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justinkhchen's review against another edition
4.0
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.
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
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
3.0
I liked the book. A fun listen. The last 40% was odd.
hudson2001's review against another edition
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
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
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
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.
maxfelixwp's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I love San Francisco, sourdough, baking, cozy sci-fi, magical realism, tech, satire, and a touch of romance. What's not to love about Sourdough? I adored this slim little novel!
Docking a half-star purely because I do think it moved a little too quick for its own good - slowing down just a little might have been welcome.
Docking a half-star purely because I do think it moved a little too quick for its own good - slowing down just a little might have been welcome.
laura_corsi's review against another edition
2.0
A delightful read. Lois is a computer programmer who knows nothing of how to live her life. Through a delightful encounter with a local restaurant in San Francisco she becomes an ad hoc baker. And this saves her life figuratively speaking or maybe a better way to say it is it gives her a life where none existed before. Sourdough is definitely a story for this generation who seem to have become lost and do not know how to create lives that have meaning to themselves. Unfortunately, Lois, in the story seems to merely escape the fate of those around her not save more people. In the end, she escapes a refugee from San Francisco not a heroine. I pray she finds home beyond the edges of the page.