Sweetbitter

I had a long, heartfelt, time consuming review that was part love letter part rant, but I am tired and I think that Alex McKenna was fantastic.

It was fantastic, but then cliche and I wanted to cry.

Maybe I will try to revive my previous review but it might be healthier to let it go.
I would consider listening again to the first part, but right now I feel like the book broke up with me, it made lovely promises and was so good at whispering sweet-nothings, but ultimately disappointment.

A plot that gets as exciting as falling down the stairs or the arrival of a health inspector, borderline glamorized abusive relationships, petty emotions, and constant jealousy-induced complaining. Also includes some nice passages describing food and a few monumental lines, usually borrowed from poems the character has remembered, that spark interest.

One of my favourite books this year. Don't get me wrong—a part of me hated this book. This gritty cocaine-infested lifestyle was not easy to read. But Sweetbitter held so much deep truth of human nature, and was depicted and dramatized so well, it delighted me. The writing was fabulous, even with the adverbs. The deep dive into the restaurant business was fascinating. I've never seen the matriarchal dynamic Danler explores depicted in any other book I've read—but I know it, I've experienced it, and I thought she captured it with precision. A singular book I'll never forget.