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Tantalize (Tantalize #1)

by Cynthia Leitich Smith

3.20 · rating details · 5,407 ratings · 732 reviews

CLASSIFIED ADS: RESTAURANTS
SANGUINI'S: A VERY RARE RESTAURANT IS HIRING A CHEF DE CUISINE. DINNERS ONLY.
APPLY IN PERSON BETWEEN 2:00 AND 4:00 PM.

Quincie Morris has never felt more alone. Her parents are dead, and her hybrid-werewolf first love is threatening to embark on a rite of passage that will separate them forever. Then, as she and her uncle are about to unveil their...more

Paperback, 336 pages

Published July 22nd 2008 by Candlewick Press (first published February 1st 2007)

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Nov 07, 2007

Emily Cassady rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: YA and fans of vamp fiction

Vampire/Werewolf fiction is always a hot seller. CLS has done some research using B. Stoker's Dracula and has made a main character (Quincie Morris) based on some information found within. Our Quincie is from Austin and she is struggling with running a family restaurant. They've decided to close down, re-model, and open a vampire diner. Recently I heard one book reviewer say "You know how you always see those 'KeepAustinWeird' shirts? Well...this certainly fits".
There are some r...more

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Jun 03, 2008

Megan F rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: anyone who's really bored and has nothing else to read.

Shelves: vampires, young-adult

This book annoys me. Not the subject matter, that's ok. I mean, it IS teen-fic. What bugs me is the writing. The author lives in Austin, Texas which is where the book takes place, and so do I, which is part of the reason it interested me. But she really wants to make sure you know the story takes place in Texas, yall! Seriously, every few paragraphs she's name dropping some local landmark or phenomena. Done correctly and respectfully this can add flavor to a story, but it's done so poorly in thi...more

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Sep 28, 2011

Jeanine rated it

· review of another edition

This book was slow pretty much up until the end. I am not sure why I kept reading on, but I did, and the end made me glad I did.

Okay... So I was glad that I stuck through it because I had the next book "Eternal," or what I thought was the next book. Turns out, "Eternal" has all different characters and I am not going to find out what happens with Kieran and Quince until the third book "Blessed". I am actually annoyed with myself that I made myself finish ...more

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Oct 22, 2011

The Holy Terror rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: color-black, vampires, werewolves, young-adult, paranormal-romance

This turned out to be an original concept that was executed terribly. The story quickly spirals into an insufferable teen drama filled with clichéd characters and terrible choices.

Quincie, the main character, is trying to reopen her family's restaurant after a recent murder on the premises. She has to come up with the menu, hire the staff, and organize just about everything. She tries to act like an adult, but she isn't really one, and so she misses all of the signs an actual adult wou...more

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Oct 26, 2008

Kristi (The Story Siren) added it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

Tantalize itself means to torment or tease with the sight or promise of something that is unobtainable or withheld. I personally cannot think of a better word to describe this dark fantasy!

Quince Morris lives in world that is a little different from our own. Not much different really, just this small thing about werewolves and vampires being real! But Quince isn’t worried about that, her best friend Kieren happens to be a hybrid-werewolf. Not only is he her best friend she wishes the...more

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Dec 09, 2011

BarkLessWagMore rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, teen, paranormal, dnf

I read Eternal which I found lacking and went back to read this one to see if I’d enjoy it any better. I should have known better.

The writing is still very off putting and the world building just as lame and inconsistent as book #2 in the series. I can’t quite put into words what is wrong but I feel a disconnect between myself and the characters which is annoying and frustrating.

This story is set in a world inhabited by humans, vampires and werewolves but the whole dyna...moreI read Eternal which I found lacking and went back to read this one to see if I’d enjoy it any better. I should have known better.

The writing is still very off putting and the world building just as lame and inconsistent as book #2 in the series. I can’t quite put into words what is wrong but I feel a disconnect between myself and the characters which is annoying and frustrating.

This story is set in a world inhabited by humans, vampires and werewolves but the whole dynamic between the three is sketchy and the author just throws it at you without bothering to explain anything. It drives me nutty when an author does this sort of thing as it just screams lazy to me. I figured with this being book #1 she’d do some decent setup but it’s a no go, instead she spends time describing more important stuff, you know, like clothing and food. Anyway, Quincie is a teenager trying her best to woo her werewolf/human hybrid boyfriend into holding her hand before he runs off to join a wolf pack, never to be seen again apparently. She is being raised by an uncle because her parents are dead and is helping him reopen the family restaurant which has been reinvented as an Italian vampire diner. But, uh oh, the head chef (and her close confidant) is found brutally murdered. She is at the restaurant when the poor guy is torn to bits.

