What do you think?
Rate this book
Crumble
A heartfelt graphic novel for fans of Sheets and Real Friends about baking, friendship, and feeling every kind of emotion—no matter the flavor.
Emily, her mom, and her aunt Gina have a very special magical power: They can bake emotions into the desserts they sell at their family bakery. Need a dash of confidence? Try their millionaire shortbread! Want relief after a stressful day? The cheesecake will lighten your spirits! There is only one rule: Never bake a bad feeling.
Every day after school, Emily and her best friend, Dae, make tried-and-true recipes, while she and Aunt Gina brainstorm new ones. But when Aunt Gina dies in an accident, Emily’s life is turned upside down. Not knowing what to do, Emily breaks the rule and bakes her bad feelings into. . . a crumble. It looks gross. Dae says it tastes gross. But they can’t stop eating it. Neither can Emily’s classmates. And with her grief and pain baked into the crumble, Emily gets the comfort of being at least a little numb. So even though she’s not supposed to, she makes it again, and again, and again.
But baking (and eating) bad feelings doesn’t really make them go away . . .
Emily, her mom, and her aunt Gina have a very special magical power: They can bake emotions into the desserts they sell at their family bakery. Need a dash of confidence? Try their millionaire shortbread! Want relief after a stressful day? The cheesecake will lighten your spirits! There is only one rule: Never bake a bad feeling.
Every day after school, Emily and her best friend, Dae, make tried-and-true recipes, while she and Aunt Gina brainstorm new ones. But when Aunt Gina dies in an accident, Emily’s life is turned upside down. Not knowing what to do, Emily breaks the rule and bakes her bad feelings into. . . a crumble. It looks gross. Dae says it tastes gross. But they can’t stop eating it. Neither can Emily’s classmates. And with her grief and pain baked into the crumble, Emily gets the comfort of being at least a little numb. So even though she’s not supposed to, she makes it again, and again, and again.
But baking (and eating) bad feelings doesn’t really make them go away . . .
208 pages, Paperback
First published February 25, 2025
111 people are currently reading
4396 people want to read
About the author
Meredith McClaren
61 books98 followersMeredith McClaren is an illustrator and cartoonist who has no business doing either.
She sometimes entertains the idea of drawing the fourth book in Jen Van Meter’s Hopeless Savages series. And her journal comic Scraps indulges her closeted narcissism.
Supposedly she has a postal code in Arizona, but really, she could be anywhere.
Oh.
And don’t touch her stuff.
Seriously.
She sometimes entertains the idea of drawing the fourth book in Jen Van Meter’s Hopeless Savages series. And her journal comic Scraps indulges her closeted narcissism.
Supposedly she has a postal code in Arizona, but really, she could be anywhere.
Oh.
And don’t touch her stuff.
Seriously.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews
May 31, 2025
Oh man. The grief in this one really hit home. I think that the cover of this one doesn't necessarily do it justice in term of it's impact. While it's a cute exploration of magic and food, the story takes a tough turn when main character, Emily, begins to attempt to magic the emotions away, but causes more chaos in the instead. At the same time, her mother is also struggling with grief that impacts their relationship. This was beautifully done and had amazing art and I can't recommend it enough.
November 25, 2025
I enjoyed Meredith McClaren's Meat Eaters so much I immediately put a hold on this, the only other book of hers I hadn't read at my local library. Unfortunately, I just didn't click with this middle school graphic novel spin on Like Water for Chocolate centered on grief.
Olivia Dash lives in a world where magic and super powers are everyday things. She and her mother have the ability to bake emotions into their desserts, passing on confidence, say, to those who eat their cookies. And after the death of a loved one, Olivia discovers what happens when she bakes her dark feelings into a crumble-topped dish and feeds it to her classmates.
It's drawn and written well, but the downbeat topic and heavy-handed metaphor didn't really work for me.
Several recipes are included in the story, if you are into that sort of thing.
Olivia Dash lives in a world where magic and super powers are everyday things. She and her mother have the ability to bake emotions into their desserts, passing on confidence, say, to those who eat their cookies. And after the death of a loved one, Olivia discovers what happens when she bakes her dark feelings into a crumble-topped dish and feeds it to her classmates.
