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The Chicken Sisters
Three generations. Two chicken shacks. One recipe for disaster.
In tiny Merinac, Kansas, Chicken Mimi's and Chicken Frannie's have spent a century vying to serve the best fried chicken in the state—and the legendary feud between their respective owners, the Moores and the Pogociellos, has lasted just as long. No one feels the impact more than thirty-five-year-old widow Amanda Moore, who grew up working for her mom at Mimi's before scandalously marrying Frank Pogociello and changing sides to work at Frannie's. Tired of being caught in the middle, Amanda sends an SOS to Food Wars, the reality-TV restaurant competition that promises $100,000 to the winner. But in doing so, she launches both families out of the frying pan and directly into the fire.
In tiny Merinac, Kansas, Chicken Mimi's and Chicken Frannie's have spent a century vying to serve the best fried chicken in the state—and the legendary feud between their respective owners, the Moores and the Pogociellos, has lasted just as long. No one feels the impact more than thirty-five-year-old widow Amanda Moore, who grew up working for her mom at Mimi's before scandalously marrying Frank Pogociello and changing sides to work at Frannie's. Tired of being caught in the middle, Amanda sends an SOS to Food Wars, the reality-TV restaurant competition that promises $100,000 to the winner. But in doing so, she launches both families out of the frying pan and directly into the fire.
341 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2020
2887 people are currently reading
33928 people want to read
About the author
K.J. Dell'Antonia
6 books619 followersKJ Dell’Antonia is the author of the The Chicken Sisters, a New York Times bestseller, a Reese Witherspoon book club pick and a timely, humorous exploration of the same themes she has long focused on in her journalism: the importance of finding joy in our families, the challenge of figuring out what makes us happy and the need to value the people in front of us more than the ones in our phones and laptops, every single time.
Her next novel, In Her Boots, about the gap between the adults we think we have become, the child our mother will always see and our horrible fear that our mother is right, is coming Summer 2022 and is available for pre-order now.
She wrote and edited the Motherlode blog at the New York Times and is also the author of the viral essay Why I Didn't Answer Your Email and the book How to Be a Happier Parent. She is also known for being unexpectedly quarantined in China with three small children and her mother, which was much more novel in 2009 than it is now.
Her next novel, In Her Boots, about the gap between the adults we think we have become, the child our mother will always see and our horrible fear that our mother is right, is coming Summer 2022 and is available for pre-order now.
She wrote and edited the Motherlode blog at the New York Times and is also the author of the viral essay Why I Didn't Answer Your Email and the book How to Be a Happier Parent. She is also known for being unexpectedly quarantined in China with three small children and her mother, which was much more novel in 2009 than it is now.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,555 reviews
November 24, 2021
"The Chicken Sisters" by K.J. Dell'Antonia was family dramatics at it's worst! But, the ending was worth it!
The Food Channel's 'Food Wars' is back and the next competition is 'Fried Chicken Wars' between sisters from rival restaurants in Merinac, Kansas. Older sister Mae is leading 'Team Chicken Mimi's' and younger sister Amanda is leading 'Team Chicken Frannie's'. The winning chicken team will receive an amazing $100K!
The feud between these two restaurants began over a century ago when sister's Mimi Moore & Frannie Pogociello first opened their doors! Sister's Mae and Amanda are Barbara Moore's daughters, the owner of Mimi's. Amanda also happens to be daughter-in-law to Nancy Pogociello, the owner of Frannie's. She's tired of being in the middle of Mimi's & Frannie's! She just wants everything to be better. Different and better!
Amanda's sure it's going to be the best 'Food Wars' competition EVER! Sabrina Sky, the host and producer knows how to stir this pot to get better ratings and more viewers for her reality show! But no one expects the current family drama level to rise exponentially between the two sisters! It gets ugly folks! Real ugly! Ridiculously ugly!
Unbelievably, this book took over a week to read! Maybe it was just me but l was confused by the authors writing style more than just a few times and found myself rereading section to clarify my understanding. It was both a bit odd and a bit wordy! Or, am I the only one who felt this story was too long? 341 pages about chicken sisters!? Really?
I didn't like any of the main characters in this book because they were all so awful to each other! Frankly, family is the most important thing in one's life! Unfortunately, this family's culture sucked!
This book wasn't what I wanted it to be or what I expected it to be from a Reece's Book Club pick. However, I did like the topics it brought to the surface: family conflict and resolution, importance of communication, aging, physical and mental health issues and the ever-present happiness factor! And, what girl who has a sister doesn't like the sister theme?