A major problem with this book and its sequel is that it sets up these huge dramatic moments that should be emotionally painful but are just . . . not. The books are emotionally dead. Quincie has two friends, the werewolf/human guy who won’t touch her and the dead chef. Supposedly she admired the chef but when he dies his dreadfully painful death she just goes about her day, worrying about getting the restaurant going and wondering if the new cook can pull off the whole “vampire diner” dynamic because he doesn’t have the right look. Never mind the fact that he’s only 20 and is going to be the head chef (where’s Chef Ramsey when you need him?!). I’m supposed to believe this girl is in her late teens and has the emotional capacity of a mannequin? I haven’t been a teen for awhile but come on; teens are just as emotional as the rest of us jaded [cough:] slightly older, world-weary folks, if not more-so. Much more-so in my experience. I’m supposed to swallow the fact that she doesn’t have even a mini emotional meltdown after this drama? Is she that incredibly shallow? Yes, she is and that’s why I will not bother finishing this book.
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Oct 15, 2008

Miss Clark rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: rubbish-and-the-like

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Again, it could have been a whole heck of a lot better. I found it chaotic for the most part, not that well written, with more of an "ick" factor than anything else.

It was unclear at first if the existence of vampires and werepeople was common knowledge, though it appears that it is in Smith's world. It is simply that they still aren't very well liked, for the obvious reasons, so no one exactly advertises if they happen to be one.

My biggest problems with this ...more

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Sep 20, 2008

Juushika rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed

Quincie is a high school senior trying to balance school, her first love—to her best friend, a werewolf/human hybrid who won't return her advances—and the family business: an Italian restaurant which is adopting a vampire theme in the attempt to attract fresh business. When the restaurant's chef is murdered, a young chef comes in to replace him and to play "vampire don" for the restaurant, and Quincie is pulled into the middle of werepeople politics and vampire scheming. The Austin, Te...moreQuincie is a high school senior trying to balance school, her first love—to her best friend, a werewolf/human hybrid who won't return her advances—and the family business: an Italian restaurant which is adopting a vampire theme in the attempt to attract fresh business. When the restaurant's chef is murdered, a young chef comes in to replace him and to play "vampire don" for the restaurant, and Quincie is pulled into the middle of werepeople politics and vampire scheming. The Austin, Texas setting is revamped by cheesy horror figures, the plot is obvious, and the writing is immature and pun-heavy. Not just written for a teenage audience, this book feels like it was written by a teenager. Avoid it.

It is impossible to balance positive and negative comments in a review of a book like Tantalize because the book has precious few positives but its weaknesses are plentiful. At first, the fantasy-twisted Austin setting is almost brave: werewolves and other occult creatures are part of known culture, twisting the world we recognize into a new one created by the author. However, Smith's world is underdeveloped: werecreatures are everywhere yet make up a misunderstood minority, and we're never quite sure if the general population has the same awareness of vampires or no idea that they exist. Where there is confusion in the setting, there is none in the plot: every element, every twist, every revelation is uninspired: either blatantly obvious from a long ways off, or else inexplicable and unrealistic. The reader is never drawn by the plot's mystery; instead, he wants to smack Quincey upside the head for her blindness, or else smack the writer for her plot twists. The writing shows a similar lack of finesse, chock full as it is of cliché figures, heavy puns ("Fang Shui," "A Drinking Problem," and "Baby Got Bite" title the chapters), and overall immature writing.

Tantalize is a young adult novel, but that's no reason to dumb it down. Young adult literature doesn't need to to trade quality for reader interest. In fact, there are children's books that show more tact, skill, and subtlety than this one. Smith achieves little by cramming her book with clichés, puns, and blatant plot twists: the text moves swiftly, but it also offers nothing: the book is not clever enough to be funny, not light enough for a forgettable summer read, not real enough for meaningful character growth or themes. Instead, in her attempt to appeal to teenagers, Smith writes a teenager: young, overeager, and unpolished. It's possible to finish this book, of course, and will only take up a day or two of your time. But why bother? There are many better urban fantasy novels out there, whereas the best thing that this book has going for it is its beautiful cover. I don't recommend it.(less)

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Dec 09, 2008

Sharee rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like 7 likes

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Oct 12, 2010

NCPL Teenzone rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, vampire, book-clubs, ya

When Quincie Morris’s parents died, they left her their family legacy, the Italian restaurant Fat Lorenzo’s. Since Quincie was only fourteen, her Uncle Davidson was put in charge of caring for her and the restaurant until she turns 21. Unfortunately she’s still only 17 and a senior in high school but she’s been taking a more active role in the restaurant which has been completely remodeled and redesigned. When it reopens, it will be Sanguini’s: A Very Rare Restaurant, the first vampire theme...more

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Jan 26, 2009

Marlan rated it

· review of another edition

This book is for the non-discriminating teen who needs a vampire fix. Were-creatures are mentioned but they don't do anything cool. I thought it was a poorly constructed plot and had weak characterization. Very disappointed.

