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Salty, Bitter, Sweet

Mayra Cuevas (Goodreads Author)

3.76 · Rating details · 402 ratings · 143 reviews

“Happiness, like love, arrives through the kitchen. At least that’s what my abuela Lala used to say. I may not know much about love, but I definitely got the kitchen part down.”

Seventeen-year-old aspiring chef Isabella Fields’ family life has fallen apart after the death of her Cuban abuela and the divorce of her parents. She moves in with her dad and his new wife in Franc ...more

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Hardcover, 320 pages

Published March 3rd 2020 by Blink

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· 402 ratings · 143 reviews

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Mar 25, 2020 Berit☀️✨ rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020, advanced-reader-copy, arc-physical, blog-tour

Food, family, forgiveness, fun.

This was a sweet and salty story about family, with a splash of romance and a ton of food. Isa has moved to France to live with her father and her new stepmother. She is not terribly fond of her new stepmother especially because she caught her kissing her father before her parents were divorced. The situation is not helped by the fact that stepmom is now pregnant and refuses to eat the food that Isa makes. When Isa’s new step brother Diego shows up things get even ...more

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Mar 16, 2020 Mackenzie - PhDiva Books rated it liked it

A coming-of-age novel about an American teenager who is living in France with her father and attending a high-caliber cooking program. With dreams of becoming a Michelin-star chef, a troubled relationship with her father and his new family, and a love-interest, Isabella has her plate full. A charming story with a lot of heart and some amazing food descriptions.

Isa had the misfortune of witnessing her father kissing a woman who wasn’t her mother. Following the incident were months of fighting, a ...more

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Jan 31, 2020 Fadwa (Word Wonders) added it

Shelves: 2020-releases, contemporary, bipoc, young-adult, sent-for-review

CW: colorism, death of a relative from hepatitis, grief, ableism (especially in regards to addiction).

DNF @ 40%

Even though I promised myself last year that I will be more liberal with DNFing books I am not liking, here I am still feeling bad about doing it but at least, I'm getting better at it, right? SALTY BITTER SWEET sounds amazing on paper, a book about a French-Cuban American girl who is trilingual, passionate about cooking and wants to make a career out of it, who also faces complicated CW: colorism, death of a relative from hepatitis, grief, ableism (especially in regards to addiction).

DNF @ 40%

Even though I promised myself last year that I will be more liberal with DNFing books I am not liking, here I am still feeling bad about doing it but at least, I'm getting better at it, right? SALTY BITTER SWEET sounds amazing on paper, a book about a French-Cuban American girl who is trilingual, passionate about cooking and wants to make a career out of it, who also faces complicated a fresh parental divorce, complicated family dynamics and grief over her grandma's passing, when said grandma was the center of her world. On paper. But the execution of it all left a lot to be desired, at least in the 40% that I read before I gave so bare in my mind that this is a review strictly of what I read and not of the entire book as I don't know what happens later on.

SALTY BITTER SWEET does have some positives to it. Although the story didn't really manage to grip me in the beginning, I chalked that out to it not being written for me as I'm not a teenager and have been recently growing out of YA contemporary, so I didn't really fault it for that, I could still see everything that it did well. First is all the cooking parts had me salivating, so much focus on the kitchen and our main character being laser focus on her passion and getting into an apprenticeship that would open up many many doors for her, while I could also see that her focus didn't solely stem from passion but it also also a way for Isa to escape her dysfunctional family dynamics, with a father who seems to have done a 180 on everything that made her the man she grew up around her whole life, a stepmom who barely acknowledges her existence and seems to dislike everything she does, and a boy, Diego, who is making it all worse. To top it all off, this whole family is very dismissive of her endeavors that they don't take seriously and downright undermine at times.