I rate this read 3.5 star. The extra half star is for the focus on the mental health issue. This story handled this topic with the seriousness it deserves not with snickers and the finger pointing we so often see!
I recommend this book to those who enjoy Chick Lit and a good story about sisters!
Thank you to my school-days-sister-girlfriend, Raye, for gifting this book to me for Christmas!
The Food Channel's 'Food Wars' is back and the next competition is 'Fried Chicken Wars' between sisters from rival restaurants in Merinac, Kansas. Older sister Mae is leading 'Team Chicken Mimi's' and younger sister Amanda is leading 'Team Chicken Frannie's'. The winning chicken team will receive an amazing $100K!
The feud between these two restaurants began over a century ago when sister's Mimi Moore & Frannie Pogociello first opened their doors! Sister's Mae and Amanda are Barbara Moore's daughters, the owner of Mimi's. Amanda also happens to be daughter-in-law to Nancy Pogociello, the owner of Frannie's. She's tired of being in the middle of Mimi's & Frannie's! She just wants everything to be better. Different and better!
Amanda's sure it's going to be the best 'Food Wars' competition EVER! Sabrina Sky, the host and producer knows how to stir this pot to get better ratings and more viewers for her reality show! But no one expects the current family drama level to rise exponentially between the two sisters! It gets ugly folks! Real ugly! Ridiculously ugly!
Unbelievably, this book took over a week to read! Maybe it was just me but l was confused by the authors writing style more than just a few times and found myself rereading section to clarify my understanding. It was both a bit odd and a bit wordy! Or, am I the only one who felt this story was too long? 341 pages about chicken sisters!? Really?
I didn't like any of the main characters in this book because they were all so awful to each other! Frankly, family is the most important thing in one's life! Unfortunately, this family's culture sucked!
This book wasn't what I wanted it to be or what I expected it to be from a Reece's Book Club pick. However, I did like the topics it brought to the surface: family conflict and resolution, importance of communication, aging, physical and mental health issues and the ever-present happiness factor! And, what girl who has a sister doesn't like the sister theme?
I rate this read 3.5 star. The extra half star is for the focus on the mental health issue. This story handled this topic with the seriousness it deserves not with snickers and the finger pointing we so often see!
I recommend this book to those who enjoy Chick Lit and a good story about sisters!
Thank you to my school-days-sister-girlfriend, Raye, for gifting this book to me for Christmas!
June 29, 2021
I actually enjoyed this story more than I thought I would. Two sisters represent two chicken restaurant chains on a competition reality food war show. 😜 It’s the small town history that I loved, the sense of community and family. ❤️
January 11, 2021
The Chicken Sisters is centered in small town Merinac, Kansas, where 2 sisters lead decades-old competing chicken restaurants against each other on Food Wars, a reality show with a $100K prize at stake.
Amanda helps manage Frannie’s, the larger of the 2 chicken restaurants with an expanded menu, owned by her mother-in-law, Nancy. After Amanda’s husband and father-in-law died in a car accident, she stuck around to help Nancy and raise her 2 kids in Merinac.
Mae lives in Brooklyn with her husband and kids. She completed filming Sparkling, a home organizing show and after getting the boot to continue co-hosting, takes advantage of returning home to Merinac to help with the Food Wars competition. She assists Barbara, her and Amanda’s mother, who runs the other restaurant, Mimi’s, a long time Merinac staple with a simple yet well known menu.
Drama, family secrets, and competition are all at play in The Chicken Sisters as both Mae and Amanda aim to keep their restaurants the frontrunner, and evaluate what they really want, outside of the show. There was a serious lack of communication going on in this story which did become annoying at points. Overall, this was a light, entertaining story and while a bit predictable, still enjoyable.
Amanda helps manage Frannie’s, the larger of the 2 chicken restaurants with an expanded menu, owned by her mother-in-law, Nancy. After Amanda’s husband and father-in-law died in a car accident, she stuck around to help Nancy and raise her 2 kids in Merinac.
Mae lives in Brooklyn with her husband and kids. She completed filming Sparkling, a home organizing show and after getting the boot to continue co-hosting, takes advantage of returning home to Merinac to help with the Food Wars competition. She assists Barbara, her and Amanda’s mother, who runs the other restaurant, Mimi’s, a long time Merinac staple with a simple yet well known menu.
