Reviews tagging 'Death'

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

50 reviews

emotional funny sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I loved the way the recipes drove the story from the heart of the home - the kitchen. I truly felt like I was reading a gossipy magazine as I took in the stories of Tita and the surrounding cast of characters. 

This book is short and keeps you coming back for more, wondering what Tita will cook up next. 

While I did really enjoy this, I really struggled with the unloveable characters.
I kept hoping they would learn or do better and change, but the moment never came, not even in the end. Tita is a spineless simp with bad taste in men and Pedro isn't worth the ingredients used to cook his meals.
Despite that, I still did enjoy myself with the wild tales that came out of this one!

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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sakisreads's review

3.5
adventurous challenging emotional slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I’m so puzzled by this book 🤣 
A friend recommended it a while back and I finally picked up a copy at the library. 

I kept reading it because I could not wrap my head around Tita’s undying love for Pedro.
Maybe I don’t know love like that yet, but if a man I loved married my sister I think I’d try to move on 🙊

I could hardly put it down though, it was very engaging. The recipes also sounded delicious 🤤

3.5 out of 5 stars for me, thank you ✨ Content warnings included below!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

this book was a very, very wild and surprising ride :) I believe it tackled important topics (such as traditions, expectations, society, mental health? etc.) and was surprisingly very sex-positive, open-minded and not-so-surprisingly magical. Not a fan of the love story, but it does make sense and tells an interesting story.

I haven't decided whether I genuinely liked it or not yet, but it was such an interesting read and very, very unpredictable. I'm glad I picked it up hihi

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
funny hopeful inspiring relaxing tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
emotional reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

I had watched the movie a couple of years ago and was curious when I heard there was a book. 

"Like Water for Chocolate" is truly a sad tale of the starcrossed romance between Tita and Pedro. They had numerous things standing in their way, preventing their happiness. First, I hated Mama Elena (and maybe I felt bad for her a couple of times) and then I hated Rosaura (and felt bad for her too), but it was a relief when they finally passed on so that Tita and Pedro could stop hiding. They did not have to go out like that though! It's truly tragic that they never married or had a child together, but a big part of this novel is Tita coming into her own and breaking her family's antiquated traditions, letting the next generation have a chance at love. I'm glad she was able to end the tradition with Esperanza and even though she never had a child, she lives on through her cookbook and Esperanza's daughter. 

As someone who doesn't cook, the recipes in the beginning were just skimmed over but I liked how they were used in each chapter. Tita influencing people to feel her emotions through her food is one of the best parts of the book, causing the most unrealistic but fun interactions/events. The craziness for me has to be either the wedding or the one with the rose petals and Getrudis. I wish there weren't so many time jumps, especially during the period where Rosaura knows and lets Pedro and Tita have an affair but won't leave Pedro, and how Tita and Pedro fell in love. There was also the background plot of the Mexican Revolution that doesn't get delved into that much.


This is a classic. There are also two good adaptations - the movie that is more true to the plot and the show that delves into things that aren't given more time in the novel. I definitely recommend it if you are a fan of the adaptations.

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emotional funny lighthearted sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Read more like a movie than a book. Heartwarming and interesting, though weird. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Expand filter menu Content Warnings