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A review by nadiamasood
The Takeout by Tracy Badua
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
A story centered around a food truck serving Filipino-Indian fusion cuisine? Yes, please! That is the main reason I picked this book up.
This middle-grade novel follows a Filipino-American girl navigating her way through a predominantly white community. Badua skillfully explores themes of cultural appropriation and fitting in, all while keeping the story accessible and relatable for young readers. It's a heartwarming and fun read, with a charming touch of Filipino folk potions sprinkled throughout. But for me, the real star of this book was the food!
Tracy Badua dishes out an irresistible spread of Filipino-Indian fusion cuisine in such vivid detail, I was hungry the entire time I was reading!
Some of Banana Leaf food truck’s standout fusion creations included chicken adobo paired with hot, buttery paratha, adobo dosa (not sure about this, to be honest, haha), turon lassi with crispy lumpia, sisig puri, and ube gulab jamun (now that sounds like an irresistible combo!). Having spent a few years in the Philippines, I'm quite familiar with the cuisine, culture, and language, which made these creative combinations even more enjoyable!
The Audiobook:
I began this novel in audiobook format, and Ferdelle Capistrano’s narration was beautiful. She did a great job with the various accents as well. However, I had one issue—the mispronunciation of "lassi." She kept saying "laasi," and since the word appears 29 times in the book, it eventually became distracting. I ultimately switched to the ebook to finish the story.
The ending is fun and hopeful, with all the loose ends tying up very neatly.
Overall, The Takeout is a sweet and savory read that celebrates food, culture, and the bonds that hold us together.
This middle-grade novel follows a Filipino-American girl navigating her way through a predominantly white community. Badua skillfully explores themes of cultural appropriation and fitting in, all while keeping the story accessible and relatable for young readers. It's a heartwarming and fun read, with a charming touch of Filipino folk potions sprinkled throughout. But for me, the real star of this book was the food!
Tracy Badua dishes out an irresistible spread of Filipino-Indian fusion cuisine in such vivid detail, I was hungry the entire time I was reading!
Some of Banana Leaf food truck’s standout fusion creations included chicken adobo paired with hot, buttery paratha, adobo dosa (not sure about this, to be honest, haha), turon lassi with crispy lumpia, sisig puri, and ube gulab jamun (now that sounds like an irresistible combo!). Having spent a few years in the Philippines, I'm quite familiar with the cuisine, culture, and language, which made these creative combinations even more enjoyable!
The Audiobook:
I began this novel in audiobook format, and Ferdelle Capistrano’s narration was beautiful. She did a great job with the various accents as well. However, I had one issue—the mispronunciation of "lassi." She kept saying "laasi," and since the word appears 29 times in the book, it eventually became distracting. I ultimately switched to the ebook to finish the story.
The ending is fun and hopeful, with all the loose ends tying up very neatly.
Overall, The Takeout is a sweet and savory read that celebrates food, culture, and the bonds that hold us together.