True Loaf is a delightfully atmospheric modern day folkloric quest narrative for middle grade readers. I've always felt there's something a bit magical about cooking or baking for other people, so I felt the vibes strongly when protagonist Riley's quest involved searching for a particular ingredient.

The first fifteen pages of this story feel like they could be the inciting incident of a middle grade novel, but that isn't what True Loaf is. A second act with Riley amongst the fae is not what Johnson promises or delivers. Rather, Johnson has crafted a modern fairy story in the tradition of Balkan folklore, as she outlines in the bonus article at the end of the ebook.

🍎 TO TEACH?
Before I realised how short it is, I expected True Loaf to perhaps be an addition to my wide reading recommendation list for middle grade students. Having read it though, I predict I will be using it more substantially as a model text for crafting new folklore tales in a creative writing unit. Don't sleep on this one. There is also plenty of scope for creative writing in the fantasy genre, extending the action beyond the story's end. 

Thank you to NetGalley and L. Austen Johson for providing a copy for review.