life_full_ofbooks 's review for:

Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories by Cynthia Leitich Smith

4.5

hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This is a beautiful college of essays that all center around the fiction Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In, a magic food stand run by the elders (some living, some not) of different reservations and indigenous cultures. Whenever it’s needed, Sandy June’s is just a doorway away. The teens who all end up there are never sure how they got there, but they know it’s a very real place that connects them with the food, culture, and people of their heritage. 

As someone who is not Native American I really enjoyed learning about the culture and food. I loved how the grandparents/elders ran it and how whenever a teen was having a problem her grandparent was there waiting with good food and good advice. The only issue I had with this was how hungry I got while reading it, since every single essay mentioned frybread and other terrific sounding eats. 

It has to be noted that each essay is written by a different author and thus the styles are completely different from each other. That being said, they come together to form a heartwarming story that will have everyone wishing Sandy June’s Frybread Drive-In was real. 

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for an advanced copy of this. Legendary Frybread Drive-In hit the shelves on August 26th.