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thephdivabooks's review against another edition
3.0
A coming-of-age novel about an American teenager who is living in France with her father and attending a high-caliber cooking program. With dreams of becoming a Michelin-star chef, a troubled relationship with her father and his new family, and a love-interest, Isabella has her plate full. A charming story with a lot of heart and some amazing food descriptions.
Isa had the misfortune of witnessing her father kissing a woman who wasn’t her mother. Following the incident were months of fighting, a divorce, and eventually her father remarrying and the couple becoming pregnant with a baby who will be seventeen years Isabella’s junior.
The frustration, betrayal, and hurt Isabella feels is confusing to Isa. Now, she’s living with her father and step-mother in France while attending her apprentice program. But it doesn’t help that she can’t seem to connect with her step-mother, Margo. Isabella expresses love and connection through food, but Margo won’t eat a bite of what Isabella cooks.
So when Isabella meets Diego, the step-son to her step-mother Margo, things quickly derail even further. Isa is trying to hold it together in her apprentice program despite less than stellar performance relative to the others, when she finds herself in a hate-to-love relationship with the brazen and attractive Diego.
Salty, Bitter, Sweet is a lovely coming-of-age novel with a diverse cast of characters and a flawed but redeemable leading character who I really felt for. I loved learning more about Isa and her connection to food and cooking and heritage. I also loved the prevalence of women in this male-dominated industry. Isabella isn’t perfect—not even close—but she is a young woman coming into adulthood who ultimately grows so much through the book.
A quick pace and a great story make this a fun young adult novel that many will love. Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Blink YA for my copy. Opinions are my own.
Isa had the misfortune of witnessing her father kissing a woman who wasn’t her mother. Following the incident were months of fighting, a divorce, and eventually her father remarrying and the couple becoming pregnant with a baby who will be seventeen years Isabella’s junior.
The frustration, betrayal, and hurt Isabella feels is confusing to Isa. Now, she’s living with her father and step-mother in France while attending her apprentice program. But it doesn’t help that she can’t seem to connect with her step-mother, Margo. Isabella expresses love and connection through food, but Margo won’t eat a bite of what Isabella cooks.
So when Isabella meets Diego, the step-son to her step-mother Margo, things quickly derail even further. Isa is trying to hold it together in her apprentice program despite less than stellar performance relative to the others, when she finds herself in a hate-to-love relationship with the brazen and attractive Diego.
Salty, Bitter, Sweet is a lovely coming-of-age novel with a diverse cast of characters and a flawed but redeemable leading character who I really felt for. I loved learning more about Isa and her connection to food and cooking and heritage. I also loved the prevalence of women in this male-dominated industry. Isabella isn’t perfect—not even close—but she is a young woman coming into adulthood who ultimately grows so much through the book.
A quick pace and a great story make this a fun young adult novel that many will love. Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Blink YA for my copy. Opinions are my own.
soccer8s's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This was a good read. Predictable, yet fun. It makes you think about your priorities in life.
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book has a whole lot going for it: a Latina MC stuck between cultures, a cooking competition with life-altering consequences, a lifelong dream that just might get smashed, a hunky (sort of, kind of, almost) stepbrother—and don’t forget his adorable pup. Isa has her life all figured out. Inspired by her late-grandmother’s cooking, she wants to be a world-class chef. The best way to achieve that dream is by winning a competition for an internship with a local famous chef. The only problem is, the further Isa gets into the competition, the more she starts to realize that her dream life as a chef might not match reality. Isa has a lot going on in her life, with her parents’ recent divorce, her father’s remarriage and a baby on the way. The book deals a lot with her complicated feelings about this family dynamic (including the fact that she’s aware her dad cheated), and I liked the fact that there were no cut-and-dry answers about how she should feel. Then there’s Diego, her stepmom’s ultra-infuriating used-to-be stepson. Diego shakes Isa’s life up in ways she was never expecting, and he gets her to start questioning what she really wants for her future. This is such a common theme for teens at this age—trying to figure out what to do with the rest of your life is so hard, and sometimes it can seem nearly impossible to figure out if the lifestyle you want will match up with the career you choose. In Isa’s case, she discovers that she might have to give up to much of her own happiness to experience her dream career. Oh, and the book is read filled with delectable food references, so maybe don’t read while hungry!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher for review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
