Thank you Netgalley and Algonquin Young Readers for the advance reader copy!

Crumble follows Emily, her Aunt Gina and mom as they run their family bakery. Their family has a magical power to bake emotions into desserts. Hoping to win the class a pizza party, Emily and Dae create a plan to sell the most baked goods. When her life has an abrupt change, Emily is unable to bake and cannot seem to find a way to her former self. Will Emily be able to bake her delicious treats once more? Will she be able to find herself along the way?

I loved this graphic novel! The colors are beautiful and are eye catching - I want to live in their family bakery! I loved the design of the characters and world they reside and love that there is so much inclusivity throughout this book. This topic is hard to communicate in this age range and I think this was done so well and was so thought out. Overall enjoyed this book and cannot wait for it to hit the shelves!

Crumble is a middle grade graphic novel about grief and magical baked goods.

Emily loves to bake with her Aunt Gina--her primary guardian while her mother travels the world. Their baked goods make those who eat them feel a variety of emotions--calm, relief, etc. The one rule of baking with feelings is that you must cook while happy. This becomes harder with the sudden death of Aunt Gina. Emily breaks the rules with disastrous consequences and learns about how to cope with her grief.

The art is colorful and engaging. I will absolutely be purchasing Crumble for my elementary school library.

Rating: 4.25

Themes / Representation:
Baking
Grief
School
Family
Friends
M/M Side Characters (friends parents)
Non-Binary side character
Magical realism

Content Warnings: Death of a loved one, car crash

A delicious and heartwarming story about dealing with grief and baking.

The artwork and colouring were beautiful, the story had excellent pacing, the characters were so raw and charming.

As someone who loves to bake, I loved seeing the recipes within the book and love the idea of baking feelings (especially positive ones!) into baked goods.

Similar concept to The Happy Shop where feelings are collected in jars and sold to customers, another graphic novel I really loved. I also think this is perfect for fans of Ghosts, by Raina Telgemeier.

There’s also some LGBTQIA+ rep with Emily’s friend Dae being non-binary and having two Dads, great casual representation to see in a middle grade story.

Although the subject matter of this book is quite heavy, the relatable characters and bright colors convey a strong sense of hope. Tragic loss is address in accessible language, sweet illustrations, and poignantly concise storytelling.

Emily comes from a family who can bake feelings into baked goods. The main rule though is that they can only bake good emotions in. However, when tragedy hits Emily, she finds herself so sad she can't even bake. She becomes determined to get back into it, especially with an important bake sale coming up. Her new creation though seems to be making people sick.

I thought this was a really good way of talking about grief. I think it would be easy for middle grades (and even some younger) children to understand. The drawing style wasn't my personal favorite, but I think it would resonate well with kids. I also like McClaren's use of non-traditional family types. It is subtle in the best way - not performative, but just there because it's life and reality.

I Received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Emily and her family have a superpower – they can bake emotions into their food. When a horrible accident shakes her life upside down, Emily must learn how to deal with grief for the first time. Author Meredith McCalren does a beautiful job of exploring complex emotions and life events. The reader can discover that friendship and family relationships are not always perfect and the importance of communication. I really liked the color palette and the softer art style of illustrator Andrea Bell.

This story was an emotional journey I did not expect! Our main character comes from a family of emotional bakers. They can bake emotions into treats. It is the joy of her life and she shares it with her best friend. A family tragedy happens suddenly and their whole world changes. This book had depth I didn't expect for the title and I very much enjoyed the journey it went on. Looking forward to more from this author.

Emily Dash helps her Aunt Gina run Om Nom Bakery while Emily’s mom travels extensively on business. With Emily’s BFF Dae, they magically create delicious deserts based upon their emotions. When Emily is in a great mood, it carries over in the baked goods that her classmates and the bakery’s customers consume, also putting them in a good mood. Emily’s Crumble is addictive and everyone wants some of it.

