June 17, 2013
Nora Henderson learned to cook in her father’s North Carolina barbecue joint. Christian Van Lorton honed his skills as the son of a New York City celebrity chef. Now they’re competing to win a $50,000 scholarship to culinary school in Paris. A cooking competition reality show for teenagers is such a good idea that it’s not surprising a Top Chef spinoff for teens is actually in the works. Debut author Fiore persuasively details the constraints of being on this kind of show, from the strict security measures to the way producers try to pump up rivalries to increase ratings. Where she’s less believable is in the idea that the teens are still taking classes and juggling papers on culinary history amid their cooking challenges, and, more importantly, in her depiction of Nora and Christian’s is-it-hate-or-is-it-love relationship, in which their chemistry plays second fiddle to too many obnoxious exchanges. Justice, love, and the best chef prevail, but the story’s overly broad strokes, including a melodramatic sabotage subplot, undermine its potential pleasures. Ages 12–up. Agent: Hannah Brown Gordon, Foundry Literary + Media.
June 15, 2013
This debut about a reality show for young chefs has enough spice to keep readers feasting all the way through. Nora has been cooking all her life; her dad runs a barbecue restaurant that's legendary in their part of North Carolina. She loves the reality TV show Taste Test, in which teens vie for a $50,000 scholarship to a famous Paris cooking school, and she enters it as a contestant. As soon as she arrives, sparks fly. Handsome Christian is the privileged son of a famous chef, and his friend Joy hobnobs with celebrities. They treat Nora as a redneck. Nora and Christian turn out to be the major talents among the contestants, but the tension that generates convinces many that they're hiding a romance. As the contest progresses, someone appears to be sabotaging the show. Amid all the turmoil, can Nora concentrate on winning, and does she really have a chance? Fiore creates some likable, enjoyable characters, especially in Nora and Christian, and keeps the narrative zooming along with all the urgency of a real reality show. She spends only a few chapters on the actual cooking challenges, focusing instead on the conflict between Nora and Christian. Readers will spot the romance potential immediately, but the story stretches out that prospect for as long as possible. Contestants may lose, but readers won't. (recipes) (Fiction. 12 & up)
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October 1, 2013
Gr 7 Up-Nora Henderson has been cooking in her dad's BBQ restaurant her whole life. But Weston, North Carolina, is a tiny town, and she wants out. She applies to compete in the hottest new reality show, Taste Test, where teens vie for a scholarship to the International School of Cuisine in Paris and a $50,000 cash prize. The aspiring chefs are friendly but also ultracompetitive, and battle lines, including the requisite drama and sabotage, are quickly drawn. Nora learns that all's fair in love and war, and that sometimes the good guy can finish first. This debut novel is a sweet confection about overcoming the odds and being true to oneself. Nora is an everygirl with a realistic voice and a great sense of humor about her fish-out-of-water situation. Readers who are not interested in cooking will still relate to the reality-show setting and enjoy the friendships and romance. The food descriptions are mouthwatering, and the contestants' recipes included in the back matter feature sophisticated flavors that might even get some readers cooking.-Laura Lutz, Pratt Institute, New York City
Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
October 15, 2013
Grades 8-10 Nora Henderson gets the chance of a lifetime when she is chosen to be on the reality cooking show Taste Test. But will her experience at her father's barbecue shack be enough? Because more than just a talent for cooking seems to be involved. One of the contestants, Joy, has something going on with a judge. And Christian is the son of a famous chef. From the first, there's a push-pull between Nora and Christian, especially after it becomes clear they are each other's main competition for first prize. Their attraction (and the complication of a boy back home) makes the cooking messy. Fiore captures the reality show vibe very well and gives momentum to what could be a long time line by summing up a week's worth of cook-offs in two-page interviews or judges' reports. The story begins going over the top as it becomes clear sabotage is a factor in the kitchen wars; the revelation of the ones responsible doesn't quite pass the smelltest. But this is a quick, clever read, and kids hooked on reality shows will take a big bite.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2014
Southern-BBQ expert Nora leaves small-town North Carolina to compete on Taste Test, a reality-TV cooking competition featuring talented teens, including a celebrity chef's dreamy but arrogant son. When suspicious accidents result in injuries and untimely eliminations, Nora investigates the sabotage. The TV-style melodrama is a bit thick, but overall the book is breezy, enjoyable fare. "Contestant recipes" are included.
(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)