A review by jazlem
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad fast-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? Yes

4.0

I loved this!! A perfect magical realism novel that had love, broken hearts, food and feminism - what more could you want? This was my first novel by a Mexican author and I really enjoyed learning more about the cultural aspects presented within the book. I loved Tita and really felt for her throughout the book. I also loved that even the villain, mama elena, was humanised and could be empathised with at points. Was some of it a bit dramatic and ridiculous? Sure but I think that fits in with the magical realism aspect, a genre which is important in Latin America. Some of the lines and actions were cheesy too but overall I really enjoyed this and loved how it parodies gender norms within the cookbook style commentary. Definitely recommend reading this!!