This book has a whole lot going for it: a Latina MC stuck between cultures, a cooking competition with life-altering consequences, a lifelong dream that just might get smashed, a hunky (sort of, kind of, almost) stepbrother—and don’t forget his adorable pup. Isa has her life all figured out. Inspired by her late-grandmother’s cooking, she wants to be a world-class chef. The best way to achieve that dream is by winning a competition for an internship with a local famous chef. The only problem is, the further Isa gets into the competition, the more she starts to realize that her dream life as a chef might not match reality. Isa has a lot going on in her life, with her parents’ recent divorce, her father’s remarriage and a baby on the way. The book deals a lot with her complicated feelings about this family dynamic (including the fact that she’s aware her dad cheated), and I liked the fact that there were no cut-and-dry answers about how she should feel. Then there’s Diego, her stepmom’s ultra-infuriating used-to-be stepson. Diego shakes Isa’s life up in ways she was never expecting, and he gets her to start questioning what she really wants for her future. This is such a common theme for teens at this age—trying to figure out what to do with the rest of your life is so hard, and sometimes it can seem nearly impossible to figure out if the lifestyle you want will match up with the career you choose. In Isa’s case, she discovers that she might have to give up to much of her own happiness to experience her dream career. Oh, and the book is read filled with delectable food references, so maybe don’t read while hungry!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher for review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
girlinthepages's review against another edition
4.0
*4.5 Stars*
Never have I read a book that has made me so hungry. I love YA books centered on food and am quite the foodie despite not really cooking much myself (I blame an obsession with Food Network shows) so I adore books about aspiring chefs. I've read quite a few over the years and have never found one with such vivid food descriptions as Salty, Bitter Sweet. In addition to the mouthwatering food descriptions, I genuinely enjoyed the story, which follows a half Latinx protagonist spending the summer in Europe...this book really had almost all of my favorite things!
The novel follows Isa, an aspiring teenage chef spending the summer in France in summer intensive cooking program at a Michelin Star restaurant, vying for a coveted internship position. Meanwhile, she's also dealing with a ton of family drama, as she's living with her dad and his new girlfriend on a cheery farm in France and trying to acclimate to her family's new "normal," when just six months ago she was living in Chicago with both of her parents. As the novel progresses, Isa's family history is explored, especially her relationship with her Cuban grandmother, Lala, who is Isa's biggest source of inspiration in the kitchen, from her traditional Cuban recipes to her "blessed" pies. There are flashbacks to Isa's time with her Lala as she works through her grief and tries to reconcile her dreams and aspirations professionally with the type of life and relationships she wants personally.
I loved the exploration of Isa's family relationships in this novel and her rich family history. Isa is American with Cuban and French roots, and it was so interesting to see how her relationships with her French and Cuban grandmothers were different yet still both formative for her, especially from a food perspective. It's wonderful to see Isa embrace all of her different cultures and I really enjoyed seeing her pride in both her French and Cuban heritages, and how it inspired different dishes she made and the meanings they held in her family. I also really enjoyed learning about her Lala's history of immigrating from Cuba and how she ended up the wife of a farmer in Kansas, becoming an integral and compassionate member of her community while still keeping her island roots alive- I could read a whole historical fiction book about her!
I also adored how in depth the book went on the food element. I was really convinced Isa lived and breathed her recipes. The author also wasn't afraid to get technical with what went on in the kitchen, from the intensity of their assignments (down to the centimeters of their slices!) to the look at the sexism and struggles that pervade the high stakes culinary world. The food descriptions were incredible too! Absolutely mouthwatering, and I loved that the author treated the food and act of cooking with so much respect and not just as a backdrop for the plot.
The setting of the novel was incredibly immersive. Reading it while sheltering-in-place was such a treat, because I truly FELT like I was in France, walking through cherry orchards and strolling into patisseries for the most mouth watering pastries. I've always had Paris on my bucket list of places to travel in France, but now there are so many more areas I want to add to my list (and don't even get me started on Barcelona! That rooftop private dinner scene was AMAZING!)
As with most YA, coming of age novels, there was a romance involved. The romance was so-so. I liked Diego and his emphasis on consent and self discovery but think the book could have been fine without him. The friendship dynamics, however, were really interesting, especially when Isa is juggling friendship and competition with Lucia, another girl in the program, and also having to weigh the importance of "getting ahead" with sticking together with other women in the kitchen. I also liked that when there were friendship problems, it was due to the behavior of everyone involved and not just because of one person.