It's drawn and written well, but the downbeat topic and heavy-handed metaphor didn't really work for me.
Several recipes are included in the story, if you are into that sort of thing.
September 9, 2024
Crumble is such a cozy graphic novel. I absolutely fell in love with the illustration style. This young baker navigates the emotional journey of love and grief and how her emotions impact others. Not only did the author do a great job at showing the importance of friendship and family but she showed the reality of growing up and dealing with new normals. This was so precious and I would definitely read more by this author. Thank you to NetGalley for the arc of Crumble in exchange for an honest review!
December 23, 2025
3.75⭐️
wow didn't expect this cupcake-looking book to contains such grim topic. my fault for not reading the book's description prior but i digress
Emily's family has a magical gift to bake emotions into desserts, as long as it's positive emotions. but one day an accident happened and Emily didn't know when or even if she'd feel better. She tried to bake anyway and came out with "crumble". her friends kept eating it so she kept making it, until she found out why her family shouldn't bake with negative emotions...
the illustrations are super cute, there's some recipes throughout the book too that seemed legit but IDK i'm not a baker. the ending felt unfinished? but maybe the ARC I got was corrupted. will check the finished copy. it was a good book anyway.
wow didn't expect this cupcake-looking book to contains such grim topic. my fault for not reading the book's description prior but i digress
Emily's family has a magical gift to bake emotions into desserts, as long as it's positive emotions. but one day an accident happened and Emily didn't know when or even if she'd feel better. She tried to bake anyway and came out with "crumble". her friends kept eating it so she kept making it, until she found out why her family shouldn't bake with negative emotions...
the illustrations are super cute, there's some recipes throughout the book too that seemed legit but IDK i'm not a baker. the ending felt unfinished? but maybe the ARC I got was corrupted. will check the finished copy. it was a good book anyway.
July 16, 2024
We all have hard feelings to deal with at times, and all wish there was a quick fix to boost ourselves up when this happens.
Crumble addresses this in one super sweet, funny, and endearing story about a little girl navigating those big feelings through the art of baking.
Beautifully illustrated, and with copies of the recipes to try, this is my favourite graphic novel for 2024, and I'm so thankful to Netgalley for sending me and ARC.
Everyone needs to read this!
#Netgalley #Crumble
Crumble addresses this in one super sweet, funny, and endearing story about a little girl navigating those big feelings through the art of baking.
Beautifully illustrated, and with copies of the recipes to try, this is my favourite graphic novel for 2024, and I'm so thankful to Netgalley for sending me and ARC.
Everyone needs to read this!
#Netgalley #Crumble
September 2, 2024
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.
February 5, 2025
At some point last year I read this and didn't document it because I swear to gods I've read this already. It's a story about baking your feelings and when tragedy strikes, finding a way to heal.
April 18, 2025
The grief process for the mom really hit more than the child, although it was well done for both.
March 18, 2025
I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.
One of the books I really really wanted to read and I am happy I got it thanks to Netgalley in mid-2024. WHOO!
In this book we have baking, grief/mourning, friendship, and much more. I couldn’t stop reading this one when I started and I just flew right through it. Oh, and I love how the title is fitting with the baking and the loss!
The grief/mourning part of the book was well-written. Especially since they can’t just bake it away (because again bad feelings make for bad bakes), they really have to get through this tunnel of darkness and find the light again. They have to live with the loss and discover new ways to be happy again. I especially felt for Emily, our MC.
Emily’s best friend, Dae, was such a fun character and I love how despite everything they stuck with Emily. Even when things went all wrong.
The art in this one was just so fun and pretty, I love the style. The artist really was able to catch both the sadder moments and the happier ones.
OH, and I gotta mention, there are some recipes as well! Definitely curious to try them out, at least ones in the beginning and at the end, because there are 1 or 2 recipes that are not well readable because of Emily’s emotions at the moment.
I love the idea of infusing your feelings into your baking and that it actually works. At first I thought it was just placebo, but apparently in this world there are people who can bake their feelings into bakes and that instantly transfers to that person when eating something. I could definitely use some relaxing cookies or maybe some more confidence. Maybe get some cookies for my dad with Alzheimer so he can feel more happy and calm.
