sophiemartin's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Bullying, Cancer, and Death of parent
torikate7's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
Minor: Bullying and Cancer
mindyleereads's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent
readwithasherreid's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The sweetest middle grade!! The Latine family dynamics were delicious. I am obsessed with the way magic is talked about and described; the way the magic system is explained and how it has its own smell was so interesting. Not to forget that there is a clear distinction made between being a witch and a Bruja!! Seeing the recipes written in Spanish was so exciting. I love that this is a piece of media that is not only enjoyable but informative. I can already see this helping so many young Latine kids learn about Latine culture and language. Growing up severed from the language of your people can feel very isolating and scary; it makes me content knowing Latine kids won’t feel discouraged about learning Spanish later in life once they see Leo also deals with that throughout the novel! Overall, this was a brilliant Middle Grade which I will recommend to anyone who adores fun books about magic and baking!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
rorikae's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
'Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble' by Anna Meriano is an incredibly cute middle grade novel about a girl who discovers that her family can do magic.
Leo's family owns a bakery and the most important day for the bakery is Dia de los Muertos. Leo desperately wants to help her family prepare for the celebration but they refuse and continually give her coy answers for why she can't help. So, Leo decides to sneak into the bakery during prep day to see what is really going on. What she discovers is that her family are brujas. Wishing to prove herself to her family and to help her best friend with a problem, Leo tries to do a magic spell of her own but it has unforeseen consequences that she will have to figure out how to undo.
'A Dash of Trouble' is such a fun middle grade novel. Leo is instantly likable and you can't help rooting for her throughout the story even when she makes mistakes. There is a great family dynamic and Leo's sisters add some additional fun to the story with their antics. Ultimately, this story has so much heart. It's about an 11 year old desperately wanting to fit into her family and the mistakes that happen along the way when she tries to accomplish this. It's the perfect fall read, full of autumn atmosphere and lots of delicious food. The audiobook is fun and I will definitely be following on with listening to the rest of the books in this series.
Leo's family owns a bakery and the most important day for the bakery is Dia de los Muertos. Leo desperately wants to help her family prepare for the celebration but they refuse and continually give her coy answers for why she can't help. So, Leo decides to sneak into the bakery during prep day to see what is really going on. What she discovers is that her family are brujas. Wishing to prove herself to her family and to help her best friend with a problem, Leo tries to do a magic spell of her own but it has unforeseen consequences that she will have to figure out how to undo.
'A Dash of Trouble' is such a fun middle grade novel. Leo is instantly likable and you can't help rooting for her throughout the story even when she makes mistakes. There is a great family dynamic and Leo's sisters add some additional fun to the story with their antics. Ultimately, this story has so much heart. It's about an 11 year old desperately wanting to fit into her family and the mistakes that happen along the way when she tries to accomplish this. It's the perfect fall read, full of autumn atmosphere and lots of delicious food. The audiobook is fun and I will definitely be following on with listening to the rest of the books in this series.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying and Death of parent
tabear's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
linesiunderline's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This series opener has a sparkly feeling to it - sweet and spicy sister relationships, family secrets, a few friendly ghosts, spells gone wrong, self-discovery, friendship, and all kinds of baking (including enchanted flying pig cookies!).
While magic lies at the centre of this story, I think it has very relatable elements. From the struggles Leo has with branching out of her social comfort zone, the tender and realistic family dynamic, to Leo’s longing to be given the same opportunities as her sisters, all of these issues offer points of connection to readers.
The writing style is quite straightforward, which I think will work well for middle grade readers. If you seek a more poetic quality, this book is not that kind of read. As someone who tends to like those lyrical reads, it pleased me nonetheless. I didn’t find the prose to be very complex, but there’s an energy to the writing and it’s very readable
I look forward to more time with this sweet family in future installments!
While magic lies at the centre of this story, I think it has very relatable elements. From the struggles Leo has with branching out of her social comfort zone, the tender and realistic family dynamic, to Leo’s longing to be given the same opportunities as her sisters, all of these issues offer points of connection to readers.
The writing style is quite straightforward, which I think will work well for middle grade readers. If you seek a more poetic quality, this book is not that kind of read. As someone who tends to like those lyrical reads, it pleased me nonetheless. I didn’t find the prose to be very complex, but there’s an energy to the writing and it’s very readable
I look forward to more time with this sweet family in future installments!
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer, Death of parent, and Grief
bookiecharm's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying and Death of parent
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