I saw a few reviews say that the romance is ~taboo~ because a stepbrother/sister romance but I'll have to disagree. Diego is the son of Isa's stepmom's ex-husband. So he's not even related to her, let alone to Isa? And they didn't grow up together nor know of each other's existence until the book started. So you'll have to excuse me if I think that's a bit of a stretch. And I say this as someone who wasn't really fan of the romance in the bit that's I've read, not only because it was barely budding when I stopped reading but also because they're mutually assholes to each other. Isa dislikes him right off the bat for no real reason but then he starts hindering her kitchen progress and not really taking her hurt seriously. All of this is fine as I might have continued reading but then a couple things made me stop:

- There was this passage where the main character encounters people struggling with addiction (not saying how or where because spoilers), but although there are a few of them but the only one whose race is pointed out is the Black man in a way where the MC thought to herself "I can't believe that Bubba, the sweet Black man I've known for so long had an addiction problem too", and this rubbed me the wrong way for two reasons. 1/ Addiction doesn't have a "look" to it, there isn't one type of person that struggles with it, so the fact that she's shocked "a sweet man" struggles with it is...not it. 2/ Why was it necessary to have the Black man's race pointed out when no one else's was? it didn't bring anything to the story and enforces stereotypes. I shrugged this off on account of it being such a fleeting minor part of the story, but then a trope I despise showed up.

- Isa suffers from the "Not like other girls" syndrome. There were bits and pieces of it sprinkled in the beginning but nothing to make me think that the book would go all out with the cliché but then this quote happened and I just needed to cut my loses especially since I wasn't really invested in the story to begin with:
Once I entered high school, the pretty girls were so predictable, daubing on lip gloss in the bathroom mirror or styling their hair with a curling iron until it has the "messy-after-sex" look. I never knew what they meant, And what's so special about using lipgloss and curling irons? Ask any of them to make the perfect lemon zest whipped cream and they would probably go to the stopre and get a tub of Cool Whip, an artificial imitation
In 2020? really? it's great to be passionate about cooking, and it's also great to like makeup, but flash news, some people also like both??

Like I said I didn't read enough to see if the MC grows and changes her ways so I don't know if this is a pattern throughout the whole book. I saw a couple reviews say that the second half is much better which I sincerely hope is true because this book has some potential to be a teaching moment for the MC and have a really great character growth ARC, but I'm sadly not invested enough to push through the things I disliked to find out. ...more

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Feb 17, 2020 Antonella rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, fav-cover, ya

Salty, Bitter, Sweet is a young adult novel dedicated to food & family.
There is a lot of talk about grief and forgiveness in it, but also some romance.
I guess the title is perfect as it ties everything nicely together.

I liked how you can just tell that both food and family are very important to the author. It just pours from pages of this book. I loved her connection with her Abuela as I could relate to it. It is very familiar to me; healing through food. If you love YA contemporary, own voic ...more

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Feb 08, 2020 Samantha (WLABB) rated it really liked it

Shelves: outside-us, romance, diverse, arcs, ya, contemporary

She lost her Lala and her family was in shambles, but Isa was going to make the most of the situation. She earned a spot in a prestigious summer cooking program, which could lead to a once-in-a-lifetime internship with a renowned chef, but would she be able to hold it together, and win the internship?

• Pro: This book was filled with fantastic female characters. Two stood out, Isa's abuela and Chef Troissant. Both women set the bar high for Isa, and she was better for it.

• Pro: It was sort of sa She lost her Lala and her family was in shambles, but Isa was going to make the most of the situation. She earned a spot in a prestigious summer cooking program, which could lead to a once-in-a-lifetime internship with a renowned chef, but would she be able to hold it together, and win the internship?

• Pro: This book was filled with fantastic female characters. Two stood out, Isa's abuela and Chef Troissant. Both women set the bar high for Isa, and she was better for it.

• Pro: It was sort of sad, that I only got to know abuela Lala via flashbacks, because I loved her more and more with every new detail revealed. The love she gave to Isa and the lessons she passed on to her were priceless, but her community service endeared her even more to me, because it showed how HUGE her heart was, and what a beautiful person she was.

• Pro: This was a rough couple of weeks for Isa. She was still dealing with grief and guilt surrounding her Lala's death, as well as her parents' divorce. Combine that with the high stress atmosphere of the summer cooking program, and it was easy to see why Isa was struggling so much. She was lucky to find a friendship with the two other women in the program, and then she met Diego, who helped her see things a bit differently. She grew so much, and I loved the direction Cuevas took her in.

• Pro: I adored the way Diego busted into Isa's world and knocked her off balance. Not only was he a handsome boy, there to win her heart, he also brought a lot of insight with him regarding chasing and evaluating your dreams.

• Pro: Isa thought she had it all figured out, but once she was there, in that professional kitchen, she had to step back and reevaluate her dream. I really appreciated this aspect of her story, because it took into account the sacrifice required, its toll on her, and if it was really her dream.

