A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking - T. Kingfisher

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⭐ 9.0/10

(Originally written by Rebecca)

Sorry for repeating all of Maggie's reviews immediately. I really enjoyed this one! I love middle grade fiction, especially because they so often shy away from romantic plots and lean more into found family, friendships, and platonic love. I really, really enjoyed the narrative about what it means to be a hero when you never wanted to be one, and why children should never HAVE to be heroes. A really important, often-overlooked theme in these kinds of stories. I thought the narrator, who is 14, was really realistic for her age--brave and strong and capable, but also young and scared and confused. Plus, I just loved the absurdity of so much of this story, and how it knew when to laugh at itself. A hero whose only special ability is bread! Beautiful!

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