Taste [Kindle Edition]

Kate Evangelista (Author)

Book Description

2nd Place in the JABBIC YA Category

I dare you to break curfew...

"I had a impossibly hard time deciding my team in this twisted love triangle because both boys are so lethally hot you'll want some tissue to wipe the steam off your glasses!" -- Alicia from Book a World

"I found myself unable to put down the book once I started. Kate's writing is impeccable and flows beautifully..." --Tammy from Books, Bones & Buffy 

"Taste is awesome, addicting, a page-turner and a unique novel. It definitely filled my hunger for a good YA Paranormal/Romance story." -- Ice from Book Whales 

"Intriguing, mysterious, and a taste is not all you will get! Must read!" -- K.M. Whittaker 

"My new favorite novel." -- Wendy Russo 

"Awesome-sauce! A delicious book to taste and devour." -- April from Books4Juliet 

"My Vote for YA Paranormal of the Year!" -- Jinky from Jinky is Reading 

"With the eccentricity of Dearly, Departed, the refreshing take on the inhuman, sizzling romance that will turn your legs into jelly, and satisfying action, Taste is an addicting debut that will lure and intrigue readers." -- Precious from Fragments of Life

Editorial Reviews

Review

I dare you to break curfew...

From the Back Cover

At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.

 

When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn't realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 434 KB
• Print Length: 251 pages
• Publisher: Crescent Moon Press (April 29, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007Z1AC78
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #44,384 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My New Favorite Novel April 30, 2012

By Wendy S. Russo

Format:Kindle Edition

The clang of a bell wakes Phoenix McKay from a nap. Before the second clang, she is on her feet and racing for a door that weighs a metric ton (or, might as well, given her penchant for slacking off in gym class). She slips. A third clang. She manages to open it just enough to slip through. A fourth clang follows, then a fifth. She's late...unforgivably late...for the only appointment of her day that really matters. She stands outside as the sixth and final bell clangs, staring at an undisturbed blanket of show across Barinkoff Academy's parking lot. The school had one rule, inflexibly enforced: no students on campus after curfew. The last bus back to the dormitories left ninety minutes earlier.

It's cold, dark, and the dorms are miles away. She figures that if she's going to get expelled anyway, she might as well try to find a janitor or someone to give her a ride. But the people she finds in the hall aren't Barinkoff staff. They're freakishly beautiful, guys and girls alike, and dressed in clothes from another century. One gleefully informs her that they are the "Night Students." He casually mentions wanting to taste her. She doesn't know what that means, but the look in his eyes leads her to believe he might mean it literally. Just as she thinks running might be a good idea, she finds herself behind a Mr. Tall-Dark-Handsome. His name is Demetri and he clearly intimidates the others. First, he asks the young man if he heard him correctly. Did the word taste cross his lips? He then commands all of his classmates to say nothing about Phoenix to anyone before taking her away, an order that shocks them all.

Demetri leads her straight away to a secret passage that connects the library to the chemistry lab. After introducing her to a young mad scientist reminiscent of Topher Brink (Dollhouse), her savior ingests a half-dollar size pill and then he drives Phoenix home. He promises that the Headmaster needn't know about her breaking curfew if she promises to never miss curfew again. In doing so, he unknowingly breaks the first rule of Phoenix...never tell her what not to do.

If I could fill out an order form for the perfect novel, the result would be Taste. Kate Evangelista had me hooked from the very first sentence. She begins with a flawed first-person narrator in an acute, undesirable situation before immediately turning up the danger factor. Through Phoenix, she reveals to the reader a parallel world that is subtly sinister on the surface, with a separate cast of players that arrives and departs with the sun. From there peels back the layers on this world that lies behind and beneath Barinkoff Academy as if they were the petals of a flower. The pacing is like a choreographed dance between Phoenix, Demetri, and two other Night Students named Dray and Luka. The dialog is precisely to my liking; saying just what it needs to, at the right time and in the right way.

From the very first word, the details build into a steady crescendo of tension, along the main plot, the romantic arcs, and underlying subplots. When the climax hits, the strings start popping one by one, dropping the story by degrees, as if it were a weight suspended from them.

Through it all, Evangelista's cast never drops character. Demetri is stoic, duty bound and passion driven, and keeps his priorities straight to a fault. Luka, his diametrically opposed frenemy, is carefree, careless, and manages to be deep and shallow at the same time. Phoenix's wealth and privilege aside, she is sad, confused, curious, and intimately aware of how unfair life can be. The author's voice is pitch-perfect.