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Sep 25, 2007

Jenn rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: fans of Twilight

I adore a good vampire novel and I enjoy young adult novels, and this book combines some of the best of both. If you have read Twilight, you will definitely enjoy this book. In some ways it feels like Twilight meets Like Water for Chocolate. There are menus and a fun sub-plot involving opening a vampire-themed restaurant. However, the vampires really weren't compelling to me and the "head" vampire, if you will, did not give off that sexy vibe. I thought that the main character was unfo...more

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Aug 10, 2011

Jaylover added it · review of another edition

I had been recommended this book by a friend of mine, and I honestly have to say I was a little...disappointed. It started off alright, but then after the first few chapters I started to loose interest. I kept reading it until the end, figuring I had to keep going to get to the good parts, but they never came for me.

I was constantly getting confused, mostly about the werepeople and vampires. The parts involving the restaurant were usually fairly decent, but otherwise I was mostly bored. It seeme...more

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Feb 07, 2009

Lacey rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Twilight fans who are going through withdrawl

Quincie Morris has a lot on her plate - literally. Family's restaurant is due to reopen as Austin's hottest vampire-themed culinary adventure when the head chef is brutally murdered, leaving her to deal with finding a chef who can both cook and pass as "Count Sanguini" as well. On top of that, the werewolf best friend she has loved since childhood is preparing to leave in search of a pack of his own, and her uncle is too obsessed with his vampy girlfriend to be much help. Can she tu...more

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Jan 24, 2012

Book Rants rated it

· review of another edition

Things I liked:
-Short chapters, that flowed nicely together. Clever chapter titles.
-Unique outlook on were-lore (there are pretty much every kind of were creature in this book). It's set in a world were the general population knows about were-animals, but done in a way were they aren't everywhere, people still don't see them every day.
-I did enjoy the writing/dialog style.
-I enjoyed how the author incorporated Italian food/menu in the novel, sections of the book had food cour...more

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Oct 05, 2011

Ariel rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 25, 2011

Shazza Maddog rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith takes place in Austin, Texas, during Quincie P. Morris' senior year of high school. Quincie is an orphan who has been raised by her father's brother, Uncle D (short for "Davidson"), and the cook at Fat Lorenzo's, her parents' restaurant, a man named Vaggio. Fat Lorenzo's has been shut down for remodeling and, if you'll forgive the pun, 'revamping' to cash into the interest in vampires. The problem is, Vaggio, while getting into the spirit of the thing...moreTantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith takes place in Austin, Texas, during Quincie P. Morris' senior year of high school. Quincie is an orphan who has been raised by her father's brother, Uncle D (short for "Davidson"), and the cook at Fat Lorenzo's, her parents' restaurant, a man named Vaggio. Fat Lorenzo's has been shut down for remodeling and, if you'll forgive the pun, 'revamping' to cash into the interest in vampires. The problem is, Vaggio, while getting into the spirit of the thing, still hasn't created The Dish that will inspire Austin to rush the doors.

While juggling managership of the restaurant, now known as "Sanguini's - A Rare Restaurant", Quincie also attends school with her best friend-cum-love interest, Kieren Morales (who's more than just mixed blood in the human side; his mother is a werewolf), Uncle D and his girlfriend, Ruby, who's a wannabe vampire. Quincie divides her time between the restaurant and Kieren, finding out from Mama Morales that Kieren will probably be leaving to find a pack after his senior year. This makes Quincie more than a little depressed, as she adores him and can't imagine her life without him.

When Vaggio is murdered in the kitchen of Sanguini's while Quincie is in the office, the story really starts moving. Kieren finds the body and is covered in blood - making it hard to believe that, especially considering the wounds, he might not have something to do with this. Add in the fact that Kieren had physically hurt Quincie in the past during an aborted shapechange, and it might make Kieren the police's best suspect.

Not be be deterred, Quincie and Uncle D are still pressing forward to open Sanguini's but need a new cook. Enter Henry Johnson, who Quincie isn't sure of - he doesn't seem to possess any of the traits Vaggio had, not to mention, he's kinda weird with this two wristwatches on one wrist and flippant attitude. That doesn't seem to matter, though, because he can cook like a dream and starts creating amazing dishes for Sanguini's. He also agrees to accept a change of name, because 'Henry Jackson' is not the name of a vampire - he and Quincie finally agree to "Bradley Sanguini" and from then on out in the story, he is 'Brad'.

With the murder remaining unsolved and people starting to go missing, Quincie realizes she's seeing less of Kieren and spending more of her time at the restaurant. Her grades are suffering and her Vice Principal stops her to suggest, due to her circumstances, perhaps she wants to finish her senior year in home schooling. She almost considers it but doesn't really want to quit because she wants as much time as she can get with Kieren before he trots out of her life, probably forever.

