SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD LAINEY DREAMS of becoming a world famous chef one day and maybe even having her own cooking show. (Do you know how many African...
read full description
reviews
Dec 19, 2008
Lynn
rated it: 
Lainey dreams of being the next Julia Child and having her own cooking show. But first she has to negoiate the reminder of her senior year, avoid being too organized by her mother and deal with the gorgeous boy who only shows up when he wants something. Sim and Lainey were childhood friends and Lainey has had a crush on him forever. When he decides to leave town, he asks Lainey to keep secrets and take actions that violate her mother's trust in her. Characterizations are nicely done here an
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Oct 24, 2011
Sara
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Apr 22, 2011
Doret
rated it: 
This started off as a pretty good novel and finished very very strong, turning my like into love. 17 yr old Elaine (Lainey) lives in the Bay Area with her mother who is co owner of La Salle Rouge restaurant. Lainey is pretty good in the kitchen as well and dreams of having her own vegetarian cooking show. A la Carte is about much more then a girl who wants to be a chef. Its also about a teenage girl who falls for the wrong guy. Lainey has known Sim since grade school. The two used to be very clo
More...
Mar 15, 2009
Sian
rated it: 
One of my obsessions lately is voice -- in that I bow down to folks who create narration that makes me feel as if I'm hearing a human voice, confused, struggling, funny, smart, flawed. This one really manages that, manages to be inside the head of a seventeen-year-old girl who far more resembles the teenager I was than the ones I usually read about. Lainey makes mistakes and missteps that make my insides twist in recognition, and at the same time I feel her frustrations so keenly. This book is m
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Aug 01, 2009
Katrina
rated it:
Seventeen year old Elaine (Lainey) Seifert lost her dad when she was three. She lives with her mother,Vivianne. LaSalle Rouge is a French-Asian-Californian restaurant that receives rave reviews from critics and Vivianne owns it. Lainey dreams of becoming a celebrity chef. There's no place she'd rather be than in the kitchen of her Mom's popular establishment and there's nothing she'd rather be doing than cooking. Food seems to be this young lady's life. Yes, it is definitely her passion. She lov
More...
Sep 26, 2011
Jessica
rated it:
A la Carte was just....not my cup of tea. I'm not a cook and I don't enjoy baking so the food aspect of the novel really didn't appeal to me, though nothing did. In the beginning of the story, I really liked Lainey as a main character because she was unique. She says it herself in the beginning of the book, how many African-American vegetarian cooks are there out there? However after bad decision and bad bad decision, she really started to get on my nerves. Her character was random and completel
More...
Mar 06, 2011
Scootaloo
rated it:
Elaine's big dream in life is to become the next Julia Child. She cooks almost every minute of her life, but that changes when her ex-best friend and crush, Simeon, disappears after a party. Lainey is determined to set her life straight, and make peace with her mom.
I really don't wnat to give a book a bad rating, but giving "A La Carte" 4 or 5 stars would be an all-out lie. The plot was good at first, but for me, the story got confusing and off-topic. I didn't really feel T More...
I really don't wnat to give a book a bad rating, but giving "A La Carte" 4 or 5 stars would be an all-out lie. The plot was good at first, but for me, the story got confusing and off-topic. I didn't really feel T More...
Apr 29, 2011
Imani ♥ ☮
rated it:
As soon as I saw that this book was about an African American vegetarian girl I had to read this book. I mean, like this book says there's not many black vegetarians out there, heck there's not even that many vegetarians period, so it was cool that I could read about a girl that actually has something in common with me. I'll admit that the beginning was kind of slow but the action and drama in the middle made up for it. Lainey, as I told you is an African American girl who's a vegetarian living
More...
Oct 17, 2008
Becky
rated it:
An empty plate hits the stainless steel deck in the kitchen of La Salle Rouge with a clatter. (1)
Rarely do I so completely agree with a jacket flap. But in this case, it is right on.
Seventeen-year-old Lainey dreams of becoming a world famous chef one day and maybe even having her own cooking show. (Do you know how many African American female chefs there aren't? And how many vegetarian chefs have their own shows? The field is wide open for stardom.) But when her best frie More...
Rarely do I so completely agree with a jacket flap. But in this case, it is right on.
Seventeen-year-old Lainey dreams of becoming a world famous chef one day and maybe even having her own cooking show. (Do you know how many African American female chefs there aren't? And how many vegetarian chefs have their own shows? The field is wide open for stardom.) But when her best frie More...
Jun 21, 2011
Susan
rated it:
I pre ordered the paperback of A la Carte March 24th. It arrived last week. I started reading it last night and couldn't put till down till I finished.
I loved it. I loved Lainey and her mom and her friends and the jazz choir and the Salle Rouge and I adored the recipes. The first one I am going to try is the gingerbread.
I got to the end about three AM and I was so sad it was over. I can't wait to share this book.
I loved it. I loved Lainey and her mom and her friends and the jazz choir and the Salle Rouge and I adored the recipes. The first one I am going to try is the gingerbread.
I got to the end about three AM and I was so sad it was over. I can't wait to share this book.
Oct 25, 2010
Suzanne
rated it:
Because I love to cook, I like novels that have recipes and center around cooking: Dianna Mott Davidson,Joanne Fluke,etc. This novel is similar in that it had food at its core and is filled with recipies in the text. I like the recipes and ideas, but the novel left a rather bland taste. It might appeal to some teens, but, I think it's plot does not have enough flavor to satisfy most.
