This novel blew me away. I liked the writing, the voice of the protagonist, the story, and the characters. 
 I won't go into details so as not to include any spoilers, but the story begins on Rose's ninth birthday when her mother bakes her, from scratch, a lemon cake with chocolate frosting, and Rose is suddenly able to taste her mother's feelings. Shockingly, since her mother always seems so happy and contented, the feelings that come through pretty much scream of despair. From then on, Rose is tormented by the secret feelings of everyone involved in any way in the preparation of everything she eats (this includes the farmer who gros the food, the person who processes the raw ingredient, the cook/baker who puts the ingredients together). She can also tell where the ingredients come from, whether it's organically grown, even whether the cow that gave the milk which made the butter, cheese, whatever is contented, and so on. No wonder she tries to avoid eating. 
 To survive, Rose learns to keep her newly discovered talent a secret from everyone except her brother Joe's best friend George. This is as much the story of the secrets Rose and her family keep from each other and how those secrets impact their lives.