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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
A fun, cultural read with mouthwatering food as a side dish. Isabella is not sure who she is or where she belongs outside of the kitchen. Born and raised in Chicago, living with her grandmother in Kansas in the summer, She spends this summer in Lyon France with her Cuban American father and his new French wife. After the death of her beloved Abuelo, Isabella enters a cooking contest to win an apprenticeship in the world's best kitchen. However, she finds that not everything is about food in a Michelin-starred kitchen. Her new family and friends complicate her life but when an ex-swimmer turned bad-boy shows up on their doorstep. I enjoyed the references to Top Chef and other cooking competitions, as well as Anthony Bourdain and the pressure that a chef feels when they are at the top of the ladder.
I really enjoyed Isabella's journey in this book, but I struggled with Diego. There are some things that happen, particularly toward the beginning of the book, that made me dislike him and I could never quite get over them.
4.5 stars.
So honestly, I really adored this book! It was such an easy read, I mean I couldn’t stop turning pages. And with no page numbers in the ARC, I was unsure if that would make it seem like it took longer to read, like e-books do when they don’t have page numbers, but it didn’t. I flew through this book, even though it is over 300 pages long. The characters were really a lot of fun, I loved Isa especially. I guess it is totally possible that one thing that I loved about the book was that parts of it were kind of set in Wyandotte County in Kansas, which is where the school I work at is located. Isa’s grandma, or Lala as she called her because she had trouble pronouncing abuela as a child, lived there. Of course, all of the little tidbits that made me smile for that part of the world definitely caused this to have a special place in my heart. But it really wasn’t just that.
Most of the story actually takes place in France, so that made for some interesting cuisines! All of the different food was mouth-watering to read about. Well, except for some gross sounding foods. But all the pastries and the different recipes she tried not only for her cooking class, but also just for her family, made me hungry as I was reading.
I also really enjoyed reading the parts about what it was like when Isa got the chance to actually work in the kitchen as they prepared for a big guest for their master chef’s restaurant. I liked how Isa was stressed and didn’t enjoy all of it, while the other girl did, and then the know-it-all boy had his own interesting experience as well. It was great to see all the different people and situations that helped Isa realize whether this cooking was truly her dream and future, or if maybe she wanted something a bit different.
There was definitely parts in the story that showed just how much a chef’s world is still a man’s world for the most part, even as so often women are expected to be the ones to do all the cooking in the home. The romance was just enough for the story, the family drama was good, although maybe a bit much at times, however it did work out perfectly in the end in a way that I think wrapped up the story perfectly.
I definitely recommend this one and can’t wait to buy a finished copy to put in my school library to share with my students, who live and go to school in Wyandotte County, Kansas.
Review originally published on Lisa Loves Literature.
So honestly, I really adored this book! It was such an easy read, I mean I couldn’t stop turning pages. And with no page numbers in the ARC, I was unsure if that would make it seem like it took longer to read, like e-books do when they don’t have page numbers, but it didn’t. I flew through this book, even though it is over 300 pages long. The characters were really a lot of fun, I loved Isa especially. I guess it is totally possible that one thing that I loved about the book was that parts of it were kind of set in Wyandotte County in Kansas, which is where the school I work at is located. Isa’s grandma, or Lala as she called her because she had trouble pronouncing abuela as a child, lived there. Of course, all of the little tidbits that made me smile for that part of the world definitely caused this to have a special place in my heart. But it really wasn’t just that.
Most of the story actually takes place in France, so that made for some interesting cuisines! All of the different food was mouth-watering to read about. Well, except for some gross sounding foods. But all the pastries and the different recipes she tried not only for her cooking class, but also just for her family, made me hungry as I was reading.
I also really enjoyed reading the parts about what it was like when Isa got the chance to actually work in the kitchen as they prepared for a big guest for their master chef’s restaurant. I liked how Isa was stressed and didn’t enjoy all of it, while the other girl did, and then the know-it-all boy had his own interesting experience as well. It was great to see all the different people and situations that helped Isa realize whether this cooking was truly her dream and future, or if maybe she wanted something a bit different.
There was definitely parts in the story that showed just how much a chef’s world is still a man’s world for the most part, even as so often women are expected to be the ones to do all the cooking in the home. The romance was just enough for the story, the family drama was good, although maybe a bit much at times, however it did work out perfectly in the end in a way that I think wrapped up the story perfectly.
I definitely recommend this one and can’t wait to buy a finished copy to put in my school library to share with my students, who live and go to school in Wyandotte County, Kansas.
Review originally published on Lisa Loves Literature.
Maybe having read With the Fire on High before this made me want something a bit more than a cooking-rom com. What I got was definitely a YA romance, set in France and almost a version of TV's Chopped or MasterChef. The cooking, which is supposedly such a huge part of the plot, doesn't include as much description as would be helpful (for example, more about the omelet disaster or the art of chopping). Instead there's more about the contestants and the relationships, which just sound average for the genre.
