Helpful Score: 11
I finished it in about a day but didn't think it lived up to all the hype I'd heard about it. Overall, just kind of an odd book.
Helpful Score: 9
ehh.. ok for a really really light read. Finished it in a few hours and wasn't changed after the experience. Nothing horrible about it, but it didn't live up to it's reviews in my opinion.
Helpful Score: 7
Eight (and soon to be nine) year old Rose has a peculiar relationship with food. She cannot simply eat food and enjoy it, because she tastes the emotions of the person who prepared the food. When her mother prepares a lemon cake from scratch for her birthday, the sad taste of the cake exposes her young heart and mind to truths about her parents that she is not ready for.
As Rose struggles to live with her odd condition, the rest of her family faces their own challenges as well: her father seems awkward in his parental role, her mother is restless and feels that something is missing from her life though she does not know what, and her elder brother Joseph is brilliant but unable to fit in with the rest of society.
Aimee Bender manages to take a fanciful premise and make it into a believable and emotional story. She immerses you into the surreal world of Rose in a way that does not make the reader question whether or not such a thing is possible; Bender writes so convincingly that you accept that it is as she says. Highly recommended.
As Rose struggles to live with her odd condition, the rest of her family faces their own challenges as well: her father seems awkward in his parental role, her mother is restless and feels that something is missing from her life though she does not know what, and her elder brother Joseph is brilliant but unable to fit in with the rest of society.
Aimee Bender manages to take a fanciful premise and make it into a believable and emotional story. She immerses you into the surreal world of Rose in a way that does not make the reader question whether or not such a thing is possible; Bender writes so convincingly that you accept that it is as she says. Highly recommended.
Emi B. (wantonvolunteer) -
Helpful Score: 6
The cheery pastel cake illustration and the People magazine blurb, "Moving, fanciful, and gorgeously strange" on the cover had me worried this would be smarmy pap or Young Adult Fiction; but I was gladdened to find the story had elements dark and ominous. The presentation light and airy, but upon consumption there is a hint of David Foster Wallace and an aftertaste of Chuck Palahniuk.
Young Rose Edelstein lives in LA with with her tall lawyer father, beautiful hyperactive mom, and scientifically gifted older brother with anti-social tendencies. At the age of nine, Rose discovers she can taste feelings in food - the emotions of the baker and farmer and anyone else involved in the assembly of whatever she eats. Overwhelmed, she seeks out machine-processed junk food. Aimee Bender is wildly inventive, I ate this book up, couldn't wait to see what happened next. Can't say much more about the plot without spoiling.
Young Rose Edelstein lives in LA with with her tall lawyer father, beautiful hyperactive mom, and scientifically gifted older brother with anti-social tendencies. At the age of nine, Rose discovers she can taste feelings in food - the emotions of the baker and farmer and anyone else involved in the assembly of whatever she eats. Overwhelmed, she seeks out machine-processed junk food. Aimee Bender is wildly inventive, I ate this book up, couldn't wait to see what happened next. Can't say much more about the plot without spoiling.
Helpful Score: 6
I had high hopes for this book but like some of the previous reviewers I felt it lost it. Some parts were just too far out for me - namely the brother. I also have a hard time with no actual dialogue. If you enjoy the magical genre I would suggest Sarah Addison Allen.
Helpful Score: 3
This book is messed up! It starts off so good and then takes a pshyco twist in the middle and ends horribly! Wish I could get the hours back!
Helpful Score: 3
This was one of the strangest books I've read all year. You might think that's because Rose has the ability to taste the emotion of the cook in the food she eats, but that wasn't what struck me as the strangest part of the book. I really enjoyed that aspect of the novel, actually. I loved reading about Rose dealing with her newfound ability, how she dealt with it at school, and her trips to the nurse and emergency room because of it. No, what I thought was really strange was the direction the novel had in the second half, where it focused more on Rose's brother, Joseph. I could tell you about that, but that would totally ruin the book. I couldn't figure out what was up with Joseph until the very last chapter.
Stupefied. I think that's a good word for my feelings when I found out about Joseph.
The premise was good, but I would have liked more background information. At the end there was a hint of how Rose got her ability but that was never fully explored. I think that would have made for a much more interesting plot over her brother's, er... ability. That kind of background probably would have helped explain his "ability" better and made the book much less confusing.
Stupefied. I think that's a good word for my feelings when I found out about Joseph.
The premise was good, but I would have liked more background information. At the end there was a hint of how Rose got her ability but that was never fully explored. I think that would have made for a much more interesting plot over her brother's, er... ability. That kind of background probably would have helped explain his "ability" better and made the book much less confusing.
