In The Age Of Love And Chocolate

In The Age Of Love And Chocolate by Gabrielle Zevin      286 pages

Maybe it was because I was sorry to see the series end but when I finished this final book on the trilogy I was left feeling kind of disappointed.  I liked the story all of the way through and I felt like it ended well so I’m not sure what the problem was.  Maybe it was a little predictable or wrapped up too neatly, but that isn’t usually a problem for me.  The story is still all about Anya Ballanchine who is starting a new nightclub that will serve cacao, since it is legal to distribute for medicinal purpose, unlike chocolate, which is not legal at all.  Anya’s business partner, Mr. Delacroix, has cost her a boyfriend, Win, who is Delacroix’s son and doesn’t approve of the partnership.  Anya, in the meantime, is also the guardian of her younger sister, Natty.  Natty has begun acting out, as many teenagers do, and Anya, who is really still a teenager herself, doesn’t know what to do.  Not to mention the fact that her cousin-in-law, Sophie Bitter, who tried to kill her, is still at large.  Anya has a lot on her plate but problems do seem to have a way of working out for Anya, one way or another.  Despite how I felt after finishing, I think that most fans of the series will like this conclusion.  The series is definitely an interesting peek into one possible future of the world.