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A review by smalltownbookmom
Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp
5.0
This was SUCH a great debut!! I loved it a LOT! The story follows Penelope, a Mexican American teen who is balancing what she wants with her parent's expectations for her. When Penelope drops out of college her plan to manage her family's Nacho's Tacos restaurant gets thwarted, forcing her to find a new path to her dream of opening a pastelería. Kicked out of the house, she's forced to find her own place and get a minimum wage job to support herself. Her disappointment and the rift with her parents becomes a little easier though when she befriends Xander, the new hire at Nacho's Tacos.
Xander is living in the shadows as an undocumented immigrant and trying to stay under the radar from authorities while also searching for his father. The two teens quickly bond over food and help one another realize their goals.
I can't praise this book enough! Full of food, found family and first love the author has created memorable characters I won't soon forget. There's also really good mental health rep in this book as Penelope suffers from depression and self-harm (this was glossed over a bit which was my one critique for the book). Highly recommended for fans of A Cuban girl's guide to tea and tomorrow, With the fire on high or How Moon Fuentez fell in love with the universe and excellent on audio with an author's note included at the end and a bonus song too.
Favorite quote:
"Because in life sometimes the only way to move forward is to do the scary thing, especially when it's the right thing. That's what I've learned about fear: courage isn't a currency and claiming it isn't a game. The things that scare us are roadblocks but mirrors. And bravery isn't about shattering a reflection, it's about having the strength to look."
CW: depression in teens, self-harm, parental absence
Xander is living in the shadows as an undocumented immigrant and trying to stay under the radar from authorities while also searching for his father. The two teens quickly bond over food and help one another realize their goals.
I can't praise this book enough! Full of food, found family and first love the author has created memorable characters I won't soon forget. There's also really good mental health rep in this book as Penelope suffers from depression and self-harm (this was glossed over a bit which was my one critique for the book). Highly recommended for fans of A Cuban girl's guide to tea and tomorrow, With the fire on high or How Moon Fuentez fell in love with the universe and excellent on audio with an author's note included at the end and a bonus song too.
Favorite quote:
"Because in life sometimes the only way to move forward is to do the scary thing, especially when it's the right thing. That's what I've learned about fear: courage isn't a currency and claiming it isn't a game. The things that scare us are roadblocks but mirrors. And bravery isn't about shattering a reflection, it's about having the strength to look."
CW: depression in teens, self-harm, parental absence