It is liberating, no? You are not special. No one is just waiting for you to show up. No expectations. You are free to figure out what you love and … fling yourself at it.”

As Oscar prepares to graduate from high school, he is more interested in working his grandfather’s food truck, his independent study in the food lab and charting his professional cooking path than planning any kind of college study. His focus and quiet work is disrupted by Lou and her “schoople situation”: hundreds of apples thrown away daily in the cafeteria.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s marketed as a romance and there is absolutely that element here. But, this book is so much more. The larger focus is Oscar’s relationship with his grandfather, their complicated family relationships and Oscar’s desire to blaze a professional path that doesn’t involve college. Oscar and his friends are likeable and relatable. His struggles will ring true for many. Two content warnings: a persistent theme is the death of Oscar’s father to drug overdose; the protest that explodes violently may surprise readers expecting an all over warm read. While I initially balked at that serious, dangerous turn about 80% in, it completely made sense and serves the ultimate goal of helping Oscar figure out his path forward while providing him the confidence to pursue it. An enjoyable read that is both tender and funny, it wrangles some tough situations with a delicate hand. There’s a lot to love. A great selection for any high school library.
ions-of-love

3.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up. Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC, for a fair and honest review.

A senior in high school has plans for his life after graduation - to continue working on his grandfather's food truck, and build their family business. But as he focuses on just getting through the last months of high school, his own life becomes more complicated. He reluctantly gets involved with another student who needs his help to achieve her goal of improving the school's food selections (as well as her own hopes for college), and finds himself growing in ways he didn't expect. A good story for students who don't see college as their preferred path after high school - as well as for those who are college-bound.

Oscar works on a food truck slinging munkar and rullekebab with his Farfar. In his final year of high school, all he can think about is graduation and spending his days on the road, cooking full-time. He even managed to set up a sweet independent study in the food lab. His plan takes a turn when the class know-it-all, Mary Louise (Lou for short), inserts herself into his life by enlisting him to help with her food elimination project. As the school year winds down and Oscar thinks the end is in sight, an unexpected event upends the routine he’d built for himself. Now he must consider a new future and learn that things don’t always go the way you think they will—for better or worse.

This has been my favorite read this year! The characters were so warm and heartfelt. By the end, I felt like I really knew Oscar and I wanted only the best for him. I appreciated the cultural context because I haven’t read a lot about Åland, so this was new for me. In general, the cast of characters was quite diverse, which added to their realness. I think the novel handles several social issues with grace and doesn’t let them overshadow the narrative. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy contemporary fiction and are looking for an emotional story with engaging characters. I think this would also make a good recommendation for adult readers who like Fredrik Backman for the complex human relationships and the sense that people are mostly good, but not always.

I'm very neutral on this book. I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. I tended to get a little lost in the cultural references rather than being able to focus on the story, especially in the start of the book.

This is a lovely, beautifully written book that has a fun love story element but is more a deeper reflection on family, identity/vocation, and belonging. It deals with addiction (somewhat indirectly, as it's not experienced by the main character himself) and death/grief, so content warning for that, though it's all handled very well and is never exploitative. Also, certain passages will make you combust from hunger if you read it on an empty stomach.

A wonderful story with heartfelt characters made this book enjoyable to read. The relationships were great and this was a great and easy read. Food trucks, family, and some romance are a great story time.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I hated to see this book end. What a fantastic story about a grandfather, Farfar, and his grandson, Oscar, who run a food truck. Their relationship and collaboration at home and in the food truck is so touching. Things change for the better when a girl, Lou, asks for help with eliminating food waste from the cafeteria. Oscar finds ways to do this while incorporating new foods for the food truck. As Oscar and Lou spend more time together, they are able to promote local businesses. Lou is applying to colleges,;Oscar wants to run the food truck and not go to college. Is his grandfather happy with this decision? As Oscar and Lou become closer, something happens that changes everything.

Romance, comedy, and food trucks! What more could you want?! Quick, easy read for sure! Thankful to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book.

I have not read anything else by this author and was pleasantly surprised by such a sweet story. The relationships were developed so nicely and all of the food descriptions were mouth watering. The heavier themes in the book (addiction and racism) were dealt with sensitively and felt very real and timely. The book was just very satisfying to read. I also really enjoyed the teacher dynamics shown in the book. It showed how far empathy can go in the classroom and the importance of community. I'd recommend this story to anyone, young or old.