Tantalize

Tantalize

By Cynthia Leitich Smith

Quincie inherits a restaurant, which she reopens with a Vampire theme. She hires a new chef who may or may not be talented, and who may or may not be a Real Vampire. Her boyfriend is a hybrid werewolf, who is having trouble controlling his animalistic urges. And her school has recently suggested that she needn’t come in any more – offering homeschooling as a preferred option. Mixed into this is a murder mystery that prompts suspicions and accusations.

Despite the first person narrative, meant to draw the reader deeply into the inner characterization of Quincie, disappointingly there is no real character development or growth. In fact, overall, this novel suffers simply from a lack of depth. Never quite drawn into the drama or the romance or the mystery, it all becomes quite a shallow read, boosted every now and then by a bit of humour, but never reaching an engaging level.