ARC provided by publisher.
ARC provided by publisher.
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loved it. It’s the perfect read for vacation or when you wish you were on vacation. The food descriptions are exquisite and the romance is sweet, almost a garnish. It doesn’t overpower the main story, which focuses on this very talented girl with big choices to make.
Anyone who loves reading YA novels and who also enjoys watching Top Chef, MasterChef, Chopped, Hell's Kitchen, or any kind of cooking show will like this book. I know I did!
Isabella loves to cook and dreams of becoming a Michelin-star chef. Her culinary skills scored her a spot in the prestigious summer cooking program with world renown Michelin-star Chef Grattard. The student who scores the highest marks in this program will win an apprenticeship with Chef Grattard and work alongside him at his Michelin-star restaurant! This would be a dream-come-true for Isabella and she would stop at nothing to ensure her place at the top of the class.
There were so many things that I liked about this book. I loved the diversity - Isabella is Cuban-French-American who doesn't feel like she belongs anywhere. This is something I could completely relate to as a Chinese-Swiss-Canadian.
"...I come from divergent worlds while not wholly belonging to any of them. Never Cuban enough, or French enough, or American enough - that's me, a dissonant three-course meal."
Other diverse characters include her friends Pippa, an African-British girl, Lucia, a Catalan girl from Barcelona, and Diego the Spaniard from Barcelona.
Diversity aside, I also loved the character development. Isabella started off being kind of a loner with laser-like focus on achieving her dreams of one day becoming a Michelin-star chef. She has incredibly high standards and little patience for anything that might get in her way. To be honest, she wasn't very likable at first. But she eventually grew on me. Her passion for food and culinary arts was depicted very realistically (I would know, my entire family works for the restaurant industry!)
The only thing that really bugged me about this book was the romance. I didn't feel it was necessary and definitely not with Diego (it's a very strange family dynamic bordering on the taboo - he's her step-mother's step-son from a previous marriage). If anything, I think I would've preferred if a romance developed in the kitchen instead (perhaps with Snake Eyes?)
Overall, I really enjoyed this book with all of it's mouthwatering descriptions of food!
I received and eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
***#40 of my 2020 Popsugar Reading Challenge - Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Challenge - 2019 Challenge: A book with a title that contains "salty," "sweet," "bitter," or "spicy"***
Isabella loves to cook and dreams of becoming a Michelin-star chef. Her culinary skills scored her a spot in the prestigious summer cooking program with world renown Michelin-star Chef Grattard. The student who scores the highest marks in this program will win an apprenticeship with Chef Grattard and work alongside him at his Michelin-star restaurant! This would be a dream-come-true for Isabella and she would stop at nothing to ensure her place at the top of the class.
There were so many things that I liked about this book. I loved the diversity - Isabella is Cuban-French-American who doesn't feel like she belongs anywhere. This is something I could completely relate to as a Chinese-Swiss-Canadian.
"...I come from divergent worlds while not wholly belonging to any of them. Never Cuban enough, or French enough, or American enough - that's me, a dissonant three-course meal."
Other diverse characters include her friends Pippa, an African-British girl, Lucia, a Catalan girl from Barcelona, and Diego the Spaniard from Barcelona.
Diversity aside, I also loved the character development. Isabella started off being kind of a loner with laser-like focus on achieving her dreams of one day becoming a Michelin-star chef. She has incredibly high standards and little patience for anything that might get in her way. To be honest, she wasn't very likable at first. But she eventually grew on me. Her passion for food and culinary arts was depicted very realistically (I would know, my entire family works for the restaurant industry!)
The only thing that really bugged me about this book was the romance. I didn't feel it was necessary and definitely not with Diego (it's a very strange family dynamic bordering on the taboo - he's her step-mother's step-son from a previous marriage). If anything, I think I would've preferred if a romance developed in the kitchen instead (perhaps with Snake Eyes?)
Overall, I really enjoyed this book with all of it's mouthwatering descriptions of food!
I received and eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
***#40 of my 2020 Popsugar Reading Challenge - Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Challenge - 2019 Challenge: A book with a title that contains "salty," "sweet," "bitter," or "spicy"***
I've gotten hooked on food books recently. The description for Mayra Cuevas's ,"Salty, Bitter, Sweet" intrigued me, so of course I requested it from NetGalley. I was NOT disappointed in the book.
Isabella wants nothing more to be a top chef with a restaurant and Michelin stars of her own. Attending an elite class with a dozen of teenagers from around the world, she plans to impress the owner with her skills and win a year-long apprenticeship. Of course, it cannot be that simple. Not only does she struggle in the kitchen, her life at home with her father and his new (second) wife and her teenage son, Diego, is not a piece of cake either.
