Review: Taste

Rating: 4 Stars
Author: Kate Evangelista
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Release Date: April 30, 2012
Format: Paperback/eBook
Blurb: 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.

Taste is a unique book - written from the POV of intelligent, quirky, and slightly annoying 17-year-old Phoenix. After dealing with an unexplainable family death, Phoenix is more detached from humankind than ever - although she does have one friend...well, not quite a friend but a roommate - who she likes...mostly. ;)

Ms. Evangelista allows readers to grow with Phoenix, through her discovery of the Night Students and  her own internal healing, giving us a book wrought with emotion, humor, and love.


Phoenix is a junior attending the famous Barinkoff Academy, home to only the most intelligent and wealthy students from around the world, which has one rule...students are not allowed on the premise after nightfall.

Phoenix is most definitely not a rule-breaker, or at least not on purpose. And yet, after falling asleep in the library, she finds herself racing to BA's front doors until the last school bell chimes away her school career. Knowing that her expulsion is sealed, she finds herself wandering the hallway and runs into the exceptionally beautiful and bizarre Night Students.

Here is where the story really begins, allowing us to learn (albeit slowly) of these students supernatural nature, meet two sexy and very interested "men" and watch as Phoenix is showed the path to healing.

Although I really enjoyed this book, it's missing a star because of a two things. One, the story moved much too slowly at the beginning. I wasn't really captivated until about 40 percent through, but once I got there, I blew through this book, enjoying the ride Ms. Evangelista took me on. Also, I didn't really connect with Phoenix. I HAD to keep reading, wanting to smack her a few good times to get her head on straight, but she ended up really growing on me.

With that, there was some awesomeness that occurred. I have an *official* fictional character crush on both Demitri and Luka. I basically love them and would totally play on that field. While very different, each is well represented with clear-as-mud sexy intentions that I just drooled over. I also really loved mad-scientist Dray - he was special-cakes. Oh oh and Luka's sister was awesome too. *sigh* I loved so many characters, even (and especially) the naughty ones!

Moreover, the conflict throughout was believable - and it's really what captivated me. I loved the multitude of problems and the clever stacking of layers that Ms. Evangelista manipulated, giving them more depth and realistic reliability. I mostly wanted MORE! Give me MORE BOOK! *Cookie Monster voice*

I really hope that we are going to get a series from Kate, but if not, this book does end clearly. If there is another, it will definitely be on my to-read shelf.

*This book was provided to me from the author in return for an honest review.*