I am also thanking the heavens that I can just bake whenever I want. Haha. Baking for me is often a way to relief stress or bad feelings. I generally bake when I feel down. Can you imagine my bakes if I had that power? Or if I only could bake during happy times? I would probably have given up on baking. XD
Controversial opinion time. I could understand that mom was having a hard time, but ask for fucking help. Our MC needs someone to support her. To be there for her. To listen to her. To take time for her. To help out. She found no adults that were there for her. So she went for baking. And as she can infuse her feelings into baking.. you may just guess how things went in that regards. Again, I understand that for mom it is also hard. I understand. But ask for help. Get someone in the house to help out with things. To make sure your kid at least has one adult to catch her.
All in all, this is a wonderful graphic novel about baking, mourning/loss, friendship, and more! I would recommend it to all!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
One of the books I really really wanted to read and I am happy I got it thanks to Netgalley in mid-2024. WHOO!
In this book we have baking, grief/mourning, friendship, and much more. I couldn’t stop reading this one when I started and I just flew right through it. Oh, and I love how the title is fitting with the baking and the loss!
The grief/mourning part of the book was well-written. Especially since they can’t just bake it away (because again bad feelings make for bad bakes), they really have to get through this tunnel of darkness and find the light again. They have to live with the loss and discover new ways to be happy again. I especially felt for Emily, our MC.
Emily’s best friend, Dae, was such a fun character and I love how despite everything they stuck with Emily. Even when things went all wrong.
The art in this one was just so fun and pretty, I love the style. The artist really was able to catch both the sadder moments and the happier ones.
OH, and I gotta mention, there are some recipes as well! Definitely curious to try them out, at least ones in the beginning and at the end, because there are 1 or 2 recipes that are not well readable because of Emily’s emotions at the moment.
I love the idea of infusing your feelings into your baking and that it actually works. At first I thought it was just placebo, but apparently in this world there are people who can bake their feelings into bakes and that instantly transfers to that person when eating something. I could definitely use some relaxing cookies or maybe some more confidence. Maybe get some cookies for my dad with Alzheimer so he can feel more happy and calm.
I am also thanking the heavens that I can just bake whenever I want. Haha. Baking for me is often a way to relief stress or bad feelings. I generally bake when I feel down. Can you imagine my bakes if I had that power? Or if I only could bake during happy times? I would probably have given up on baking. XD
Controversial opinion time. I could understand that mom was having a hard time, but ask for fucking help. Our MC needs someone to support her. To be there for her. To listen to her. To take time for her. To help out. She found no adults that were there for her. So she went for baking. And as she can infuse her feelings into baking.. you may just guess how things went in that regards. Again, I understand that for mom it is also hard. I understand. But ask for help. Get someone in the house to help out with things. To make sure your kid at least has one adult to catch her.
All in all, this is a wonderful graphic novel about baking, mourning/loss, friendship, and more! I would recommend it to all!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
July 17, 2024
ARC
eARC recieved from NetGalley.
I fell in love with the art style as soon as I saw page one. The illustrations are colourful and expressive. You know what a character is feeling by just looking at them.
Crumble gives us a unique, original and intriguing plot, centered around a family with the magic to bake feelings into food. One feature I loved was the inclusion of actual recipes within the narrative! The book is aimed at kids and I bet they'll want to try creating some of their own baked goods using these recipes.
Crumble delves into themes of grief and other emotions that come with the loss of a loved one. And these feelings are hard to explain to a kid. How can you promise them that things will be okay when you yourself don't believe that? You don't know when things will get better but the book handles these heavy themes with sensitivity and doesn't make it scary. I did cry when Aunt Gina died.
Representation is another area Crumble does a brilliant job. The book has a wonderfully diverse cast, with characters of different sizes, colours, and backgrounds, without it being forceful. It's just like the real world. Our MC's best friend uses they/them pronouns and has two dads!
The story was just so lovely and heartbreaking at the same time - and deserving of 5 stars!
eARC recieved from NetGalley.
