Plot Summary: Quincie's just a normal teen, if a normal teen is orphaned, lives with their flighty uncle (Uncle D - who might as well be the kid in the house the way he feels about responsibility), manages the family restaurant (which is struggling) and is totally in love with their two natured best friend (the completely hot Kieren who won't admit that he loves her). In order to save the family restaurant (the only thing she loves more than Kieren) Quincie, Uncle D and Vaggio (the cook who's like family to Quincie since the death of her own parents) decide that they need an angle, and a vampire themed restaurant is just what they are looking for. However, during the remodel and readjustment process, someone, or something, kills Vaggio and Kieren is a suspect. As Quincie trys to cope with the loss of Vaggio, and the pressure everyone's placing on her to distance herself from Kieren, a new and intriguing chef, Brad, arrives on the scene and wants to be a big part of Quincie's life too. As if things weren't confusion enough, people keep dying. Can Quincie figure out who to trust before it's too late?
Critical Evaluation: In the wake of Twilight, the young adult fiction market was flooded with vampires and werewolves and every paranormal creature in between. While some of those titles have been downright ridiculous, some have emerged as worthy additions to the genre. With Tantalize, Leitich Smith has shown she belongs in the latter camp and fans of paranormal romance will delight in the emotional roller coaster Quincie rides in this title. Part of the appeal of this book is the personality of Quincie herself. Faced with extreme loss and total teenage confusion, Quincie is believable and alternately vulnerable and strong. Teen readers will be sure to relate to at least some of what Quincie goes through as she navigates life without her parents and close family friend Vaggio. As Leitich Smith's first foray into the genre it's a beauty and readers will be clammoring for her future entries.
Reader's Annotation: Quincie's got enough on her plate - dead parents, struggling restaurant, love of her life won't acknowledge that they're meant to be. But now someone, or something, is killing people in town and things are getting a whole lot more serious.
About the Author: Cynthia Leitich Smith was born in 1967 in Kansas City, MO and is a tribal member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. She graduated from the Journalism School at the University of Kansas in 1990 and the University of Michigan Law School in 1994.
Leitich Smith began was first published in 2000, with a children's story titled Jingle Dancer. Since then she has published several children's books and Tantalize marked her first YA offering. She is married to award winning children's author Greg Leitich Smith and lives with him and their four cats in Austin, TX.
Information retreived from http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Curriculum Ties: N/A
Booktalking Ideas: Compare to other vampire creation myths. Author references Dracula in afterword, compare/contrast. Do you know anyone like Quincie?
Reading Level: 11+
Interest Age: 14+
Challenge Issues: Vampires/Paranormal
Challenge Response: I would consult with librarians who have defended other vampire titles, and use the lack of explicit language or sexual activity to portray this as vampires light, perhaps to convince an on the fence parent/challenger.
Why is This Included: A better written alternative to the hugely popular vampire/werewolf titles.
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