Syd has always dealt with very stressful things through baking. After being broken up with, they pour their feelings into their brownies at The Proud Muffin. However, their baking turns out to be magical and breaks up those who eat their brownies. With the help of Harley, the bakery’s delivery person, Syd sets out to fix the relationships they unintentionally ruined, especially the one that means the most to them, Vin and Alec, the bakery’s owners.
This book was recommended to me when, in a meeting held by Envision’s College Success Program, I explained the fact that I was questioning my gender and was thinking about changing my pronouns. Syd is an agender character and we learn about their experience. I enjoy reading books representing queer characters, but, for the first time, I read one specifically because I was looking for understanding. For a resource that could help me understand my feelings. Most of the time, I read books for pleasure, so this was new to me. I’m a firm believer that books can help you understand your feelings. Through fiction, it’s possible to explore your deepest self. Although reading can be done for escapism, it can also be done to understand your emotions when they become too much. I personally explore my emotions through fictional characters, so it makes sense to me to do this through reading. If you want to see a really good example of this, watch O Maidens In Your Savage Season. It’s a 12 episode anime and you can find it on Hidive.
I have nothing but praise for this book. The themes are explored so well and the characters are sufficiently developed. I feel like the romantic aspect could have been developed a little more, but, because it’s not the biggest part of the book, I don’t mind.
I love the way magic is in the background in this story. It’s not very well explained and that’s the way I like it. A magic system with rules is fun, but soft magic systems are my favorite. I like when magic just is.
The idea of dealing with emotions through baking definitely reminds me of my writing. When I write, it’s like therapy. I pour all my emotions into my fictional characters just like Syd does. It’s a very cathartic experience to release your emotions.
The theme of community is one I can relate to. As a blind person, I’m always looking for a community to belong to. It’s not always easy. I find it hard to belong when the world itself seems to be against me most of the time. When it seems I’m constantly being pushed away. I can understand and relate to it because it’s something that happens in different stages of my life, especially job searching. It’s important for me to be part of a community because it’s a sanctuary. With this knowledge in mind, Syd’s actions make sense. The author does a great job at making the reader empathize with them.
Overall, this is an amazing book. The fact that I picked it up as a resource did not take away the pleasure of reading it. My reading experience was one of the best I’ve had in a while. I rated it four stars.
I’m glad I read this book. It’s something I’ll remember for a while. It was very helpful to me, even if my gender identity is still unclear to me. Some time after I read this book, I changed my pronouns to they/them. It’s perfect for me right now, but I’m sure I’ll make more discoveries about myself as things change.
I don’t usually do this, but I’d like to take a moment for self promotion. Besides this blog, I also have a YouTube channel of the same name where I create similar content. In a few weeks, I’ll be giving recommendations for what to read and watch after this book. If you’re interested in this video as well as others, consider subscribing. The link below will take you directly to my channel.
Anexis Matos 
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