Smith, C.L. (2007). Tantalize. New York: Candlewick Press.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7636-2791-1
Plot Summary
Quincie Morris is 17 and in charge of a restaurant in Austin, Texas that became hers when her parents died. She has been in the care of her Uncle Davidson, and together they have been planning a grand re-opening. Its new name is Sanguini’s, and its new theme is vampire. However, a month before opening night, their long-time chef, Vaggio, who was more family than employee, is brutally murdered by what people assume is a werewolf. The new chef, Bradley, sweeps in and completes the vampire vision, but things are not as they seem. Meanwhile, Kieren, Quincie’s hybrid werewolf boyfriend, is suspicious of Bradley and his motives. Their relationship becomes strained when Quincie does not heed his warnings and Kieren himself is planning on leaving Austin to become a member of the pack. As Kieren and Quincie drift apart, Bradley and Quincie become closer, and Quincie is enjoying his company and the wine he keeps pouring in her glass. When Quincie finally realizes what is happening, it is too late.
Critical Evaluation
Cynthia Leitich Smith creates a world in Austin, Texas, where vampires and werewolves co-exist among humans who are, if not completely accepting, at least tolerant. The suspense and tension of the plot builds as the chapters are divided into parts of a fine dining five course Italian dinner: antipasto, primo, secondo, dolce, and conforno. This set-up reinforces the book’s restaurant setting and motif. The text of the chapters is interspersed with advertisements, signs, and classified ads that draw the reader’s attention. Sanguini’s menu plays upon the horror and seduction associated with vampires as it has two parts, predator and prey. The dialogue is often quick-witted and humorous in an almost Buffy, The Vampire Slayer way: “I wish you could just turn into a bat. Like poof! Very dramatic. That would solve all of our problems” (149). One cannot discount the allusions to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Quincie Morris, in Dracula, is the Texan who killed the vampire. Smith’s story does not end the same way, however. The plot is fast-paced from beginning to end. Female young adult readers will relate to the palpable desire Quincie feels for her boyfriend, and this book will delight fans of vampire and werewolf fiction. All readers will appreciate the theme that things don’t always work out the way you planned. The conclusion of the book leaves an opening for the next book in the series, Eternal (2009).
Reader’s Annotation
Quincie’s new vampire restaurant is scheduled to open in a month when the chef is brutally murdered by what appears to be a werewolf. She must find a new chef, but doing so costs her more than she had anticipated.
Author Information
Cynthia Leitich Smith was born December 31, 1967 in Kansas City, Missouri. A mixed-blood tribal member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, her parents did not read literary fiction, but they did encourage her reading. She grew up loving comic books and wrote her first poem in the first grade. Writing continued to be an important part of her school life; she wrote an advice column in her school newspaper in grade six, and in junior and senior high school she edited the school newspaper. At the University of Kansas, she majored in English and journalism. Then, she graduated from Michigan Law School in 1994 with the intent to become a legal reporter. While working as a law clerk after graduation, she realized that writing was what she really wanted to do when she kept creating ideas for stories and scribbling them down. She quit law and became a children’s author with her first published book, Jingle Dancer (2000).
Leitich Smith infuses Native-American culture and traditions throughout her writing. Her varied employment experiences also influence her writing: she has been a waitress, a gas station attendant, a telephone operator, an English tutor, and a writing teacher. She currently lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Greg (also an award-winning children’s book author) and four cats. She loves speaking, writing, and inspiring writers.
For more information about Cynthia Leitich Smith, please visit her website:
Cynthia also keeps an award-winning blog:
Genre
Young Adult
Gothic Fantasy
Vampires
Werewolves
Romance
Curriculum Ties
Allusions to Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
Book Talking Ideas
What would the menu of a vampire’s restaurant have on it? How would you feel if the person you love was moving away?
Reading Level/ Interest Age
Protagonist is 17; appropriate for ages 14 and up.
Challenge Issues
Violence, horror, supernatural creatures
Challenge Defense
In defense of a challenge, I would cite these reviews as well as ALA's Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials.
Booklist 03/01/07
Publishers Weekly 03/05/07
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 05/01/07
School Library Journal 05/01/07
Horn Book starred 10/01/07
Voice of Youth Advocates (V.O.Y.A.) 06/01/07
Kirkus Review 02/15/07
Why did I include this title?
We read this book for class and I enjoyed its take on vampires, werewolves, and shape shifters. I also find chefs very attractive and loved Chef Bradley's menu.
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