Overall: Salty, Bitter, Sweet is a new favorite for me. I adored the food descriptions, was fully immersed by the settings and loved it's focus on diversity through a culinary lens. I can't wait to check out future novels but the author (and selfishly hope she keeps writing stories centered around food!) Seriously, if you like books with food descriptions you must read this!
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages
Never have I read a book that has made me so hungry. I love YA books centered on food and am quite the foodie despite not really cooking much myself (I blame an obsession with Food Network shows) so I adore books about aspiring chefs. I've read quite a few over the years and have never found one with such vivid food descriptions as Salty, Bitter Sweet. In addition to the mouthwatering food descriptions, I genuinely enjoyed the story, which follows a half Latinx protagonist spending the summer in Europe...this book really had almost all of my favorite things!
The novel follows Isa, an aspiring teenage chef spending the summer in France in summer intensive cooking program at a Michelin Star restaurant, vying for a coveted internship position. Meanwhile, she's also dealing with a ton of family drama, as she's living with her dad and his new girlfriend on a cheery farm in France and trying to acclimate to her family's new "normal," when just six months ago she was living in Chicago with both of her parents. As the novel progresses, Isa's family history is explored, especially her relationship with her Cuban grandmother, Lala, who is Isa's biggest source of inspiration in the kitchen, from her traditional Cuban recipes to her "blessed" pies. There are flashbacks to Isa's time with her Lala as she works through her grief and tries to reconcile her dreams and aspirations professionally with the type of life and relationships she wants personally.
I loved the exploration of Isa's family relationships in this novel and her rich family history. Isa is American with Cuban and French roots, and it was so interesting to see how her relationships with her French and Cuban grandmothers were different yet still both formative for her, especially from a food perspective. It's wonderful to see Isa embrace all of her different cultures and I really enjoyed seeing her pride in both her French and Cuban heritages, and how it inspired different dishes she made and the meanings they held in her family. I also really enjoyed learning about her Lala's history of immigrating from Cuba and how she ended up the wife of a farmer in Kansas, becoming an integral and compassionate member of her community while still keeping her island roots alive- I could read a whole historical fiction book about her!
I also adored how in depth the book went on the food element. I was really convinced Isa lived and breathed her recipes. The author also wasn't afraid to get technical with what went on in the kitchen, from the intensity of their assignments (down to the centimeters of their slices!) to the look at the sexism and struggles that pervade the high stakes culinary world. The food descriptions were incredible too! Absolutely mouthwatering, and I loved that the author treated the food and act of cooking with so much respect and not just as a backdrop for the plot.
The setting of the novel was incredibly immersive. Reading it while sheltering-in-place was such a treat, because I truly FELT like I was in France, walking through cherry orchards and strolling into patisseries for the most mouth watering pastries. I've always had Paris on my bucket list of places to travel in France, but now there are so many more areas I want to add to my list (and don't even get me started on Barcelona! That rooftop private dinner scene was AMAZING!)
As with most YA, coming of age novels, there was a romance involved. The romance was so-so. I liked Diego and his emphasis on consent and self discovery but think the book could have been fine without him. The friendship dynamics, however, were really interesting, especially when Isa is juggling friendship and competition with Lucia, another girl in the program, and also having to weigh the importance of "getting ahead" with sticking together with other women in the kitchen. I also liked that when there were friendship problems, it was due to the behavior of everyone involved and not just because of one person.
Overall: Salty, Bitter, Sweet is a new favorite for me. I adored the food descriptions, was fully immersed by the settings and loved it's focus on diversity through a culinary lens. I can't wait to check out future novels but the author (and selfishly hope she keeps writing stories centered around food!) Seriously, if you like books with food descriptions you must read this!
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages
maryehavens's review against another edition
5.0
It was like watching Top Chef: Apprentice edition but in a book. I loved it. All the food descriptions - magnificent.
I also really understood Isa's journey as she discovered what she really wanted out of life, especially uncovering that she was not really made for the Michelin world (or the kind of Michelin world where everyone is yelling and backstabbing each other) and that was o.k. I've had a lot of black and white thinking in my life, especially in my younger years. "Be the best, what's the best, find it out and do that, don't let anything get in your way" kind of thinking. It's interesting that the Olympics is occurring right now; definite parallels in Isa's journey and these top athletes, like Diego's own journey in the book. I read an article the other day on Simone Biles' exit from the team gymnastics round and her support of her team versus a Russian tennis player's meltdown on the court (throwing racket, etc.). The article talked about the mental pressure and how people handle it. "Salty, Bitter, Sweet" has similar components during their competition.
