Forks, Knives, and Spoons - by Leah Decesare (Paperback)

About the Book

There are three kinds of guys: forks, knives, and spoons. Amy York takes this lesson from her father to college, analyzes it with her friends through romances and heartbreaks, and along the way, learns to believe in herself without tying her value to men.

Book Synopsis

2019 ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition Semifinalist
2018 International Book Awards Winner in Fiction: General
2017 IAN Book of the Year Award for Outstanding Women's Fiction
2017 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal for New Adult Fiction
2017 NYC Big Book Awards Winner for Women's Fiction
2017 National Indie Excellence Book Awards Winner: Contemporary Fiction
2017 National Indie Excellence Book Awards Finalist: Women's Fiction
2017 Independent Press Awards Distinguished Favorites: New Fiction
2017 Best Book Awards Finalist: Best New Fiction

For readers who love Adriana Trigiani, Jennifer Weiner and Liane Moriarty, Forks, Knives, and Spoons is a light-hearted, thought-provoking coming of age story that takes readers on a nostalgic journey back to the 1980s and 1990s. Romantic, witty and warm.

There are three kinds of guys: forks, knives, and spoons. That is the final lesson that Amy York's father sends her off to college with, never suspecting just how far his daughter will take it. Clinging to the Utensil Classification System as her guide, Amy tries to convince her skeptical roommate, Veronica Warren, of its usefulness as they navigate the heartbreaks and soul mates of college and beyond.

Beginning in 1988, their freshman year at Syracuse University, Amy and Veronica meet an assortment of guys--from slotted spoons and shrimp forks to butter knives and sporks--all while trying to learn if the UCS holds true. On the quest to find their perfect steak knives, they learn to believe in themselves--and not to settle in love or life.

Review Quotes

2018 International Book Awards Winner in Fiction: General 2017 IAN Book of the Year Award for Outstanding Women's Fiction 2017 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal for New Adult Fiction 2017 NYC Big Book Awards Winner for Women's Fiction 2017 National Indie Excellence Book Awards Winner: Contemporary Fiction 2017 National Indie Excellence Book Awards Finalist: Women's Fiction 2017 Independent Press Awards Distinguished Favorites: New Fiction 2017 Best Book Awards Finalist: Best New Fiction
"The novel's construct of categorizing men's qualities according to a Utensil Classification System when looking for a romantic partner is memorable, wittily practical, and has the power to influence readers' real-life choices. For that, Forks, Knives, and Spoons breaks new ground." --The BookLife Prize "A charming debut novel." --Publishers Weekly "Reading Forks, Knives, and Spoons is like having your best girlfriend take you by the hand and tell you a story. A story you want to sit and listen to until the very end." --Ann Hood, New York Times bestselling author of The Book That Matters Most
"Leah DeCesare has a writer's voice that is remarkable for a debut novel. The characters in Forks, Knives, and Spoons are so relatable, and the story makes you long for your own youth. A wonderful book about love and growth, discovering who you are, and what makes you happy." --Anita Hughes, author of Christmas in Paris
"What a warm, wonderful read! I fell in love with Leah DeCesare's wit and her relatable, human characters, who brought me back to that tender and occasionally heartbreaking time at the very cusp of adulthood." --Cristina Alger, author of This Was Not The Plan
"I couldn't help but get nostalgic as I read the charming and witty Forks, Knives, and Spoons. There is a delicious innocence and great fun in reading about young women seeking love and romance in a time before a left or right swipe had anything to do with dating. This book is full of heart and hopefulness." --Jessica Anya Blau, author of The Trouble with Lexie
"Forks, Knives, and Spoons is the perfect marriage of wit, romance, and, above all, heart. DeCesare's writing is simply delectable and sure to woo any woman who has ever wondered if there is such a thing as Mr. Right." --Nicole Waggoner, author of Center Ring and The Act
"Leah captured me on the very first line, 'There are three types of guys: forks, knives and spoons.' With imagination, highly relatable characters, and witty dialogue we are taken back to our youths--reevaluating and categorizing all of our crushes. A lovely story of friendship, love, and the amazing time between childhood and adulthood." --Dawn Lerman, best-selling author of My Fat Dad: A Memoir of Food, Love, and Family with Recipes, New York Times Well Blog columnist
"Leah DeCesare brings humor, warmth, and wit to the timeless themes of female friendship, looking for love in all the wrong (and right!) places and the fine art of growing up. Any woman who has ever dated will laugh their way through Forks, Knives and Spoons!" --Emily Listfield, co-founder, Jyst, the dating advice app on iTunes and author of Waiting to Surface
"Full of 1980's nostalgia, DeCesare's ambitious young women protagonists meet campus 'Forks, Knives, and Spoons' as they navigate how to ultimately place themselves firmly at the head of their own tables." --Ann Imig, Founder of Listen to Your Mother "A book (and dating concept!) I had to stop reading multiple times to text my sisters, often snapping pics of laugh-out-loud passages. The 80's nostalgia is spot on. High bangs? Yep. George Michael, Alex P. Keaton? Both. And when my laughter settled, my heart took over. Fans of Sarah Jio, Allison Winn Scotch, Phoebe Fox, and Hannah McKinnon will find a new favorite in Leah DeCesare." --MM Finck, Women Writers, Women's Books
"The sounds, cultural references, and scents of the 80's will envelop you as you read DeCesares's debut. I felt like I was right back in my dorm room where the biggest decision was whether to play Squeeze or Blondie as I got ready for a dorm party. This page-turning romp through the college years and beyond follows Amy as she navigates a cutlery of cuties in search of the perfect steak knife. I made me want to plan a reunion!" --Robin Kall, host of Reading With Robin podcast and Point Street Reading Series