Drama, family secrets, and competition are all at play in The Chicken Sisters as both Mae and Amanda aim to keep their restaurants the frontrunner, and evaluate what they really want, outside of the show. There was a serious lack of communication going on in this story which did become annoying at points. Overall, this was a light, entertaining story and while a bit predictable, still enjoyable.
December 8, 2020
I only read this because of Reese's book club.. She marketed it as a fun and entertaining story... It was not fun.... It was fighting... Fighting moms and daughters, fighting sisters, fighting families, fighting spouses... Just so much fighting and conflict...
Also... And maybe I am totally wrong... But I SWEAR the author started this book, not with a story, but with a list of helpful "life coaching" tips that she wanted her story to help with and THEN wrote her story based around those things. So many of the conversations felt a bit forced and fabricated. You know how when you read a self help book they have these stories that are just too perfect for what they are trying to get across? That is what it felt like, only with fiction. Maybe the author took her most popular blog post and thought, "I know, I'll write a story about fried chicken with these helpful tips for how to live a better life". But again, maybe I'm totally wrong. I just can't stand being preached to in my fiction book. I want my chick lit to be fun... Not a sneak therapy session.
It did make me really, really want some good fried chicken...
Also... And maybe I am totally wrong... But I SWEAR the author started this book, not with a story, but with a list of helpful "life coaching" tips that she wanted her story to help with and THEN wrote her story based around those things. So many of the conversations felt a bit forced and fabricated. You know how when you read a self help book they have these stories that are just too perfect for what they are trying to get across? That is what it felt like, only with fiction. Maybe the author took her most popular blog post and thought, "I know, I'll write a story about fried chicken with these helpful tips for how to live a better life". But again, maybe I'm totally wrong. I just can't stand being preached to in my fiction book. I want my chick lit to be fun... Not a sneak therapy session.
It did make me really, really want some good fried chicken...
August 4, 2022
This is a Chick-Lit/Women's Fiction. This book is about families secrets coming to light, but it is happening while filming a TV show. I really loved the characters in this book, but I hated that the characters would not just talk to each other. I know it is to make drama and the TV show is making some of the drama, but I just wanted to scream talk to each other. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I listen to the audiobook, and I really enjoyed the audiobook.
January 9, 2021
This book is just.... dumb. Slow moving read featuring a bunch of fighting and unrealisric anger and reactions that were frankly, just ridiculous. Not at all the lighthearted comedy I thought I was getting. This is *NOT* the "light read" so many goodreads reviewers promised me.
I hated every single character. There wasn't a single likeable characteristic among the bunch. I didn't want anyone to win.
Poor writing, long and confusing sentences. Seems like they missed a massive edit. There were sentences I literally read 6 times just to understand what they were trying to get across!
I hated every single character. There wasn't a single likeable characteristic among the bunch. I didn't want anyone to win.
Poor writing, long and confusing sentences. Seems like they missed a massive edit. There were sentences I literally read 6 times just to understand what they were trying to get across!
January 9, 2021
Barely a 3. Reese I want 8 hours of my life back.
Edit: my ratings are my own scale. Suck it Veronica. Thanks.
Edit: my ratings are my own scale. Suck it Veronica. Thanks.
December 18, 2020
One of my more recent reads is The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell’Antonia — it was recently picked up as Reese’s Book Club pick for December and is an option for Book of the Month December picks.
Before I begin, I want to say that when I write a review it is never my intention to hurt an author's feelings. Nor is it to encourage you to not read the book. In fact, I encourage you to read the book, and then I want to read your review so I can see an entirely different side that I was unable to see myself.
Okay, so here we go...
I love books centered around cooking or baking since that is one of my favorite things to do - so I knew I had to get my hands on Chicken Sisters. The cover is beautiful, the story sounds like something I would love, and Reese picked it. Three things that usually catch my attention right away and force me to 'add to cart'.
The two main characters were downright awful people. They had good intentions but they never executed them well. I wish the book had focused around Barbara and Nancy - I savored the pages that they surfaced on and wanted desperately to follow them instead of Mae and Amanda. The two sisters treated their mother so terribly that I contemplated putting the book down and not picking it back up. But, I kept going. They honestly didn’t redeem themselves until the final few pages of the story.
The last bone that I have to pick with Chicken Sisters is that it could have been 20-30% shorter. There was a lot of unnecessary internal dialogue that could have been narrowed down to make a more reasonable length. There were times that I spaced out while reading, came back into the book, and the same topics were being discussed pages later.
