Review by Clombardia -- Honesty is Key by Tayma Tameem
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Review by Clombardia -- Honesty is Key by Tayma Tameem
[Following is a volunteer review of "Honesty is Key" by Tayma Tameem.]
Honesty is Key: The Magic Ingredient by Tayma Tameem is a romantic comedy about the trajectory of Atlas as the host of a cooking program. Atlas is an actor that has not had a job for some time. Selina, an ambitious TV producer, sees potential in Atlas for a new cooking program based on an interview in which he states how good of a chef he is in his free time. In fact, Atlas has very poor cooking skills, but he nevertheless accepts the job that Selina offers him, as it is an opportunity to get back in the world. Throughout the book, he tries to learn how to cook, but repeatedly fails, both in the privacy of his home, and live in his program. However, no matter what he does and how terrible his cooking gets, his charismatic and grounded personality, and the way he interacts with his guests win him the audience. In the beginning, Selina regrets choosing him for the job, but she then will progressively realize the same thing as the audience: Atlas is an entertainer, and he is the soul of the program.
The novel, although easy to read and simple in its core, was hard to finish. With the exception of very specific details, such as Atlas’ cat and some flirtatious dialogues, I did not enjoy reading it.
Firstly, I found the characters quite superficial and, after having finished the book, I still felt like I did not know them. Importantly, it is not stated why Atlas failed as an actor and, as a reader, that is a key aspect that I would like to be told. He is a main character whose past or psyche I did not discover in the first book of a trilogy, which is supposed to be the presentation of the characters (e.g., how was it for him to grow without a dad?; how was it for him to fail as an actor?). The only aspect of his past that is actually delved into is how he only liked to eat chocolate when he was a kid, which is an almost trivial detail. Selina is also presented in a plain way. From Atlas point of view, the description is limited to how much attractive, “scary and independent”, and “wife material” she is, and yet there is no depth in Atlas’ feelings. The only instance in which some complexity can be suspected is in the one deep conversation they both have, where she mentions having a tough childhood, although that information has no actual consequences for the story. The secondary/recurrent characters (i.e., Atlas’ mom, George) are also not very relevant or interesting.
Secondly, in terms of the plot, there is not much progression in the series of events. From the very beginning and until the very end, everything concerning the program always works out for Atlas. He does not need to question his way of behaving at any point, because he never has actual setbacks (e.g., Selina’s sabotage could have had more serious effects) and his learning experience is limited to being able to pull anything out just by being funny and messy. The lack of plot is also evidenced by the romance, as both the attraction that Atlas feels for Selina, and the impossibility to start something due to their professional relationship are there from the first moment he sees her, and it does not evolve into something different at any point, not even at the end. I believe that it would have been more exciting to read the story from Selina’s point of view. For example, in chapter 11, when she boycotts Atlas, it is told as perceived by her, and I felt that the story would be more intriguing from her eyes. Similarly, in chapter 26, when Atlas mixes spinach for lettuce and she notices and wants to warn him, I wanted to know more about how she lives the story (both the big events, such as when he goes to London, and the details, such as when he makes her laugh).
Lastly, I did not like the style in which it is written. I think that the dialogues are unreal; they came across as forced and unnatural, with abrupt conversation endings and jumps in topics. Furthermore, I felt like the narration and explicit dialogues are unnecessary, while there are few sentences where the plot actually moves forward that are dropped quickly and not fairly developed. For example, Selina’s “negotiation skills”, which are mentioned in the prologue, are not explored, as the scene in which she convinces her bosses to do the program is barely detailed. Also in chapter 27, it is stated that “normally, they would call each other at least a couple of times a week and chat forever”, but I missed that. Those conversations are where I figure that the relationship would grow, but only some of those chats are made explicit in the book.
In sum, I rate this book 1 out of 4. I did not give it a 2 because, even though I guess some people may find it more funny and entertaining than I did, the overall quality is quite poor in terms of (1) characters depth and development, (2) plot simplicity and lack of storytelling, and (3) spontaneity and genuineness of characters interactions. I do not recommend this book, but if I were to decide the target audience, I would say that it is a book for people that like cooking programs and are looking for a light reading.
