A la Carte

by Tanita S. Davis

SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD LAINEY DREAMS of becoming a world famous chef one day and maybe even having her own cooking show. (Do you know how many African American female chefs there aren’t? And how many vegetarian chefs have their own shows? The field is wide open for stardom!) But when her best friend—and secret crush—suddenly leaves town, Lainey finds herself alone in the kitchen. With a little help from Saint Julia (Child, of course), Lainey finds solace in her cooking as she comes to terms with the past and begins a new recipe for the future.
Peppered with recipes from Lainey’s notebooks, this delicious debut novel finishes the same way one feels finishing a good meal—satiated, content, and hopeful.

• ISBN10: 037584306X
• ISBN13: 9780375843068
• Publish Date: 14 June 2011
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Ember
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 288
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780375843068

Reviews

[Angie]

A la Carte is one of those feel good reads that you can't help but smile and nod, or cringe and nod, as you read it. Lainey reminded me so much of what it was like to be a teenager with all of the wanting to be accepted by your peers even if those people aren't who's best for you. She also wants her mom to stop trying to manage her social life, even though she really is lacking in that area. But above all she wants to be a chef. Not just any chef though: the first African American, vegetarian TV chef! Lainey is on track for that goal until her once-upon-a-time best friend Simeon comes back into her life and asks for the biggest favor: help him disappear.

A la Carte made me really hungry. Lainey is always cooking something! It's her go-to activity when things aren't going right. She even practices talking to her studio audience while she whips up something new at home. And each chapter ends with a recipe! I'm very interested in many of them; all of them are vegetarian and some are "low fat" alternatives since Lainey is trying to make healthier decisions after a period of time where she ate her feelings.

While cooking is a huge part of Lainey's life, the real focus of A la Carte is on Lainey and Simeon. It's not a romance, just a friendship. Although she does have a crush on him, which is part of why I think it's so hard for her to say no to him! I think we've all been there at some point! Lainey and Sim went different ways in high school, but he pops in and out of her life as he needs favors. And now he's put her in an awful position since he's leaving home, and she's the only one he filled in on his plan, and now she has to lie for him! I loved how Lainey's mom was super involved, instead of being absent as many YA parents are. She is a great voice of reason, even if Lainey won't listen. I know at seventeen (and probably even now) I wouldn't listen either, but it was still so nice to read about a great family dynamic where there's a parent who actually cares.

A la Carte was just really great! I loved how it dealt with something that teenagers and even some adults deal with, but in a light-hearted way. We all seek acceptance and want recognition for what we do for others, and sometimes it's hard to take a step back and realize that it's not really needed and actually bad for us! Lainey got off track from her goals because of this, but with the help of her mother, an unexpected friend, and Julia Child, she found her way again.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.