Now, because I don’t care to end on a negative note, I want to discuss what I did enjoy about The Chicken Sisters. I loved Nancy and Barbara but I also loved the men of this story - they were all fabulous characters that added a touch of charm to the storyline. I loved the concept of a centuries-old competition between two families and the misunderstanding that often comes with grudges that are passed on through the years.
I appreciated the mental health awareness that the author added to her storyline. Hoarding is something that, I think, is often misrepresented on television shows and is often the butt of a joke but in reality, it is a disorder that people struggle with every day. It’s not just messiness or laziness but a behavior pattern that may be a symptom of other mental health issues. So, I applaud the author for bringing the reader's attention to this and for showing that there is often a side to hoarding that people do not see.
So, there we have it, folks! I think that there will be people out there who will enjoy this book so, I encourage you to add it to your cart, check it out from your library, or download that audiobook version. The Chicken Sisters was published December 1, 2020, and can be purchased today!
Before I begin, I want to say that when I write a review it is never my intention to hurt an author's feelings. Nor is it to encourage you to not read the book. In fact, I encourage you to read the book, and then I want to read your review so I can see an entirely different side that I was unable to see myself.
Okay, so here we go...
I love books centered around cooking or baking since that is one of my favorite things to do - so I knew I had to get my hands on Chicken Sisters. The cover is beautiful, the story sounds like something I would love, and Reese picked it. Three things that usually catch my attention right away and force me to 'add to cart'.
The two main characters were downright awful people. They had good intentions but they never executed them well. I wish the book had focused around Barbara and Nancy - I savored the pages that they surfaced on and wanted desperately to follow them instead of Mae and Amanda. The two sisters treated their mother so terribly that I contemplated putting the book down and not picking it back up. But, I kept going. They honestly didn’t redeem themselves until the final few pages of the story.
The last bone that I have to pick with Chicken Sisters is that it could have been 20-30% shorter. There was a lot of unnecessary internal dialogue that could have been narrowed down to make a more reasonable length. There were times that I spaced out while reading, came back into the book, and the same topics were being discussed pages later.
Now, because I don’t care to end on a negative note, I want to discuss what I did enjoy about The Chicken Sisters. I loved Nancy and Barbara but I also loved the men of this story - they were all fabulous characters that added a touch of charm to the storyline. I loved the concept of a centuries-old competition between two families and the misunderstanding that often comes with grudges that are passed on through the years.
I appreciated the mental health awareness that the author added to her storyline. Hoarding is something that, I think, is often misrepresented on television shows and is often the butt of a joke but in reality, it is a disorder that people struggle with every day. It’s not just messiness or laziness but a behavior pattern that may be a symptom of other mental health issues. So, I applaud the author for bringing the reader's attention to this and for showing that there is often a side to hoarding that people do not see.
So, there we have it, folks! I think that there will be people out there who will enjoy this book so, I encourage you to add it to your cart, check it out from your library, or download that audiobook version. The Chicken Sisters was published December 1, 2020, and can be purchased today!
December 16, 2020
I couldn't finish it. Too wordy and too many boring characters. I got almost half way through and nothing was happening or revealed.
January 12, 2021
This book was not good. I honestly can't believe it got picked for the Reese Witherspoon book club book of the month. First of all, the author completely stole the story from the actual story of Chicken Mary's and Chicken Annie's in Pittsburg, KS and then claimed that she didn't know the history of the place, while also acknowledging it at the back of the book. The ending was WEAK: a *spoiler* everyone wins ending that is so ridiculous. Also, it's completely unrealistic that two four generation long feuding chicken restaurants would magically come together and be one (functional) restaurant, especially when the feud was so intense that a mother basically broke all ties with her daughter due to marrying into the opposite restaurant family. The characters were weak and lacked depth--even Mae's "come to Jesus" moment was lacking, overly simplistic, and honestly not much of a surprise. I felt like things suddenly happened that would not happen in real life (such as a husband suddenly showing up after a slow burn downhill turn to their relationship and completely forgiving and moving past all the lies that have been made for years! And then the wife being distraught, but basically fine, about him quitting his job without even telling her) and people let their long standing resentments go way too easily (and without therapy) for real life. I also felt like the hoarding aspect was way overplayed, and honestly, not over surprising for rural Kansas (I can say that because I grew up there and tons of people live this way to some degree). And I felt like the author just jumped on board with the Marie kondo/minimalism idea and wanted that to be a hot topic attention grabber. I would say the only reason this book was not a DNF for me was that I grew up really close to Pittsburg, so my interest was piqued by the setting and how she was going to make it unique. Complete waste of time.