• Pro: Caveat reader - do not read on an empty stomach, because there is a LOT of cooking and eating going on in this book, and many of the scenes involving food are accompanied by very detailed and mouthwatering descriptions.

Overall: A story about redefining your dreams, family, friendship, and fantastic food, which I rather enjoyed.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS ...more

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Dec 01, 2019 Caro rated it it was ok

*sigh* i have a lot of thoughts and not many of them are good :'/

update: dropping down my rating to 2, cause the mere thought of this book makes me boil. ...more

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Mar 05, 2020 Bethany rated it it was amazing

Salty, Bitter, Sweet is a wonderfully nuanced coming of age story that will definitely leave you hungry! It also features a prickly young heroine who, among other things, finds love. I suspect some mixed or
negative reviews will be due to this "unlikeable" (but realistic?) teen girl character. Prickly girls need love too guys! Honestly, this was little slow to get into, but it really crept up on me and I ended up loving it. It tackles complicated family dynamics, grief, love, identity, and lear Salty, Bitter, Sweet is a wonderfully nuanced coming of age story that will definitely leave you hungry! It also features a prickly young heroine who, among other things, finds love. I suspect some mixed or
negative reviews will be due to this "unlikeable" (but realistic?) teen girl character. Prickly girls need love too guys! Honestly, this was little slow to get into, but it really crept up on me and I ended up loving it. It tackles complicated family dynamics, grief, love, identity, and learning to balance what is and isn't worth sacrificing for the career that you want. It really feels like a book for teens and I hope many of them read it. This is #ownvoices for the Latinx representation.

Isabella is and aspiring chef of mixed identity, finding herself at the intersection of Cuban, American, and French. She is in France competing for a highly coveted culinary apprenticeship, while also dealing with the loss of her Cuban grandmother, the end of her parents marriage, and the imminent arrival of a new half-sibling born to her fathers mistress turned new wife. Isa is a culinary perfectionist, determined to win the sole spot in the apprenticeship, but the arrival of Diego, a very handsome yet frustrating boy (the son of her step-mom's ex-husband, in case things weren't complicated enough) throws a wrench in some of her plans. To be clear, Isa and Diego are in no way related, did not grow up together, and he is not even related to her stepmom.

Isa is incredibly dedicated to her work in the kitchen, but slowly awakens to the realities of highly competitive, Michillin starred kitchens and must grapple with whether the pressure of being at the top is really what she wants for herself. Throughout the story we also learn more about her relationship with her (wonderful) abuela and the importance of food and recipes to her family history and sense of community. The food descriptions are often mouthwatering, but are also deeply rooted in culture, love, and community. It's incredibly rich, much like all of the French desserts that I am now dying to try!

I love the nuanced discussion here of deciding what is really important to you and what you are willing to sacrifice. And there aren't black and white answers. What might be right for Isa isn't necessarily right for another character. I also loved how this brings in an issue that is too rarely discussed with young people- the difficulty of having work/life balance in high-pressure careers. We meet a side character who had been a top ranked chef with her own restaurant who had to re-evaluate her career when she had her first child. She didn't abandon it, but the realities of motherhood did necessitate some degree of shifting priorities so that she could keep her sense of joy in both career and family. I don't know that teens are always prepared for how true to life that will be when they grow up under such pressure to achieve and be the best. I applaud the author for tackling this in such a practical way.

I could go on, but suffice to say that I think this book is well worth picking up. It is very self-aware and has a lot to unpack. Isa certainly isn't perfect, but she has a clear arc of growth and I can definitely relate to having been a more difficult teenager who needed to develop greater empathy. I received an advance copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

CW include divorce, discussions of parental infidelity, high-risk delivery scare with stepmother's pregnancy, colorism, loss of a loved one due to hepatitis from a needle. ...more

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Mar 02, 2020 Lisa Mandina rated it really liked it

4.5 stars.

So honestly, I really adored this book! It was such an easy read, I mean I couldn’t stop turning pages. And with no page numbers in the ARC, I was unsure if that would make it seem like it took longer to read, like e-books do when they don’t have page numbers, but it didn’t. I flew through this book, even though it is over 300 pages long. The characters were really a lot of fun, I loved Isa especially. I guess it is totally possible that one thing that I loved about the book was that 4.5 stars.