It's funny to me that the author's note was all about healing broken families and grief. TBH: I was just here for the food! But, that tells you how great this book is. I found a food journey and a healing in Isa's journey in acceptance while the author wrote it about broken families. Something for everyone!! Check it out - I am eagerly looking for other Cuevas works!
I also really understood Isa's journey as she discovered what she really wanted out of life, especially uncovering that she was not really made for the Michelin world (or the kind of Michelin world where everyone is yelling and backstabbing each other) and that was o.k. I've had a lot of black and white thinking in my life, especially in my younger years. "Be the best, what's the best, find it out and do that, don't let anything get in your way" kind of thinking. It's interesting that the Olympics is occurring right now; definite parallels in Isa's journey and these top athletes, like Diego's own journey in the book. I read an article the other day on Simone Biles' exit from the team gymnastics round and her support of her team versus a Russian tennis player's meltdown on the court (throwing racket, etc.). The article talked about the mental pressure and how people handle it. "Salty, Bitter, Sweet" has similar components during their competition.
It's funny to me that the author's note was all about healing broken families and grief. TBH: I was just here for the food! But, that tells you how great this book is. I found a food journey and a healing in Isa's journey in acceptance while the author wrote it about broken families. Something for everyone!! Check it out - I am eagerly looking for other Cuevas works!
tiffany721's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this book about finding your true passion and ffoooodddd.
lauren_reidxoxo's review against another edition
4.0
This book is so sweet it really just feels like a hug, especially the ending. Never let it be said I’m not a sucker for a happy ending.
The book was definitely an adventure, and it is definitely shown through the title. Isabella’s character development is so awesome!
The other characters are great as well, just not as complex as her (which makes sense… she’s the main character). The ways the different characters are shown throughout the story really complete it.
The writing style in itself isn’t unique except the flashbacks really add more depth to the story and Isa’s choices. And also, it’s marketed as a “slow-burn” but really, she hates him, and then she accepts his presence and starts to like him over the span of a few chapters. If you’re looking for a true slow-burn, wouldn’t recommend this one.
Honestly, my only complaint about this book is that I feel like it wasn’t long enough to be realistic. But that just bothered me after reading it. Immediately after I finished, I loved it nonetheless.
Overall, sweet book with an endearing story and loveable characters. Average writing, and my only complaint is it wasn’t “long enough” to be realistic. Would recommend, even to get you out of a reading slump, and would reread.
The book was definitely an adventure, and it is definitely shown through the title. Isabella’s character development is so awesome!
The other characters are great as well, just not as complex as her (which makes sense… she’s the main character). The ways the different characters are shown throughout the story really complete it.
The writing style in itself isn’t unique except the flashbacks really add more depth to the story and Isa’s choices. And also, it’s marketed as a “slow-burn” but really, she hates him, and then she accepts his presence and starts to like him over the span of a few chapters. If you’re looking for a true slow-burn, wouldn’t recommend this one.
Honestly, my only complaint about this book is that I feel like it wasn’t long enough to be realistic. But that just bothered me after reading it. Immediately after I finished, I loved it nonetheless.
Overall, sweet book with an endearing story and loveable characters. Average writing, and my only complaint is it wasn’t “long enough” to be realistic. Would recommend, even to get you out of a reading slump, and would reread.
sarah_grey's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed how complex the issue in this book is, which is what am I willing to do for my goal and is my goal what I actually need? However, the romance aspect really fell flat for me. I wish it had been more about her own personal journey to discover this and she had found a friend instead.
twistedreader93's review against another edition
2.0
I thought I would love this just too slow for me. Hopefully it does well though. Maybe I’ll give it another. chance soon.
julie_responsibly's review against another edition
3.0
The writing here is great, that's why it got three stars, but I hated the main character. There was an anxiety/overachiever thing that I would have been able to empathize with if she wasn't so self-centered. The romance was a love/hate thing, except she was the only one hating - so I couldn't figure out why he liked her and felt none of the chemistry that should've existed there. The good parts: writing, the relationship with the grandmother whose loss she is mourning, and the food descriptions. Also, who is that nice to the woman who a)stole your dad b)immediately married him c)is pregnant with his child but is then so mean to everyone else?