savagemommy's review against another edition
3.0
Recommended by my librarians. I wouldn’t have picked it up on my own. Cute, lovable imperfect characters. A little predictable.
leonore_book's review against another edition
2.0
It was hard to get into this book. It's very high school drama and didn't remotely get interesting until past page 250.
halfcentreader's review against another edition
4.0
What a pleasing story. There was plenty of family tension but in the end the characters grow and there is resolution. I must search out a good fried chicken joint on my future travels ;)
readingjax's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted it to be a new Fried Green Tomatoes, but it just felt like a shallow hallmark movie with no redeeming qualities. And then I found out it’s Reese’s book club pick for the month and I just KNOW she’s going to cast herself as Mae in the movie version which I won’t watch until its on Netflix and I’m too sad not to care about character development or plot substance.
drb5232's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Reading about a food competition reality show is right up my alley! Expect lots of family feuding, an uplifting ending, and a strong craving for fried chicken!
carlyrabbit's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
siobhanward's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Reese's Book Club Pick 35/64
While the plot of this book was decent (albeit a bit predictable, but that's ok), I found Amanda so hard to read. Mae was fine - she was a pain in her own way, but at least she was mostly self-aware. Amanda just want through the whole story whining that nothing was ever her fault and that it was always someone else's fault. Sure, Mae left town and abandoned Amanda and their mother - but Amanda wasn't spending time with her mother either, she was off with her mother-in-law. I'm really not sure how I was supposed to care about Amanda - I understand she had a lot that happened to her, but every scene was her whining about her life, her childhood, her sister, etc.
Anyway, Amanda aside the book was decent - some of the characters were interesting and deserved more time, but a lot of them felt like caricatures more than real people. However, I thought the restaurant plot was fun and enjoyed the premise enough that the book was a quick read.
While the plot of this book was decent (albeit a bit predictable, but that's ok), I found Amanda so hard to read. Mae was fine - she was a pain in her own way, but at least she was mostly self-aware. Amanda just want through the whole story whining that nothing was ever her fault and that it was always someone else's fault. Sure, Mae left town and abandoned Amanda and their mother - but Amanda wasn't spending time with her mother either, she was off with her mother-in-law. I'm really not sure how I was supposed to care about Amanda - I understand she had a lot that happened to her, but every scene was her whining about her life, her childhood, her sister, etc.
Anyway, Amanda aside the book was decent - some of the characters were interesting and deserved more time, but a lot of them felt like caricatures more than real people. However, I thought the restaurant plot was fun and enjoyed the premise enough that the book was a quick read.
rva_reader's review against another edition
3.0
Eh this wasn’t my favorite RW pick. The plot was OK but I didn’t really care for the main characters.
jggiggle's review against another edition
5.0
Great book but drags a little - it primarily takes place during 4 days of filming but the days are endless.