Tantalize (Dejenae Garcia)

Tantalize

· By: Cynthia Leitich Smith
· Publisher: CandleWick Press
· Number of Pages: 310

· I had bought the book a year ago at Barnes and Noble.

· Quincie Morris has more things to worry about than school and guys. When the death of Vaggio, family friend, head chef, and owner of Fat Lorenzo’s, she begins to see the empty road ahead of her. Quincie tries to find refuge through her best friend Kieren, a werewolf who is in the process of making his own decisions in moving away with a pack, she finds no one to help her through. Quincie struggles through the everyday normal things in Austin, Texas, her home town, but soon will not be able to undergo the repetitive routines. With the re-opening of the restaurant, Sanguinis, and its new vampire theme, she must now help run it with her Uncle Davidson, and find the murderer. Quincie, suspicious of Kieren as being the murderer because of his wolf like abilities, has other worries now after having her uncle place a big responsibility, the new chef. Henry Johnson, the new chef, seeming harmless and friendly all alike might be more than just a vampire in costume with fake teeth, but maybe just maybe the real thing. Quincie wasn’t aware of the danger she was getting herself into, loving a werewolf, and falling into the sensual spells of a vampire. Quincie had to make a decision for herself in the end; love Kieren and beg him not to leave, or let herself live eternal life with the head vampire chef of Texas?

· The audience for this novel would be young adult because of language and content.

· The author has a southern accent to the characters and she tends to have them talk slightly improper. Each character has there own moody language though, you can really tell the difference in between each person who is speaking in the story.
“God bless you, bless you. Gotta tell you, though. You gotta know. Cops talked to me, had lots of questions. So many. Too, too many. Asked about you and asked about you, too. I, I told ‘em I didn’t know nothing, not a thing, but that you was good kids.” Pg.92

I crossed the threshold, flipped on the porch light. Kieren’s wild hair looked fuller, more lush. Since morning, he’d grown a goatee. Tight T-shirt, button-fly jeans, black boots. Mussy, furry, and yummy delicious. “Wanna come in?” I asked. Something flashed in his eyes. Temptation, heat, hunger. Pack or no pack, had I finally worn him down? Then his expression grew concerned. “You’ve been drinking,” he said. I leaned against the doorframe. “That’s hot why I’m inviting you in.” I sensed victory as Kieren took a step forward, but when I moved aside to let him pass, I heard Uncle D’s voice from the family room. “It’s a school night, honey.” When did he get home? Pg.123

I chose this passage because it has a lot of relation to teenage life, when you think you’ve got a grasp on something you’ve wanted, but then you really don’t; disappointment is the worst thing to face. I think is also struck me because I think at times I’ve felt this way before, right when you’re with someone you like and you want to lean in for the kiss then they turn their head!


“Glancing at my reflection in the mirror, I froze like I’d been struck by rigor mortis. Lacking a better idea, I closed my eyes, counted to ten, and then looked again. Fangs, red eyes, pale skin, pointy long nails, my hair curly and clean. Had it been washed by Bradley himself? Ruby my uncle? Ian Jerome? That had been a violation, too, the way they’d treated me like a cadaver. Not that the hair was what mattered. Not like the things staring back. Another vampire. It was real. It was monstrous. And it was me.” Pg.256-7

I chose this passage because I’ve always liked the descriptions of a new born vampire and what they think of themselves. I like how she expected a big difference when he first woke up but didn’t pay any mind to looking at a mirror until she stumbled pass one; kind of, not what you expected, glance.

“Calm down. It’s not like you’re helping. I’m a guy, you know, hormones. And you’re scary and sexy. In a gonna-kill-somebody kind of way.” “Sexy?” I doubted that. Clyde’s nose widened. Hair receded. Stench thinned. “You weren’t nearly this hot as a human.” Despite everything I still had an ego. “Rodent.” “Marsupial.” Pg.292-3

I chose this passage because it was very humorous and I don’t think they book has that much humor so it stood out. I like that they’re arguing about non-realistic things. I think it struck me because of it’s big difference, though there are common arguments as such, but not the fact that these two characters are fighting because of there animal like differences.