February 21, 2020
So much fun! Mae just killed me. And I spent the whole book pulling for her sister and the hunky cook! Add this one to your TBR for June!
August 1, 2020
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
4.5 stars
The Chicken Sisters had such an interesting premise that I couldn’t resist it. Two competing restaurants – two sisters in management, the restaurants themselves also founded by two sisters, over 100 years ago. And a reality show in which they battle it out.
Was this going to be a story of rivalry? Or a story of reconciliation? Was it going to be a funny book where one of the sisters is good and the other one needs to open her eyes? Or was it going to be one where they both needed to understand their relationship better?
Moreover, I wondered who’d win! Or would this be one of those stories where there is no winner and the real prize is that once again, everyone’s a family?
I needed to know. Plus, I’d never heard a premise like this before!
It didn't disappoint. The Chicken Sisters reads really well! I got into it right away and the pages just melted under my gaze, it seems. You can read the full review here:
The Chicken Sisters presents you with two very different characters – sisters Amanda and Mae, with a rocky history – the older Mae who took up the work of “the younger mom” and tried to make life yield to her control to the best of her ability, and the younger Amanda who never understood why things had to be so complicated and just wanted to follow her heart.
Raised by a mother who could have seriously done a better job, they interpreted many things very differently from each other and that raised many problems. Many years and not nearly enough reconciliations later, the family meets in the most unexpected setting – a reality show being filmed in their restaurants to try and decide who’s doing a better job at it.
I liked both the main characters, even though they couldn’t have possibly been more different. Only one year apart, it feels like the sisters belong to different generations based on how they’ve had to grow up. So perhaps both of them will have to realize why they’re like that – and maybe they’ll be able to put their differences past them. Unfortunately, before things get better, they’ll have to get a lot uglier.
I also liked how their conflict was written. It’s in third person, but changing perspectives – so every other chapter, you get to hear the other side of the story. And I really couldn’t choose which side I’m on! I guess you could say that’s a realistic conflict – rarely is it ever that one side is completely in the right, and the other one – in the wrong. It’s mostly just a matter of perspective, and you never know what was truly behind some of the things one of the people may have done.
I don’t think I’m going to spoil anything if I say that I thought the resolution was just perfect. I am a naive reader and I didn’t see it coming till it was nearly time for it to be unveiled, so I wonder what other readers will think! But I enjoyed it (and I DO think it makes for good TV!) It was an enjoyable, roller-coaster kind of story and it definitely left me satisfied. It constantly made me question moral issues and the family drama, and I appreciated all the characters. Recommended!
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
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4.5 stars
The Chicken Sisters had such an interesting premise that I couldn’t resist it. Two competing restaurants – two sisters in management, the restaurants themselves also founded by two sisters, over 100 years ago. And a reality show in which they battle it out.
Was this going to be a story of rivalry? Or a story of reconciliation? Was it going to be a funny book where one of the sisters is good and the other one needs to open her eyes? Or was it going to be one where they both needed to understand their relationship better?
Moreover, I wondered who’d win! Or would this be one of those stories where there is no winner and the real prize is that once again, everyone’s a family?
I needed to know. Plus, I’d never heard a premise like this before!
It didn't disappoint. The Chicken Sisters reads really well! I got into it right away and the pages just melted under my gaze, it seems. You can read the full review here:
The Chicken Sisters presents you with two very different characters – sisters Amanda and Mae, with a rocky history – the older Mae who took up the work of “the younger mom” and tried to make life yield to her control to the best of her ability, and the younger Amanda who never understood why things had to be so complicated and just wanted to follow her heart.
Raised by a mother who could have seriously done a better job, they interpreted many things very differently from each other and that raised many problems. Many years and not nearly enough reconciliations later, the family meets in the most unexpected setting – a reality show being filmed in their restaurants to try and decide who’s doing a better job at it.
I liked both the main characters, even though they couldn’t have possibly been more different. Only one year apart, it feels like the sisters belong to different generations based on how they’ve had to grow up. So perhaps both of them will have to realize why they’re like that – and maybe they’ll be able to put their differences past them. Unfortunately, before things get better, they’ll have to get a lot uglier.
I also liked how their conflict was written. It’s in third person, but changing perspectives – so every other chapter, you get to hear the other side of the story. And I really couldn’t choose which side I’m on! I guess you could say that’s a realistic conflict – rarely is it ever that one side is completely in the right, and the other one – in the wrong. It’s mostly just a matter of perspective, and you never know what was truly behind some of the things one of the people may have done.