Feb 17, 2009
Katie
rated it:
Ok, ignore the cover and just pick this one up! I loved the story of aspiring chef Lainey, who doesn't have much going on in her life besides school and cooking. Everything gets shaken up when her old friend Simeon starts coming around again, making Lainey question what's really important in her life. Sweet, funny, and full of great recipes to try at home!
Jan 24, 2009
Rachel
rated it:
A really thoughtful and intelligent young adult novel that took me back to my own adolescent feelings of longing to grow up but also worrying about what might be left behind. Smart, sassy and a really fun, captivating read.
Feb 22, 2011
MaryKay
rated it:
This was a worthwhile read. I liked how the main character grew during the story. Her challanges were a little too real to life to be comfortable through the middle of the book, but I liked how things turned out.
Jul 11, 2011
Jeanetta
rated it:
Elaine is an African American vegetarian who wants to become a television chef. She spends plenty of time in her mother's multi-ethnic restaurant and lives and attends school in a multi-ethnic middle class Northern California neighborhood. These details alone were enough for me to give this story a try.
While I appreciate the world the protagonist lives in and can relate to some of her personality quirks, Elaine was a particularly frustrating protagonist. I was especially irritated b More...
While I appreciate the world the protagonist lives in and can relate to some of her personality quirks, Elaine was a particularly frustrating protagonist. I was especially irritated b More...
Jan 01, 2009
Fatima
rated it:
this is a really good book. its keep you on your toes and makes you wanwt to keep reading. you cant put it down!
Dec 30, 2009
April
rated it:
I'm a Top Chef junkie, so this story about a girl who wants to becomae a chef was right up my alley.
Jul 14, 2008
I enjoyed this novel about a high school senior who worships Julia Child and dreams of being a TV chef some day. Lainey is a sympathetic protagonist, devoted to her own interests (she does not have a lot of friends, and while she does all right in school, it's not a major focus of her life or the book). The main thing missing from the book is a touch of humor; it was serious overall, though the recipes and Lainey's enjoyment of food and cooking add some leavening.
The author is blogge More...
The author is blogge More...
Nov 12, 2008
Alexa
rated it:
While it's true this is a story that has not been told--about an African-American teenager who wants to be a celebrity chef--the actual story part is not stellar. It's not awful either. The recipes are a cute addition but the main character may have a few too many quirks to come across as realistic. Still, as someone who loves to cook, I like reading anything that involves cooking, even when it's not incredible. There are likely teens out there who would identify with Laine and enjoy this bo
More...
Jun 21, 2009
Kate
rated it:
Lainey has a dream - to become the first African-American female celebrity chef, but first, she's got to get through high school. One of the biggest problems is that she can't see that her best friend, Sim, doesn't treat her the way a friend should. When he runs away from home, she lends him $500 and lies to her mother about what happened. Throughout Lainey's difficult year, cooking remains the center of her world and the book contains many of her original (and delicious!) recipes.
Jan 16, 2011
Farida
rated it:
This book is penned by TadMack, coauthor of the Finding Wonderland blog: http://writingya.blogspot.com/
I enjoyed the book, once I finally got to sit down and read it without interruption. Warning: this is a dangerous story to read if you're hungry. (Tanita says that all of the recipes are 100% tested.) I found Lainey to be a sympathethic character, but I didn't have a kernel of compassion for Sim, the romantic interest/former best friend who came across as a spoiled brat.
I enjoyed the book, once I finally got to sit down and read it without interruption. Warning: this is a dangerous story to read if you're hungry. (Tanita says that all of the recipes are 100% tested.) I found Lainey to be a sympathethic character, but I didn't have a kernel of compassion for Sim, the romantic interest/former best friend who came across as a spoiled brat.
Aug 08, 2008
Sara
rated it:
It never would have occurred to me that a high school student would have dreams of becoming a celebrity chef, but that's exactly what Lainey wants. In addition to her cooking and future aspirations, this book deals with her discovery that a best friend is not the same person he always was and that she needs to give him up in order to grow up. The plot was good, but typically teen angst. The recipes included were a nice touch.
Aug 19, 2008
One of the best things about A la Carte is how the main character, Lainey, is patiently, lovingly, painstakingly devoted to experimenting with her cooking. We get to "play along" as she creates her dishes.
The writing here is like the recipes themselves: never showy or overly gooey, but instead, well-crafted and devoted to the right details that make a dish (or a book) worth savoring.
The writing here is like the recipes themselves: never showy or overly gooey, but instead, well-crafted and devoted to the right details that make a dish (or a book) worth savoring.
Dec 24, 2011
Brianna
rated it:
A fine book about a girl who makes some stupid decisions and then has to deal with the consequences. Elaine is a tough character to connect with, so that's why I can only give this book 3 stars. The descriptions of food throughout the book were killer - it definitely made me very hungry.
Aug 14, 2009
Dani
rated it:
Davis does a good job of portraying the push and pull that can occure between a mother and a teenage daughter even when the daughter is a "good girl". The story is also a good illustration of what it can feel like when you outgrow a friendship.
Feb 03, 2012
Jan 31, 2012
