I won a copy of this book in a Readers First giveaway and I am so glad I got the opportunity to read it. I couldn't put this book down and read it in a day.
The main character, Emoni, is a single mother but Elizabeth does a great job of showing that she is more than that. She's passionate and resilient and has a real talent for cooking. It's interesting to read from the perspective of a teen mother, a topic not often touched on in YA, and it's extra fantastic that she isn't villianised for being one.
For me, the real highlight of this book were the relationships between our main character and the other characters in this book. Her and her abuela had a sweet and healthy, though not always perfect relationship. I loved seeing the strong female friendship between her and Angelica (yay for women supporting each other in fiction instead of tearing each other down). Malachi was a sweetheart and it was refreshing to see him be patient with her and respect her boundaries.
I would love to know more about the backstories of some of the supporting characters in this book, particularly her abuela, Angelica and Leslie.
Overall, this book had a lot of heart, was diverse, touched on important topics, and compelling all the way through.
My only complaint was that the food described sounded so delicious that I couldn't help but feel hungry reading.
5 well deserved stars.
The main character, Emoni, is a single mother but Elizabeth does a great job of showing that she is more than that. She's passionate and resilient and has a real talent for cooking. It's interesting to read from the perspective of a teen mother, a topic not often touched on in YA, and it's extra fantastic that she isn't villianised for being one.
For me, the real highlight of this book were the relationships between our main character and the other characters in this book. Her and her abuela had a sweet and healthy, though not always perfect relationship. I loved seeing the strong female friendship between her and Angelica (yay for women supporting each other in fiction instead of tearing each other down). Malachi was a sweetheart and it was refreshing to see him be patient with her and respect her boundaries.
I would love to know more about the backstories of some of the supporting characters in this book, particularly her abuela, Angelica and Leslie.
Overall, this book had a lot of heart, was diverse, touched on important topics, and compelling all the way through.
My only complaint was that the food described sounded so delicious that I couldn't help but feel hungry reading.
5 well deserved stars.