I fell in love with the art style as soon as I saw page one. The illustrations are colourful and expressive. You know what a character is feeling by just looking at them.
Crumble gives us a unique, original and intriguing plot, centered around a family with the magic to bake feelings into food. One feature I loved was the inclusion of actual recipes within the narrative! The book is aimed at kids and I bet they'll want to try creating some of their own baked goods using these recipes.
Crumble delves into themes of grief and other emotions that come with the loss of a loved one. And these feelings are hard to explain to a kid. How can you promise them that things will be okay when you yourself don't believe that? You don't know when things will get better but the book handles these heavy themes with sensitivity and doesn't make it scary. I did cry when Aunt Gina died.
Representation is another area Crumble does a brilliant job. The book has a wonderfully diverse cast, with characters of different sizes, colours, and backgrounds, without it being forceful. It's just like the real world. Our MC's best friend uses they/them pronouns and has two dads!
The story was just so lovely and heartbreaking at the same time - and deserving of 5 stars!
August 8, 2024
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.
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.
January 1, 2026
*4.25
Wow, I liked this so much more than I thought I would.
This middle-grade graphic novel is a poignantly in-depth look at grief and healing. Young baker Emily has been taught to never bake bad feelings into her family's creations, but she breaks this rule after an unexpected death. I loved the focus on her feelings of numbness rather than outright sadness, and her asking her best friend "What if I'm just like this forever?" hit me. Loved the magical realism elements and that ending!
However, I was side-eying Emily's mom. Yes, I get that she's lost a sister just as much as Emily lost an aunt, but she could still try to be there for her daughter a little more! There's one scene where she can't bear to be near Emily because of how much she looks like said aunt, but for the most part she's focused on taking care of the bakery. Maybe, I don't know, sit down with your kid and talk about your feelings?
Still a great read that had me tearing up at the end. 4.25/5 stars!
Wow, I liked this so much more than I thought I would.
This middle-grade graphic novel is a poignantly in-depth look at grief and healing. Young baker Emily has been taught to never bake bad feelings into her family's creations, but she breaks this rule after an unexpected death. I loved the focus on her feelings of numbness rather than outright sadness, and her asking her best friend "What if I'm just like this forever?" hit me. Loved the magical realism elements and that ending!
However, I was side-eying Emily's mom. Yes, I get that she's lost a sister just as much as Emily lost an aunt, but she could still try to be there for her daughter a little more! There's one scene where she can't bear to be near Emily because of how much she looks like said aunt, but for the most part she's focused on taking care of the bakery. Maybe, I don't know, sit down with your kid and talk about your feelings?
Still a great read that had me tearing up at the end. 4.25/5 stars!
September 18, 2024
This is a really well done middle-grade graphic novel that explores grief realistically amongst light fantasy that’s used to really a hold a mirror up to the struggle that exists in returning to daily life. The fantasy is minimal, focused mainly on our main character who is able to bake food that influences how a person is feeling, but does imply other characters also have powers or abilities beyond the real world. The recipe inclusions were wonderful and got me excited to try them. I loved the focus on friendship and family and trying to support each other despite struggling yourself. The artwork was also really cute and felt cozy despite the difficult topic. Also, we got significant nonbinary rep in the form of a major supporting character! I’d definitely recommend this title to others.
March 14, 2025
This was a real surprise! Sure, it’s about baking, with the magic of adding positive feelings like joy and confidence into what they bake, but it’s also a very emotional tale about grief. I was enjoying the warm fuzzies that I was getting from the story and then the creators punched me in the guts part way through, and the story went in a different direction. The writing and the illustrations are both wonderful and work so well together.
January 15, 2026
I'm probably not the person to be writing a review for this book, because graphic novels really are not my thing and I'm not really the intended audience. The pacing just wasn't it for me. But I did like the representation and the message. Grief is a very complicated thing to manage and it can absolutely affect others. Overall, this book wasn't it for me, but I'm glad my middle schoolers have access to it in our library.
August 8, 2025
I was so surprised by how well the feeling of grief was described in this book. The cover is so happy and cute, and I will be honest when I say I didn't read the summary before reading the book. I think it could be very meaningful for a kid who lost someone close to them.
