The Doughnut King

Title: The Doughnut King
Author: Jessie Janowitz
Series: The Doughnut Fix, book 2
Major Themes: Cooking, Baking, Television, Family, Business, New York
Synopsis: Tris is facing two problems; can one solution fix both of them?

Not too long ago, we read The Doughnut Fix and thoroughly enjoyed it. When we reached the end of the book, we were excited to see that there was a sequel. We were even more delighted to find a copy of The Doughnut King that we could read! The second book turned out to be just as interesting as the first one.

Tris’s doughnut business, The Doughnut Stop, had taken off. That was great—except now he had a problem. People were leaving negative reviews on the website because he was constantly running out of product. Also, his little town was in danger of disappearing. It was obvious that The Doughnut Stop could help save Petersville, but only if he could make enough doughnuts to keep people coming. How could he make more doughnuts? After just a little research he found the solution to his problem: a doughnut robot! However, that machine cost way more than he could possibly come up with. What should he do?

Tris’s younger sister Jeanine came up with a solution. All Tris needed to do was to enter a televised cooking competition and win, and he would have the money he needed for his doughnut robot. Simple, right? Well, except that Tris knew there was no way he could possibly win the competition. When some unexpected challenges arose, how would Tris meet them? Could he both win and keep his integrity? 

The Doughnut King isn’t a fun, feel-good book. Yes, there are some very funny scenes, but a lot of the book has to do with making choices. Tris feels like a lot depends on him, and feels responsible for saving his town. He also learns some things from his mother’s past that aren’t pleasant, and has to deal with the repercussions from them—and from something he accidentally does himself. I like the way his family and the town work together. This is not a typical dysfunctional family from so many modern stories; this is a family that sticks together. We really enjoyed this book, and it was the one we finished while we were on vacation recently. One thing to think about before reading it, though: You will probably want to make the cupcakes that Tris created. Jessie Janowitz thoughtfully included the recipe at the back of the book!

WARNING: Chapter 2: Holy mama, jeez. Chapter 3: I swear. Chapter 4: need an exorcist, I swear. Chapter 6: a darn good one. Chapter 13: I swear. Chapter 15: jeez. Chapter 22: I swear, jeez. 

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The Doughnut Fix The Arrow Over the Door Farmer Boy Kite to Freedom