So honestly, I really adored this book! It was such an easy read, I mean I couldn’t stop turning pages. And with no page numbers in the ARC, I was unsure if that would make it seem like it took longer to read, like e-books do when they don’t have page numbers, but it didn’t. I flew through this book, even though it is over 300 pages long. The characters were really a lot of fun, I loved Isa especially. I guess it is totally possible that one thing that I loved about the book was that parts of it were kind of set in Wyandotte County in Kansas, which is where the school I work at is located. Isa’s grandma, or Lala as she called her because she had trouble pronouncing abuela as a child, lived there. Of course, all of the little tidbits that made me smile for that part of the world definitely caused this to have a special place in my heart. But it really wasn’t just that.

Most of the story actually takes place in France, so that made for some interesting cuisines! All of the different food was mouth-watering to read about. Well, except for some gross sounding foods. But all the pastries and the different recipes she tried not only for her cooking class, but also just for her family, made me hungry as I was reading.

I also really enjoyed reading the parts about what it was like when Isa got the chance to actually work in the kitchen as they prepared for a big guest for their master chef’s restaurant. I liked how Isa was stressed and didn’t enjoy all of it, while the other girl did, and then the know-it-all boy had his own interesting experience as well. It was great to see all the different people and situations that helped Isa realize whether this cooking was truly her dream and future, or if maybe she wanted something a bit different.

There was definitely parts in the story that showed just how much a chef’s world is still a man’s world for the most part, even as so often women are expected to be the ones to do all the cooking in the home. The romance was just enough for the story, the family drama was good, although maybe a bit much at times, however it did work out perfectly in the end in a way that I think wrapped up the story perfectly.

I definitely recommend this one and can’t wait to buy a finished copy to put in my school library to share with my students, who live and go to school in Wyandotte County, Kansas.

Review originally published on Lisa Loves Literature. ...more

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Apr 05, 2020 Runwright rated it really liked it

Like a really good menu, the title encapsulates the tastes on offer with this novel, served like a well-served three-course meal would be presented on your table. Character presentation also matches the personalities being introduced, although each individual offers some degree of salty, bitter and sweet in their interactions. I enjoyed the complexities of their past and how each one incorporates their past, like raw ingredients, to make their own cuisine. Although our main girl,Isa, is the che ...more

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Mar 09, 2020 Nat ⭐️ rated it it was ok

Shelves: arcs, anticipated-2020, start-on-your-shelf-a-thon, arc-apocalypse-2020, popsugar-reading-challenge-2020

Actual rating: 2.5 stars (rounded down)
TW: loss of a loved one, (brief) mentions of racism and colorism, mentions of substance abuse, spousal infidelity

I accidentally deleted my previous, much more in-depth review, but it was probably way too long and ramble-y anyway. Here are my main points:

- This book explores a lot of topics but never really develops one main idea. As a result, it almost feels like no idea is fully realized by the end of the book. I wish some parts were either cut or minimize ...more

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Jan 02, 2020 It's Jess✨ rated it it was amazing

If you like With the Fire on High or ANY cooking show this book is for you. I am no chef (I barely make pasta and eggs) but the visual explanation of the prep and execution of meals literally had my mouth watering. It makes me want to learn how to cook!

I love the family dynamic it is just complex as real life but with a hint of hope. The divorce representation was good, I only wish to have seen the mother possibly find happiness as the father did.
As a Cuban/African-American having an Abuela wh ...more

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Mar 08, 2020 mindful.librarian ☀️ rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, advanced-reader-copies, aoc, young-adult

(free review copy) An #ownvoices sweet teen foodie romance set in France with themes of fitting in, grief and family. The main character is Cuban / French and is based on the author’s teen years. I enjoyed the story, but I listened to the audiobook and I feel like the narration was a bit overdramatized - I may have loved it if I had read it on paper. Recommended for fans of YA travel and cooking stories.

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Feb 10, 2020 Gabi rated it really liked it

I loved it! It was emotional and I loved seeing her sweet relationship with her late grandmother. The romance was cute and I enjoyed it a lot, though I would've preferred if the love interest hadn't been her new stepmom's ex-stepson. He could've easily been the son of an old family friend of Margo's, rather than being Isa's not-stepbrother. Other than that, it was cute seeing her go from being annoyed with him to pining for him. I also loved the descriptions of food. This book made me hungry! ...more

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Mar 08, 2020 Tiffany Heitz rated it really liked it

Loved this book about finding your true passion and ffoooodddd.

