Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️¾
This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2019. And it both delivered and it didn't but I'm not disappointed. I think some of the hype I heard surrounding this book built my expectations really high, even though I still don't fully know what I was expecting. This book was good. Really good actually but I think I was hyped to expect more.
Summary
With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Still, she knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain — and shouldn’t still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life — and all the rules everyone expects her to play by — once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free.
Like I said, I did like this book and it was really good but I guess I just wanted more from it. Not even that it lacked in specific areas but it was all very surface, even though there were some hard hitting issues, I felt like they were touched on once or twice but other that that they didn't really play into the story at all other than to be mentioned. (The custody thing and Emoni's dad leaving but staying in contact and her never really confronting that until the very end briefly)
One thing I did really enjoy was the cooking. Everything that surrounded the cooking and the culinary arts class and the Spain trip and Emoni working in the restaurant in Spain. It was so perfect and maybe that is what I wanted more of the story to be. More of her exploring her love for cooking and less of the romance. I did like the romance but I'm realizing that, for me, it took away from what I actually wanted in the story. I kinda feel the same about Abuela, for my personal liking there was too much on her character. I enjoyed the encouragement and support for Emoni and her relationship with her son/Emoni's dad, but I think the tidbits about her romance, which I caught on to right away and was dragged on until the end of the book, could've been omitted. I want more cooking and more about Emoni & Emma and their dynamic and the COOKING.
I did enjoy Emma and her role in Emoni's story and I 100% am glad that it was included and it didn't take away at all. It talked about the struggle of teenage pregnancy but it showed how it worked out for Emoni and Emma (and every Tyrone) in the end. I liked getting to know tidbits about Emma but would've, again, enjoyed her more if she was more apart of the story instead of focusing on the romance. I LIKED THE ROMANCE I SWEAR.
I promise I liked this book, I know all I've done so far in this review is mostly critique and complain but I did like it. But yet here I am, about to critique something else. There were some points in the story where I didn't like Emoni ??? I can't even tell you why but for like 15% of the book she annoyed me. It could be her stubbornness but jeez she bugged me sometimes. Like how she wouldn't confront her Dad or even talk to him about why she was upset with him. Emoni stop being passive-aggressive and talk to your Dad! OTHER than the times I didn't like her, I liked her a lot (duh 😂)! When she got into cooking, it was truly like magic dripped from her finger tips. I wish I could've been there to see it unfold or to taste something that she made. ALSO I'M GLAD THEY INCLUDED RECIPES???!!! I don't know if I'll ever make them but the mere fact they included recipes enriched the whole story even more for me.
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