Reviews

4.5 stars

Delicious, funny, and thought-provoking, Sourdough is a passionately-told tale about food and tech, with a dash of magical realism. Similar to another Robin Sloan's novel I've read, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, this one also takes place among the Bay Area tech startup scene; which happens to be a backdrop I resonate with—adding an additional layer of fun identifying what real-life counterparts the novel were referencing (Slurry, the in-novel meal replacement product, is basically a thinly-veiled Soylent, which I had consumed my fair share during the mid 2010s). The last bits of the novel kind of took a turn that diluted its core message, and the ending felt rather abrupt and unconvincingly naive; nevertheless, I really enjoyd the themes that were brought up at its core: the nerdy obsession with a seemingly banal subject, disrupting nature in the name of progress, and the definition of personal success.

mythie's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

sandles81255's review against another edition

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3.0

I liked the book. A fun listen. The last 40% was odd.

hudson2001's review against another edition

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3.0

Loved it up until the last quarter or so. I had to reread sections a few times because I got lost in what was happening. It didn’t seem to have the fun and whimsy of the beginning. But overall still a solid read.

bhnmt61's review against another edition

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3.0

This is my first book by Robin Sloan so I had no idea what to expect. And there’s no way to describe it. There’s a sourdough starter (hence the title), a society of women named Lois, an ethnic group raised on fungi, a community experimenting with alternative food sources, and a DNA sequencer. Seriously. Is it an allegory? A morality tale? Or just a quirky story? I have no idea. It was fun to read, especially the first half. The second half becomes increasingly dominated by magical realism, and it doesn’t always work.

gmcguire's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

danielnski's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Fun, easy read that to me feels like a love story to bread but also a great fictional story about how our food systems and culture are changing.

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