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!

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!

Loved it so much, I listened to it twice!

What made the experience of listening to Sweetbitter the most enjoyable?

I have a thing about stories set in NYC. I've never been, but plan to someday, and I find big, busy cities fascinating. So many people, lives, etc. I love how this story intertwines the lives of all the characters and shows how different, yet similar they are as well.

What did you like best about this story?

The character development kept me riveted. Sure, I've met each and every one of those characters at some point in my life, but that is what made it even better.

What about Alex McKenna’s performance did you like?

She sounded young, but not too young, and as she portrayed all of the characters, especially Nicky and Sasha, I ate it up!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If I could have, I would have, but instead, I listened to it twice, immediately. I couldn't get enough. I wanted to know what became of Tess, but it didn't leave me feeling cheated about what was next for her.

Any additional comments?

I recently ate at a high end restaurant in Chicago and found myself wondering how many backwaiters each server had, what the chef was like and who was head line cook, etc. I talked to our server about it and he was thrilled to discuss his role. He had been there many, many years--was easily in his late 50's or 60's and was fantastic, although Simone would have been appalled at his technique of opening a wine bottle. I had to chuckle to myself as I thought that!!!

Favorite Book This Year

Any additional comments?

This is a fascinating world that I've never been tough enough to be a part. I could not stop listening.

realistic portrayal of the life of a server

Brings me right back to my own waiting days. Bravo! a nice walj down memory lane with so many familiar face. managers, drinking buddies, Customers. all of it.

Narrator’s voice makes the book worse

And so the sentences sounds like they are not understood. Like a made for Netflix book.