Cathy Reviews: Bite-Sized Magic + The Finisher

Along with my mom, my wonderful mother-in-law Cathy is an occasional partner in crime on this blog and I'm thrilled to have her back today to share her thoughts on a couple middle grade titles!

BITE-SIZED MAGIC
The Bliss Bakery #3
Kathryn Littlewood
Middle Grade Fantasy
432 pages
Katherine Tegen Books
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
This third book in Kathryn Littlewood's acclaimed Bliss trilogy mixes the down-home heart-punch of Ingrid Law's Newbery Honor Book Savvy, the always-on-the-edge-of-chaos comedy of Cheaper by the Dozen, and a humorous magic all its own to create a thoroughly original confection, a delicious guilty pleasure for readers of all ages.

Rose won back her family's magical Cookery Booke in an international baking competition in A Dash of Magic, the second novel in the series. Rose is now world famous—so famous, in fact, that Mr. Butter, head of the Mostess Corporation, has kidnapped her so that she can develop new-and-improved magical recipes for his company's snack cakes. With the magically enhanced Dinkies and Moony Pies, Mr. Butter plans to take over the world.

Together with her brothers, their talking cat and mouse, and an unlikely team of bakers, Rose must overthrow Mr. Butter before he destroys civilization, one magically evil snack cake at a time.

CATHY'S THOUGHTS
I need to be upfront and tell you that I have an affinity for cozy mysteries. All kinds of them, whether the sleuth knits, reads books, or bakes cookies, I love them all. They are my guilty pleasure! I have enjoyed this genre since I was a child, but way back then the only mysteries around were Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. So when Jenny passed along this book to me, I gladly jumped at the chance to read it.
 
Bite-Sized Magic by Kathryn Littlewood is just the type of book I would have loved to have had available when I was younger. It combines two of my favorite things, mystery and baking. And some magic is thrown in for good measure. The effect is delightful. This is the third book in the Bliss series but it's also a stand-alone story. There is a plot thread carried through from previous books, but I didn't feel as if I were lost at the start of this book. Ms. Littlewood does a wonderful job of bringing us up to date without oversaturating us with past details. 
 
Our sleuth/heroine is Rosemary Bliss, a 12 year old magical baker. She is kidnapped by the evil Mr. Butter to work for him and make magically irresistible snack cakes. (I think this must be a true story as I thoroughly enjoy said snack cakes!) He would like the whole world to be eating only his treats. While she's there, she discovers her family's magic recipes have been stolen and used at his factory. Rosemary has to find a way to save the world from sugar overload as well as her family's bakery.
 
Ms. Littlewood has cleverly named not only the people but the snack treats. I am sure you can picture what every snack looks like just by the names. This book is a middle grade book that has a lot of charm and therefore was fun to read as an adult. I liked how the children were the heroes and had to figure out how to save everyone. There are lots of chaotic scenes that are so well written that you could imagine it as a movie. It's sure to give kids a sense of empowerment when they read this tale. This is a perfect book for parents to read to their younger children or have their middle grader read it to them. It is a story for the whole family to enjoy.
 
Rating: 4/5

Find Kathryn:

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THE FINISHER
David Baldacci
Middle Grade/Dystopian
512 pages
Scholastic
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Welcome to Wormwood: a place where curiosity is discouraged and no one has ever left.

Until one girl, Vega Jane, discovers a map that suggests a mysterious world beyond the walls. A world with possibilities and creatures beyond her imagining.

But she will be forced to fight for her freedom. And unravelling the truth may cost Vega her life.

CATHY'S THOUGHTS
When Jenny told me she received a book by David Baldacci and wanted me to review it, I accepted readily. I am a fan of Mr. Baldacci and have read many of his adult mystery novels and even stood in line last year at BEA to get a signed copy of his latest thriller. Then Jenny mentioned that this book is a middle grade dystopian/fantasy. That caught my attention and I wanted to see if this new book held the same appeal as his adult novels.
 
The Finisher takes place in a place called Wormland that is surrounded by the Quag. The setting is reminiscent of medieval times. The people live their whole lives in this place in fear of the Quag and the knowledge that there is nothing beyond it. The book has a slow start only because things are unfamiliar and have odd names, but once it gets going you become accustomed to the names and it all starts to flow together nicely. Mr. Baldacci does a good job creating this world, remembering that he is writing a story geared toward middle graders. He gives us a heroine, Vega Jane, who dreams beyond the Quag and bucks the rules of her homeland. Vega Jane is a reluctant heroine but she never tries to find the easy way out. She truly has to fight for her life and the lives of those she loves, while still trying to achieve her dreams.
 
This story is filled with action young readers–and some of us not so young–will enjoy. There is magic, mysterious wild beasts, evil rulers, and great battles. Older readers should keep an open mind however, thinking back to a time when everything was believable and the only goal was to be entertained by strange and amazing things.
 
Mr. Baldacci has brought so many of the elements I love from his thrillers into this book. A story that keeps your attention and has lots of action. I think the ending leaves an opening for the possibility of more books in this series.

Rating: 4/5

Find David:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

These books were sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my (or in this case, Cathy's) honest opinion.