As Bradley begins his seduction of Quincie, Kieren takes offense and tries to warn her against him but Quincie waves off his concerns. It is only toward the end of the novel that, with a few twists that I didn't see coming, Quincie manages to resolve all of her issues as well as solve the murder of Vaggio.

Not quite bloodthirsty but certainly ramping on teenage angst, Tantalize was an easy read. The chapters are short and, as far s I was concerned, could've been filled out more. As the story is told in first person POV, we don't really get anyone's motivations but Quincie's except when someone's dialoguing. An interesting work and a direct opposite, as far as I can see, from the Twilight genre, I'd give Tantalize a B+. (less)

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Sep 16, 2011

Amy Lignor rated it

· review of another edition

I should let you know ahead of time that I am not a Twilighter. Yes, I read those books. Yes, I, too, think the guy in the movie is extraordinarily pretty. However, not since Bram Stoker and the immortal and unbelievably talented Bela Lugosi, have I truly cared about a dark count’s existence. This book, though, I have to say, I enjoyed. Not only is this a good read for 14 year olds but I believe that mothers will truly enjoy the wit as well.

We begin our story with Quincie Morris. Qu...moreI should let you know ahead of time that I am not a Twilighter. Yes, I read those books. Yes, I, too, think the guy in the movie is extraordinarily pretty. However, not since Bram Stoker and the immortal and unbelievably talented Bela Lugosi, have I truly cared about a dark count’s existence. This book, though, I have to say, I enjoyed. Not only is this a good read for 14 year olds but I believe that mothers will truly enjoy the wit as well.

We begin our story with Quincie Morris. Quincie is a young girl who has a forty-year-old trapped inside her body. She is more than responsible; the child could probably run an entire country without the help of any adult. Her parents passed away and she has lived with her irresponsible uncle ever since. She’s been okay. She toils at school and works all hours to keep her parents’ restaurant afloat. The only semi-strange thing in her life? You guessed it! Her hybrid-werewolf best friend is leaving her to join a pack. (Visions of Twilight dancing in your head).

Quincie and her uncle try to save the floundering family business by turning it into Austin’s first (wait for it) vampire-themed restaurant. Dark cornices flickering in the shadowy alcoves – wait staff with black eyeliner and fangs – etc. Now, you must have a chef who will fit in with your theme in order to save the family business. Well…don’t you? Location isn’t everything, after all. The restaurant does have to serve excellent cuisine if they wish to continue running. Enter Henry Johnson. Henry is a fresh-faced, twenty-something who wants nothing more than to join Quincie’s team. Quincie struggles to turn the regular Henry into the Dark Lord that will preside over the kitchen and entertain the diners. But, yes, this fresh-faced chef has his own hidden agenda and soon life will imitate art.

This book is fun. It doesn’t take itself seriously. There’s no whining and deep Romeo and Juliet love – just an old story with a fresh face. Have fun with it!

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Aug 31, 2011

Amy Mota rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: advisory-2010-1011

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book is about a girl named Quincie Morris who is seventeen years old and goes to high school in Austin, Texas. Quincie’s best friend and would–be boyfriend, Kieren, is going through a rite of passage of becoming a werewolf and that rite of passage will separate them forever. And just as she and her uncle are about to do a grand opening for a hot vampire-themed restaurant, the chef is murdered and leaves them looking for a new chef.Kieren tried to warn her that a vampire themed restaurant c...more

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Aug 07, 2011

Obscured Vixen rated it

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Shelves: ya, fantasy

Quincie's first love, Kieren, is a werewolf that is going to be leaving to join a pack once they graduate high school. Even though Quincie knows this, she cannot help but love Kieren. When a new chef is hired at her family's restaurant, Bradley, she cannot help but have him fill the void she knows Kieren will leave.

Quincie, 17, has always been mature for her age. She is enjoying the way Bradley, 22, makes her feel. He's always honest with her, and makes her feel like a woman. *Insert...moreQuincie's first love, Kieren, is a werewolf that is going to be leaving to join a pack once they graduate high school. Even though Quincie knows this, she cannot help but love Kieren. When a new chef is hired at her family's restaurant, Bradley, she cannot help but have him fill the void she knows Kieren will leave.

Quincie, 17, has always been mature for her age. She is enjoying the way Bradley, 22, makes her feel. He's always honest with her, and makes her feel like a woman. *Insert love triangle here* What Quincie does not know is that Bradley is a vampire that is slowly feeding her his blood, turning her into a vampire as well.

When Quincie realizes what is going on, she goes to the one person that has always been there for her... Kieren. When she finds him, Bradley is there with an ultimatum Quincie cannot avoid: she must drink from Kieren.

