A review by errski
Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler

3.0

I really like the cover art, probably one of the reasons I started reading this book. 1. I saw the book and added it to my TBR list then 2. I saw Starz is turning the novel into a series so I picked the book up from my local library and began reading.

I started out liking this book a lot! What's not to like? Tess is 22, it's a coming of age novel for the young not quite adult but can go off and live in the city alone adult, (aka probably me). In the book there are the descriptions of food and the city, Danler's writing is really great! And at the beginning it's exciting when the main character learns about the restaurant and gets to know the staff and patrons. Then the book flattens out. It's repeated partying, fawning over characters that are unbearable, and the Tess eventually becomes unbearable herself along with all her thoughts about anything.

Spoiler

She just embarrasses herself and has to leave and there is really no plot except a building up to the moment she embarrasses herself (or maybe I wasn't following..?). There's nothing in the characters that I could really relate to, there are some aspects, but the ending half of the book I was just annoyed mostly. I don't know if Danler wants me to feel bad for Tess, or what the point was? Just oops you live and you learn in your 20s? Point out that Tess has time to change her life in comparison to Simone?

And in conclusion, I'm not sure I'll watch the new series based on this book after this, but if I do, I am not in a rush.