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taylorwoodruff's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
skzats_we's review against another edition
dark
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
commonworm's review against another edition
5.0
Heavily drawn to this book being in the industry myself. Although exaggerated for my scene, this book was incredibly relatable, hit all the notes of growth and excitement within the restaurant, had extreme characters which although sometimes ridiculous, were so real at the same time. A beautiful coming of age story, where you can have it all and more one day, to having nothing the next. With the world still spinning, with or without you.
kjersa's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5
Accurate depictions of higher-end food service (everyone is mildly: unlikable, addicted to substances, intelligent, gross, hot, and have wildly varying degrees of affection toward each other).
Intense (in the way food service is, maybe stressful is the word) and made me grind my teeth. Also captured some of the ugliness of the early 2000s well.
It was like good/fine.
Accurate depictions of higher-end food service (everyone is mildly: unlikable, addicted to substances, intelligent, gross, hot, and have wildly varying degrees of affection toward each other).
Intense (in the way food service is, maybe stressful is the word) and made me grind my teeth. Also captured some of the ugliness of the early 2000s well.
It was like good/fine.
errski's review against another edition
3.0
I really like the cover art, probably one of the reasons I started reading this book. 1. I saw the book and added it to my TBR list then 2. I saw Starz is turning the novel into a series so I picked the book up from my local library and began reading.
I started out liking this book a lot! What's not to like? Tess is 22, it's a coming of age novel for the young not quite adult but can go off and live in the city alone adult, (aka probably me). In the book there are the descriptions of food and the city, Danler's writing is really great! And at the beginning it's exciting when the main character learns about the restaurant and gets to know the staff and patrons. Then the book flattens out. It's repeated partying, fawning over characters that are unbearable, and the Tess eventually becomes unbearable herself along with all her thoughts about anything. And in conclusion, I'm not sure I'll watch the new series based on this book after this, but if I do, I am not in a rush.
I started out liking this book a lot! What's not to like? Tess is 22, it's a coming of age novel for the young not quite adult but can go off and live in the city alone adult, (aka probably me). In the book there are the descriptions of food and the city, Danler's writing is really great! And at the beginning it's exciting when the main character learns about the restaurant and gets to know the staff and patrons. Then the book flattens out. It's repeated partying, fawning over characters that are unbearable, and the Tess eventually becomes unbearable herself along with all her thoughts about anything.
Spoiler
She just embarrasses herself and has to leave and there is really no plot except a building up to the moment she embarrasses herself (or maybe I wasn't following..?). There's nothing in the characters that I could really relate to, there are some aspects, but the ending half of the book I was just annoyed mostly. I don't know if Danler wants me to feel bad for Tess, or what the point was? Just oops you live and you learn in your 20s? Point out that Tess has time to change her life in comparison to Simone?readingwithhorror's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
trin's review against another edition
4.0
I work in a bookstore in an affluent neighborhood. Today, the following conversation occurred:
Customer: I want to return this book! (plunks Sweetbitter down on the counter)
Me: Okay, what was wrong with it?
Customer: It was stupid!
Me: Oh, I really liked it! But I could see how someone could find it kind of pretentious.
Customer: Yeah, all those waiters going around quoting Kant and Fitzgerald. It was ridiculous!
Me: (surprised, as this had not been what I'd meant at all) Oh...
Customer: A whole book about someone wanting to become a good waitress. I mean, who cares? What does it matter?
Me: (After a few beats of dead silence that stretch a little too long) Why don't you go ahead and pick out something else?
What I wanted to say, but couldn't -- because like the main character in Sweetbitter (you know, the waitress) I am in a service position that requires me to hold my tongue even when someone insults me to my face -- is that I thought Danler's depiction of her protagonist's aspirations and growth were gracefully handled. The style is indeed a little pretentious -- with short passages of all dialogue and other experimental stunts -- but for me it created an almost dreamlike quality that meshed beautifully with the main character's whirlwind of new experiences. This is a book about a young woman finding herself in a big, strange city, and starting her career, and gaining life experience. And yes, she does all of those things as a waitress. (You condescending bitch.)
I would hate to see how this customer tips.
Customer: I want to return this book! (plunks Sweetbitter down on the counter)
Me: Okay, what was wrong with it?
Customer: It was stupid!
Me: Oh, I really liked it! But I could see how someone could find it kind of pretentious.
Customer: Yeah, all those waiters going around quoting Kant and Fitzgerald. It was ridiculous!
Me: (surprised, as this had not been what I'd meant at all) Oh...
Customer: A whole book about someone wanting to become a good waitress. I mean, who cares? What does it matter?
Me: (After a few beats of dead silence that stretch a little too long) Why don't you go ahead and pick out something else?
What I wanted to say, but couldn't -- because like the main character in Sweetbitter (you know, the waitress) I am in a service position that requires me to hold my tongue even when someone insults me to my face -- is that I thought Danler's depiction of her protagonist's aspirations and growth were gracefully handled. The style is indeed a little pretentious -- with short passages of all dialogue and other experimental stunts -- but for me it created an almost dreamlike quality that meshed beautifully with the main character's whirlwind of new experiences. This is a book about a young woman finding herself in a big, strange city, and starting her career, and gaining life experience. And yes, she does all of those things as a waitress. (You condescending bitch.)
I would hate to see how this customer tips.
erinastin's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars
This book had great potential, but it felt half-finished to me. What I believe Stephanie Danler intended to be edgy, ruminative prose I did not find to be all that engaging or profound. The characters were weakly developed and the plot was practically nonexistent. It reads very much like a debut novel. That being said, I think Danler has great potential as an author, and I would be interested in reading more of her later work.
This book had great potential, but it felt half-finished to me. What I believe Stephanie Danler intended to be edgy, ruminative prose I did not find to be all that engaging or profound. The characters were weakly developed and the plot was practically nonexistent. It reads very much like a debut novel. That being said, I think Danler has great potential as an author, and I would be interested in reading more of her later work.
emrad0's review against another edition
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
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