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Random House Books for Young Readers Food Person.
Random House Books for Young Readers Food Person ABISBOOK Random House Books for Young Readers.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published July 3, 2025
33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 1, 2025
I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did, so the fact that I literally couldn't put it down and flew through it in a day was a nice surprise (in the best way possible!)
Isabella is a foodie and likes to keep herself to herself, with the kitchen being her favourite company. She has come to a standstill after being fired from her dead-end job - the job she has used as her safety blanket for years.
Isabella is an aspiring cookbook writer, so she can't believe her luck when she is offered the opportunity of a lifetime - to write a cookbook alongside the notorious Hollywood actress, Molly Babcock. The catch? She's been hired as Molly's ghostwriter.
Isabella's job gets more complicated when it becomes apparent that Molly has never so much as boiled an egg and lives off mediocre salads, so what is the real motivation behind writing the cookbook? With Molly's behaviour and reputation spiralling and a deadline fast approaching, can Isabella achieve her dream of writing a successful cookbook?
I think there is something for everyone to enjoy in this book. The writing a book about a celebrity trope is one for fans of 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' and 'Great Big Beautiful Life', whilst there is also a sweet romance between Isabella and a hot chef (no spoilers here!) for those who are into that. I genuinely laughed out loud multiple times whilst reading the book, whilst at the same time there are some harder hitting topics throughout the story.
Food Person is out now and is one I would highly recommend!
Thank you so much to Hutchinson & Heinemann for my proof copy.
Isabella is a foodie and likes to keep herself to herself, with the kitchen being her favourite company. She has come to a standstill after being fired from her dead-end job - the job she has used as her safety blanket for years.
Isabella is an aspiring cookbook writer, so she can't believe her luck when she is offered the opportunity of a lifetime - to write a cookbook alongside the notorious Hollywood actress, Molly Babcock. The catch? She's been hired as Molly's ghostwriter.
Isabella's job gets more complicated when it becomes apparent that Molly has never so much as boiled an egg and lives off mediocre salads, so what is the real motivation behind writing the cookbook? With Molly's behaviour and reputation spiralling and a deadline fast approaching, can Isabella achieve her dream of writing a successful cookbook?
I think there is something for everyone to enjoy in this book. The writing a book about a celebrity trope is one for fans of 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' and 'Great Big Beautiful Life', whilst there is also a sweet romance between Isabella and a hot chef (no spoilers here!) for those who are into that. I genuinely laughed out loud multiple times whilst reading the book, whilst at the same time there are some harder hitting topics throughout the story.
Food Person is out now and is one I would highly recommend!
Thank you so much to Hutchinson & Heinemann for my proof copy.
February 8, 2026
3.5 stars
Well, this was much more fun than I had expected. You see, the author was the wrong Adam Roberts. I had picked it up from my local library expecting a 'high concept' SF story - perhaps Roberts would have a brand new take on the 'To Serve Man' concept of alien cuisine.
But no, I have a first novel by a foodie enthusiast. That it was set in New York, with a 20-something female protagonist (and not a typical Robertsian grumpy middle-aged Englishman whose life had not met up to his high expectations).
So we meet Isabella Pasternak, who dreams of being a cookbook writer. She has just had the rug pulled out from under her life, being sacked from her pretty terrible job at a foodie magazine (for the sin of not performing on camera with no experience and a moments notice - honestly, why no TikTok experience!). But, through her gay roommate, she scores the unexpected gig of ghostwriting a cookbook for the archtypal bubble-headed ex-TV personality and sitcom star (with issues) Molly Babcock. And let us not discuss what her mother Jeannie thinks of her daughter's lifestyle choices.
As noted it is a fun and easy beach or holiday read. You will learn the names and authors of squillions of cookbooks and can drool over loving descriptions of the smell and taste of great food. Importantly, each character is neither perfect nor perfectly bad. Each has had the rug of life puled out from under them and has to work their way through the consequences. It is maybe a mite contrived, but is well crafted and leads you to a happy conclusion.
Well, this was much more fun than I had expected. You see, the author was the wrong Adam Roberts. I had picked it up from my local library expecting a 'high concept' SF story - perhaps Roberts would have a brand new take on the 'To Serve Man' concept of alien cuisine.
But no, I have a first novel by a foodie enthusiast. That it was set in New York, with a 20-something female protagonist (and not a typical Robertsian grumpy middle-aged Englishman whose life had not met up to his high expectations).
So we meet Isabella Pasternak, who dreams of being a cookbook writer. She has just had the rug pulled out from under her life, being sacked from her pretty terrible job at a foodie magazine (for the sin of not performing on camera with no experience and a moments notice - honestly, why no TikTok experience!). But, through her gay roommate, she scores the unexpected gig of ghostwriting a cookbook for the archtypal bubble-headed ex-TV personality and sitcom star (with issues) Molly Babcock. And let us not discuss what her mother Jeannie thinks of her daughter's lifestyle choices.
As noted it is a fun and easy beach or holiday read. You will learn the names and authors of squillions of cookbooks and can drool over loving descriptions of the smell and taste of great food. Importantly, each character is neither perfect nor perfectly bad. Each has had the rug of life puled out from under them and has to work their way through the consequences. It is maybe a mite contrived, but is well crafted and leads you to a happy conclusion.
November 23, 2025
I read this book as a result of a confusion. A friend contacted me and asked if I'd read any books by Adam Roberts, I hadn't. I said I'd have a go at one based on his recommendation. Turns out there are two authors with this name. So, anyway, I read this book, something I wouldn't normally have gone for, and I liked it. Lots. It's a bit silly, a bit sad, a bit poignant and even though it is light, it is really reflective.
It's the story of a woman who has been disappointed in how her career has gone so far. She's young but her dearest wish is to be a cookbook writer. She loves to cook, and she has a passion for cookbooks (something I can relate to). She gets sacked from her job, and this leads to a series of incidents, some fantastic, lots of them are terrible. She is asked to become a ghost writer for a celebrity who is very problematic, and at that point,t everything turns to custard for her.
This is an entertaining romp. Plenty of nicely snarky banter, and it kept me interested all the way. At times, it pushed to the boundaries of believability, but I found myself rooting for Isabella and hoping that she would find happiness in the end. A bit of fun.
It's the story of a woman who has been disappointed in how her career has gone so far. She's young but her dearest wish is to be a cookbook writer. She loves to cook, and she has a passion for cookbooks (something I can relate to). She gets sacked from her job, and this leads to a series of incidents, some fantastic, lots of them are terrible. She is asked to become a ghost writer for a celebrity who is very problematic, and at that point,t everything turns to custard for her.
This is an entertaining romp. Plenty of nicely snarky banter, and it kept me interested all the way. At times, it pushed to the boundaries of believability, but I found myself rooting for Isabella and hoping that she would find happiness in the end. A bit of fun.
October 16, 2025
DNF 💔
Fantastic cover but this was so overwritten I just couldn’t get through it
Fantastic cover but this was so overwritten I just couldn’t get through it
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews