A review by jess_mango
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

4.0

I have an affinity for food-related reads and also for magical realism novels. That and the fact that I really enjoyed the 2 previous Aimee Bender books that I've read, lead me to seek out her latest "The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake." While at its heart, "Sadness" isn't about food as much as some other food-focused novels, this novel does present an interesting concept. At the age of 12, Rose can start tasting the emotions of the person who made the food she is eating. This leads her to discover that her mother is sad and having an affair and that the guy making the chocolate chip cookies at the local bakery is angry. This new skill greatly disturbs Rose. The novel shifts to focus more on other areas of Rose's life (her crush, her family etc) rather than focusing solely on her strange new ability. <<>>