Quincie is excruciatingly torn between Bradley and Kieren, and it's tearing her heart apart. Bradley had made her feel things she'd never known, but essentially killed her. Kieren was Quincie's first love, but she knows their relationship cannot go further since he will be leaving after graduation.

Being the gentleman that he is, Bradley realizes that he cannot force Quincie to love him. He makes a deal with her: if Quincie can drink from Kieren without killing him, Bradley will let both of them go and leave town.

Quincie struggles, but manages to stop drinking before killing him.

Quincie is then left as a vampire... and all alone. Bradley keeps his word and leaves town, and Kieren is leaving to join a pack. Total heartbreak.

Huge kudos to Cynthia Leitich Smith for giving me the refreshing, amazing read that I needed! This story takes off at the first page, and just keeps going. It has everything: romance, deceit, suspense, vampires and werewolves : )

Smith builds such a strong lead character that is easy to relate to. I really felt for how alone Quincie feels throughout the story. It was extremely refreshing to read a YA story that was realistic and did not have a happy ending. Thank you, Cynthia. Thank you, thank you, thank you!(less)

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May 20, 2011

Larissa rated it

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Shelves: own

Quincie's family restaurant has become all the more important to her since her parents death, the restaurant is a second home, its staff a second family. So with the restaurant failing it is given a makeover, a vampire theme, but not everyone is happy with the theme nor the type of people a theme like that will attract. But Quincie has other worries, head chef and surrogate grandfather Vaggio has been murdered.

Kieren, Quincie's best and only friend, not to mention first love, is about ...more

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Mar 29, 2011

Eryn rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
i would like to give this book a 2.5, POSSIBLY a 3 star rating, but i'm conflicted.

pros:
- set in austin, fairly decent at getting the mood of the town right. makes some references that, while under different names, i instantly recognized and got a kick out of.
- main character wasn't awful. it's hard writing a 17-year-old girl who is pining away for her bff as someone likable, but those parts actually came across really well. she liked him and was just kind of... going w...more

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Mar 21, 2011

Naomi rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'm not going to spend much time on this, this book was bad. The only reason I even finished it was because my sister's like, "She gets kidnapped, by vampires, humans, weres, or something?" So then I was interested to see her get kidnapped and see Kieran save her. Instead, here's the wrap of the book so you don't have to read it.
As the book says on the back: Kieran is threatening to leave because he's a werewolf who needs a pack because he's not in control of his wolf form like o...moreI'm not going to spend much time on this, this book was bad. The only reason I even finished it was because my sister's like, "She gets kidnapped, by vampires, humans, weres, or something?" So then I was interested to see her get kidnapped and see Kieran save her. Instead, here's the wrap of the book so you don't have to read it.
As the book says on the back: Kieran is threatening to leave because he's a werewolf who needs a pack because he's not in control of his wolf form like others, and this is in order to protect Quincie. Yes, her chef dies and they hire Henry Johnson, who goes as Bradley for the vampire restaurant theme. Quincie ends up totally abandoning Kieran for Bradley, when she supposedly in love with Kieran. Uncle D is a vampire, and Ruby a were-cat help Bradley put blood in Quince's food to make her into a vampire, and succeeded. Then Bradley kidnaps Quincie and finishes the whole transformation process and then tells her that she has to bring him a meal or he'll kill Kieran. Then Kieran finally finds Quincie and they go to Kieran to try and kill him. Instead though, Quincie drinks Kieran's blood to make Bradley go away, and it ends with Quincie telling him to leave. Frankly, the book is boring, she goes off discribing the scenery, but the characters never get developed. I liked Kieran, but he was barely in the book. Quincie was just dumb. Also, half the book she was drunk on wine (which was also infected with blood), skipping school, and working. Not only that, but the food that Bradley served Quincie, he also served alot of the customers of the restaurant too. So now a whole lot of people are infected, no problems were solved, and it was a pretty lame book.
I will not read the next two in the series, I already read somebody's review to get the spoilers. Frankly, the next two books sounded worse than this and I don't have the patience. Luckily though, this is my sister's book and I didn't have to buy it. I'm so glad I didn't pay for this. I should've gone with my instincts, I knew another vampire/werewolf book (in a restaurant of all places!) would be a bad idea. Especially when the back of the book spoils the whole story. It's sad how a publisher could ruin an author's whole book by giving away the whole story line on the back. Sad....
In all, I'm not recommending and more so, I'm not reading the next two. I have better books to read.
Update: Oh my gosh, now I get it. I was searching on her website for FAQs because I thought it might explain the madness that is Tantalize and there was her quotables:
“I have a saying now taped to my computer: 'Spare no one. Not the characters. Not your readers. Not even yourself.' I really believe that. Sometimes, as writers, we flinch when we get to the hard part of the story. We want to rescue our characters too soon, and in a sense, rescue ourselves from dealing with important, often painful issues.”
—Julie Lake,
Children's - YA Author
Too bad she never rescued her characters at all and didn't spare anyone....That's just one of the many things that was wrong with this book. I wonder if she ever thinks she should rewrite this book.
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Feb 28, 2011

