All Four Stars

Gladys loves food.  She loves to read about it, cook it, and eat it.  Her parents don't care about food at all.  They pick up dinner from fast food restaurants every night.  If they do try to cook, they believe that everything can be cooked just as well in a microwave as on a stove or oven.Because of this Gladys as been cooking in secret for years.  She gets caught the day that her parents come home early just as she sets the kitchen curtains on fire while trying to crisp the top of a creme brulee.  Now she's in trouble.  Cooking is forbidden for six months and/or until she makes some friends and gets involved with what her parents consider normal kids' activities.  She's trying to comply but when her entry into a newspaper essay contest in confused for a job application for a freelance food writer, she gets an assignment to review a dessert restaurant.  Now she has to find a way to get to New York City from Long Island for her chance to make it big.This book was really cute.  It would appeal to anyone who is more into food than the people around them.  If your family doesn't understand why full fat is better to cook with than nonfat or why you can't use coffee shop sweetener packets instead of sugar when baking, then you understand Gladys' troubles. My only complaint is that I wish there were recipes for the desserts she made.This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story