Wendy H. (donkeycheese) -
Helpful Score: 3
Rose Edelstein's mom worked in an office for years to help pay her husband's school fees. Now that they are paid off, she quits and immerses herself in new projects. She's planted strawberries, she takes up construction -- putting a door in her son Joseph's room, she takes vintage lace and creates doilies and she takes up baking a cake from scratch.
For Rose's ninth birthday, her mom has made a lemon cake with chocolate frosting. On first taste, it is scrumptious, but the longer it lingers on her tongue, the taste changes. Rose begins to taste emotions. And so it begins, anything that Rose eats, she tastes emotions and learns secrets that she probably would rather not know.
Aimee Bender has penned a remarkable tale with a creative gift and flair. Their is humor, sadness, and it is profoundly page turning. You won't want to miss this one!
For Rose's ninth birthday, her mom has made a lemon cake with chocolate frosting. On first taste, it is scrumptious, but the longer it lingers on her tongue, the taste changes. Rose begins to taste emotions. And so it begins, anything that Rose eats, she tastes emotions and learns secrets that she probably would rather not know.
Aimee Bender has penned a remarkable tale with a creative gift and flair. Their is humor, sadness, and it is profoundly page turning. You won't want to miss this one!
Helpful Score: 3
Started out promising then kind of fizzled. Terrible ending. Didn't live up to the hype.
Helpful Score: 3
What a waste of my time...this books makes me seriously doubt the talent of both the writer and the person who decided it was worth publishing. The premise made me think of the fantastic "Like Water for Chocolate" but boy, was I wrong! It moves along and as the reader you are going with it and then you realize nothing is happening...no romance...no family reconnection...no reconciliation with her "talent" and then you get to the ending and BAM--WTH! The entire ending made me really hate this book and more that I wasted all my time reading it! I do not recommend this book!
Helpful Score: 2
A strange and lovely story, told in a charming way. I don't make time for a lot of fiction, but this was definitely worth the read.
Helpful Score: 2
** spoiler alert **
Ugghhh.
I think that's a good word to describe how I felt upon finishing this book. There are so many things that bothered me about it. Short, curt dialogue. No ending. And the main one. Unbelievable.
Let's start with the dialogue. I get that Rose is 8 years old when this book starts out but by the time the book ends she's 22 and she still talks like she's 8. Maybe it's just Aimee Bender's writing style but it's annoying none the less.
Second, the no ending bothered me. I thought the whole premise of a book was a beginnning, middle & end. With the end being where everything gets wrapped up. This just stopped. Nothing was resolved.
And lastly, this book was just unbelieveable in the worst ways. I mean I can half believe that Rose has a special gift where she can feel people through the food that they cook. I can even believe that her grandfather could smell people & it would have been nice to say for certain whether her father could feel sick people in hospitals but the fact that her brother Joseph can apparenly turn into a chair? Seriously? This book isn't found in the fantasy section. If I wanted to read a fantasy book I would have picked a much better one.
Ugghhh.
I think that's a good word to describe how I felt upon finishing this book. There are so many things that bothered me about it. Short, curt dialogue. No ending. And the main one. Unbelievable.
Let's start with the dialogue. I get that Rose is 8 years old when this book starts out but by the time the book ends she's 22 and she still talks like she's 8. Maybe it's just Aimee Bender's writing style but it's annoying none the less.
Second, the no ending bothered me. I thought the whole premise of a book was a beginnning, middle & end. With the end being where everything gets wrapped up. This just stopped. Nothing was resolved.
And lastly, this book was just unbelieveable in the worst ways. I mean I can half believe that Rose has a special gift where she can feel people through the food that they cook. I can even believe that her grandfather could smell people & it would have been nice to say for certain whether her father could feel sick people in hospitals but the fact that her brother Joseph can apparenly turn into a chair? Seriously? This book isn't found in the fantasy section. If I wanted to read a fantasy book I would have picked a much better one.
Helpful Score: 2
I loved this book. It reminded me of "The Time Traveler's Wife". I loved the negative space left for my imagination to figure out.
Helpful Score: 2
This was a disappointment. The story had a great premise. The heroine, nine years old when the story begins, can taste people's deepest emotions in food they've made. Yet, nothing happens in the story. There's no conflict in this very emotionally damaged family. The mother has a lot of despair, but why she's so miserable isn't explained. What happens to the older brother isn't explained well at all. The father is completely detached from the family too. This book completely loses its way and it started off so well and with such promise. I don't have a problem with magical realism. I love Like Water For Chocolate, but unlike that story, this one is very flat. Don't waste a credit on this one...
