In Food Person, the first novel by Adam Roberts, Isabella Pasternak is a ne'er-do-well food writer who dreams of writing a cookbook but instead gets fired from her position as the most forgettable writer at a trendy magazine. When she receives an offer to ghostwrite a cookbook for wayward, high-maintenance celebrity Molly Babcock, she's pretty sure the opportunity is not for her.
Food Person is a funny, breezy read. Its hapless protagonist is endearing in her total disinterest in her appearance, laser focus on food, and deeply relatable tendency to make very questionable choices. When Isabella is pressured into taking the ghostwriting gig, she and Molly immediately clash, kicking off a dramatic roller coaster that doesn't stop until the novel hits its satisfying conclusion.
Much of the humor comes from a pitch-perfect understanding of character, as evidenced by the dynamic between Isabella and her lovable but self-obsessed best friend and roommate, Owen. He's so caught up in his career track at his father's talent agency that he misses obvious things, like the fact that his home-latte-art hearts look like testicles. He and Isabella debate whether she should go away for a weekend with Molly (who also happens to be Owen's only client). " 'I want her to keep her head in the game,' he said, while finishing that day's scrotum."
There's much to love here, including food writing that will make readers hungry, family drama, and, of course, the all-consuming drive to find direction in life. Food Person is a delightful novel about an odd duck and her flailing attempt to figure it all out and get her life on track. --Carol Caley, writer