Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

My friend Andrea picked A Dash of Trouble (Love Sugar Magic #1) for book club many moons ago, I’m sure; it’s no secret that I’m behind on my books!  My awesome hubby found it for me on audio, however, and I found listening to it to be a genuine pleasure.  Leonora’s family and friends were a delight, as was the glimpse into Latin-American culture; Leo herself was actually my biggest problem.  I had no issue with her frustration over being kept in the dark about her bruja heritage, because that would have driven me crazy as well.  (#youngestchildproblems)  Her single-minded obsession with experimenting with and performing magic herself, however, regardless of a)what her sisters told her, b)what she promised to the various people she involved, and c)what happened to the innocent people around her made me want to scream.  It takes WAY too long, in my opinion, for her to wake up and realize that all of the sneaking and lying and messing recklessly with powers she’s been warned about has hurt other people, and even then her remorse is partly forced on her.  (Who wreaks havoc on other people’s lives and then refuses to ask the logical person for help because her biggest fear is not that people might suffer endlessly for her actions, but that she won’t be allowed to experiment with magic anymore?  I know adolescents are self-absorbed, but seriously, come ON.)

Okay, rant over.  That is the kind of story line that bugs me more than most people, and the book was still completely enjoyable.  Anna Meriano is clearly an author with a sense of humor, and that aspect of the story was delightful; the denouement was also (mostly) worth the aggravation.  (Everything comes out right in the end, in case you were wondering.  That doesn’t feel like a spoiler, because it’s that kind of book.)  I’m planning on giving it to my two older girls to read; I’m also, however, planning on reading the sequel when they get to it.  If a school-ish story mixed up with Latin culture, a touch of magic, and a family focus appeals, you won’t want to miss this one.