July 15, 2024
damn aunt gina 😭 i wanted to read this to see if it would be a book my daughter would be into
received this as an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
received this as an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
February 28, 2025
I received an ARC of this from the author.
This was such a perfect way to explain grief and working through it to a younger audience. The art style was cute and I loved that it included recipes.
This was such a perfect way to explain grief and working through it to a younger audience. The art style was cute and I loved that it included recipes.
March 15, 2025
A rather fun one but not enougn to right home about. i liked the idead and loved how it tackled grief for the middle school set!!
March 30, 2025
This graphic novel had me weeping and I enjoyed it fully.
April 29, 2025
80%
Grief is a difficult topic for anyone, but it's particularly hard to talk about grief with kids; I think this book did an excellent job covering the topic and how it can affect a person.
Grief is a difficult topic for anyone, but it's particularly hard to talk about grief with kids; I think this book did an excellent job covering the topic and how it can affect a person.
September 23, 2025
It was okay, it was pretty good. But I just didn't really understand the backstory, and I feel like they should have explained it a little bit more.
December 9, 2025
This was very sweet with an expert analogy around how we sometimes try to avoid grief.
January 22, 2026
This book did a great job in showing the impact that grief can have on people and the ones surrounding them.
Unfortunately, this is hindered by the author making the decision to include questions about the magical elements that they were unable to provide an answer to.
Unfortunately, this is hindered by the author making the decision to include questions about the magical elements that they were unable to provide an answer to.
May 29, 2025
how dare this book make me cry so hard.
addressing grief for kids is hard, but this was a really good job of it. I just happen to relate a little too hard as a person who also bakes her feelings. 5/5
addressing grief for kids is hard, but this was a really good job of it. I just happen to relate a little too hard as a person who also bakes her feelings. 5/5
November 30, 2025
It was so sad about Aunt Gina 😓
January 18, 2026
This is an upper elementary and middle grade graphic novel. The exploration of grief is carefully handled through a metaphor that kids can understand. A clever premise too with the idea of baking feelings into foods!
September 9, 2025
First off as the book started getting more fun until the aunt dies in a car crash while the girl is at school and the part that where she can’t bake feelings because she was sad about her personal problems made me feel the people with so much problems are not special
August 1, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this graphic novel.
I received this book at the beginning of the month I believe. It was a very quick read with me finishing most of it in about a day.
First I want to talk about the illustrations. They are so clear, vibrant, and overall adorable. From my experience with teaching children and in university, I’ve learned that children flock to books that have clear illustrations that are easy to follow. I believe that this graphic novel will appeal to children, especially little girls.
Crumble follows a girl named Emily and her family that have the unique ability to bake emotions into the treats they sell at the family bakery. The story deals with strong emotions and a tragic family event involving the MCs aunt named Gina. Meredith and Andrea did a fantastic job at portraying the characters emotions throughout the story. However, I wouldn’t recommend this book to children under 9 because of the topics involved.
I received this book at the beginning of the month I believe. It was a very quick read with me finishing most of it in about a day.
First I want to talk about the illustrations. They are so clear, vibrant, and overall adorable. From my experience with teaching children and in university, I’ve learned that children flock to books that have clear illustrations that are easy to follow. I believe that this graphic novel will appeal to children, especially little girls.
Crumble follows a girl named Emily and her family that have the unique ability to bake emotions into the treats they sell at the family bakery. The story deals with strong emotions and a tragic family event involving the MCs aunt named Gina. Meredith and Andrea did a fantastic job at portraying the characters emotions throughout the story. However, I wouldn’t recommend this book to children under 9 because of the topics involved.
September 23, 2024
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this gorgeous graphic novel in exchange for an honest review!
Okay, well this made me cry! Despite my last bereavement being 4 years ago, the pain never truly goes away and this middle grade graphic novel tapped straight into those emotions. This is the book I wish I’d read the first time I experienced loss and will be recommending to everyone going forward.
Okay, well this made me cry! Despite my last bereavement being 4 years ago, the pain never truly goes away and this middle grade graphic novel tapped straight into those emotions. This is the book I wish I’d read the first time I experienced loss and will be recommending to everyone going forward.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews