The Dos and Donuts of Love

April 15, 2023
A teen baker in Dublin reckons with dreams of baking glory and a new love interest. Seventeen-year-old Bangladeshi Irish Shireen Malik is going through breakup blues when she finds out she's made it: She's going to join the cast of the Junior Irish Baking Show. She's thrilled about being on reality TV--but it's a shock to learn that not only is Christina Huang, her ex-girlfriend, on the show as well, but the producers have paired them for the first round. Though Shireen quickly makes a new friend, Niamh Lynch, who may or may not be flirting with her, it's not going to be easy to be so close to her ex for the duration of the competition. In fact, it just might be the thing that throws her off her game. The pressure builds--Shireen hopes that a win will help You Drive Me Glazy, the family doughnut business, and Chris' parents own a rival shop, The Bakers Dozen, making things even more personal. Full of culinary puns, the prose flies by with Shireen as the hilariously dramatic lead. Shireen is easy to root for; she's a fat girl who's not trying to lose weight, she's aware of her anxiety and doesn't let it hold her back, and she's proud of being queer, brown, and Muslim. Her parents are loving and supportive as well. This joyful read with a cheerful protagonist also explores racism, fatphobia, and mental health with care. Cute, fresh, and endearing. (content warnings) (Romance. 14-18)

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November 10, 2023

Gr 9 Up-Things heat up in Bangladeshi Irish Shireen Malik's life when she's cast in a televised teen baking show alongside her ex-girlfriend. Talented baker Shireen hopes to win the competition and bring recognition (and a cash prize) to her parents' donut shop, You Drive Me Glazy. But instead of excitement, Shireen feels apprehension heading into filming with her former girlfriend, Chris Huang, who is Taiwanese Irish and the daughter of rival shop owners. Mix in a potential crush on Niamh, another contestant, and it's a recipe for, if not exactly disaster, plenty of drama. Shireen, reeling from the breakup, anxious about the competition, and missing her best friend Fatima who is visiting family, is not her best self. She's messy, self-centered, and quick to villainize. Her supportive and accepting parents fade to the background as Shireen spends most of her time at home in her room monologuing her complaints on calls to Fatima or perseverating over how everything ended with Chris. Much of the story takes place during filming of the show, but the baking is often skimmed over, with eliminations sped up and descriptions of baked goods lacking, favoring focus on the interpersonal issues. Those looking for a sweet romance may be disappointed to find it on the back burner for much of the book. VERDICT Readers will root for Shireen not just to win the baking competition but also for her to grow and learn from her relationships and mistakes.-Amanda MacGregor

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