Sugar and Spite

March 15, 2021
Jolina uses magic to seek revenge on a bully. Twelve-year old Jolina has recently moved to Isla Pag-Ibig from the busy city of Manila. Moving to the small island hasn't been easy, especially with Claudine continually bullying her. Luckily, Jolina has her dog, Kidlat, and her healer grandfather's lessons in the arbularyo's magic to distract her. But one day Claudine makes it a point not to invite Jolina to her birthday party, and Jolina can't take it anymore. Even though she's just an apprentice and she knows powerful magic comes with significant consequences, Jolina brews a gayuma to exact revenge. The powerful love potion works, and now Claudine wants to be her best friend, following anything Jolina says. The girls get to know each other and become real friends, but the price of magic must be paid, putting everything and everyone at risk. This is a fun, heartwarming #ownvoices novel of friendship, love, and forgiveness. Fantasy mixes with reality, exploring themes of privilege, consent, free will, and sacrifice. Filipino culture and Tagalog are naturally worked into the story, which highlights the old healing practices, landscape, food, and history of the Philippines. Early on in the story, Jolina heartbreakingly compares her dark brown skin, thick straight black hair, and flat nose to Claudine's light brown skin, wavy black hair, and high-bridged nose. Claudine's mother has a female partner. A delightfully sweet mix of magic and friendship (and pets). (recipe, author's note) (Fantasy. 8-12)

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