ARC Review: A Dash of Magic

A Dash of Magic by Kathryn Littlewood
4/5 stars
Katherine Tegen Books, 2013
356 pages
Middle Grade Fantastical
Book #2 in the Bliss series (trilogy?)
Scheduled to release February 12

Source: Received an ARC from Jen Ryland/YA Romantics (thanks so much!)

Spoilers for book one as I'll recap it

My review of book one Bliss found me liking it but not loving it the way I wanted to; some of the elements were too cringe worthy and predictable to me. But I still liked the world and the concept so I was pleased to return. In the end, I liked this book a lot more and I am so glad to have had the chance to read it.

To recap, the end of Bliss featured Aunt Lily getting her hands on the family's magical cookbook and making dastardly plans with it. These plans have borne fruit in the opening of A Dash of Magic with Lily's talk show and general media empire continuing to bolster her power. Meanwhile Rose and her family live in a town lacking its usual magic with the absence of the book. Rose decides to confront Lily and challenges her to a bake-off at a famous French contest (yes, we're going to Paris!) Along the way, the family reunites with a grandfather, a talking cat, and a version of the book in need of translation as they rally together to beat Lily.

I really loved the structure of the book, how the story hinged on the daily baking contests. Although I don't watch many competition baking/cooking shows (they make me too anxious), I love the idea of them and getting to read about them was so fun. Additionally, contestants are allowed to bring in one special ingredient each day, which results in several hilarious mishaps around Paris as the kids visit some of the famous landmarks.

Another element I really like about these books is the importance of family. In this case, a long lost grandpa is reunited with his family. But this book also demonstrates how children can still have misadventures and mishaps even with good, concerned parents. While the parents are off searching for some ingredients, the kids look for others. At the end of the day though they are still a close-knit family who love each other deeply, which in turn is something I love to read about in books.

The book also has a great message about believing in yourself and your talents. Although Lily cheats, manipulates, and connives, Rose still stands strong against her for she has a true love of and passion for baking. It is pure and even though she doubts herself at times, the book ultimately affirms her commitment and honesty, leaving me feeling very good :)

Bliss

Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood
Katherine Tegen Books, 2012
375 pages
Middle-Grade; Fantasy
3.5/5 stars

Source: Received an ARC from Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

I love books that have something to do with cooking or baking; I find it very comforting just as I love to watching shows featuring those activities.  Plus the cover is bright and cheerful, which had me anticipating a fun story with family, food, and magic.

The Bliss family has a cookbook that has been handed down for generations and is filled with all sorts of secrets that are not shared with the Bliss children, Thyme (Ty), Rosemary (Rose), Sage, and Parsley (Leigh). While for the most part they don't mind as they are too self-absorbed or young, Rose does bristle at this. She has a natural talent for baking and is an awkward stage of adolescence. She is starting to notice boys but feels too plain; she feels overshadowed by her superstar older brother; she also alternates between feeling stifled by her home and never wanting to leave. It's a lot of complicated feelings, she's at a difficult age, and I understood where she was coming from.

All of these feelings come to a head when the Bliss parents leave town and the mysterious but glamorous Aunt Lily sweeps in to town. Buoyed by the absence of their parents and the encouragement of Aunt Lily, the kids start to experiment with some of the recipes in the book, causing havoc in their town. But Aunt Lily is also dangerous with a hidden past and her magical influence over people. She encourages the worst in the Bliss children even as Rose fights to do the right thing.  Lily especially tempts and targets Rose with beauty and fame; Rose must rely on her own sense of right and wrong to determine the correct course of action.

For me, the book was pretty predictable, which is not a bad thing. But waiting for Rose to discover Lily's true colors was agonizing for me. I'm not sure why I felt so strongly about that plot point but it was on my mind through the whole book. I didn't even really enjoy the love spell Ty casts on the girls in the town or the crazy backwards spell that leads to a disco party because of my dread. This dragged down my enjoyment of the story and my overall rating but is obviously a very weird, personal thing.

Overall: A fun magical story with family and baking.

Cover: Delicious with yummy food in the window and pretty swirls on the words.