The Sweet Life of Stella Madison by Lara M. Zeises

ISBN-13: 9780385901789
Publisher: Random House
Published: July 2009
240 pgs

Seventeen-year-old Stella Madison is the daughter of a famous chef and a restaurateur. She does not know much about cooking and it always intrigue her when she sometimes sees her father making a fuss on getting a dish prepared, in which he would reply that cooking is a form of art and it should be taken seriously.

Unlike Stella's father, Stella's mother is not much of a cook but she helps to ensure the restaurant is running and also to keep tabs on the financials even though they are separated. However, they still maintain an amicable relationship and sometimes this makes Stella wonder about them. But that is not all to it, Stella has a devoted boyfriend and he has said the big L-word to her. Stella knew she should be thrilled over Max's confession, after all he is adorable and she gets along well with his family, but she is not so sure about committing herself since she has other things on her mind: her parents' separation and the summer internship at the local newspaper. To make things more complex, she is attracted to Jeremy, a new intern who works in the restaurant and she is seeing him more than Max, not that she could help it considering she has to write articles on food and she needs his opinions since he knew much more than her.

So how does Stella cope with all these issues thrown in her way? Though she struggles to find a balance (or a solution, depending on how one views it), it is through this stage that she began to understand more about her life as it helps her to appreciate her family and understand the true meaning of friendship through the things that happened to her.

The Sweet Life of Stella Madison is a fun, entertaining story about family, friendship and food. I love reading a story surrounding food and this is one reason why I picked up this book, besides the pretty cover that is. I think most teenagers would be able to understand and feel for Stella, after all life is not a bed of roses and sometimes, we have to make a choice and accept it no matter how much we like it or loathe it. In the beginning, I was not sure if I like Stella because she seems unpredictable to me; she gave me the impression she does not know what she wants in life and she is wishy-washy of her feelings towards her boyfriend. But as I read further, it made me think that most of us have gone through those stages before, but with different situations and scenarios, that is all.

One of the things I loved is each chapter begins with a list of food (just like the way you view at a menu that starts with appetizer, main course, dessert etc) and speaking of food, it reminds me of The School of Essential Ingredients which is one of my favourite reads this year. It is a sheer delight reading these books as you wonder about the food mentioned.

So, have you read a book that is centered on food? Do share with me!

Other review:
Books By Their Cover
(Let me know if I missed yours.)