I would recommend Taste to fans of Beth Revis's Around the Universe, with a word of caution. Hold onto something, or this book may well blow you away.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing , Mysterious and A Taste is not all you wil get !!!! MUST READ !!!!!!!!!!!! April 30, 2012

By K. M. Whittaker

Format:Kindle Edition

Phoenix McKay finds outs why curfew is at sunset at Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Here Phoenix finds a group of students walking the halls and finds herself in a predicament. They threaten to taste her flesh - - until along comes Demitri - he is handsome and alluring. Pale skinned, dark eyes and hair and Phoenix find that she not only is mesmerized by his aura but his irresistible demeanour. ** he is her knight in shining armour so to speak ** swoon -

However Luka has other plans for Phoenix, he is charming and sexy - and full of mischief. Luka takes Phoenix into a world that she never knew existed. Phoenix is caught between a deadly secret she wants to find out about, her attraction to these mysterious boys and an ancient civilisation living beneath Barinkoff Academy. She maybe the cure to their very existence.

Drays means well, asking Phoenix for her help but in the meantime , the reason for her being there may just be the fuel that Vladimir needs to fuel them into a centuries old feud.

My thoughts!!!

Wow!!! I devoured this story in almost one sitting. Kate has a winner with this Novel - certainly an intriguing and mysterious story filled with its own unique plot and storyline. Kate has created a world of her own - incomparable with any story currently shelved atm - and certainly unmatched by any other. A different spin off on a Flesh eating race. As gory as it sounds, it certainly is not put forth this way. Characters that will draw you into the pages and a read you will find you won't be able to put down.

Kate has created her characters with depth and definition - loyalty and courage. Phoenix I found to be an enjoyable character, very likeable by all means.

The chemistry between Demitri and Phoenix will make your heart flutter - and have you sheepishly grinning at the same time. At times I wanted to sock him one - but other times wanted to just melt into his cotton shirt .. ** sigh -**

Luka is sinfully sexy in his own way - he is honest and straight forward .. I was certainly town between these two boys !

The hotties that Kate has thrown in to give us a love trio are smoking hot and definably hard to choose upon. All the characters that Kate has put forth are well defined and put forth in this story giving it depth and certainly character to the storyline. I must say even the evil was depicted exactly that!

A few twists and turns are thrown in giving the reader a wahhoooooooooooo!! Ending ... that will not only have your heart aflutter but your eyes sparkling with **** An ending that is unpredictable where the reader is hoping there just maybe another continuous on from this one. Certainly not needed as Kate has wrapped the story up beautifully.

The storyline alone was certainly mesmerizing - who would think someone could turn flesh eating creatures into such an in-depth read that will keep you hooked till the last page has been turned. ** You must read to understand ** But this is certainly not your normal flesh eating blood and gore story you will be amazed at what Kate has created!! A world of the Zhamuy - an ancient feud - and possibly a secret that will cause all to cease to exist...

Smooth flowing dialogue and chapters that flow from one to the next and a read that will certainly have you in awe.

Action, adventure, suspense , romance, intrigue, fantasy, lies, friendships ,loyalty, secrets and even heart felt moments are all contained within this story ! A must read Ya story recommended to all.

Pst - dont you just love the cover !!!! I do !!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars TSTL Main Character July 10, 2012

By Angie

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

but unfortunately she lives. Phoenix the main female in this book had me hoping she would just perish in the end. The beginning of the book starts out with her being upset and properly afraid of what would happen because she accidentally broke the first rule. She is immediately thrust into a scary situation that takes her hours to finally make it to where she needs to be to do what? Repeat it the next night because she is curious. What! She does these unbelievably stupid things throughout the book. If she is told to keep her eyes down she looks. If she is told to run she stays. If she is told to keep quiet she talks. If she is told to stay hidden she jumps out yelling surprise (OK I am exaggerating this last one but you get the picture). She does not care about her safety or the safety of others and I never got an idea as to why she would be so reckless. The TSTL moments really ruined the book for me.
The story is similar to other books out. Two guys who like the female main character for whatever unknown reason. Female right in the middle of the drama and much of the cause of said drama. There are some interesting aspects to the story but not enough to make up for the unbelievable main character especially for the price of the book :(

More About the Author

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. She is the author of Taste, Reaping Me Softly, Til Death, and Impulse. To learn more about Kate, please visit her website at www.kateevangelista.com or follow her on Twitter @KateEvangelista