Tantalize

Smith, C. L. (2007). Tantalize. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 076364059X

Plot Summary

                    Seventeen year old Quincie has more responsibilities and less support than many adults.  In the wake of her parents’ death, she is charged with the fate of the family restaurant, while her own care falls to a feckless young uncle who is often more interested in his girlfriend than Quincie.  Together, he and Quincie reinvent the restaurant around a vampire theme and call it Sanguini’s.  Then when a tragic murder leaves them without a chef just weeks before the opening, Quincie must find a chef who can create a suitably creepy menu and look the part on top of it.  Under extreme stress as the opening night bears down, struggling to transform new chef Brad into a creature of the night, and all the while dealing with the imminent separation of her best friend and first unrequited love Kieran, a werewolf-hybrid who will soon embark on a quest of transformation, Quincie is struggling to keep her head above water.  As she sinks deeper into her uncertain, hectic life, the familiar city around her seems to be changing, growing more dangerous, and she begins to wonder who and what she can really trust.

Critical Analysis

                          This motley mix of fantasy, romance, humor, and the paranormal reads quickly and easily, but gives the reader much to think about.  Quincie’s character is rich in contrast – tough and vulnerable, self-sufficient and lonely, wise and naive.  She has been forced to grow up quickly and bears both the scars and the maturity that this entails.  The reader keenly feels her complex emotions towards Kieran, the yearning and frustration, as well as his own internal struggle related to his coming of age as a wolf-human hybrid.  The world of hybrids, werewolves, vampires, and creatures that exist only within these pages is rich and fully told.  The reader has no trouble keeping up with Leitich-Smith’s unique cast of characters.  Characters are fully developed and multi-faceted and each plays his or her own important role in this layered story.  As the book progresses, what the reader believes they knew about the characters is peeled away and, like Quincie, the reader begins to second guess their previous conceptions.  This continues all the way up until the surprise ending.  The place in which the story is set, Austin, Texas, is clearly important to the author and as such, sharply and accurately drawn.  Austin’s imagined paranormal underbelly is exposed, as well as the distinct and unique details of the actual city.  We see the streets, the people, we feel the air and taste the food; the place is fully immersive and very important to this story.  The reader is given to understand that this story could only play out in such a diverse, magical city.  The prose is simple but not overly so, making this book a very quick read, and the dialog rings true from every character.  Overall, Tantalize is a lot of fun, a page-turner without a doubt, and unique in its own creepy, romantic way.

Reader’s Annotation

                                 Seventeen-year-old Quincie is in over her head with the opening of her family's new vampire-themed restaurant, the imminent departure of her werewolf-hybrid best friend and first love, and a disturbing increase of violence in her beloved hometown of Austin, TX.  More and more, Quincie cannot trust who or what she sees around her.

About the Author

                         Cynthia Leitich Smith was born in Kansas City Missouri and is a member of the Creek Nation.  She has held many diverse jobs, such as popcorn popper in a movie theater, receptionist, waitress, tutor, and reporter.   She currently lives and writes in Austin, Texas with her husband, Greg Leitich Smith, also a young adult and children’s book author, and their four cats. 

                           In addition to the Gothic fantasy novels for which she is best known, she has written young adult short stories and books for children.  Her list of awards and honors is considerable.  Among others, she was a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award, 2001 Writer of the Year from Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers, and Borders Original Voices Nominee in March 2007.  Her books are routinely listed on the Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times Bestseller Lists.

Genre

         Paranormal/Horror - monsters

Challenge Issues

                          Possible challenge issues in this book include violence, underage drinking, profanity, references to sex, and the profusion of the paranormal.  In the event of a challenge, I would consult the challenge defense file prepared for this book.  The challenge defense file would include: positive reviews from credible sources for the purpose of proving merit to the challenger; negative reviews in order to inform me on what might be challenged; a written explanation of my own rationale for including the book in the collection as well as a summary of the plot; the American Library Association Bill of Rights; a review of my branch’s selection policy; and, as a last resort, an explanation of the reconsideration policy for my library and an official reconsideration form.

Curriculum Ties

                         English and Writing: place, dialog, point of view, and the genre of fantasy.

Booktalk

              The book that has a little bit of everything: romance, humor, monsters, bloody murder, and a plot that twists and turns from beginning to end.  The story kicks off with a brutal homicide and the pace only increases from there.  Tension builds from one page to the next - you won't be able to turn away.          

Reading Level and Interest Age

                                                   Grades 9-12.       

                                           

Why I Included This Book

                                          This wonderful mix of humor, romance, and truly unique paranormal elements that go beyond the usual vampires and werewolves was difficult to put down.  There is a sense of fun and irreverence that make this book a must-read.  It should be a popular addition to any collection. 

References

Leitich Smith, C. (2011). About the author: Cynthia Leitich Smith. Retrieved from  http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/CLS/about_cyn.html