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Jan 12, 2021 Giselle rated it it was amazing

This book was so amazing, it was written so beautifully and the romance was so perfect. I think I really needed this book today, just something to get lost in and this was the perfect one.

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Jan 27, 2020 Kita rated it liked it

For me, Salty, Bitter, Sweet was a book of two halves. The bad news: one half is not that great. The good news: the other half is uplifting, life-affirming, inspiring and has stayed with me after finishing. So if you can push through a lacklustre and slightly infuriating first half, you’re in for a real treat.

The book spans a three week time period, during which Isabella (Isa) undertakes a punishing apprenticeship in a Michelin starred kitchen, meets her new step-mother’s ex-step-son, and reflec For me, Salty, Bitter, Sweet was a book of two halves. The bad news: one half is not that great. The good news: the other half is uplifting, life-affirming, inspiring and has stayed with me after finishing. So if you can push through a lacklustre and slightly infuriating first half, you’re in for a real treat.

The book spans a three week time period, during which Isabella (Isa) undertakes a punishing apprenticeship in a Michelin starred kitchen, meets her new step-mother’s ex-step-son, and reflects on her family and her future. Isa is a fantastic main character – passionate and driven, but occasionally blinkered by her own excellence when it comes to her relationships with others. Her history and her personality are fleshed out fantastically throughout the book. I want to date her, I want to be her friend, I want her to be my sister. Isa is fantastic.

But the extent of my love for Isa is also one of the reasons I found the first half of this book quite difficult. I don’t want to delve too deeply into spoiler-territory, but until about that midpoint almost everyone seems completely awful to Isa. I’m not insensitive to the way her kitchen-focus could alienate her from those around her, but the casual cruelty with which her family seem to treat both her and her lifelong dream is jarring. It’s possible that this is intentional on Cuevas’ part, highlighting the difficulties that arise when families merge. But while I felt this teething-problems type struggle with her father and step-mother, the love interest, Diego, spends the first part of the book being really quite unlikeable. He is all but openly derisive of her passion for haute cuisine and takes up a huge amount of emotional and physical space right of the bat. Isa’s attraction to him is initially confusing, given the way he treats her.

But the Diego of the second half of the story is a very different creature. Sensitive and thoughtful, using his own history to open a dialogue with Isa instead of insisting his experiences can be extrapolated universally, he becomes a much more compelling romantic lead.

However, the true stars in this story are the other women Isa meets as part of her apprenticeship – two fellow hopefuls and a chef. The book explores the way i which life in a top kitchen can be difficult for women than it is for men, and gives opportunities for Isa to both fail and succeed in supporting other women in a stressful profession. Isa’s relationship with her abuela – Lala – told through memories and flashbacks is also of note: this is a relationship that is very much alive, and colours everything Isa does. Lala reminds me a little of my wonderful Italian aunt Marina – not so much into the baking, but very much into the power of food as love and pressing it urgently on anyone close by. The history of Isa’s family that unspools throughout the story adds another dimension, running parallel to the stresses of a professional kitchen.

I love cooking but am no expert, so I loved the kitchen scenes in this book but can’t speak to how accurate they may be! The blend of cultures and languages, from Cuban home cooking to French haute cuisine, really make the book come alive. Isa’s own journey through the professional kitchen she finds herself in is interesting, exciting and well-paced. Unfortunately, the stop-start romance and changeable romantic lead mean that the romance plot is not as good as the kitchen plot. However, the blend well towards the end and the story is ultimately a very heartwarming, inspirational and fulfilling one. This is also a book I feel like I could talk about at length – I would love to bring it to a book club or sit down and really get into it with a fellow reader, which isn’t something I always feel!

As a bit of a foodie and someone struggling with their own thoughts about their future and career, I really enjoyed this book and will probably pick up a hard copy when it comes out. It’s also reinspired my passion for baking, which can never be a bad thing! However, the nature of the first half has to affect my rating. I also think that if you’re not someone who has at least a passing interest in food, or kitchen reality shows, you may struggle with some of this book. But the setting is vibrant and lovely throughout, bringing the French countrysides and markets to life, and Isa’s own attitude, heritage and passions will make her a character I won’t forget in a very long time.

