Sweetbitter

A Novel

By: Stephanie Danler

Narrated by: Alex McKenna

Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Instant national best seller.

A thrilling novel of the senses and a coming-of-age tale following a small-town girl into the electrifying world of New York City and the education of a lifetime at one of the most exclusive restaurants in Manhattan. Perfect for fans of Kitchen Confidential and Blood, Bones and Butter.

Twenty-two and knowing no one, Tess leaves home to begin her adult life in New York City. Thus begins a year that is both enchanting and punishing in a low-level job at “the best restaurant in New York City”. Grueling hours and a steep culinary learning curve awaken her to the beauty of oysters, the finest champagnes, the appellations of Burgundy. At the same time, she opens herself to friendships - and love - set against the backdrop of dive bars and late nights.

As her appetites sharpen - for food and wine, but also for knowledge, experience, and belonging - Tess is drawn into a darkly alluring love triangle that will prove to be her most exhilarating and painful lesson of all.

Stephanie Danler deftly conjures the nonstop and purely adrenalized world of the restaurant - conversations interrupted, phrases overheard, and suggestions below the surface. Evoking the infinite possibility of being young in New York with heart-stopping accuracy, Sweetbitter is ultimately about the power of what remains after disillusionment and the wisdom that comes from experience, sweet and bitter.

©2016 Stephanie Danler (P)2016 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Stephanie Danler arrives on the literary scene with a fully-fledged, original voice that's wry, watchful and wise beyond its years - acutely attuned to the pleasures of the senses and to the desperate stratagems of self-invention among young urban seekers. Sweetbitter is a stunning debut novel, one that seems destined to help define a generation." (Jay McInerney)

"I loved this novel so, so much. It's rare that a book conveys with such unerring precision what it's like to be newly arrived in New York - the story itself, but also tiny throwaway details like the sudden authority of the blue sky at dawn after staying up all night, or your bones bracing themselves for what comes next, or the exact mood of a Manhattan bar at three in the morning. I've never seen these things described so brilliantly before. Tess is a remarkable narrator: vulnerable and tough and smart, but more than that, she's inspiring and riveting. This book belongs with all the great essential young-female-in-New York classics." (Kate Christensen, author of In the Drink and The Great Man)

"Gorgeous, sensual prose and a page-turning plot line that casts a spell down to the very last sentence of the final page...tantalizing in all the right ways." (Refinery29)

Good portrait of a restaurant

As a former NYC I loved listening to all the inside jokes and restaurant language. Really beautiful, honest and dirty portrait of a Manhattan restaurant. Thought the narrator made the main character seem a little aloof and annoying.

anticlimactic

I first knew about this book through the Starz series. The series was disappointingly canceled as it has become the norm to leave the audience hanging. I listened to the book in hopes of finding out what happened. The book did provide it, but it was very anticlimactic.

Well written, no holding back!

Ms. Danler's story is a gritty, funny, and intensely personal story that any young woman in the restaurant business may relate to. Her descriptions, observations, and emotions were sometimes very explicit, but well stated. I enjoyed this book very much!

Lacking Agency

I really enjoyed the narration, and the vulnerability in the narrator's voice. I think that the narrator is the reason that I did not stop halfway through the novel. The main problem for me with the novel is that the main character lack any agency, the character seems to just allow things to happen to her and absorbs these experiences(in all different forms) and does not seem to have any real control or awareness of herself in the world. This may be appealing to some, and may be relatable to some, but I find this really problematic especially as a novel about young women, by a young woman. That being said, there were parts of the novel that were enjoyable, particularly, Danler's description of food and the sensations involved with imbibing in food, drink, and even drugs. These parts of the novel were the best parts for me, but overall not a particularly pleasant reading experience in terms of the story.

okay story

it felt like a lot of the story existed on only using adverbs. not the deepest or most intriguing story. but interesting concept nonetheless

Could have been better (could have been worse)

Be warned that the narrator's voice is very raspy and hard to get used to. Even at hour 7 I could still get so distracted by it I forgot to listen to what she was saying.

I enjoyed listening to a year in the life of Tess. That being said, a lot of the story was the rambling inner monologue of a 20-something, but being a 20-something I can (shamefully) relate to that.

I think I may have appreciated & enjoyed it more if I worked in a restaurant or lived in NYC. So if you have done either of those things - I say listen. If you haven't, but you set your expectations right - I also say listen.

review

loved it!!! I love readers voice and I loved how you really get to see the character grow!

I felt the narrator MADE the book!

What did you love best about Sweetbitter?

I didn't love the plot as much as I loved hearing about a different lifestyle and what goes on in top tier restaurants. I like food but certainly am not someone with a "palate" it was fun to learn about all of those things along with Tess. The central relationship wasn't super exciting for me but everything else was great. The characters were fun and

I LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED the narrator! Alex McKenna was perfect for Tess, the sultry and sweet and somewhat young/naive sounding voice was perfect. Not to mention she did perfect impressions for each of the other characters. I especially enjoyed Simone and Ariel's voices. They just really helped enliven the characters for me.

Loved Everything about this Audiobook

For anyone who's ever worked in a restaurant, this book will definitely relate to that. I loved the narrator so much. I loved all the personalities, because they are so realistic and are exactly what you encounter in this type of business. I'm really sad it's over, it was such a good book

I'm a little bitter after listening

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I am glad I listened to this audiobook instead of reading the book. Unlike many reviewers, I enjoyed the narrator's voice because it fit with the story. But this book was way over-hyped. I thought it would be another Kitchen Confidential, but it was another story about a lost soul in NYC with a slight drug problem and a weak love story.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I really enjoyed her day-to-day life and the experiences in the restaurant, but this story felt lacking. She failed to fully develop all of the characters.

Which character – as performed by Alex McKenna – was your favorite?

My favorite character was the Russian waiter. I laughed out loud every time Alex McKenna threw in a Russian accent.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes, I would go see the movie. But I hope the characters are more developed. While listening I pictured all the characters and I hope they're as good looking as I pictured!