Sara rated it

· review of another edition

Tantalize by Cynthia Leitch Smith follows Quincie who lives in a world where werewolves and vampires are known but live on the fringes of society. Quincie and her uncle are opening up a vampire themed restaurant when their head chef is murdered. Quincie's wolf hybrid boyfriend is on the top of the suspect list and the new chef that has been hired also causes some mystery.

This book had so much promise. The premise and the characters held such promise. However when the author added t...more

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Dec 30, 2010

Karissa Eckert rated it

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This book is about food and vampires, so I thought it sounded interesting. I mean the two things don't usually go together all that well. Overall it was a mediocre read, nothing fantastic but okay.

Quincie's parents are dead and she and her uncle run a restaurant that was previously owned by her parents. Only thing is the restaurant isn't doing well, so Quincie and her uncle decide to redo the restaurant into a kitschy Italian Vampire restaurant name Sanguino's. Unfortunately a few week...moreThis book is about food and vampires, so I thought it sounded interesting. I mean the two things don't usually go together all that well. Overall it was a mediocre read, nothing fantastic but okay.

Quincie's parents are dead and she and her uncle run a restaurant that was previously owned by her parents. Only thing is the restaurant isn't doing well, so Quincie and her uncle decide to redo the restaurant into a kitschy Italian Vampire restaurant name Sanguino's. Unfortunately a few week before opening the lead chef is murdered in the kitchen and it looks like it was done by an animal. The police are all over Quncie's best friend, a werewolf name Kieren, but he swear he wasn't involved. Then a new chef turns up and Quincie is stuck juggling school, work, and the task of turning the new chef into a passable vampire chef. While all this is happening the police are still struggling to figure out who murdered the original chef and are getting increased reports of disappearances.

Everything about this book was mediocre. The characters are kind of halfway characterized but not very engaging; there weren't any character in this book that sparked my curiosity or made me want to know more about them. The plot was very predictable. The writing was straight-forward but didn't deliver any of the sensual description for food or otherwise that I expected given the title. The development of a vampire menu was a main point in the book, yet the food was treated in a very cursory way. The world itself (and the inclusion of vampires and were-animals) was never really developed and was very limited in scope, basically we rarely see outside the restaurant.

That being said, the book was nothing special but was somewhat amusing. It is a very quick read, so I didn't feel like the book was a waste of time...it just wasn't anything all that interesting or special.

I probably won't read any more books by Smith. There was just nothing in this book that felt at all creative, inspired, or even engaging. The book didn't offend me either and was an okay read, but just kind of blah. (less)

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Jul 27, 2010

Sandy Williams rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Note to self: when listening to an audiobook, give it at least an hour before you decide if you like it or not.

I almost stopped listening to this book. I was bored in the beginning and kept waiting for something to happen. It felt like it took forever for Bradley to come onto the scene. In retrospect, he probably came into the book around page 20 or so (I'm going to have to pick up an actual book and see when). It just seems longer when listening.

Anyway, once he was in th...more

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Jul 15, 2010

Lady Moorchild rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Twilight fans, Austinites.

Shelves: dark-fantasy, paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy

Another average work of vampire fiction. The author, Cynthia Leitich Smith, incorporates an interesting background for her novel -- an Italian restaurant in the middle of Texan urbanity, which must be a treat for Austinites. However, Tantalize includes an ambiguous tone, shallow characters, and manages to falls into many of the same traps common in YA, including a mortal girl caught between the affections of a vampire and werewolf.

The world Smith creates has the potential for greatn...more

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May 27, 2010

Angela rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, romance, vampires, werewolves, young-adult, urban-fantasy

Could have been tantalizing but wasn't, 1.5 stars

Cynthia Leitich Smith's Tantalize begins as Quincie Morris, placed into her uncle's care after her parents' death, is helping prepare the family's restaurant for its grand re-opening. Quincie helps runs the restaurant, which is undergoing a renovation to become Sanguini's, a vampire-themed dining experience. When the head chef is murdered, Quincie must decide whether to trust her best friend and crush, Kieran, a half-werewolf hybrid, t...moreCould have been tantalizing but wasn't, 1.5 stars

Cynthia Leitich Smith's Tantalize begins as Quincie Morris, placed into her uncle's care after her parents' death, is helping prepare the family's restaurant for its grand re-opening. Quincie helps runs the restaurant, which is undergoing a renovation to become Sanguini's, a vampire-themed dining experience. When the head chef is murdered, Quincie must decide whether to trust her best friend and crush, Kieran, a half-werewolf hybrid, to not be the culprit. Soon, new chef Henry Johnson sweeps in, complete with quirky comments, red contact lenses, and a wish to make the place as vampirific as possible. Henry also takes a decided interest in Quincie. As things get weirder and weirder, Quincie must decide whom to trust: the now-suspect Kieren or her uncle and the intriguing new chef?

