Publishers Weekly Review
Ari is excited to move to the city with his bandmates after high school, leaving his small East Coast beach town behind. His father needs help at their struggling family bakery, however, so Ari must find a replacement before he goes-enter Hector, who is taking time off after his first year of culinary school. The two bond over baking throughout the summer and even fall for each other, until an accident costs the family its bakery. A wedding montage, close-ups of family cookbooks and a beloved sourdough starter, along with scenes of people cooking alone, together, and for each other, combine into a loving meditation on the central role of food in relationships. Illustrator Ganucheau's black, white, and blue art is drawn in a simple, naturalistic style with manga-adjacent expressions that suit the story. While some of the supporting characters are thinly developed, a pleasantly diverse cast and realistically varied relationship dynamics from Panetta (Zodiac Starforce) offer a thoughtful look at how one grows into and out of relationships, with all the commensurate joy, awkwardness, and reconciliation that family and friends offer. Ages 14-up. Author's and illustrator's agent: Charlie Olsen, Inkwell Management. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. |
School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-Aristotle Kyrkos has graduated from high school and desperately wants to move to Baltimore with his friends to make it in the music industry. His father, owner of their family-run bakery, is less than understanding of Ari's "anywhere but here" mentality, so, with the summer tourist season coming up, Ari hires a replacement. Enter Hector Galea. On sabbatical from culinary school, he's in town to organize his late grandmother's estate and figure out where his life is going. His skills boost the family's struggling business, and Ari realizes the reason he's spending so much time in the bakery has nothing to do with the delicious cupcakes and baguettes. With Baltimore starting to feel like a distant dream, Ari must make a decision about his future. Beautiful artwork depicts characters coping with life's increasing responsibilities and is especially sumptuous when focusing on the yummy desserts. This is both a delicious foray into the world of baking and young love and an endearing, realistic tale of two teens helping one another grow. -VERDICT A fresh take on the coming-of-age story that spotlights the triumphs and travails of young people. A must-read for teens craving a realistic love story.-Michael Marie -Jacobs, Darlington School, GA © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. |