Celia's Reviews > The Bitter Side of Sweet

No 120 in my Reading the World Quest

Country: Cote d'Ivoire

From the Author's Note:

"Cacao, “the food of the gods,” was once so valued that, in ancient times, its beans were used as money. Today, we have turned it into a cheap sweet we consume thoughtlessly, but cacao still comes at a terrible cost."

"Today, almost three-quarters of the world’s cocoa is grown in Africa, with 40 percent coming from the Ivory Coast alone."

The profit margins are slim in this industry of growing the bean. "Thus, many turn to free labor: modern-day slavery. Too often, that labor comes from children."

The story and characters:

Tara Sullivan’s young adult novel, The Bitter Side of Sweet, provides an account of modern-day child slavery in Ivory Coast, Africa. Although fictional, the story highlights the dark reality of the cacao industry as Sullivan chronicles the journey of three children to freedom.

Amadou - Fifteen-year-old Amadou is the novel’s protagonist and narrator. His main focus is keeping his brother safe.

Seydou - At just eight years old, Seydou is the youngest boy on the farm.

Both of the boys were stolen from Mali, the country north of Cote d'Ivoire. According to the map at the front of the book, the cacao is grown in the southern part of the country north of the coast. They ARE far from home.

Kahdija -Thirteen-year-old Khadija is the first and only girl to come to the cacao farm. She has her own story of how she got to the Cacao Farm.

The story chronicles the relationship of the three and how they finally get away from the farm.

Very interesting and educational reading.

4 stars