This Peaceful Read is the Perfect Escape — Matthew’s Book Club
By Rogue Herm
“When things get tough, we have to hold on to what brings us joy.” – Basil and Oregano
Recommended reading age: 13 and up
In a queer-positive, magical world where food and spellcasting are interlaced, we find Basil Eyres. Basil is a student at the prestigious Porta Bella Magiculinary Academy, and she is back for her senior year at the Academy. She is obsessed with pushing herself to be the absolute best because, in order to be reimbursed for her tuition scholarship, she must maintain top student status for at least two quarters. On her first day at school, she is immediately smitten with Arabella Oregano, a new student at Porta Bella.
Arabella, the daughter of an esteemed chef, is under immense pressure from her mother; her mother has a positive reputation to uphold! Arabella is also drawn to Basil, and she spends a lot of time with Basil’s friend group. As they both become closer, Basil can’t shake the feeling that Arabella is hiding something from her. While Arabella’s secret nags at her, Basil tries to remain focused on academic success, no matter what. Basil studies for hours on end, pushing herself to practice harder. When the two are paired together for the school’s end-of-year culinary festival, Arabella’s secret is uncovered and threatens to jeopardize all of Basil’s hard work.
The heat is on, in Basil and Oregano, written and drawn by Melissa Capriglione. This lower young adult graphic novel is super cozy and charming! I was hardly twenty pages into the book before I was overwhelmed with giddiness at how adorable the graphic novel is. Basil being enamored with Arabella and openly flustered by her crush on Arabella made me feel really warm inside. I love being able to open up a book aimed at younger kids, and see positive sapphic representation like that!
Inclusivity is displayed on every page, in almost every character: a chef who wears a hijab and requires all food in her classroom to be halal, and several non-binary characters. One of Basil’s closest friends is transgender, while Basil herself has two dads. The colorful world of Basil and Oregano is full of love and acceptance.
Amidst the inventive mashup of food and magic, visually engaging illustrations and the sweet romance, the novel gently touches on the typical challenges of being a teen, and also the difficulties that stem from navigating inequitable systems (the super high cost of tuition at Porta Bella, for example), mental health, and burnout.
Managing your studies along with high expectations from parents is stressful and overwhelming for anyone. Toss in hormones, with the excitement of falling in love on top of that, and you have the perfect recipe for burnout. I like that Capriglione subtly talks about mental health and stretching yourself too thin. Everyone is capable of experiencing burnout, even young people.
It’s through working together and uniting that these young folk can overcome and persist together, demonstrating the power of collective action. Just the message we need today. Basil and Oregano is a peaceful read that will take your mind off the blatant hate in the world, if only for a moment.
About the Author
Rogue Herm is a 30 something Denver local. She enjoys a good potato-based dish, scary movies and glitter.