When I started reading this book I was heavily impressed and was convinced this would be a 5 star read. The descriptions of food were beautifully written and dripping in depth, and the plot had so much promise. I fell in love with how everything was written, then at some point in the middle of the book, I realised that I was starting to have problems.

There was one main problem I had starting off, perhaps not the writer's fault unless she thought this was the case, but THIS BOOK IS NOT MAGICAL REALISM. before any of the other events happen with other characters in the book I can tell you that. it's trying to be, but it isn't. its honestly just a bit quirky and I think people are using the term too much to define books these days.

That aside, i'm just going to make it short where my problems lie:
- I didn't connect with any of the characters. Rose felt entirely distant to me as the main character, and I didn't feel like I understood her entirely after I finished the book
- the plot was extremely messy. too many things were tried out and the whole thing just seemed unfinished. Not in its ending, just in terms of what the main plot was actually supposed to be? too many things were just touched upon and left and returned to whenever the writer wanted.
- everything felt rushed, but also really slow. at some point in the book, Rose grew up really quickly. Like within 50 pages or so she went from a 9 year old to a teenager to an adult. doing this made me feel like I had missed out on so much. Events just happened quickly; the brother suddenly moving out, rose suddenly growing up, most events just didn't seem right in terms of pacing at all.

The redeeming quality of this book that also slightly sucked:
Joseph and his story. I honestly think if it wasn't for him this book would be 10x worse. His character reminds me very much of a child high on the autistic spectrum, and from what I've heard about having an autistic brother the moments he spent with rose when they were children was very very accurately written. Their relationship really did mirror something real that I have heard of many times. If the book was just about these two characters it really could have been something beautiful. However, yet again, this was something the writer really fucked up.

Its like Aimee Bender literally just wanted to be quirky and didn't know how, and I have no idea why she decided to

make joseph have the ability to turn into furniture. SERIOUSLY IS THIS IS SERIOUSLY A THING SHE DID? I LITERALLY FELT MY IQ DROP READING THIS. IT WAS JUST THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING I HAVE EVER READ I ALMOST LAUGHED. IT MADE THIS BOOK AN ABSOLUTE JOKE.

I somehow ultimately managed to figure out the point of this book, and the ending makes it very clear. I will give it credit for the message it gave, but in reality this message to me didn't ever seem to be at the forefront of the plot. It was like at the end she decided to change what her main focus of the book was in the mess of plots she had going.

This book just really disappointed me. It did not go the way I expected and I feel like I almost need a funeral for it, and grieve for its loss of potential.