupcakes?
Exciting up-and-coming author J. Elle combines the perfect balance of real-world issues and magical mishaps to create real magic.

My Review

I think my favorite part of this book was the love shared between three generations of women in Kyana’s house: her, her Mama, and Memaw. I loved the scenes where they cooked or baked together. They were always making such amazing things.

I also enjoyed the way Kyana’s experience baking influenced her approach to her magic. As she got more comfortable with the idea that she could use and perform magic, she discovered instincts for making potions that she couldn’t explain. She also connected with new friends. I loved her friendship with her bestie, Nae, too.

As Kyana’s plan to save her magic school begins to unravel, she has a choice between trying to get her rescue mission back on track alone, or reaching out to her new magic community and asking for help. I loved the way this became a story about community and the way a group offers so much more than an individual in terms of problem-solving ability.

All in all, A TASTE OF MAGIC is a fun, sweet story celebrating family and community and the magic of delicious food bringing people together. Readers who enjoyed A COMB OF WISHES by Lisa Stringfellow will love the heart and magic in this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Kyana is Black. Most characters are Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Kyana learns she has the ability to do magic. Other characters have magical ability, too.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of A TASTE OF MAGIC in exchange for my honest review.