Very rarely have I seen such widely-ranging reviews as I did for TANTALIZE, so I decided to pick up the book and decide for myself. Unfortunately, I fell among those who did not enjoy this book. Smith's writing was stilted and jumpy, and there were little to no transitions between scenes. In the first two-thirds of the book, the plot and setting were somewhat interesting, but the big plot twist that occurred in the final third was very abrupt and unpleasant. The incomplete character development didn't make me care for any of the characters, and the villain was obvious from his first introduction. Overt attempts at sensuality throughout felt forced. Finally, the climax and ending felt very rushed, and the villain and love interest both acted in unbelievable ways.

Underneath these problems, I could see glimmers of what could have been a great story. The restaurant setting, complete with described menus, décor, and subculture, provided a unique backdrop and way to tell the story. Smith's use of inserted want ads and menu displays in the book, along with the segmentation of the book into meal courses, was very clever. In the beginning of the story, Quincie and Kieren are likeable characters and their lifetime history as friends felt endearing and real. The modern-day setting of Austin and a world where vampires and weres exist as known human subspecies could have also provided for an interesting mythology.

Even with this potential, the book was simply an unsatisfying read with too quick a resolution and characters that become unlikeable and difficult to understand. In future books, I hope that Smith uses the creativity and cleverness she obviously has and puts it into a more consistent and enjoyable storyline. (less)

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May 25, 2010

Aaron rated it

After the death of her parents in an automobile accident, Quincie Morris and her Uncle Davidson have been working hard to keep the family restaurant open, but new business in Austin has pulled patrons away. They have decided that the restaurant needs a new look, and are getting ready to reveal Sanguini's a new vampire-theme for the place.

They hit a slight bump in the road when their long-time chef Vaggio is found murdered in the kitchen after what appears to be a werewolf attack. Unc...moreAfter the death of her parents in an automobile accident, Quincie Morris and her Uncle Davidson have been working hard to keep the family restaurant open, but new business in Austin has pulled patrons away. They have decided that the restaurant needs a new look, and are getting ready to reveal Sanguini's a new vampire-theme for the place.

They hit a slight bump in the road when their long-time chef Vaggio is found murdered in the kitchen after what appears to be a werewolf attack. Uncle D leaves Quincie in charge of finding and training up a chef to not only cook, but also take on the role of chief vampire for the restaurant. She finds herself working hiring a guy she dubs "Bradley Sanguini," and trains him up in the new character he is going to have to play. While he is a great cook, he struggles with capturing the vampire look even with the help of red contacts and other props.

Quincie is also finding that her long-time friendship with Kieren is coming to a crossroad. They clearly both have strong feelings for each other, but the fact that he is a half-werewolf means that he is going to have to look into joining a pack and heading out soon. She is not sure that she wants that, but she knows that she really cares for him.

Brad and Quincie also find themselves spending a lot of time with each other preparing for the grand reopening of the restaurant. That comes about with a certain amount of closeness that places another obstacle in the way of the budding romance between Kieren and Quincie.

Uncle D is also finding new romance in the form of Ruby, a really hot girl who seems surprisingly interested in his paunchy, Hawai'ian shirt clad lifestyle. Quincie can't help but believe that Ruby really just wants a stake in the restaurant and a stab at the role of lead vampire for the new restaurant's theme.

Reality and the restaurant's themed-fiction quickly blur as the danger that brought about the death of Vaggio starts impacting on everyone's lives. In reality, vampires definitely seem to be hoping to stake a claim in Austin, but the weres are going to do what they can to block their actions. The problem is that Quincie, the restaurant, and the people she cares about most are all caught in the middle.

I ended up reading this one a bit out of order. I read Leitch Smith's second novel, (Eternal) which is a companion book to this work rather than a sequel, and loved it so much that I had to get my hands no this one quickly. While I definitely enjoyed it, I thought the second book and a strong depth to it. This book, though, is a nice book to recommend to those looking for what to read after the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer.

