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amandashestokes's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent YA - I felt so deeply for all the characters and just want the very best for them. I loved the way the author wrote Emoni’s character and her journey - we get to see her learning and growing, making mistakes, but not in a whiny teen YA way. She has a lot on her plate and has had to grow up fast and we see that in this teen mom. Just loved it.
And if all teen boys were like Malachi, we’d all sleep a little more soundly for the teen girls in our lives.
And if all teen boys were like Malachi, we’d all sleep a little more soundly for the teen girls in our lives.
root_reads989's review against another edition
3.0
For the sugar, spice and positive vibes in your life.
woobat's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this, but didn’t love it as much as “The Poet X” or “Clap when you land”. I think I just love Acevedo’s verse more than her straight up prose. I did adore Emoni’s relationships with the women and girls in her life: her abuela, her daughter, her best friend Angelica. And I liked that the men and boys in her life gradually stepped up more over the course of the book, and at the same time she started to trust that they would step up. A few things felt a bit abrupt - like I didn’t seem them developing in Emoni’s head (even though she’s the narrator) before she said them to other characters. Still I totally enjoyed it. I listened to it on audio, and Acevedo narrates, which is perfect.
bearprof's review against another edition
5.0
*This* should be a go-to coming-of-age book in schools now. Excellent, excellent read.
om_sammy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I'm always a fan of Acevedo's works, and this was no different. She has a way of breathing life into her characters that make them seem so real, like you can really see them walking down the halls of your school, or around your neighbourhood. As always, her writing style is beautiful; I've always thought she had a way of writing that sounded like poetry (and then I found out that she's actually a slam poet so it all started to make sense). Her writing really pulls you in as a reader, and her use of poetic descriptions puts into words all of the feelings and emotions that can't be described. It's not often you read a book about a teen mother, but this was a refreshing story that proves to readers that even when life deals you a bad hand, you can still make the best of it and follow your dreams. Acevedo's able to write heartbreakingly real-life scenarios that manage to make you feel ALL the feels, and yet still end on an optimistic note.
kingkiller99's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I was reading Misery before this, but had to switch after the 2024 election. This was such a heartwarming story about love and family and cooking—it was exactly what I needed. Even though it was YA, I found myself really enjoying it and I enjoyed reading all about the food Emoni made too!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy
cudaaman's review against another edition
4.0
Warm and lofe-affirming
This is a sweet story about Emoni, a teen mom in Philadelphia with a gift for cooking. She dreams of being a chef some day, but can she make it all work? This story has warmth, sweetness and recipes. What's not to like?
This is a sweet story about Emoni, a teen mom in Philadelphia with a gift for cooking. She dreams of being a chef some day, but can she make it all work? This story has warmth, sweetness and recipes. What's not to like?
cosmicwillow's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
this book is stunning. acevedo is truly a remarkable writer, and i adore everything ive read by her. she’s definitely cemented as an auto buy author for me. her prose is gorgeous and the stories she tells are visceral and emotional in their reality, and so so moving. ive particularly been intrigued by this book, but ive never read anything about a teen mom, and getting to know emoni, to know that while thats important its only a section of what makes her up. and it was delightful to get to know her, and especially to get to know her through her recipes–food tells so many stories, and acevedo delicately and vibrantly depicts this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Vomit
Moderate: Death of parent and Pregnancy
strange_bones_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Acevedo's writing is incredible. Her characters are dynamic, relatable, and unique, and the storytelling is amazing!
esotericreason's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 ☆ / 2.5 stars
i'm not certain how to properly express my feelings on this novel, as they are to quite a meager expenditure. i did indeed read the words on these pages for 400 and counting, with the imminent inclusion of a strangely placed and redundant recipe. i found, strangely enough, most of the happenings in this novel to be plain and extraneous, with few of them legitimately pertaining to the plot. the characters were unassuming and came off as bleakly lackluster. i found myself incapacitated by irritation within the midst of the many horrific decisions these characters decide to perilously embark upon. i aid this novel's rating with the inclusion of a couple stars solely because there is occasionally a line of prose that is able to be minorly appreciated. this novel, although bleak and primarily uninteresting, does offer an incredibly progressive view on teen pregnancy and is a somewhat refreshing rendering of the often cataclysmic circumstance.
i'm not certain how to properly express my feelings on this novel, as they are to quite a meager expenditure. i did indeed read the words on these pages for 400 and counting, with the imminent inclusion of a strangely placed and redundant recipe. i found, strangely enough, most of the happenings in this novel to be plain and extraneous, with few of them legitimately pertaining to the plot. the characters were unassuming and came off as bleakly lackluster. i found myself incapacitated by irritation within the midst of the many horrific decisions these characters decide to perilously embark upon. i aid this novel's rating with the inclusion of a couple stars solely because there is occasionally a line of prose that is able to be minorly appreciated. this novel, although bleak and primarily uninteresting, does offer an incredibly progressive view on teen pregnancy and is a somewhat refreshing rendering of the often cataclysmic circumstance.