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You Ate It
You Ate It is a 4th wall, 5 course, 100 song story about big ideas, boy geniuses, girls of every persuasion, vineyards, pot farms, magical restaurants, sex and death, and coming to terms with one's gullibility. It will make your mind swirl, your heart hurt and your belly wanting more.
Taking place in the Santa Ynez Valley, a haven and heaven to so many, an eccentric group of friends, artists and chefs come together to create the experience of building dreams.
The story is about Michael, who at the age of 15 has an idea that changes the world. This revelation leads him to a corner office in Silicon Valley, a bank account near a billion, and being considered a very lucky man. But, at the age of 27, sitting in his office, he sees on his computer screen a school shooting where his pregnant wife is being murdered. Some years later, finished with the tech world and big ideas, Michael reinvents himself as a chef and falls in love with an incredible woman. Along with his daughter, they move to the Central Coast of California where they form a new family and open a restaurant called The Pretentious Boar & Ale House.
The novel addresses mass school shootings, evangelical vigilantism and the epidemic of drug addiction. It is funny, filthy and horrific. It asks if guns, God and drugs are really all the same coping mechanism when our fears get the best of us. Toss in high tech high jinks, binary beauties, red/blue state politics, and a level of realism that makes people believe this place actually exists.
Magical themes and deep heartfelt experiences of tragedy, tied together with humor and love.
Taking place in the Santa Ynez Valley, a haven and heaven to so many, an eccentric group of friends, artists and chefs come together to create the experience of building dreams.
The story is about Michael, who at the age of 15 has an idea that changes the world. This revelation leads him to a corner office in Silicon Valley, a bank account near a billion, and being considered a very lucky man. But, at the age of 27, sitting in his office, he sees on his computer screen a school shooting where his pregnant wife is being murdered. Some years later, finished with the tech world and big ideas, Michael reinvents himself as a chef and falls in love with an incredible woman. Along with his daughter, they move to the Central Coast of California where they form a new family and open a restaurant called The Pretentious Boar & Ale House.
The novel addresses mass school shootings, evangelical vigilantism and the epidemic of drug addiction. It is funny, filthy and horrific. It asks if guns, God and drugs are really all the same coping mechanism when our fears get the best of us. Toss in high tech high jinks, binary beauties, red/blue state politics, and a level of realism that makes people believe this place actually exists.
Magical themes and deep heartfelt experiences of tragedy, tied together with humor and love.
368 pages, Paperback
Published May 25, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 20, 2025
This book breaks the fourth wall in literature, if there is such a thing. Jamie Baker’s novel, You Ate It, takes you into a parallel reality that is partly truth and partly fiction as Kristofferin says in The Pilgrim. I highly recommend purchasing this book and devouring it, just as its title suggests. Every character in this novel feels familiar—like someone we know, have known, or will inevitably meet. I view this story as a contemporary exploration of the American Dream. It follows an immensely successful tech giant who, faced with an overwhelming tragedy, must completely reevaluate his life or risk descending into despair. He embarks on a journey to rediscover love, create new opportunities, build community, and bear his grief while navigating a new understanding of the world and the outdated beliefs that hinder America's evolution. Well done, Jamie! You Ate It broke my heart, lifted my spirits, and made me laugh my ass off. I am eagerly anticipating the movie adaptation. Oh, and the Pretentious Boar franchise!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews