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briana_ariel25's review against another edition
5.0
Knowing this book would be about loss, I was prepared for a much more heavy-hearted story about Carlos’ grief and coming to terms with the loss of his brother, Felix. Instead, I found a genuinely warm story about how life does indeed go on after the life of a loved one. Carlos’ love of food and cooking, which he shared with Felix, leads him on an incredible journey of self-discovery and as Carlos hones his talents as a chef-in-training, we see him grow not only as a person, but as someone growing through each stage of grief. A different outlook on grief and life after loss, and an authentic look at life in a professional kitchen. I’d also really love to recreate one of Carlos’ recipes one day, or better yet, have it served to me at his own restaurant.
sbelasco40's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I loved the food stuff in this, and it was considerably sadder than I expected it to be? That was not a bad thing — I think the grief part of this was in fact the most effective part. Felix came across almost more vividly than Carlos, which was maybe a bit of the problem. I had a hard time investing in Carlos’s romance with Emma, who was fairly manic-pixie-dreamgirl-ish, and did not feel like she got true development as a character. But Carlos’s love affair with food, on the other hand, was entirely believable and compelling.
sasha_in_a_box's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy for review - in exchange, here it is - my honest review!
Carlos is a rich boy who has lived a life of privilege in Mexico City. Now that he's about to graduate high school, his life ahead of him is guaranteed to be nice and bring him lots of money and success.When a traumatic thing happens, he starts questioning all the laid out plans for him - and bolts. He pursues his passion for cooking in a Seattle restaurant, where everything is so beautiful that it hurts. A lot of things start going his way during his short stay, including a girl. So what's next?
I liked the plot of his book very much. It's a fiery beginning with a hare-brained and daring escape from everything Carlos has known. Don't we all dream about just taking off one day, no plans or worries? I loved that part,and the surprising realism of Carlos's escape: his credit cards are cut off, he doesn't know what he's doing one hour to the next, and the past refuses to give up haunting his ass - but he falls in love with this place head over heels in a very endearing way.
I loved the restaurant life (the author has done the research super well), Carlos's horrible dilemma when he is placed between a rock and a hard place, and the social dynamics that support and tear him down. What I didn't love... are the characters. I didn't connect with Carlos or the girl (Emma), although I loved the other restaurant folks. And I thought Emma was emotionally manipulative to a problematic degree (my parents divorced and I'm lonely.. YOU would never make me feel this way, RIGHT? Because you owe me my emotional well-being??), but it was never addressed. This was enough of an issue that I almost gave this 3 stars... but I loved the restaurant parts too much. My weakness!!
So, read this if you like a plot-driven book centered around food and restaurants, and you tolerate semi-developed characters and a tiny bit of magic realism.
Carlos is a rich boy who has lived a life of privilege in Mexico City. Now that he's about to graduate high school, his life ahead of him is guaranteed to be nice and bring him lots of money and success.When a traumatic thing happens, he starts questioning all the laid out plans for him - and bolts. He pursues his passion for cooking in a Seattle restaurant, where everything is so beautiful that it hurts. A lot of things start going his way during his short stay, including a girl. So what's next?
I liked the plot of his book very much. It's a fiery beginning with a hare-brained and daring escape from everything Carlos has known. Don't we all dream about just taking off one day, no plans or worries? I loved that part,and the surprising realism of Carlos's escape: his credit cards are cut off, he doesn't know what he's doing one hour to the next, and the past refuses to give up haunting his ass - but he falls in love with this place head over heels in a very endearing way.
I loved the restaurant life (the author has done the research super well), Carlos's horrible dilemma when he is placed between a rock and a hard place, and the social dynamics that support and tear him down. What I didn't love... are the characters. I didn't connect with Carlos or the girl (Emma), although I loved the other restaurant folks. And I thought Emma was emotionally manipulative to a problematic degree (my parents divorced and I'm lonely.. YOU would never make me feel this way, RIGHT? Because you owe me my emotional well-being??), but it was never addressed. This was enough of an issue that I almost gave this 3 stars... but I loved the restaurant parts too much. My weakness!!
So, read this if you like a plot-driven book centered around food and restaurants, and you tolerate semi-developed characters and a tiny bit of magic realism.
emilygrafton8's review against another edition
4.0
**3.5**
this book was just average for me. it wasn’t the best but it wasn’t the worst. i just feel neutral about it. my favorite aspect was the food and cooking!!! my dad is a chef and food has always been a part of my life and something that i love. that alone was the best part of the book. the characters were just ok to me. carlos was a good main character and i liked his POV. emma was good in the beginning and i enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. i wish they would have gotten better closure and that was one aspect i didn’t enjoy. the other side characters were great additions and i liked seeing them. chef reminded me so much of my dad because they both like things exactly how they want within the kitchen. so that aspect reminded me of home. overall this book was a good read!
this book was just average for me. it wasn’t the best but it wasn’t the worst. i just feel neutral about it. my favorite aspect was the food and cooking!!! my dad is a chef and food has always been a part of my life and something that i love. that alone was the best part of the book. the characters were just ok to me. carlos was a good main character and i liked his POV. emma was good in the beginning and i enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. i wish they would have gotten better closure and that was one aspect i didn’t enjoy. the other side characters were great additions and i liked seeing them. chef reminded me so much of my dad because they both like things exactly how they want within the kitchen. so that aspect reminded me of home. overall this book was a good read!
deltajuliet83's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t know why I love books about cooking so much, maybe it’s just my inner fat kid but food makes any book better! Great story to this too, very relatable.
eml898's review against another edition
3.0
Really liked all the kitchen scenes. I'm not sure the romance was even necessary. Would have liked more with/about his family
atomicmelody's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
angeldevoursliterature's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Cursing, Blood, Alcohol, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content