Sweet Revenge

Passive-aggressive Desserts for Your Exes & Enemies

Heather Kim, Capstone (JANUARY) Softcover $19.95 (208pp), 978-1-63079-089-9

Sweet Revenge is a book on a mission to help teenagers find a way to better express themselves when they are hurt—with dessert!

Sweet Revenge is a mischievous cookbook that is equal parts gratifying, tempting, and hilarious.

A heartfelt message at the beginning of the book sets the tone: this may be a passiveaggressive cookbook, but there is no lurking scheme to cause harm underlying its recipes. Instead, Heather Kim asks that teenagers take their angry feelings and turn them into something that will put good into the world, rather than bad. In Kim’s estimation—contrary to the common misconception—“revenge is a dish best served warm.”

The cookbook is exceptional for its thoroughness, which keeps in mind that many teenagers may not have much experience in the kitchen. It cautions about avoiding burns, provides a handy conversion table, and depicts useful kitchen tools for the beginner to familiarize themselves with.

The recipes are all delightfully named, with puns and plays on words such as You’re the Devil Food Cake and Stop Texting Me, You Crepe; each shows exactly what the baker thinks of their intended target.

Instructions are clear and easily comprehensible, making use of friendly and amusing language and slang. Beating your anger out into a batter is an essential instruction in many of the recipes. The tone is that of a friend, full of exuberant energy and lots of baking knowledge, eager to help the reader transform their aggression into the perfect dessert.

Pictures are artfully crafted, with excellent angles to showcase the sweet treats to their best advantages. A slashing font and colorful lines decorate the baked goods, resulting in treats that appear fierce as well as delicious.

Amid all of its fun and tastiness, Sweet Revenge is a book on a mission to help teenagers find a way to better express themselves when they are hurt—with dessert!