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sylviep's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
gertron's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
jazzyjbox's review
adventurous
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? It's complicated
4.75
Love the anxiety rep and the incorporation of baking and magic. Such a cute read!
katefrost's review
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
5.0
rorikae's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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
'Just a Pinch of Magic' by Alechia Dow is a delightful middle grade novel about friendship and magic.
Wini's family's bakery is in trouble and so she devises a spell to help that will draw on love. But the spell goes wrong and a woman appears in town from the Enchantment Bureau. Fearing that she will get in trouble for her spell, Wini teams up with the new girl in town, Kal to see how they can fix what went wrong. Kal is searching for her place in the town while also dealing with her anxiety and a grandfather that has suddenly appeared. She believes she has found a friend in Wini. Together, the girls will have to figure out how to save the town and put things right.
What a cute middle grade novel. Dow does a great job of creating a fun world and filling it with enchanting characters. I love the magic as well, especially the infusion of baking and word magic. There are recipes inserted between some of the chapters, which I found not only immersive but also an added bonus amidst all of the mouth-watering descriptions and metaphors. A certain aspect of the plot was quite easy to figure out but I think it would still work well for its intended audience. I hope that Dow writes more middle grade in the future because this was pure delight.
Wini's family's bakery is in trouble and so she devises a spell to help that will draw on love. But the spell goes wrong and a woman appears in town from the Enchantment Bureau. Fearing that she will get in trouble for her spell, Wini teams up with the new girl in town, Kal to see how they can fix what went wrong. Kal is searching for her place in the town while also dealing with her anxiety and a grandfather that has suddenly appeared. She believes she has found a friend in Wini. Together, the girls will have to figure out how to save the town and put things right.
What a cute middle grade novel. Dow does a great job of creating a fun world and filling it with enchanting characters. I love the magic as well, especially the infusion of baking and word magic. There are recipes inserted between some of the chapters, which I found not only immersive but also an added bonus amidst all of the mouth-watering descriptions and metaphors. A certain aspect of the plot was quite easy to figure out but I think it would still work well for its intended audience. I hope that Dow writes more middle grade in the future because this was pure delight.
Moderate: Mental illness, Bullying, Gaslighting, and Confinement
scoutabout's review
Magic system and characterization were not consistent, writing style was not to my taste
cakt1991's review
adventurous
medium-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
4.0
I’ve loved all of Alechia Dow’s YA books, so I had a lot of faith that I’d enjoy her middle grade debut just as much. Just a Pinch of Magic is an absolute delight that swept me away. The setting itself has cozy small-town vibes with a magical twist, and I loved how each of the girls’ families’ specializations, baking and books respectively, appealed to two of my favorite things, and I loved the recipes sprinkled throughout.
Wini and Kal are both interesting protagonists who bond over being outsiders, with Kal being new to town and Wini bearing the stigma of her mother’s past actions of having cursed the town. I loved seeing the two bond amid all the chaos, especially with Wini getting into more trouble for casting an illegal spell to try to “fix” her family’s situation. I love how the two bonded over their shared magical misadventures, not to mention their desires to see their two queer single fathers happy…possibly with each other. Their friendship was so sweet and positive, supporting one another through all their struggles and being the other’s biggest hype-person.
The book is definitely more on the cozy, “just vibes” side, which likely won’t bother the target demographic as much, or those looking for something in that vein. But if you’re looking for something more epic in line with some of the other middle grade fantasy titles patterning themselves in the Percy Jackson vein, you’ll likely be disappointed. However, if you’re in the mood for a fun, whimsical, slice-of-life read with emphasis on female empowerment for young girls, I recommend checking this out!
waywordxwitch's review against another edition
5.0
~ ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion ~
I love Alechia Dow! I love her inclusiveness of queer characters and I especially love that her main characters are usually curvy girls of color. This was so cute and fun for her first middle-grade debut. Different track than YA but enjoyable all the same - the 2 girls and their different but similar struggles - and all the love lol. Super cute witchy debut.
I love Alechia Dow! I love her inclusiveness of queer characters and I especially love that her main characters are usually curvy girls of color. This was so cute and fun for her first middle-grade debut. Different track than YA but enjoyable all the same - the 2 girls and their different but similar struggles - and all the love lol. Super cute witchy debut.