Cuevas balances Isa's time in the restaurant kitchen and with her family, both in the present day and in flashbacks, well. Isabella is thoroughly fleshed out, and though a bit immature at times, she's a real person that keeps you interested in the story. I had trouble stopping reading to go to work or do things around the house. A definite read if you enjoy food or a good story-especially one that takes place in Europe.
Isabella wants nothing more to be a top chef with a restaurant and Michelin stars of her own. Attending an elite class with a dozen of teenagers from around the world, she plans to impress the owner with her skills and win a year-long apprenticeship. Of course, it cannot be that simple. Not only does she struggle in the kitchen, her life at home with her father and his new (second) wife and her teenage son, Diego, is not a piece of cake either.
Cuevas balances Isa's time in the restaurant kitchen and with her family, both in the present day and in flashbacks, well. Isabella is thoroughly fleshed out, and though a bit immature at times, she's a real person that keeps you interested in the story. I had trouble stopping reading to go to work or do things around the house. A definite read if you enjoy food or a good story-especially one that takes place in Europe.
This novel really hit home for the teenager I once was. I completely understand the rollercoaster of emotions Isa is feeling; dealing with her best friend's death, her abuela who meant everything to her, moving in with her father and new stepmother with a baby on the way, and still not happy about her parent's divorce. The amount of pressure Isa is feeling to act okay with everything when she's not is evident. The author, Mayra Cuevas did an amazing job displaying the rough waters of adolescents with Isa's character and her passion for cooking. I love the subtly between Isa and Diego, their moments of light banter and serious discussion add depth to an already thought provoking book.
Salty, Bitter, Sweet was an enjoyable read and definitely one I would come back to again. I give it 5 out of 5 star rating!
Salty, Bitter, Sweet was an enjoyable read and definitely one I would come back to again. I give it 5 out of 5 star rating!
Will definitely make you hungry. Yet, in the same manner of how having too many ingredients can muddy a dish, there were quite a few loose components that marred this story. I would have liked to see Barbara get her comeuppance for stealing Lala’s pie recipe, and would have liked for Lucia to be held accountable for her drunken tirade against Isa. The latter’s sabotage in the kitchen, while dirty, does not cut it, and only Isa was the one who apologized. Lucia never even apologized for her rude behavior the night before.
Also, I would have liked better payoff for Isa’s beef with her dad. Her baby half-sister being born should not be seen as wiping the slate clean, especially since her dad did her and her mom dirty. Speaking of the mom, we only see her and Isa’s maternal grandmother in one chapter, and that’s it. I would have liked more interaction, especially since Mamie annoys Isa with her microaggressions.
Diego - sorry, but he kinda reminds me of Nate from The Devil Wears Prada (movie version). Yeah, high-end restaurants are toxic environments, but getting Michelin stars was Isa’s dream, and I felt for the most part of the book he was shitting on her goals (while enjoying her food). Luckily, Isa herself sees that the toxic environment is not for her, but supposed there was no Diego?
Both Legrands (both father and son) should have been utilized more. Snake Eyes looked like a promising antagonist, but then dissolved into a whimpering mess. And then the teacher (Troussant?) was all hard-ass but suddenly had a moment of vulnerability when she invited Isa to drink with her ‘cuz she was so sick of men stealing her work. While drinking with a student isn’t ethical, I did like that scene, but I would have liked better build-up to that.
Lastly, Isa — didn’t like her “not like other girls” bs. Also uptight and elitist, but at least there was character development, like all MCs should. Still, I would have liked if said development didn’t involve Diego. I was more interested in her friendships with Pippa and Lucia.
Also, I would have liked better payoff for Isa’s beef with her dad. Her baby half-sister being born should not be seen as wiping the slate clean, especially since her dad did her and her mom dirty. Speaking of the mom, we only see her and Isa’s maternal grandmother in one chapter, and that’s it. I would have liked more interaction, especially since Mamie annoys Isa with her microaggressions.
Diego - sorry, but he kinda reminds me of Nate from The Devil Wears Prada (movie version). Yeah, high-end restaurants are toxic environments, but getting Michelin stars was Isa’s dream, and I felt for the most part of the book he was shitting on her goals (while enjoying her food). Luckily, Isa herself sees that the toxic environment is not for her, but supposed there was no Diego?
Both Legrands (both father and son) should have been utilized more. Snake Eyes looked like a promising antagonist, but then dissolved into a whimpering mess. And then the teacher (Troussant?) was all hard-ass but suddenly had a moment of vulnerability when she invited Isa to drink with her ‘cuz she was so sick of men stealing her work. While drinking with a student isn’t ethical, I did like that scene, but I would have liked better build-up to that.
Lastly, Isa — didn’t like her “not like other girls” bs. Also uptight and elitist, but at least there was character development, like all MCs should. Still, I would have liked if said development didn’t involve Diego. I was more interested in her friendships with Pippa and Lucia.