Unfortunately, the reverse also happens with bad moods. When tragedy strikes the Dash family, Emily and her mother have difficulty coping. This is reflected in Emily’s baking and others who consume her Crumble now feel just as badly as she does. Emily knows she needs to find her way back to baking with good moods. The only question remains is how?

This is a beautiful story with lovely artwork and color. It would be a perfect book to read with a young reader who faces the untimely demise of a loved one and how to navigate such sad feelings.

Bonus, recipes!

This was a wonderful story. I got very emotional and it was cathartic. I lost someone I was very close to when I was about 7 years old and coping was hard.

This story follows Emily and her aunt who run a bakery called Om Nom (how cute is that??) while Emily’s mom tours teaching about their baking techniques.

They have a magical ability to bake feelings into desserts. After the tragic loss of her aunt, Emily is feeling depression and sadness. Things she struggles to navigate and express.

Ultimately she realizes she can use her baking and her pain to help herself and others.

This story touched my heart and I loved it.

"Crumble" is a middle grade graphic novel mixing fantasy and serious topics in equal measures for a tasteful portrayal of how someone struggles with their grief. Emily's family is part of a lineage where they can infuse their feelings into baked items, like an inverse of Aimee Bender's "The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake." The one rule of the family is never to bake while you have bad feelings, because those feelings will come through in the baking.

When Emily's primary caretaker, Aunt Gina, dies in a car accident, her life spirals out of control. Her mom is too busy and grieving herself to give Emily the extra support she needs in this emotional crisis. This sets up the plot point where Emily is encouraged by her best friend, Dae, to try baking as a comforting practice. Unfortunately the attempt results in a crumble infused with her bad feelings. The baking leaves Emily feeling numb and the people who eat the crumble with a compulsion to continue eating it even though it's bad. As a symbol of how grief can leave those processing it with detachment and curdled/bad feelings, it is a solid allegory. Emily retreating into making the crumble as a way to numb herself also works, although this section of the graphic novel struggles with the difficulty of demonstrating absence.

The depiction of Emily's grief is one of withdrawing and unspoken feelings. There is a page that best represents it when she comes back to school and her classmates unintentionally ask really sensitive questions. The panels squeeze onto Emily's face until she starts to cry and it expands to everyone's uncomfortable reaction, the edges blurring out. However, sometimes the simplicity of the faces and the constantly bright, unshaded forms don't always convey a feeling beyond neutral, and readers are left with dialogue to really discern how the characters are doing. This may make watching Emily's grief more palatable for younger readers, especially compared to stories that deal with smiliar material in a darker tone like "Slip" by Marika McCoola or "I Kill Giants" by Joe Kelly.

The plot where her classmates nudge her into the baking contest also feels a little rushed, compared to how poorly they reacted to her initial return. It does lead to stakes raising third act revelation that it isn't simply that the baked goods taste bad, but can make people physically sick as well. I do think the "makes you actually sick" kind of fumbles the allegory, as being compelled to follow through with something "bad" feels like a closer approximation of the process of grief, rather than actual poisoning. But Emily learning to make carrot soup to comfort the sick crumble eaters is a hopeful and touching message to end on. This would be a great story to give to readers who may not have actually dealt with a loss as it is fantasy-adjacent and a softer touch than other books on the topic. A bittersweet and fulfilling read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sweet (slightly) magical graphic novel that deals with friendship, love, and loss. I appreciate how the illustrations tell a story so vividly without needing too many words to say what happened. It could make a lovely series should McClaren decide to continue the story. I would give a content warning for parent-figure loss.

This was a nice easy introduction into the importance of expressing and dealing with our emotions for middle grade readers. McClaren took on an incredibly difficult, and important, subject and made it palatable for a young audience. The illustrations are very well done and including the recipes that Emily makes.

While I enjoyed the graphic novel, I did find it a little flat. There was no information on what happened to aunt Gina. The relationship between Emily and her mother was also very strained and just magically resolves itself by the end. I know I am far from the target audience so maybe I am putting too much stake into it.

