9-year-old Rose Edelstein discovers that she can taste the emotions of other people in the food they prepare. This is a dreamy, emotional coming-of-age story about families and secrets with a literate fantasy premise.

This book has some truly beautiful writing in it, and there are a number of moments that are so hauntingly, achingly well-drawn I re-read them over and over again, savoring the language and the tone. I did not have any trouble with the lack of quotation marks or or the slightly twisty narrative structure that others have mentioned (although given that the plot itself is very straightforward, there didn't seem to be much point, other than to draw attention to the writer's technique.)

My main issue with this book is that the writer doesn't follow through with the premise, and the story is unfocussed and at times difficult to follow. Rose is the protagonist and the story follows her as she grows up, but we also explore the stories of her mother, who we hear is unhappy and has a long-running affair with a co-worker; her father who has a fear of hospitals; and her brilliant but socially withdrawn brother who is prone to mysterious disappearances. These stories are not drawn with nearly the emotional depth or strength of character that Rose herself does, and by the end of the book I was terribly dissatisfied by the explanations for why these people were the way they were and the choices they made.

Two stars purely for the quality of the writing.

Edit: on reflection I was way too harsh with the two stars. Upped to three.