4.5/5 stars
warning: in this review I will be using the word beautifully or variations of it a lot. you have been warned
This book was stunning. The plot line, the characters, the food. It made for a beautifully atmospheric story, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Emoni's story was written beautifully. I was able to establish a connection with her, I cared about her and that's arguably the most important thing that an author can achieve. I flew through this book, being a contemporary fiction novel as well as having short chapters, this book never felt like a chore and it left me constantly wanting to read on. The aspect of food is beautifully integrated into the book and was one of my favourite parts. It felt as if I could see, smell and taste Emoni's dishes and it added a certain ambiance to the book, without it, I surely would not have enjoyed it as much. In my opinion, one of the strongest parts of the book were the characters. The majority of them felt well-developed, although I would have liked to know more about Angelica and Malachi. It felt like those characters were rich in personality and I would have loved to know more about their backgrounds, although it is understandable why Elizabeth Acevedo chose to focus more on Emoni and her family, as motherhood and familial relationships are central to the story. I thought that these themes were (you guessed it) *beautifully* handled. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would thoroughly recommend it!
warning: in this review I will be using the word beautifully or variations of it a lot. you have been warned
This book was stunning. The plot line, the characters, the food. It made for a beautifully atmospheric story, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Emoni's story was written beautifully. I was able to establish a connection with her, I cared about her and that's arguably the most important thing that an author can achieve. I flew through this book, being a contemporary fiction novel as well as having short chapters, this book never felt like a chore and it left me constantly wanting to read on. The aspect of food is beautifully integrated into the book and was one of my favourite parts. It felt as if I could see, smell and taste Emoni's dishes and it added a certain ambiance to the book, without it, I surely would not have enjoyed it as much. In my opinion, one of the strongest parts of the book were the characters. The majority of them felt well-developed, although I would have liked to know more about Angelica and Malachi. It felt like those characters were rich in personality and I would have loved to know more about their backgrounds, although it is understandable why Elizabeth Acevedo chose to focus more on Emoni and her family, as motherhood and familial relationships are central to the story. I thought that these themes were (you guessed it) *beautifully* handled. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would thoroughly recommend it!