It was a quick read, and more of a supernatural mystery than I first expected it would be. Teens will definitely eat it right up!(less)

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Apr 14, 2010

Melissa rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: paranormal fiction fans, were fans, vampire fans, Twilight fans

Shelves: 2010-teen-book-reviews, read-in-2010, teen-paranormal-fiction, teen-mystery, with-reviews, teen-fantasy, audiobook-reviews-2010

Quincie Morris has a lot on her mind. Since the death of her parents three years ago, Quincie and her Uncle Davidson have been running the family restaurant Fat Lorenzo’s. With the completion taking away business they decided to change the restaurant into Sanguini’s, a restaurant built around a vampire theme. When the head chef, and good friend Vaggio is murdered in the restaurant kitchen, Quincie’s best friend, Kiernan, a hybrid werewolf and the boy of her dreams, warns her that real vampire...more

like 1 like

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About Cynthia Leitich Smith

Cynthia's fiction is noted for its diversity, humor, lyricism, and mid-to-southwestern settings. Still early in her career, she has shown tremendous range and loves to experiment.

JINGLE DANCER, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu, (Morrow / Harper-Collins, 2000)(ages 4-up) was a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award, runner-up for the Western Writers Association Storytel...moreCynthia's fiction is noted for its diversity, humor, lyricism, and mid-to-southwestern settings. Still early in her career, she has shown tremendous range and loves to experiment.

JINGLE DANCER, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu, (Morrow / Harper-Collins, 2000)(ages 4-up) was a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award, runner-up for the Western Writers Association Storyteller Award, and Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies. It was also named to the Texas 2 x 2 List. School Library Journal said, “…a welcome addition to stories about traditions passed down by woman of a culture.” Book magazine named it among “Debuts that Deliver.”

RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME (HarperCollins, 2001)(Listening Library, 2001)(ages 10-up) also was an Oklahoma Book Award finalist and earned Cynthia the title of 2001 Writer of the Year from Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. Kirkus said it was “tender, funny and full of sharp wordplay.” School Library Journal called it, “a wonderful novel of a present-day teen and her patchwork tribe.” Audio File adds,"Rich with sorrow and the longing for resolution in a life diminished by loss, the story of Rain's journey toward her own identity is captivating and exceedingly hopeful." And Bob Langstaff at WAMV AM/Amhert, VA noted, "It's kind of like a combination of 'Northern Exposure' and 'Party of Five'." The audio production was aired as the November 2005 Book of the Month by Red Tales, Aboriginal Voices Radio, The Earth 106.5 (based in Canada).

Cynthia also is the author of INDIAN SHOES (HarperCollins, 2002)(ages 7-up). Kirkus declared: "A very pleasing first-chapter book from its funny and tender opening salvo to its heartwarming closer. An excellent choice for younger readers." School Library Journal hailed: "a good book for any elementary-aged reluctant reader and a necessity for indigenous children everywhere." INDIAN SHOES has been named a Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, a finalist for the Texas Institute of Letters Award, to the 2003 Best Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street College of Education; and to Choices 2003, Cooperative Children's Book Center. It also was named to the NEA Native American Book List and the 2004-2005 Crown List. Most recently, INDIAN SHOES was chosen as the featured intermediate title for "Read On, Wisconsin!" (an online book club for students sponsored by the state's First Lady) in March, 2005.

Cynthia's latest picture book is SANTA KNOWS (Dutton, 2006), a holiday title, co-authored by her husband, Greg Leitich Smith, and illustrated by Steve Björkman. SANTA KNOWS is Cynthia and Greg's first book written together. The Horn Book Magazine named it among "Holiday High Notes." Kirkus Reviews called it "…a newly minted winner." Publishers Weekly cheered it as "fantastic," and The Miami Herald highlighted it among "Worthy Titles for the Holidays."

Cynthia's first upper YA novel is TANTALIZE (Candlewick, 2007))(Listening Library, 2008)(Walker U.K., 2008), a gothic fantasy aimed at ages 14-up. It’s one of the new books that signal an expansion of her writing from contemporary realistic fiction to also embrace fantasy. TANTALIZE also is her first title set in Austin, where she now makes her home. The Horn Book calls the novel an "intoxicating romantic thriller." BookPage says the book "will appeal to fans—both teens and adults—of Buffy the Vampire Slayer." TANTALIZE was named a Borders Original Voices Nominee in March 2007 and Chapters (Canadian bookstore chain) named it a Junior Advisory Board Pick. In addition, the novel was chosen for the 2007 Texas Book Festival and the 2007 National Book Festival. The Bloomsbury Review cheers, "Cynthia Leitich Smith is the Anne Rice for teen readers."

Cynthia’s latest YA Gothic fantasy is ETERNAL (Candlewick, 2009), a companion book to TANTALIZE.

Cynthia has published short stories, including "The Gentleman Cowboy" (less)

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“It was funny, though, the things you didn't learn about people until after they died.” — 31 people liked it

“But adulthood," continued the barely twentysomething, "doesn't give you power over what matters most. It doesn't protect you from pain, loss, fate. That's part of being human.” — 21 people liked it

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