A review by motherofpearly
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Mixed emotions about this book. Loved how the rich imagery made me feel like I was in the kitchen with Tita. The author took care in describing each flavor, aroma, and cooking technique. I loved how Tita’s emotions infused with each dish and magically affected those who ate it.

However I felt that the meals were more developed than the characters, and many large plot points were skimmed over. A few times I had to re-read sections to make sure I didn’t miss a page or two. Ultimately  I had little emotion about the romance, heartbreaks, or traumas that any of them experienced. 

Also I found the spicy scenes to be boring and sometimes creepy. Especially the first time between
Tita and Pedro which I expected to be more passionate since the sexual tension had been building up to a boing point. One night, he decided to hide in a dark room, and pop out unexpectedly when she came in. Startled, she asked what he was doing, and he answered by “throwing himself upon her, caused her to lose her virginity and learn of true love”.
Super creepy and made me feel uneasy. Don’t even get me started on Gertrudis
losing her virginity on horseback after being found naked in a field by a man who literally tracked her down by her magical scent.
Probably could have done without reading this book, but it was definitely memorable 

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