Helpful Score: 2
I particularly like to read books that have such divided reviews. For the most part people seem to either love or hate this book. I enjoyed the book for the sheer unusualness of it. I loved the stretch of imagination and the writing style of the author. I have never been mainstream and this book is far from mainstream.
Helpful Score: 2
This book was a definite slow starter, and I didnt feel it really went anywhere. As the title would suggest, this is a sad book and it seems nothing goes right for this family. I didnt particularly understand Josephs "talent"
Helpful Score: 2
This book was for my monthly book club. I started it and had a hard time continuing. I had heard others had stopped, so I pressed on, hoping for something to spark. It never did. This book is just weird.
I never questioned why things were they way they were, but I had hoped for a better conclusion for the main character. Bender did a good job of fleshing out Rose's character, but I didn't connect with any of the others and I keep waiting for something, anything to happen.
Overall, not really worth my time and probably not worth yours.
I never questioned why things were they way they were, but I had hoped for a better conclusion for the main character. Bender did a good job of fleshing out Rose's character, but I didn't connect with any of the others and I keep waiting for something, anything to happen.
Overall, not really worth my time and probably not worth yours.
Helpful Score: 1
Weird and strange. Sad family of disconnected people. I will echo what I another reviewer wrote: "You finish this book only to wish you'd never picked it up to begin with."
Helpful Score: 1
What a story! The book went from cute and rather dull to weird, and then just plain bizarre. The writing was OK, but did not flow smoothly, in my opinion. It consisted of small, choppy sentences. That was, perhaps, to set the mood for the sudden strangeness at the end. I don't think I would read another book by this author. D.
Helpful Score: 1
I know that there was some doubt as to whether I would like this book, but I actually did like it. I did not LOVE it, but I would recommend it. The story is about Rose, who develops the ability to experience the feelings of other people through what they cook/make, and how that impacts her life, and also what she finds out about her family during her struggle with her 'skill.' What I liked about this book: (1) The depiction of Rose's reaction to her 'skill' is very real and understandable to the reader. How Rose deals with this at age nine is very different than how she feels about it at age 22. (2) The relationships between the people in Rose's family is very well drawn. Each character becomes a complete individual, and the ways they deal with each other ring true, even if they are not always admirable. (3) The author has a gift for describing things, like the way the streetlight reflects into a house, or the distinctive tilt of someone's head, which makes the book a richer experience. What I did not like about the book: (1) I could imagine a link between Rose's skill and Joseph's actions. It seemed to me that the author was hinting that Joseph also had a special skill, and it overwhelmed him. I do not understand why she could not have been more explicit in making sure the reader understood Joseph better. I am left not knowing if Joseph did have a 'skill' or if he was just overly sensitive to life, or if he was a genius who was able to figure out a way to transform matter. (2) I think the rules of Rose's 'skill' were a little confusing. Why was the constant sadness of one cook more tolerable to Rose than her mother's sadness? What does the location of a farm have anything to do with feelings? Why wouldn't she be able to eat her own cooking if she did it on a regular basis? This book hasd elements of fantasy, but unlike "Her Fearful Symmetry" the characters make logical decisions when faced with their unusual circumstances and are consistent throughout the book.
Helpful Score: 1
This is one of those books that I was glad I didn't have to pay full price for. It is an "okay" book but definitely didn't stand up to all the hype about it. It wasn't a quick read for me because it didn't keep my interest and so I finally had to just say I'm finishing this book before I start any others!
I like the Rose tasting emotion ability - that is believable and her grandfather and father's smell and feel are believable but throw in Joseph's ability - no, just not believable.
I have to say if Ms. Bender had kept to the Rose story line and not shifted away and focused so many times on Joseph I might have enjoyed this book.
I like the Rose tasting emotion ability - that is believable and her grandfather and father's smell and feel are believable but throw in Joseph's ability - no, just not believable.
I have to say if Ms. Bender had kept to the Rose story line and not shifted away and focused so many times on Joseph I might have enjoyed this book.
Helpful Score: 1
Beautifully written with an intriguing premise. Made me want to read more.
Helpful Score: 1
the use of "I said" "he said", etc got a little annoying, but overall I found the book intreiguing and thought provoking.
Helpful Score: 1
Aimee Bender does Magical Realism (a genre that I enjoy) L.A.-style, in a coming-of-age story with several twists.
The story follows Rose, who just before her 9th birthday develops the ability to taste the emotions of whoever prepared her food. Given her mother's emotional turmoil, this is quite a problem. The book focuses on her 9th, 13th and 17th years, since she sees those as the most pivotal in her young life, although the book concludes in her early 20s.
Beautiful prose combined with an interesting plot and sympathetic characters make for a worthwhile read.
