Adiba Jaigirdar

Fieldnotes:
Dublin, Ireland, Contemporary (p.2023)

1 Bangladeshi-Irish Teen with Big Baking Dreams
1 Irish Baking Competition Reality Show
1 Rival Ex-Girlfriend (Secret Variety)
1 Potential Whirlwind Romance

3 Judges with Names Cringily Close to Cooking Personalities
Punny Donut Names
1 Food Fight (with Fingerpointing)
1 Saboteur
Racist and Fatphobic Bigotry on Social Media
Mostly Supportive Parents

The Short Version
Shireen Malik is wallowing in her break-up watching reruns of GBBO and stuffing herself with donuts from the family store. But no time for that! She has been selected to take part in a teen baking competition show and gets to show off her skills on TV (and help save the struggling family donut store with her winnings). Upon arrival, it turns out her recent ex-girlfriend Chris (daughter of the rival donut shop across the street) is ALSO taking part and they are paired together for the first challenge.

Shireen is eager to share her desserts - and bring more attention to Bangladeshi cooking, but faces nasty comments about being a "token" with Padma Bollywood (yes, the name used *sigh*)'s vote in the bag because they're both "Indian". There are saboteurs and ugly competitiveness, but all in all, this is a happy, cute book full of puns (Shireen's naming specialty) and very sweet sapphic romance - as well as donuts. Obviously.

This made me so eager to re-watch Nadiya's GBBO season as Shireen has a similar playful warm energy (and also because she gets name-checked). Would recommend picking up some donuts before starting this one, for sure.… (plus d'informations)

I'm irked that this book didn't address the art theft issue at all. It's totally fine and understandable that the focus is on cultural appropriation, but there's an especially odd moment where a character justifies her cultural appropriation of henna by saying, "being inspired by different styles of art is how art works, and I would know because I'm an artist." I just wanted to scream at little miss Artiste that by own logic she should ALSO know better than to steal an original henna design, which is exactly what she did. It never came up!… (plus d'informations)

Fieldnotes:
RMS Titanic, April 1912

4 Teenaged Girls, of which
- 1 Pickpocket and Mastermind
- 1 "Face" / Distraction
- 1 Circus Performer
- 1 Artist / Forger
Diversity in both PoC and LGBT sense

1 Heist of
1 Bejeweled Book of Persian Poetry
1 Excellent Motive
1 Truly Ridiculous Motive
Ambivalence

1 Nemesis
1 Suspicious Matron
1 Blue Hair Clip
Disguises

Several Stolen Kisses
1 Ignored Ice/Weather Report by Telegram
1 Knife Fight
1 Maritime Disaster
Sacrifices

The Plan:
Listen, I heard there was a YA novel about a heist aboard the Titanic featuring 4 teenage girls from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, some of whom wanted to smooch on one another? I could not pick this up fast enough - it sounded SO FUN.

Reader, it was nowhere near as fun as it sounded. First of all, we don't get nearly as much heist planning and executing as I was hoping. The details of the heist are largely hand-waved and mostly seem to involve creeping through the air vents. Where is the elaborate plan?

Second, we are aboard the TITANIC, but I didn't really get a sense of place - not of the luxury onboard, the little details that make it feel real. And then when the inevitable happens, there wasn't much of a sense of disarray and panic. This seemed remarkably civilized rather than people trying to save their own skins.

Also, although we have a character from Karachi and another who is half-Haitian, their backgrounds simply don't feature as much as I wanted to read about them - I could understand wanting to gloss over some of the racism for a fun book, but I still wanted a sense of their background - missing food, smells, quirks.

Finally, and what really killed this for me - the super secret *real* reason for the heist by our fearless leader Josefa (who was the most irksome - being incredibly reckless and impulsive but somehow also the planner?) is payback for being betrayed by her former thieving partner - but she is only a thief because her comfortable middle-class life was too restricting and apparently petty thievery is *thrilling*. Endangering others who may have to actually face consequences because she's BORED? Ugh, no thank you.

I wanted more of all of the other characters and far, FAR less of Josefa.… (plus d'informations)

Shireen is over the moon when she discovers she has been selected as a contest on the Junior Irish Baking Show. It's going to be a great summer, despite the fact that her best friend is in Bangladesh visiting family and her ex-Chris is also a contestant on the show.
Another contestant, Niamh, tries to kindle something with Shireen too. The competition gets a little cut throat and the online hate for the bakers or color is another layer of something to deal with extra to the competition. A fun rom-com read.… (plus d'informations)