Hope Was Here

The Good:
–Descriptions of food, both as delicious but also as something that connects people
–Fun fast-paced “in the weeds” waitressing scenes, portraying service work as complex
–Positive if simplistic/idealistic representation of young people participating in local politics

The Bad:
–Braverman...I mean the name, of course, the age gap between he and Hope placing him above and her below 18, mainly the fact that for the first chunk of the book, he's just always angry, and then when he and Hope start dating a switch abruptly flips and he inexplicably and immediately turns supportive and affectionate
–More broadly, none of the characters are dimensional and often readers are provided little information about what is motivating anyone. Hope is cool but you can almost distill her character into her work ethic and pain surrounding parental abandonment

The Oblique:
–Seems to lay claim to some piece of America during some point in history, but not particularly relatable or even distinct in that depiction
–That being said, I first read this book years ago and thus it has a certain nostalgia factor for me personally