Midsummer's Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca

Midsummer's Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to @rajanilrocca (Rajani LaRocca), Yellow Jacket (an imprint of Bonnier Publishing USA) and #BookJunkies for allowing me to be an early reader of Midsummer’s Mayhem by awesome debut author, Rajani LaRocca, in exchange for an honest review. Wow, did I love this debut novel for middle grade children. Just let me gush about the beauty of LaRocca’s language – the descriptions of the foods (Indian, sweet, and salty) had me drooling; I wanted to eat (and bake) everything in this contemporary retelling mixing fantasy elements of fairies, friends, and the importance of family. The beauty of Mimi’s woods (the trees, herbs, and flowers) held me captive when I realized this was no ordinary forest. In addition, I loved strong, reasonable but mighty main character, Mimi and her passion for baking sweet treats. But Mimi feels outshined by everyone else in her family, has lost her best friend, and struggles with the baking contest she has entered. When new kid, Vik rescue’s Mimi in a tree; her summer turns into one of foodie love, a fast friendship, and many new adventures in her woods. With her siblings’ involvement in the summer play, Midsummer Night’s Dream, paralleling Mimi’s summer of mayhem, the reader is ensconced in Mimi’s world of sweet treats, family drama, and the magic of food and fairies. Food lovers, Shakespearean lure, and the diversity of Indian food, customs, and folklore will delight readers of all ages. You will also enjoy at the end; The Acknowledgements, Baking Terms and even recipes from the book; I am certainly going to be baking these mouth-watering treats! Highly recommended; get your copy in a store near you, June 2019.

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