This Feast of a Life by Cynthia So

By Kate     3rd February 2025

This Feast of a Life by Cynthia So

Published: 9th January 2025 by Little Tiger

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Young adult, LBQTIA+

Age: 13-16 years

About the Book

From the author of If You Still Recognise Me comes a delicious story of two people brought together by a shared love of food as they figure out themselves and each other.

 Auden is finding different ways to be themself. The first – using their new chosen name, which feels most authentically them. The second – starting a food blog where they can share their passion for food, through family recipes and the stories behind them. And when the blog brings them Valerie, they discover more than they’d ever expected.

My Review

Disclaimer: I was gifted this book via the Publisher. There was no obligation to post/give this book a certain rating. All views are my own. I remain entirely impartial.

I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of This Feast of a Life by Cynthia So before it was even published, and I have to say, I was absolutely thrilled! Getting the opportunity from the publishers was a dream come true for me since I started this blog. A huge thank you to Little Tiger for making it happen!

This book is by Cynthia So, the author of If You Still Recognize Me (which I absolutely loved). And let me tell you, this book did not disappoint! So, without further delay, here’s my review.

The story follows Auden, who’s learning to cook with their mom while also figuring out university applications. Alongside this, Auden is going through the journey of discovering who they truly are. Eventually, Auden starts a food blog, sharing recipes and reviews, which catches the attention of Valerie. Valerie and her dad are navigating life after the loss of her mom, and when Valerie stumbles upon Auden’s blog, they start leaving comments and chatting online. From there, their friendship blossoms, and they eventually meet in person.

I love how they meet through the blog—it feels so fresh and modern compared to most of the romance books I’ve read. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the old-school romance too, but it was nice to have something different for a change. I also really appreciated how the online conversations were presented in the form of text messages in the book. It’s a small detail, but it made reading more engaging and easier to follow.

The pacing of the book was great—nothing felt rushed or too slow. It spans over a decent amount of time, allowing us to really see the characters grow and develop their relationship, which made the romance feel more believable. I do enjoy the fast-paced love stories too, but this was a nice change and gave the characters room to breathe.

One of the things I love about Cynthia So’s books is how real and relatable they feel. You really connect with the characters, and that’s something I appreciate in any book—even when it makes me cry (looking at you, Liam Maori and You’ve Reached Sam). That emotional connection is what makes the story so powerful, and the ending of this one had me tabbing pages because I loved it so much.

Overall, I found this book easy to read, with relatable characters and an interesting plot that kept me hooked.

Characters

While all the characters were interesting, I’ll focus on Auden and Valerie since they’re the main ones.

Auden was definitely my favourite character. I could really relate to them, especially with their academic goals and their bond with their mom while cooking. I didn’t need anything specific to love Auden—they just felt very real and easy to connect with.

As for Valerie, I enjoyed learning more about her as well, though I won’t go into too much detail so I don’t spoil anything. But they were both great characters, and I loved how their relationship developed.

Favourite Quotes:

• “That’s what I love about her. She’s a mountain, she’s a lake, she’s wildflowers and overgrown fields. There’s no straight road forward with her. Sometimes you have to dive. Sometimes you have to climb. Sometimes you go in circles. And sometimes you sit back and admire the view, and realize there’s no need to get anywhere in particular just yet.” – Auden, pg. 408
• “Auden looks at Valerie’s face, and thinks of the banquet laid out in front of them, and feels so much desire, fuller than the moon, for Valerie, for this life, for everything the world has to offer.” – Auden, pg. 415

Final Thoughts

All in all, I really enjoyed This Feast of a Life. It’s well-paced, easy to read, and features engaging characters. But what really stands out for me in Cynthia So’s writing is her style—the way she captures emotion and makes the reader feel deeply. The dual POV was also a highlight, and the storyline kept me invested from start to finish. I’m giving this book 5 stars and highly recommend it!

Thanks again to Little Tiger for sending me the book (and apologies for the delayed review!). So, are you planning to read this book? Let me know what you think!

Have you read This Feast of a Life?

If not, don’t forget to add it to your TBR list.

Happy reading!

Kate x