The illustrations and vibrant colors of this graphic novel were what initially drew my interest to this story. I enjoyed the baking aspect of the graphic novel, and the emotional recognition. Most importantly, this graphic novel tackled death and loss without Emily's mom being the so-called perfect parent. In a lot of junior and YA graphic novels I've read, the parents are always supporting, never get angry, never cry, etc. Crumble is realistic; a parent is not always emotionally available and they can struggle also. I think many readers can empathize with Emily, making it a powerful graphic novel.

I do wish there had been more at the end of the story. Emily clearly gets accustomed to the changes of routine, but I would have enjoyed a little more interactions with Dae and her classmates as the novel came to a close.

Overall a great and powerful read.

Crumble is a touching graphic novel about Emily, a young girl who bakes her emotions into desserts at her family’s magical bakery. When she loses her aunt, she breaks the rule of never baking bad feelings, and the results are as messy as her emotions. This story beautifully explores grief, friendship, and the healing power of baking, making it a must-read for anyone who loves heartfelt tales.

A short and cute graphic novel about friendship and dealing with one's emotions. I liked the characters, the art style, and how the book had a message that wasn't delivered too on the nose.

This cute graphic novel deals with grief and all kinds of feelings in a very unique way. I felt like it was cut short a little, but in general loved the characters and lesson behind the story. I would love to try the recipes included, too!

thank you netgalley for sending me an eArc of this graphic novel

i thought this was really cute with a good message but i feel like the story needed some more work

i loved the art style and the color palette used

I just fell in love with the art style of Crumble. This beautifully illustrated graphic novel blends the magic of baking with the complexity of grief. Emily, along with her mom and Aunt Gina, has the unique ability to bake emotions into their desserts a concept that immediately drew me in. However, when tragedy strikes, Emily's world is turned upside down. In her grief, she begins baking her sadness into a crumble, a decision that brings unexpected consequences.

The art style is vibrant and expressive, perfectly capturing each character's emotions. I also appreciated the inclusion of actual recipes within the narrative ( Did i try to bake? yes. Did i also almost burn my finger off? also yes). However, I think the themes of loss and mourning might not be suited for very young readers. The diverse cast and the sensitive handling of these complex emotions make the story both relatable and educational. Emily's journey through grief is both heartbreaking and healing, especially as she learns that baking her sadness into food, while comforting in the short term, isn’t a true solution. The story's resolution, though somewhat magical, ultimately brings closure and hope.

Overall, I found Crumble to be a touching and visually stunning read that delicately balances the sweetness of friendship and family with the bitterness of loss. It’s a solid 4-star read that I believe will resonate with both kids and adults.

thanks netgalley for the earc.
i initially requested it for its cute art style and didn't regret it. it was a ride, that's for sure, the story is a very important one, in my opinion, and is really well written. some things i expected to be different but that's on me for assuming stuff.
apart from the story the art style didn't disappoint either, the bright colors and the contrast really stood up to me.
4/5 only bc i thought it could have been a little longer

Crumble by Meredith McClaren is a moving graphic novel that, despite its brevity, delivers a powerful emotional experience. The story is a quick read, but it packs a punch, exploring themes of loss, isolation, and the complex emotions that come with it.

One of the standout elements for me was the magical realism woven into the narrative, particularly the way emotions are literally baked into the desserts. This creative approach added a unique layer to the story, making the characters’ feelings tangible and almost tasteable. It’s a clever metaphor that resonated deeply with me.

I also appreciated how the story portrays the well-meaning concern of those around the protagonist. Everyone wants to help or at least understand what happened, but there’s still a palpable sense of being alone and out of sorts. This contrast between the desire to connect and the reality of feeling isolated was captured beautifully and gave the story an added depth.

Overall, Crumble is a heartfelt and thought-provoking read that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page. It’s a testament to how graphic novels can convey complex emotions in a compact, yet impactful way.