Name: The Bitter Side of Sweet
ISBN: 9780399173073

Tara Sullivan

"Kept as forced labor on a chocolate plantation in the Ivory Coast, Amadou and his younger brother Seydou had given up hope until a young girl arrives at the camp who rekindles the urge to escape"--

The Bitter Side of Sweet

jess

This book was a lot of things. 

First of all, it was eye-opening. I have to admit that I wasn't sure on the meaning of fair trade; I wasn't aware of the conditions that people in third-world countries work in for us to have chocolate and coffee and many, many other goods. This put a story to what's going in in Africa. It helps you realize how incredibly fortunate you are. I will definitely be looking into fair trade chocolate from now on. 

Secondly: it was very well-written. In fact, I read it in one sitting at the kitchen table, which is profoundly uncomfortable, and I didn't even notice. The pacing is very solid. Personally, I found it a bit predictable, but that's because I read a lot and am somewhat genre savvy. 

The characters were also very good. Seydou, Amadou and Khadija were all very memorable characters and it's hard to believe that they were all just kids because of what they all have gone through. Tara Sullivan doesn't shy away from the harsher realities of what a cacao farm using child labour is like. She's clearly done her research, and it made my heart clench.

The Bitter Side of Sweet

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