The story follows Rose, who just before her 9th birthday develops the ability to taste the emotions of whoever prepared her food. Given her mother's emotional turmoil, this is quite a problem. The book focuses on her 9th, 13th and 17th years, since she sees those as the most pivotal in her young life, although the book concludes in her early 20s.
Beautiful prose combined with an interesting plot and sympathetic characters make for a worthwhile read.
Helpful Score: 1
This is the most unique story I've read in long time. It made me feel sad to read it. The author does a good job of intertwining the sadness through the story.
Helpful Score: 1
I really wanted to like this book more than I did...I had heard such great reviews about this. This book is about Rose Edelstein, who discovers just before her 9th birthday that she has a special ability to taste the emotions of the people who make the food she eats, and can also tell exactly where the ingredients in her food was grown or produced. Such a refreshing idea for a novel! The book tells Rose's story in managing her newfound ability and living with it into her early adulthood. Along the way she discovers that there are other people in her family with special abilities as well, and that is where my main complaint comes in. Rose's brother, Joseph, is one of these individuals who also has a special ability and once Joseph is introduced, the whole story seems to shift and tell more about Joseph's story and less about Rose. I feel like this might have been better managed as a sequel or at least as a longer book, because while we're busy learning about Joseph, Rose's story seems to fall by the wayside. There was also at least one scene where Rose was depicted doing another special ability, but it is not explained in any way and left me with a lot of questions. I did like this book, it was easy and fun to read; I just wanted to know more about Rose as it seems like a lot of her story is glossed over. Also, the ending was somewhat flat and lacking in something. I would recommend reading this, as it is an unusual departure from your usual chick-lit books, but don't set your sights too high.
A different, very different take on growing up and trying to find yourself while struggling with your family secrets. Rose can taste people's feelings through food. At a young age she feels her mom's loneliness through the cake she bakes Rose for her birthday. Rose isn't the only one in her family with a secret talent. In the end, will Rose accept her talent?
I was excited to get this book. I thought the synopsis made the book sound so interesting. The idea of eating food made by someone and know their emotions. As the book started off I was hooked by the young voice. Then the family dynamic came into play. I expected some struggle for the characters, but the brother Joseph began to stick out. And suddenly he was completely disappearing. And the entire book went haywire. The story read well, but I was disappointed with the ending of the book.
Horrible, just horrible. Honestly, I didn't even read the book. I could NOT get over the fact that there are NO quotation marks for ANY dialogue!! Call me a grammar nazi if you want, but my brain hurt after just the first chapter!! What a stupid way to write a book!!!!!!!
I was super excited to read this book and I was hooked.
The ending made me want to chuck this book out the window.
Well written and got the hooks in me very early, I wanted to scream when it was over.
Very easy read.
The ending made me want to chuck this book out the window.
Well written and got the hooks in me very early, I wanted to scream when it was over.
Very easy read.
At the beginning I thought this was a great book with a little supernatural to it due to the little girl's ability to taste the feelings that the person cooking has while they are making what she eats. What started with an interesting tale of a very dysfunctional family went downhill fast. I still don't know what "special skills" her brother had and there were quite a few bits that I just didn't get, so maybe others could enjoy the dysfunction in this one - instead I was lost in it all.
As the title suggests, this book was a little sad. However, the slow pace and somewhat dry storytelling made the "magic" in the book very believable. It didn't keep my interest all the way through and I trudged along determined to finish it. However, the ending was satisfying. And now that I'm done with it, I must say the book was a bit haunting (in a good way). I recommend it.
The book, as the title would suggest, is a sad one. The premise was a really interesting one - a girl who can taste the feeling of the cook through their food. It starts off by the main character unwillingly seeing into her parent's marriage and her family dynamics through the food her mother cooks. This, of course, leads to sadness and more than what a young person can handle. Again, the premise is fascinating. Unfortunately, the book did not maintain that interest.
I would have given 3 stars except it was actually a chore to read this, what could have been a good book. What is it with authors and their editors and NO QUOTES AROUND DIALOG? A good story doesn't need a gimmick.
Nicole A. (nicolelovesagoodbook) reviewed The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake on + 5 more book reviews
This was such an interesting book. At one point I didn't like the way it was headed, but by the end I had a sense of comfort in the outcome. I read this book in two days. It really makes you think!
Very interesting idea for a story.
I loved everything about this book EXCEPT for the ending - I was hoping for a little more closure.
It was a bit strange, but kept my interest.
This book was pretty good. I really had no expectations. It's an interesting story/concept and I liked the characters in the book. Strange ending...a little farfetched...almost laughable.