******
Honesty is Key
View: on Bookshelves
Honesty is Key: The Magic Ingredient by Tayma Tameem is a romantic comedy about the trajectory of Atlas as the host of a cooking program. Atlas is an actor that has not had a job for some time. Selina, an ambitious TV producer, sees potential in Atlas for a new cooking program based on an interview in which he states how good of a chef he is in his free time. In fact, Atlas has very poor cooking skills, but he nevertheless accepts the job that Selina offers him, as it is an opportunity to get back in the world. Throughout the book, he tries to learn how to cook, but repeatedly fails, both in the privacy of his home, and live in his program. However, no matter what he does and how terrible his cooking gets, his charismatic and grounded personality, and the way he interacts with his guests win him the audience. In the beginning, Selina regrets choosing him for the job, but she then will progressively realize the same thing as the audience: Atlas is an entertainer, and he is the soul of the program.
The novel, although easy to read and simple in its core, was hard to finish. With the exception of very specific details, such as Atlas’ cat and some flirtatious dialogues, I did not enjoy reading it.
Firstly, I found the characters quite superficial and, after having finished the book, I still felt like I did not know them. Importantly, it is not stated why Atlas failed as an actor and, as a reader, that is a key aspect that I would like to be told. He is a main character whose past or psyche I did not discover in the first book of a trilogy, which is supposed to be the presentation of the characters (e.g., how was it for him to grow without a dad?; how was it for him to fail as an actor?). The only aspect of his past that is actually delved into is how he only liked to eat chocolate when he was a kid, which is an almost trivial detail. Selina is also presented in a plain way. From Atlas point of view, the description is limited to how much attractive, “scary and independent”, and “wife material” she is, and yet there is no depth in Atlas’ feelings. The only instance in which some complexity can be suspected is in the one deep conversation they both have, where she mentions having a tough childhood, although that information has no actual consequences for the story. The secondary/recurrent characters (i.e., Atlas’ mom, George) are also not very relevant or interesting.
Secondly, in terms of the plot, there is not much progression in the series of events. From the very beginning and until the very end, everything concerning the program always works out for Atlas. He does not need to question his way of behaving at any point, because he never has actual setbacks (e.g., Selina’s sabotage could have had more serious effects) and his learning experience is limited to being able to pull anything out just by being funny and messy. The lack of plot is also evidenced by the romance, as both the attraction that Atlas feels for Selina, and the impossibility to start something due to their professional relationship are there from the first moment he sees her, and it does not evolve into something different at any point, not even at the end. I believe that it would have been more exciting to read the story from Selina’s point of view. For example, in chapter 11, when she boycotts Atlas, it is told as perceived by her, and I felt that the story would be more intriguing from her eyes. Similarly, in chapter 26, when Atlas mixes spinach for lettuce and she notices and wants to warn him, I wanted to know more about how she lives the story (both the big events, such as when he goes to London, and the details, such as when he makes her laugh).
Lastly, I did not like the style in which it is written. I think that the dialogues are unreal; they came across as forced and unnatural, with abrupt conversation endings and jumps in topics. Furthermore, I felt like the narration and explicit dialogues are unnecessary, while there are few sentences where the plot actually moves forward that are dropped quickly and not fairly developed. For example, Selina’s “negotiation skills”, which are mentioned in the prologue, are not explored, as the scene in which she convinces her bosses to do the program is barely detailed. Also in chapter 27, it is stated that “normally, they would call each other at least a couple of times a week and chat forever”, but I missed that. Those conversations are where I figure that the relationship would grow, but only some of those chats are made explicit in the book.
In sum, I rate this book 1 out of 4. I did not give it a 2 because, even though I guess some people may find it more funny and entertaining than I did, the overall quality is quite poor in terms of (1) characters depth and development, (2) plot simplicity and lack of storytelling, and (3) spontaneity and genuineness of characters interactions. I do not recommend this book, but if I were to decide the target audience, I would say that it is a book for people that like cooking programs and are looking for a light reading.
******
Honesty is Key
View: on Bookshelves
