I loved the premise of The Chicken Sisters by K.J. Dell’Antonia, so I knew I had to read it!
Two popular fried chicken restaurants in the small town of Merinac, Kansas are pitted against each other on a reality cooking show, with two sisters caught in the middle.
Artistic Amanda and cleaning maven TV personality Mae haven’t talked much since Mae left their hometown. But when Food Wars sets its sights on Merinac, Mae comes back to help her mother with Mimi’s Chicken Shack. Drama (and misunderstanding) ensues.
*I received this book for free from the publisher (Putnam Books) in exchange for an honest review.
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The Chicken Sisters by K.J. Dell’Antonia: My Thoughts
I love fried chicken. There’s this place near us in Texas that has the BEST fried chicken I’ve ever had, hands down. I usually get their chicken sandwich with kale coleslaw and pickles, and it’s divine. So this book was an easy choice for me to read!
It’s a fun contemporary story with a premise I could definitely get behind, filled with family drama, a reality tv competition, and homestyle southern cooking. (Oh, and did I mention PIE?!). I loved all the food talk and the historic small town.
There are a couple reasons why I didn’t rate this higher. Some characters felt well-rounded, but others felt like they were just there to push the story along. Some I loved (like Gus!), and others I felt lukewarm about. Also, I think I was hoping this would focus more on humor, but it was still entertaining – especially with all that drama!
Lastly, the story was bogged down by exposition at times. (Not always, but enough to notice). As a reader, I like to be able to figure things out for myself – based on the characters’ actions and dialogue – instead of being told.
Overall, though, this was a fun read! I loved the cozy small-town feel and learning about how restaurants (both small and large) are run. The focus on food was a huge plus, too!
Rating: 3.75 (out of 5) stars
Release date: December 1st, 2020
Looking for more great book recommendations? Check out my list of most-anticipated book releases in December 2020!
