Kitchen Princess 2 [Paperback]

Natsumi Ando (Author), Miyuki Kobayashi (Author)

Book Description

Series: Kitchen Princess | Publication Date: May 1, 2007

SIMMERING RIVALS

Najika has a special gift. She’s a marvelous cook whose food awakens people’s fondest memories and feelings of affection. Now she’s attending the prestigious Seika Academy, where she hopes to find her “prince,” the boy who saved her when she was a little girl. One big problem: It seems that nobody wants her at the college–except two cute brothers, Sora and Daichi, who befriend her right away. But the super-popular teen model Akane will do anything to drive Najika out of the school, even if it means staging a cooking contest with an award-winning chef as Najika’s opponent. Will Najika’s magical food warm Akane’s cold heart?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up—In a reverse Cinderella situation, Najika brings a silver spoon with her when she enrolls in the prestigious Seika Academy in order to find the boy who comforted her with a dessert flan after the death of her parents. Najika has the ability to determine the optimal makeup and presentation of any meal after having tasted it. At school she runs afoul of Akane, a teen supermodel, and is simultaneously drawn to a pair of upper-crust brothers—fair, idolized Sora and dark, sullen Daichi. Could one of them be her flan prince? Each chapter is built around something that Najika will cook over the course of the episode, usually as a way to overcome some conflict that has arisen in her attempts to navigate the stratified class structure of the school. While this is a perfectly ordinary romance manga in terms of structure and presentation, it is particularly effective in establishing character dynamics without overplaying the melodrama. This is probably due to Defilippis and Weir, a high-profile writing team in American comics who bring their subtler touch to the dialogue. Readers who showed up for the love triangle may also find themselves compelled to try out the diverse dishes, for which recipes are included.—Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

No one can resist dessert, right? When Najika was young, a kind boy cheered her by giving her a flan served with a unique silver spoon, then ran off before she could thank him. Now a talented teen confectioner, Najika tracks the spoon to a famous cooking academy and is accepted there as a student. Will she be able to win over her snooty, skeptical classmates with her creative cooking and desire to bring out the best in people through food? Is either of the dashing, feuding brothers she meets her mysterious childhood friend? As shojo, or girls' manga,this is far from original, but its charming art, optimistic attitude, and dash of mystery will make it a welcome addition to a library collection--especially one serving tweens and younger teens. The story reads like meringue tastes: light as a feather and full of sweetness. Robin Brenner
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345496590
• ISBN-13: 978-0345496591
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.6 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #681,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars sweet, but not too mushy, March 28, 2008

By 

K. Watts (Manassas, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kitchen Princess 2 (Paperback)

I love Kitchen Princess. It's a great series for kids in their tweenish years and older. I am 40+ and my daughters, teenaged and almost, all really enjoyed it.