I loved this one, just as I loved Acevedo's previous book. Emoni hasn't had it easy, with her decision to have Baby Girl at 14, not stay with Tyrone (the baby's father), to hold down a job and stay in school full-time. She manages though, keeping most people at a distance beyond her grandmother and her friend Angelica (Jelly). One thing that helps keep her sane is cooking, and she's very good at it. It's senior year, and she needs to decide if she'll reach for her culinary dreams by taking an elective and applying to college, or stay where she is and work in a kitchen.

Acevedo does such a great job of creating interesting people for her books, complicated and understandable and real. In this one, you also feel the love for Philadelphia coming through. I loved everything about it.