The Doughnut Club by Kristina Rahim was enjoyed by my 8 year-old daughter. The story brought up lots of questions for her - we had many good conversations about families and what constitutes siblings. As a progressive family - I felt that these questions and conversations were positive and helpful for her to see the world as an inclusive, loving space.

Quinn doesn't feel as though she fits into her family. They love surfing. She loves drawing. They are more gregarious. She's quieter. She feels unseen, unheard, and misunderstood.

On the way to their yearly beach trip, her moms break the news that they've found out that Quinn and her brother have sixteen donor siblings. With so many half-siblings, Quinn thinks there must be at least one who is more like her, and she's desperate to find out more. How far will she go to find out if she's not alone after all? What if what's she's looking for was there all along?

This is a delightful, unputdownable middle grades read. I highly recommend it for classroom and school libraries.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC! All opinions are my own.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a wonderful book. I loved it from the first page and it would make a great book to read out loud with kids!

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Kristina Rahim masterfully crafts a narrative that transcends a simple adventure story. Through Quinn’s perspective, readers explore well-developed themes that resonate with audiences of all ages. The book delves into the complexities of family dynamics, the importance of individuality, and the quest to find one's place within a diverse family framework.

The characters are well-developed, relatable, and occasionally humorous in their unique ways. Quinn is a relatable protagonist whose creative nature is central to her character. Her struggle with identity is portrayed with honesty. As Quinn seeks to meet and learn more about her donor half-siblings, her interactions with secondary characters—especially her brother Olly and her mothers—illustrate how different family members cope with being donor-conceived. This diversity adds depth to her story. Olly is a mischievous, game-loving, and adventurous child who enlivens the more serious themes with his humor and outgoing spirit. Olly and Quinn's mothers provide a realistic portrayal of how parents can differ yet unite to create a harmonious and loving blended family. Monika serves as a compelling antagonist, capturing Quinn's fears and insecurities while offering readers a character with an unexpected story arc. Monika's role also influences Quinn and Olly's sibling dynamics, highlighting the challenges that arise from age gaps and differing interests. Secondary characters such as Fred and other locals at the beach where Quinn's family vacations offer insights into various perspectives on relationships, family dynamics, friendship, and life. The vacation setting provides a humorous and relatable backdrop that complements the plot. Rahim’s writing style is engaging and approachable, making "The Doughnut Club" appealing for middle-grade readers. The language is straightforward yet descriptive, allowing readers to visualize Quinn's vibrant world. The author addresses complex themes without resorting to complicated language, making the book both accessible and enjoyable. While the plot is well-developed, it occasionally feels prolonged. More focus on all characters, rather than just Quinn, in exploring the donor siblings and family dynamics would have enhanced the reader's connection to the characters. The book excels in its discussion of identity and belonging. Quinn's artistic pursuits symbolize her desire for self-expression in a family that enjoys outdoor adventures. Olly's desire for adventure, coupled with his wish to spend time with Quinn, symbolizes his longing to keep his family close and his fear of losing them. Readers are encouraged to reflect on their own identities and recognize the significance of individuality within family ties. The narrative emphasizes that families can take many forms without diminishing love or connection. Rahim illustrates that understanding our roots—whether biological or chosen—is crucial to feeling grounded in the world. "The Doughnut Club" explores family, self-discovery, identity, friendship, and the importance of communicating one's interests and fears with loved ones, while also representing donor families. Readers of all ages can connect with Quinn's journey. Rahim's story invites not only children but also families and caregivers to engage in meaningful conversations about identity and acceptance. Although this book stands alone, it has the potential to evolve into a series following Quinn, Olly, and their family's journey in meeting donor half-siblings.

A loving, nuanced story about a donor conceived child exploring who she is outside of her family dynamic. This book neither romanticizes nor demonizes donor conception and celebrates the importance of family, both chosen and biological.

This is a cute middle grade novel about a young girl's search for her donor half-siblings. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

This is a good look at finding siblings through a database, since Olly and Quinn had a sperm donor dad. Quinn is really wanting to connect with some and there are a lot of them.
I had a hard time connecting with the characters, I thought that Quinn was a little needy and concentrating on finding the siblings instead of just enjoying the time with her family.
I think it's a great book for anyone who is from an environment like these and can see themselves in a character.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

The Doughnut Club follows Quinn and her family on their summer vacation. Quinn and her younger brother are donor-conceived, and when Quinn learns that she has 16 other donor siblings, she is optimistic that she may have more in common with them than she does with her family. She becomes obsessed with contacting and meeting these siblings, and her single-minded focus causes her to frequently blow off her brother and disobey her moms. (Related: her mom has the weakest laptop password in the history of the world.)

I may not add the story to my main library collection, because the cover may appeal to readers not ready for some of the content, but I will recommend for 4th and 5th grade classroom libraries.

While I've read a lot of YA that's centered around donor-conceived stories, this was my first middle grade! Sometimes I feel like I have to really brace myself when a donor recipient parent writes a donor conception story, but I thought The Doughnut Club did a really accurate job with describing how a donor-conceived child may come to terms with finding donor siblings (I do hate the term diblings and actively cringed every time I read it).

My only real critique is that it read a little young for middle grade and it felt a little bit like free publicity for Donor Sibling Registry. Even though DSR wasn't mentioned by name, the description of the site and the fee match up with what Quinn describes in the book, and I don't love that readers could potentially be pointed that website's way (there's a thread from Feb. 2025 on r/donorconceived that explains why DSR is problematic). I also don't love how canonically Quinn has 16 donor siblings -- it's a super common trope in DC books that I'd love people to steer away from. It opens up a can of worms that I don't appreciate as a DC person!

Overall, I think it works as a great piece of representation for donor-conceived kids and works well as an introduction to donor conception for kids.