The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

vivid.
introspective.
confusing.

I love it when adult fiction is narrated first person from a child's perspective. It always reminds me how confusing this crazy world is to little ones, who often have to grapple with experiences that far exceed their understanding or ability to navigate. So, subconsciously, they translate the things they don't understand into their own language, making a sort of sense of thing that make no sense. This book is told from the perspective of a child (and on in to her teen years) who develops the ability to taste others' emotions and moods through food. From the standpoint of someone who loves food, and appreciates vivid descriptive fiction, I really enjoyed the journey, up until the climax, which was deliberately written in a vague way and left me craving answers rather than understanding a revelation. I believe the author did this on purpose--the "child" narrator didn't fully understand it herself. And often in life we don't get the real, concrete answers that movies or stories tend to provide. But the "big revelation" in the book was diminished for me because it was so confusing, I couldn't really put my finger on what actually happened. What I think happened is a very cool story. If only I could know.
3 out of 5 stars