See my other reviews at my blog: https://blackcatreadz.wordpress.com/ ...more

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Feb 21, 2020 Sara rated it really liked it

Salty Bitter Sweet is a moving, introspective, and DELICIOUS read! It’s about Isa, a French-Cuban American girl who speaks three languages and is a talented cook who grew up learning her grandma Lala’s recipes, like her county fair famous apple pie.

What I loved about this book is that Isa isn’t a plain white girl who thinks she’s better than everyone because she has talent in the kitchen. Ugh what a cliche. Isa is French-Cuban and works damn hard to be a good cook and baker. She toils hard in t Salty Bitter Sweet is a moving, introspective, and DELICIOUS read! It’s about Isa, a French-Cuban American girl who speaks three languages and is a talented cook who grew up learning her grandma Lala’s recipes, like her county fair famous apple pie.

What I loved about this book is that Isa isn’t a plain white girl who thinks she’s better than everyone because she has talent in the kitchen. Ugh what a cliche. Isa is French-Cuban and works damn hard to be a good cook and baker. She toils hard in the kitchen to make sure she gets the recipes correctly. She doesn’t think she’s the best cook there is, but she wants to be the best she can be. I liked that it didn’t just come easily to her. I always hate when main characters are talented but don’t work hard to be good at their talent. That’s not to say she isn’t talented though because Isa is enrolled at a renowned and competitive kitchen apprenticeship.

Isa works hard in the kitchen due to the fact that her life has gone through some serious changes recently: her grandma Lala passing away, her parents getting divorced, and now her dad is having a kid with her new stepmom. It would be tough for any teen to deal with, so it makes sense that Isa turns to cooking.

I like Isa as a character because she works hard at cooking, she’s friendly and kind, cares deeply for people, and thinks a lot about the past and the things she would’ve done differently. Despite the upheaval of her life courtesy of her dad and her new stepmom not warming to Isa (and vice versa), Isa still cooks for her dad and her new stepmom. She isn’t a grumpy, moody teenager. She takes the steps to be there for her dad and be kind to her stepmom.

And Diego! OMG! I liked him right from the get-go! Yes, he’s Isa’s stepmom’s stepson, (that’s a mouthful!) but it isn’t creepy or weird at all. Isa and Diego aren’t related and don’t even live in the same house. Diego, and his cute dog Beluga, lives in the guest house. He’s fun and adventurous and kind and he’s there for Isa.

And the FOOD! I wanted everything that Isa cooked or ate throughout the book, from her grandma Lala’s apple pies to the foods she tortured over at the apprenticeship to the bakery goods she ate with Pippa and Lucia to the meals she shared with Diego. *drool*

A few minor things I didn’t like: that it seemed like the tension between Isa and her dad never really got resolved. Their relationship got better with time, but she was so hung up about why he left her mom and that was never resolved. Or at least to me it didn’t seem like it. And why was her mom barely in this book? No phone calls or texts or visits. She went to visit her mom once and it was so quick. It was just weird to me.

I really enjoyed reading this and seeing what it’s like to be a chef apprentice and compete again other talented cooks in France. It was moving and fun and made me want to eat all the things!

*Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy. ...more

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Jun 18, 2020 Theresa Milstein rated it liked it

I enjoy books about cooking and family, so I was looking forward to reading this book. I love the cooking descriptions. Isabella's passion is contagious. The settings of the kitchens and restaurants were vivid and interesting. I also thought the idea of passing recipes through generations was lovely. I appreciated that her parents were from different cultures and how that influenced her, and sometimes how people judged her. But quite a few things bothered me. I listened to the afterword, so I go I enjoy books about cooking and family, so I was looking forward to reading this book. I love the cooking descriptions. Isabella's passion is contagious. The settings of the kitchens and restaurants were vivid and interesting. I also thought the idea of passing recipes through generations was lovely. I appreciated that her parents were from different cultures and how that influenced her, and sometimes how people judged her. But quite a few things bothered me. I listened to the afterword, so I got that the author wanted girls to know they could do things are their own terms. But the execution left me with the opposite impression. Pretty much everyone is unkind to the main character and tries to talk her out of her dream. I explain more in the spoilers below.

