Book Review | Sourdough by Robin Sloan

28 March 2018

| goodreads |
★★★★★
It's been a very very long time since I've read a book that was able to pull me in and capture me completely, until I picked up Sourdough by Robin Sloan.
This was a book I found randomly. I very rarely just browse at the library and pick a book I've never heard of. I'm typically committed to choosing reads from my TBR. But for whatever reason, this book caught my eye. I started reading it. And I couldn't put it down.

This is one of the most unique and just plain weird stories I've ever read. All about a mystical, magical sourdough bread starter the main character, Lois, inherits from two brothers who come from a mystical, mysterious culture.
The reader is kept guessing about the significance of the bread starter and where it came from. And even though it's strange, I grew pretty emotionally attached to the bread starter.

I adored Lois and watching her grow confidence throughout the story. She pushes herself out of her comfort zone a lot, despite her fears and insecurities. I felt like she was extremely relatable.

One thing I really appreciate about Robin Sloan and his books is the fact that he incorporates a bunch of technology into his books. In Sourdough and in Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore, there is a theme of old traditions, such as physical books, and bread making, and contrasting them with the complicated technology that's developing in the modern era. This is shown in Sourdough with the main character being a coder for a robotics company. It's extremely fascinating to read about, even though it's hard to understand at times.

This is a book that is hard to place under one genre. I would describe it as an adult contemporary, with the feel of science fiction with all the technology that's incorporated into it, and the slightest hint of magical realism.

Honestly, I feel like I could rant about this book and about how much I deeply loved it for forever. It's a book that leaves you helplessly craving sourdough bread with the special spicy soup. It's a super quick read that could be finished easily in a day without effort.
Overall though, I believe it would be best to go into this book mostly blind, without any expectations or preconceived ideas. To just accept the story for what it is, and not question it. But I do highly recommend it. It's made it to my list of favorites for sure!
I have come to believe that food is history of the deepest kind. Everything we eat tells a tale of ingenuity and creation, domination and injustice-and does so more vividly than any other artifact, any other medium. ― Robin SloanSourdough

2 comments

  1. This review is super intriguing!! I put the book on hold at the library even before I finished your post. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! That makes me so excited Olivia! I'd love to hear what you think about it when you're done!

      Delete