The Takeout - bookrastinating.com

English language

Published May 9, 2023 by Clarion Books.

ISBN:: 978-0-358-67173-2

When a celebrity chef’s new restaurant threatens Mila’s family’s food truck, she plans to expose them for the recipe thieves they are—even if that means dabbling in the Filipino folk magic she’s tried to avoid. Fans of Tae Keller and Lily LaMotte will cheer for this charming story about food, family, and finding the place you belong.

Mila may have moved to Coral Beach months ago, but it still doesn’t feel like home. She wants to belong, but a few awkward incidents with her new friends make her wonder if she’ll ever neatly fit into the super-samey small town.

Mila feels the only place she can be herself is at her dad’s Filipino-Indian food truck, The Banana Leaf. But when celebrity chef twins the Fab Foodie Brothers open a restaurant nearby, it turns out the food they are serving is exactly the same as The Banana Leaf's--right down …

When a celebrity chef’s new restaurant threatens Mila’s family’s food truck, she plans to expose them for the recipe thieves they are—even if that means dabbling in the Filipino folk magic she’s tried to avoid. Fans of Tae Keller and Lily LaMotte will cheer for this charming story about food, family, and finding the place you belong.

Mila may have moved to Coral Beach months ago, but it still doesn’t feel like home. She wants to belong, but a few awkward incidents with her new friends make her wonder if she’ll ever neatly fit into the super-samey small town.

Mila feels the only place she can be herself is at her dad’s Filipino-Indian food truck, The Banana Leaf. But when celebrity chef twins the Fab Foodie Brothers open a restaurant nearby, it turns out the food they are serving is exactly the same as The Banana Leaf's--right down to the recipes!

Suspicious of the similarities, Mila teams up with family friend Ajay to investigate. She soon realizes that she needs to take the beloved Fab Foodie Brothers down before they run her family's tiny truck out of town. But that means dabbling in the Filipino folk healing and magical traditions that she has shied away from her whole life . . . as well as alienating her new friends.

Does Mila have to choose between her family and fitting in? Or, like the best recipes, will a blend of the traditional and the unexpected mix into something truly special?

1 edition

lastblossom reviewed The Takeout by Tracy Badua

A charming lead fights to save her family business in a tale about food, magic and finding your own identity.

No rating

About Mila feels out of place in Coral Beach, a small city where being Filipino makes her stand out. The only place where she can be herself is the Banana Leaf, her father's Filipino-Indian fusion food truck. Unfortunately, a new celebrity chef restaurant might put the truck out of business, especially after she discovers they've stolen her family recipes. But what can one person even do about it?

Thoughts Growing up in the diaspora has some unique challenges, and I've read a lot of MG books lately that address this. This one in particular though really manages to hit it from multiple angles. It's difficult to try to shave off pieces of yourself to fit in, but it's also difficult when other people challenge your choices and make you feel "not enough." That being said, I think Mila's growth in learning to accept herself will resonate with any reader, …

About Mila feels out of place in Coral Beach, a small city where being Filipino makes her stand out. The only place where she can be herself is the Banana Leaf, her father's Filipino-Indian fusion food truck. Unfortunately, a new celebrity chef restaurant might put the truck out of business, especially after she discovers they've stolen her family recipes. But what can one person even do about it?

Thoughts Growing up in the diaspora has some unique challenges, and I've read a lot of MG books lately that address this. This one in particular though really manages to hit it from multiple angles. It's difficult to try to shave off pieces of yourself to fit in, but it's also difficult when other people challenge your choices and make you feel "not enough." That being said, I think Mila's growth in learning to accept herself will resonate with any reader, and her own revelations really hit home. Ajay was also a great secondary character, with growing up and fitting in problems of his own, and their friendship over the course of the book was my favorite part. My second favorite part was, of course, all the descriptions of food. Filipino and Indian food are both excellent, and if there were a Banana Leaf food truck in my area, you can bet I'd be a regular customer. The ending is fun and hopeful, with all the loose ends tying up very neatly.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the advance copy.