Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Intriguing tale of fate, connections, and recipes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In a world much like our own, only stranger, the course of your life depends heavily on whether you have a Talent. Eleven-year-old orphan Cady has a definite talent for baking; her friend Marigold, whose family becomes Cady's neighbors after their city apartment is demolished by a hot air balloon, struggles to find her own talent and to restrain her brother, a skilled thief, from exercising his. Like A TANGLE OF KNOTS, the connections between the girls and many apparently random characters emerge, flourish, and bring unexpected solutions.
Is It Any Good?
The convoluted puzzle that connects several generations of characters will delight some readers, and probably have them rereading for clues they've missed. Other readers may bog down and find too much complication for too little payoff. Some connections that bind the characters reveal themselves in a leisurely fashion, or not at all; author Graff frequently describes a character grinning "in a way that suggested that he knew more about the world than he was letting on," and this attitude infuses the narrative, often leaving young readers to figure out obliquely suggested details for themselves.
Still, many kids will relate to Cady's longing for a family and Marigold's efforts to keep her own family from running off the rails. Cady's talent is for making the perfect cake for each recipient, and A Tangle of Knots includes numerous recipes for baked goods, both sweet and savory, that are sure to appeal to budding chefs.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why stories about kids who are great cooks are so popular. Do you think you might like to try some of the recipes here?
How do decisions in the adult characters' past affect their kids?
Do you find the revelation of how the characters are connected believable? Did you figure it out before the ending?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Cooking , Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Philomel
- Publication date : February 5, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 240
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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