****** SPOILERS *******

The parts that bothered me:

The two girls in her prestigious cooking group--one goes on a drunken rant. Isabella never calls her out. Hurt, Isabella retaliates. And the way she retaliates is fine because students aren't supposed out help each other out. Better she ignored her than mislead her. But still, the "friend" questioned her right to cook French food because she only had one French parent and basically called her a terrible chef. Being drunk and saying those things doesn't give you a free pass. Then Isabella spends a lot of the book feeling bad, apologizing, and never telling the other girl how she hurt her. The love interest never bothers to find out why she loves cooking and pushes her not to be ambitious until it's clear she'll cook for family over being ambitious. His pressure was constant and obnoxious. He started the book by mansplaining and caused a fire. He never apologized. And then he joked (not funny) about needing a fire extinguisher when she cooked at the end of the book. The father and boyfriend eat an important dessert she needs for school--they don't apologize. The new wife is a jerk to her; father doesn't care. Instead of studying, the love interest is insistent and petulant about Isabella taking a trip, on the weekend before the exam. Isabella throws the exam at the end because everyone told her she had to do something else and she made it her wish too.

What if felt to me was like internalized sexism. One baker tells the main character she had to walk away from her Michelin-star position because she had husband and a kid and you can't have it all. NOBODY ever says this to men. Another female chef talked about how the male chef took her glory. The only kitchen Isabella witnessed was borderline cartoonish because few could afford to keep making their staff cook and throw away large quantities of food. There was no example of successful woman chefs in a man's world or a regular restaurant with a normal atmosphere. The message was to find your own way because men won't make room. I say a better message is make your own room. ...more

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Mar 06, 2020 Stephanie Jane rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction-americas

See more of my book reviews on my blog, Literary Flits

I picked out Salty, Bitter, Sweet by Mayra Cuevas from NetGalley because of its Own Voices authorship. Isabella's part-Latina heritage is an important aspect of this authentically complicated character's emotional makeup. Still reeling from emotional family upheavals, Isabella's need to find herself a new way to belong reminded me of similar themes in Natalie Tan's Book of Love and Fortune by Roselle Lim. Both novels are essentially foodie co See more of my book reviews on my blog, Literary Flits

I picked out Salty, Bitter, Sweet by Mayra Cuevas from NetGalley because of its Own Voices authorship. Isabella's part-Latina heritage is an important aspect of this authentically complicated character's emotional makeup. Still reeling from emotional family upheavals, Isabella's need to find herself a new way to belong reminded me of similar themes in Natalie Tan's Book of Love and Fortune by Roselle Lim. Both novels are essentially foodie coming-of-age stories for which I would strongly recommend having plenty of snacks to hand whilst reading! If you love your food as much as I do Salty, Bitter, Sweet will make you hungry!

I loved how Cuevas incorporates French and Spanish locations and language into her novel. Despite Isabella being American herself, Salty, Bitter, Sweet feels like a European novel. I recognised the portrayals of Lyon and Barcelona from my own visits, and the swirl of cultural identities throughout the story reflects Isabella's own confusion about who she is and, perhaps more importantly at this stage of her life, who she wants to become. Her need to hide in a kitchen drives her culinary ambitions and she is obviously talented, however Cuevas shows how hanging our entire sense of ourselves onto one facet of our makeup is not a healthy way to live. I appreciated the correlations between Isabella's obsessive behaviour and Diego's similar situation. They are each at different stages of their emotional journeys, but this allows them to make a connection that might not otherwise have been possible - once they stop bickering that is.

Friendships, particularly female friendships, are featured prominently in Salty, Bitter, Sweet, with much of the culinary storyline taking place in an ultra masculine environment - a Michelin starred kitchen. I loved how Cuevas mutes the majority of the male characters though so, while we are always aware that the three female students are very much the minority, for us they carry the focus. Cuevas shows the dark side of what it takes to become 'the best', leaving me questioning why such hostility and angst is considered essential to creating high quality food. I, too, would rather eat imperfectly cut chips cooked with love! ...more

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Mar 10, 2020 Danielle Zimmerman rated it really liked it

SALTY BITTER SWEET will have your mouth watering from the very first page. Chock full of discussions about food, people, and the way it can change lives, it’s practically a main character in its own right. From delectable desserts such as apple pie and flan to chicken dinners and even hamburgers, there’s so much joy in the descriptions of food, even when situations are less than joyous in the characters’ lives.

This is a story of family and the ways in which food brings us together and witnesses ...more

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Apr 21, 2020 Fabulous Book Fiend rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020-reads, romance, ya, audiobooks

Oh this book had a little bit of everything and so therefore I ended up falling in love with Isa and her story.

