Review: Chef’s Kiss graphic novel

💋 💋 💋 💋 /5

Well, this was adorable. And funny and sweet and thought provoking. I requested this from NetGalley but reading the blurb still didn’t prepare me for what was inside. It’s an odd mix of down to earth and surreal. The pig was OTT and a bit too much at times but in the end, I think once you understand the tone, it works. The authors solidly blended old school style and important modern topics. I especially loved the restaurant setting. It was like Top Chef meets The Real World meets… Charlotte’s Web? Or something. I don’t know but I liked it. 

Ben is a newly graduated English major hoping to land an entry level writing job somewhere, anywhere, but eventually decides to take whatever he can get when nothing else turns up. Being a fairly skilled amateur home cook already, he lands a job in a restaurant and finds that he really enjoys it. Which makes him question all of his decisions about his future up to that point. 

 This really surprised me with the level of depth and thoughtfulness. It tackles a whole slew of related topics that are especially relevant to those just graduating college and entering the workforce. At one point Ben has a conversation with his coworkers about his plans and dreams; I really appreciated the reply he gets about how we all expect teenagers to figure out who they are and what they want at an impossibly young age. 

I liked, too, what it had to say about job hunting (how do you get experience if no one will give it to you?), career choice, happiness, having to work for free under the bullshit promise of “getting exposure” or for an internship, the pressure of out of touch parental expectations, the whole general purpose of college, and why some jobs are deemed good and valuable and others aren’t. Learning how to follow your heart isn’t always as straight forward as it may sound and this definitely shows how difficult it can be to change tracks. 

 The romance is adorable. It’s a minor part of the story and really doesn’t come together until the end but it’s very sweet. And ab-tastic. I was not prepared for the abs. Holy ripped chef, Batman. 

 Overall this graphic novel was lovely and delightful. It started off a little wobbly for me because I wasn’t sure of the tone but it had some really great things to say and wonderful characters. It was an enjoyable read, for sure! *chef’s kiss* Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing the digital ARC. I would definitely recommend it to anyone, but I think it’s especially relevant to those of the age range who are about to start or graduate from college.