FInding Freedom Review:

 Review:

I'm not a huge fan of memoirs, but I somehow got my hands on this novel and I thought I should just give it a shot. I love cooking, and I love going out and discovering new restaurants, so this sounded like the non-fiction I would enjoy the most.

Surprisingly, I did really enjoy the book! The writing was my favorite part because it was super descriptive and I really felt like I was there at every scene she described. There were some parts where there was huge blocks of text that seemed super daunting to get past because of how descriptive she was, but once I started reading the page I no longer felt intimidated. Another amazing part was just how tenacious and string Erin herself was. I never knew a book about a chef would involve so many life lessons and tradeged. “Finding Freedom” is a marvelous read, an emotionally charged story that is equal parts heartbreaking and uplifting.

Review: What Beauty There Is

 Oh man this book wrecked me. I knew from reading that the synopsis that What Beauty There Is would be an emotionally charging book, but I was not prepared at all for all that I just read. 

Things I liked:

• I thought this would be a more character-driven book so I had low expectations for a thrilling plot, but this books totally defied those expectations. This book is classified as a thriller on Goodreads, and I would agree with that. It is action-packed and what’s at stake for the characters is very high. The plot fast-paced and kept me on the edge of the seat the entire time, and I really appreciated the short chapters. 
• All the characters were super well-developed! Jack was a compelling character; he would do anything for his little brother Matty and that was what motivated throughout the entire book, sending him on his dangerous journey of trying to save his younger brother. Ava is very interesting, and I really enjoyed whenever we had hr perspective. I was rooting for Jack, Matty and Ava the whole way through and it was so full of twists and turns that I really had no idea whether or not it was all going to work out for them in the end.
• The writing was beautiful! I couldn’t believe that this was a debut book, as the writing was so atmospheric and descriptive. It aided the suspense of the plot and the desperation of the characters so well, and I had a hard time putting this books down.

Overall, this was such a strong debut, and I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an emotional rollercoaster. 

Review: Finding Freedom

 About the Book:

From Erin French, owner and chef of the critically acclaimed The Lost Kitchen, a TIME world dining destination, a life-affirming memoir about survival, renewal, and finding a community to lift her up

Long before The Lost Kitchen became a world dining destination with every seating filled the day the reservation book opens each spring, Erin French was a girl roaming barefoot on a 25-acre farm, a teenager falling in love with food while working the line at her dad's diner and a young woman finding her calling as a professional chef at her tiny restaurant tucked into a 19th century mill. This singular memoir--a classic American story--invites readers to Erin's corner of her beloved Maine to share the real person behind the "girl from Freedom" fairytale, and the not-so-picture-perfect struggles that have taken every ounce of her strength to overcome, and that make Erin's life triumphant.

In Finding Freedom, Erin opens up to the challenges, stumbles, and victories that have led her to the exact place she was ever meant to be, telling stories of multiple rock-bottoms, of darkness and anxiety, of survival as a jobless single mother, of pills that promised release but delivered addiction, of a man who seemed to offer salvation but in the end ripped away her very sense of self. And of the beautiful son who was her guiding light as she slowly rebuilt her personal and culinary life around the solace she found in food--as a source of comfort, a sense of place, as a way of bringing goodness into the world. Erin's experiences with deep loss and abiding hope, told with both honesty and humor, will resonate with women everywhere who are determined to find their voices, create community, grow stronger and discover their best-selves despite seemingly impossible odds. Set against the backdrop of rural Maine and its lushly intense, bountiful seasons, Erin reveals the passion and courage needed to invent oneself anew, and the poignant, timeless connections between food and generosity, renewal and freedom.

My Review:

Thank you to Celadon for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for a review.

I normally don't read memoirs, but because I won a copy of Finding Freedom in a giveaway, I thought I would give it a go! Finding Freedom was such an unexpected read that I really ended up enjoying. I will say that I was very hungry reading all the descriptions of food, so have a snack handy if you decide to pick it up.

Things I liked:
- I loved learning about Erin's journey of becoming the renoundchef she is today. You really see her strength and her vulnerability, which made the book feel really raw at times. I can't help but admire her strength and tenacity and hope to find myself. Her journey with her mental health/addiction was an unexpected turn of the book that I really appreciated. She is very honest and forthcoming of her struggles throughout this book, and that inly added to my admiration for her.
- I'm not a big foodie, but after this book I think I might be one now! I adored all descriptions of the food. From the set up/decor of the restaurant, to the many dishes they serve, it was all so vivid. Like I mentioned before, I would really recommend having a snack handy when reading this book.

My only complaint was that there was so much description at times that I had a hard time paying attention. It wasn't uncommon to turn the page and see giant blocks of text without paragraph breaks.

House of Hollow Review

 House of Hollow Review:

House of Hollow was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint. I read Sutherland's debut novel Our Chemical Hearts the year it came out and enjoyed it; it was very John Green-esque. House of Hollow had a completely different feel, one that is much more up my alley. It's filled with grotesque imagery of overgrown and rotting plants, and some of it even grows out of human flesh. It reminds me of Wilder Girls by Rory Power. Both have that "weird/unexplained" element that almost seems supernatural. 

My favorite part was the lore of the sisters and how they went missing as children. The mystery surrounding the whole situation had me super intrigued and I was hooked into the story and plot immediately. Iris, the main character, was someone I really rooted for, and her sisters had me invested as well. Tyler was the most fun character, and I loved any chapter he was in. His banter with Iris and Vivi was the star of the show. The plot twits in towards the end were slightly predictable, though there was one that took me completely by surprise. 

Overall, this was such a spooky and atmospheric read that I will be revisiting in the future! I'd highly recommend it of you enjoy some body horror and weird books.