I don’t think I’m going to spoil anything if I say that I thought the resolution was just perfect. I am a naive reader and I didn’t see it coming till it was nearly time for it to be unveiled, so I wonder what other readers will think! But I enjoyed it (and I DO think it makes for good TV!) It was an enjoyable, roller-coaster kind of story and it definitely left me satisfied. It constantly made me question moral issues and the family drama, and I appreciated all the characters. Recommended!
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
January 1, 2021
3.5 Stars
I read a handful of Reese's Book Club selections in 2020 and I am fairly sure the trend will continue into the new year. Not only do I appreciate the fact that the stories are female-centric and written by women as well, but it's nice to see the "chick lit" genre get taken to a little bit deeper level like these choices do.
The Chicken Sisters is the story of two families who have maintained a Hatfield & McCoy type of feud for around 100 years. Each runs a chicken joint that claims to be the best. When an opportunity arises to be on Food Wars the families take it. And let me tell you chicken is the least of their concerns when it comes to family drama.
I really enjoyed this one, but I have a feeling those of you who enjoy cooking competition types of shows will like it even more. While I watch every housewife of every dang city in the world, my reality viewing regarding food shows ended years ago when this fella was the only one doing them . . . .
The one thing I do love, however, is . . . .
And this one didn't disappoint! (But I will probably never eat at a fried chicken place ever again.)
I read a handful of Reese's Book Club selections in 2020 and I am fairly sure the trend will continue into the new year. Not only do I appreciate the fact that the stories are female-centric and written by women as well, but it's nice to see the "chick lit" genre get taken to a little bit deeper level like these choices do.
The Chicken Sisters is the story of two families who have maintained a Hatfield & McCoy type of feud for around 100 years. Each runs a chicken joint that claims to be the best. When an opportunity arises to be on Food Wars the families take it. And let me tell you chicken is the least of their concerns when it comes to family drama.
I really enjoyed this one, but I have a feeling those of you who enjoy cooking competition types of shows will like it even more. While I watch every housewife of every dang city in the world, my reality viewing regarding food shows ended years ago when this fella was the only one doing them . . . .
The one thing I do love, however, is . . . .
And this one didn't disappoint! (But I will probably never eat at a fried chicken place ever again.)
March 17, 2021
I’m angry that this book has gotten as much hype as it has. NONE of the main characters are likeable at all. The premise sounds cute, but Amanda in particular takes things way too far. They were such awful human beings that I just wanted the book to end. I didn’t care who won the chicken war at all. The book was entirely too long and wordy without accomplishing much of anything. It might have been cute with some tighter writing, fewer subplots that go no where, and half as long.
December 31, 2020
What an adorable book to end my reading year on!
I really enjoyed it! Sometimes I was Team Amanda, sometimes I was Team Mae (and I was always team Andy.)
The end of the story dragged a little, but it ended just the way it should have.
I really enjoyed it! Sometimes I was Team Amanda, sometimes I was Team Mae (and I was always team Andy.)
The end of the story dragged a little, but it ended just the way it should have.
August 3, 2022
The Chicken Sisters. Two of my least favorite characters ever…
This is an alternating perspectives book, told from the eyes of two sisters who enter a reality tv show called Food Wars. I typically love books with a plot surrounding reality tv … but the characters in this book are SO unlikeable. I mean, they are awful. Each of the sisters repeatedly makes wildly selfish decisions, making them into such terrible people that I didn’t feel attached to their story. Also, the writing style is somewhat tough to follow, and the twists were not especially surprising. However, it is overall a clever idea for a story, and there are some wonderful side characters (FYI I would read an entire book about Kenneth and Patrick!) I have read reviews stating the book is too long, but I actually enjoyed the last third the most. The book covers topics such as the stigma of mental illness, the quest to find one’s purpose in life, and the importance of a support system. It was a Reese’s book club pick in December 2020, and I’m glad I finally read it. If only the characters had been less manipulative… although I guess that wouldn’t make for a very good story!