Isa is a great character to spend time with because she is at the stage in life where you think you have your identity as part of a family figured out and then you realise you really don’t. I love the fact that Isa is from Chicago with a French mother, a Cuban grandmother and is there in France with her father to pursue her dreams of being a chef-what a great mix for a novel.

As if the ...more

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Apr 23, 2020 Kathy - Books & Munches rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc-s

Triggers: Mention of suicide, detailed description of cutting up a chicken

This story didn't start off all that great for me. And.. I think that ruined a lot. But it's not the only reason this book didn't click.

First off, this story is about Isa. A main character I really didn't connect with due to her general disrespect towards people, being egocentric and having overly dramatic tendencies. At least, those are the things that stuck with me at the time of writing this review. Obnoxious is another ...more

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Jun 12, 2020 Emilie Haney rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook, review-copy, ya-contemporary

This one was a fun, foodie-filled book that played on my not so secret dreams of becoming a pastry chef. Okay, I know that'll never happen, but it was fun reading about it...until it wasn't. In Cuevas's book we get a real look at life in a high-powered kitchen in France where I'm sure she didn't over play the stressful details put upon these teens.

Initially Isabella, Isa, was a really hard character for me to like. I understood that she really needed to have that 'perfection' trait in order for ...more

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Jan 13, 2020 Rachel rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult

In Salty, Bitter, Sweet, seventeen-year-old Isabella Fields is trying to move forward after her abuela’s death and her parent’s divorce, particularly the part where her dad cheated on her mom, remarried, and has a new baby on the way. She’s spending the summer with her father, though, because of his proximity to a summer apprenticeship she’s attending. To make matters more complicated, her new stepmother’s former stepson shows up unannounced and moves in…and he is HOT.

This set-up would make for ...more

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Nov 20, 2020 Olivia Fink rated it really liked it

Shelves: giveaway-wins, audiobooks-i-have-listened-to

3.75*

Received copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am surprised at how much I liked this book. It is hard for me to give over a 3 star for any contemporary books because they all just seam the same to me but this one was different. I think the main reason I enjoyed this one was because it was like reading a cooking competition. But I am glad it wasn't all just the competition. This book had many different layers and every conflict and separate story line flowed really well together. I love h ...more

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Oct 09, 2020 Jacqueline Firkins rated it it was amazing

Shelves: book-dresses, ya-contemporary

More sweet than salty or bitter, this novel is full of traits I thoroughly enjoyed:

1. a complicated, flawed heroine who doesn't always say and do the right thing
2. the kind of friendships that weather conflict
3. complex but loving family dynamics
4. a central theme around ambition and perfectionism I think a lot of readers can relate to
5. a dog that adds a hint of conflict at humour at just the right moments
6. a high stakes competition
7. an electric kiss

Most of all I enjoyed Isa's journey as she ...more

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Jan 05, 2020 JustYourFriendlyReader rated it liked it

Sweet, warm and friendly, this book tells about a teenage girl striving for her dream of workingin a professional kitchen. For three weeks, she is part of an intensive course in the restaurant of a famous French chef. At the end of the course, one participant will win a coveted apprenticeship.
Alng the way, Isabella must deal with her new stepmother, her grief over her grandmother, her relationship with her father after his affair and subsequent divorce for Isabella's mother. And the infuriating ...more

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Apr 14, 2020 High Plains Library District rated it it was amazing

Shelves: cassandra, teen

This was a wonderful story to read! I absolutely loved it! What I really enjoyed most was the combination of family dynamics, sharing of recipes and the challenges and struggles that the characters overcame. I think tweens, teens and adults will love this book!

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Apr 24, 2020 Camden added it

I was fully prepared to make a joke like, and they were stepsiblings! oh my god they were stepsiblings.....

but then I read the author's note where she said her stepsons inspired the "Hot Spaniard", the male love interest, and my soul left my goddamn body. what the fuck ...more

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Dec 26, 2019 Previouslyunread (Rhiannon) rated it really liked it

Isa is a chef. She can cook up a storm and she’s even won a spot at a prestigious restarurant for a special summer school.

All is not what it seems though, Isa’a life is far from perfect, her dads new girlfriend seems to hate her and now Diego has turned up and everything seems to be going wrong.

Salty, Bitter, Sweet follows Isa through her summer school as she learns what she wants from life and finally learns how to move on from the death of a loved one.

I found this book so sweet, it reminded m ...more

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