Monster's Chef by Jervey Tervalon
One-sentence summary: After living in a halfway house, drug addict chef Gibson finds a job with mega-celebrity Monster at his mountain compound and dives head first into the twisted world Monster has created.
Tastes like: Twinkies—you know there’s something artificial and off about them, but they’re still delicious and artfully crafted.
Difficulty: This isn’t a “face-value” book. The prose is very readable, although full of mature topics and language. The ideas conveyed go deeper into the role of celebrity, racial identity, addiction and recovery, power, and insanity.
Monster’s Chef was an entertaining and strange departure from the tear-inducing books I had been reading. It opens with this line: “Silence, solitude, and breathable air, that’s all I wanted, not exactly a miracle, but I guess this nightmare of a job is what I deserve.” And a nightmare is exactly what this book feels like. Jervey invented a universe that closely resembles the one we live in, but is just crooked enough that you know it’s a fictional fantasy land. Gibson, the main character, is a chef who is trying to rebuild his life following an arrest. The only job he can get is one cooking for Monster, a famous singer who is known for bleaching his skin, living in a secluded castle he calls his Lair, and his penchant for underage boys (sound familiar???). Monster also has a pregnant wife who doesn’t speak, a right-hand man named Thug, a private army, and a moat built around his castle. When Gibson arrives, he’s instructed to prepare only Living Food, or fruits, vegetables, and grains cooked by the sun. He’s forced to sign extensive non-disclosure agreements. He’s told he’s never to interact with Monster’s wife.
Jervey is preparing us for a descent into madness. At first, things seem normal, and Monster’s quirks are amusing. But then everything starts to go haywire, as Gibson develops a relationship with Monster’s wife, a dead body is found, and Gibson begins to realize that he’s been submerged into a toxic world. Can he escape? The build-up gets crazier and freakier, and the ending is either brilliant or insane. I’m still not sure.
This novel is not for the faint of heart. It’s violent, sexual, a little bit supernatural, and fast-paced. I can’t compare it to anything else I’ve read, although according to the back cover it “echoes Junot Díaz, William Gibson, and Walter Mosley.” The exploration of celebrity, and the role privilege or money play in bending the rules, was fascinating. It leaves you with an almost sick feeling in your stomach, kind of like watching House of Cards (which everyone should do). How can powerful role models be allowed to do terrible things? How do we let them manipulate us into believing half-truths?
If you’re into cutting-edge books, and not squeamish or sensitive, this is a worthwhile, quick read. It’s darkly delicious and thought-provoking. AND as a bonus, Jervey threw in recipes before every chapter! What more could a food-loving soul want?