This is an alternating perspectives book, told from the eyes of two sisters who enter a reality tv show called Food Wars. I typically love books with a plot surrounding reality tv … but the characters in this book are SO unlikeable. I mean, they are awful. Each of the sisters repeatedly makes wildly selfish decisions, making them into such terrible people that I didn’t feel attached to their story. Also, the writing style is somewhat tough to follow, and the twists were not especially surprising. However, it is overall a clever idea for a story, and there are some wonderful side characters (FYI I would read an entire book about Kenneth and Patrick!) I have read reviews stating the book is too long, but I actually enjoyed the last third the most. The book covers topics such as the stigma of mental illness, the quest to find one’s purpose in life, and the importance of a support system. It was a Reese’s book club pick in December 2020, and I’m glad I finally read it. If only the characters had been less manipulative… although I guess that wouldn’t make for a very good story!
February 21, 2020
This was such a fun read! The basic story: Two sisters face off in a small Kansas town via their chicken restaurants. However, there's a lot more to this book than just a by the numbers tug-of-war, like reality TV, intergenerational dynamics, romance, motherhood, economic disparity, imposter syndrome, and second chances. There are LAYERS to this, is what I'm saying. Much like the layers of flour that cover the fried chicken that features prominently in the book. The writing is fresh, funny, heartfelt, and wise. This is a book you'll read and immediately recommend to the women in your life.
February 22, 2020
This book is a great romp of a read. There's a fun twisty plot, some hilarious hijinks, and everything drives to a giant OH NO moment at the end -- but here's the thing: KJ Dell'Antonia has spent her career in the world of big ideas, and you can tell, because beneath all the fun of this novel are some deep truths about family ties, the search for meaning and identity, and the ways that the stories we tell ourselves can either imprison us or set us free.
For book coaches, read this one to see a masterful handling of a multiple-POV, back-and-forth story.
For book coaches, read this one to see a masterful handling of a multiple-POV, back-and-forth story.
January 28, 2021
This book was exactly what I was anticipating. It was a sweet light hearted read. 3 stars for me until the end... which just dragged on for ages. The characterization was sloppy and really fell apart at the end.
January 18, 2021
2.5 stars rounded up. Enjoyable, but I think my expectations were too high. Unlikeable characters until the very end, some weird plot strings that really never connected– all things that just really kept jumping out at me thru my whole read, which made it hard to stay engaged and not distracted by those issues.
December 29, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. It’s fun and very well written. I especially loved the sister rivalry. Reading this story felt as if I was in the middle of a fight between my sisters, wanting to hug them and bludgeon them both at the same time. It’s easy to read and pretty much unputdownable. I totally recommend it.
November 17, 2020
Y'all. We talked today on @currentlyreadingpodcast about how crying at the end of a book can bump it up a half star for me. But this one didn't need the bump! I finished The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell'Antonia @kjda and it's the snark and small town ridiculousness of Schitt's Creek mixed with the drama of the Food Network mixed with all the tiny fried chicken.
📖 You know when you're reading a book and you HAVE to have what they're eating? Be sure you know where your local fried chicken is when you pick this one up! We found The Loyal Hound in Santa Fe and it was EXCELLENT for quenching the craving.
🥰 I loved this fun family drama, and thank KJ for sending me a copy directly! What a talent to go from one of my favorite non fiction parenting books of last year (How to Be a Happier Parent) to a fantastic fiction pick this year! Congrats, KJ. This one releases December 1st!
❓ We are currently binging the crap out of Schitt's Creek (hahaha see what I did there?) and I need equally delightful book and TV recommendations to finish out this year. Bring them on! 👇
#thechickensisters #debutnovel #chickengood
📖 You know when you're reading a book and you HAVE to have what they're eating? Be sure you know where your local fried chicken is when you pick this one up! We found The Loyal Hound in Santa Fe and it was EXCELLENT for quenching the craving.
🥰 I loved this fun family drama, and thank KJ for sending me a copy directly! What a talent to go from one of my favorite non fiction parenting books of last year (How to Be a Happier Parent) to a fantastic fiction pick this year! Congrats, KJ. This one releases December 1st!
❓ We are currently binging the crap out of Schitt's Creek (hahaha see what I did there?) and I need equally delightful book and TV recommendations to finish out this year. Bring them on! 👇
#thechickensisters #debutnovel #chickengood
December 28, 2022
PAINFUL TO READ. i don’t know what about it but it took me forever to finish it. every time i put it down i did not want to pick it up again. i solely finished this book just to get closer to my reading challenge goal. it seemed like this book would be such a great read and i normally love food type books like this and reese’s book club pick but nope. it was awful. do not recommend wasting your time on this. there were some redeeming qualities like the plot would have been ok if it was executed better and condensed a lot more. also side note: was extremely disappointed with the character amanda and would find myself hating her at times in the book - bad reflection of my name
January 16, 2021
Conflict on every corner with none of the charm or fun. Unlikeable characters, predictable ending. Reese’s book club has let me down 3 for 3!
February 23, 2021
I love predictable hallmark movies(which this played out to be a similar outline). however, I didn’t love the characters or their developments (lack there of) . It was a read and skim to finish.
August 20, 2021
3 stars. I found this tale of a family feud to be pretty average. Much of the supposedly innocent decisions early on that led to later drama felt contrived. I found it hard to believe that real people would make the same decisions. For a somewhat short book, the story dragged in places. Maybe if I enjoyed dramatic reality television then I would have liked this book. I thought this would be a fun pick, but it fell flat.
April 19, 2024
dnfing at 24% because this is the slowest paced book EVER. and the text is tiny as, i can’t deal
December 1, 2020
A wonderful debut novel by writer KJ Dell’Antonia:
In Merinac, a small town in Kansas, there are two competing restaurants Chicken Mimi’s and Chicken Frannie’s. They started out over a century ago led by sisters and have been bitter rivals since than. The feud has gotten so bad that when Amanda, one of Mimi’s descendants, marries Frank, one of Frannie’s she is no longer allowed to enter Mimi’s. Stretched thin between the warring factions, Amanda invites Food Wars (a reality tv show about competing restaurants) to town to judge between Frannie’s and Mimi’s and she has no idea what she has unleashed.
There’s more to the story, of course; Amanda is distant from her older sister, Mae, who has made a career in NYC and in reality television as someone who can clean and organize the heck out of everything whereas their mother, Barbara, is a messy hoarder. Amanda’s husband and father-in-law died in a car crash about six years prior, and so Amanda’s just been holding on, leading a restaurant with her mother-in-law and raising two kids on her own.
The story kept moving along, very fast paced, the whole book basically only takes place in the few days the tv crew descends on the small town of Merinac, Kansas for filming the Food Wars episode.
It’s an entertaining and insightful book about family and how it shapes you. Two very different sisters and their families trying to figure out how on earth they got where they are, and maybe, just maybe, they can figure out how to fix things and be closer and in the end happier. This is the kind of contemporary fiction that I think any reader will love, it is entertaining, full of warmth, hilarious with a set of charismatic and memorable characters that you will come to love.
A great read.
Thanks for the ARC.
In Merinac, a small town in Kansas, there are two competing restaurants Chicken Mimi’s and Chicken Frannie’s. They started out over a century ago led by sisters and have been bitter rivals since than. The feud has gotten so bad that when Amanda, one of Mimi’s descendants, marries Frank, one of Frannie’s she is no longer allowed to enter Mimi’s. Stretched thin between the warring factions, Amanda invites Food Wars (a reality tv show about competing restaurants) to town to judge between Frannie’s and Mimi’s and she has no idea what she has unleashed.
There’s more to the story, of course; Amanda is distant from her older sister, Mae, who has made a career in NYC and in reality television as someone who can clean and organize the heck out of everything whereas their mother, Barbara, is a messy hoarder. Amanda’s husband and father-in-law died in a car crash about six years prior, and so Amanda’s just been holding on, leading a restaurant with her mother-in-law and raising two kids on her own.
The story kept moving along, very fast paced, the whole book basically only takes place in the few days the tv crew descends on the small town of Merinac, Kansas for filming the Food Wars episode.
It’s an entertaining and insightful book about family and how it shapes you. Two very different sisters and their families trying to figure out how on earth they got where they are, and maybe, just maybe, they can figure out how to fix things and be closer and in the end happier. This is the kind of contemporary fiction that I think any reader will love, it is entertaining, full of warmth, hilarious with a set of charismatic and memorable characters that you will come to love.
A great read.
Thanks for the ARC.
May 1, 2021
I've struggled with this book and it's taken me weeks to finally get stuck in stuck in finish it.
The first half I couldn't get into at all, I found it a little boring and I couldn't find it in me to like any of the main characters. By the half way point I was mildly curious to see how it ended, it was that curiosity that just about kept me reading . Having said that, I did enjoy the last 40 % .
This is a 3.5 star for me.
The first half I couldn't get into at all, I found it a little boring and I couldn't find it in me to like any of the main characters. By the half way point I was mildly curious to see how it ended, it was that curiosity that just about kept me reading . Having said that, I did enjoy the last 40 % .
This is a 3.5 star for me.
March 16, 2021
I have no interest in finishing. I’ve read the ending is “worth it” but it hasn’t pulled me in at all.
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