Taste

Sexy and Seductive!!

One word: Sexy.
Two words: Completely hypnotic.
Three words: Absolutely insanely hott!!!!!

This was definitely one of my favorite novels to read so far this year. It was new and fresh, full of seduction, and never without a dull moment. Kate Evangelista creates a world where nightmares can be freedom and where flesh-eating monsters can be sexy! From the first chapter, I was completely hooked!

One thing I really hate about some stories is how they take forever to get to any action…you just keep reading and reading and wondering when something is going to happen. That is NOT the case with Taste! Kate jumps straight to the action and introduces us straight away to a nightmare world beyond our own, but there’s something seductive about her world. I don’t care how revolting the sound of tasting flesh is, I still am completely attracted to these beyond beautiful, dangerous creatures. I never felt the need to skip a few paragraphs because I was bored with description. I relished every aspect of her world, and I loved that she didn’t get caught up in the color of the sky or the kind of stone of the castle. She blended the right amount of description with the right amount of action so I never got bored.

The story follows Pierce McKay who is plucked from her high profile boarding school into a deadly society of zombie-like creatures. Pierce is broken and lost after the death of her mother, and driven by a need for answers, she launches herself into their dangerous realm. I really connected with Pierce—I understood her need for answers because I am the same way. I’m sorry, but I discovered a race of super hot creatures that no one else knew about and one of them saved my life, I would not hesitate to try and discover the truths of their world. Pierce does just this, without ever thinking, and I admire her bravery and curiosity. She was a fun heroine—plagued by doubts, but she doesn’t let those get in the way of her decisions. Nothing holds her back.

But the best part of the story? The guys!

Demitri is dark and mysterious, hidden behind a mask of unfeeling, but Pierce gets to him the moment he saves her. I absolutely love Demitri! He’s sexy and protective—more than once offering up a pummeling or two on Pierce’s behalf. But, Demitri has secrets that hold him back, and if you’re like me, you will love discovering his truths and lies. Plus….there’s this one scene between Demitri and Pierce…and let me just tell you, WOW! Hold on a bit….I’m going to go read it again! (5 minutes later)..Just as I suspected..even hotter the second time!

And then there is Luka…and I love him, too! I seriously can’t decide who I want her to end up with! I would be completely happy with either, which is completely new to me because I always have an overwhelming opinion on the romance! Luka doesn’t have Demitri’s dark eyes and dark hair—his appearance is bright and electrifying, but every bit as smoldering as Demitri’s. But he also has his secrets, and he can be just as dark and broody. And,Pierce feels a pull towards him as well. Such a lucky girl! I’m jealous!

The only flaw I saw was that the ending felt rushed. I wanted to see more about how things ended up, so I am hoping that there is a sequel in the works.

I ABSOLUTELY, IRREVOCABLY recommend you buy this book! Kate creates a world where the darkness is more enticing than the light, where the devils are sexier than the angels, and where everything wrong feels s

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Taste was kindly provided to me by the author, Kate Evangelista

Taste was kindly provided to me by the author, Kate Evangelista in
exchange for my honest review. I have had my eye on Taste for a while
now so I was quite excited when the opportunity came up to read and
review it and I am so pleased it didn't fail to disappoint, it was a
book which had me riveted and wanting to know more from the very first
page. Phoenix McKay broke the one rule at Barinkoff Academy - no
students on campus after curfew, and the rule exists for a perfectly
valid reason as Phoenix soon finds out. Residing on campus is a
mysterious group known as night students but she is thankfully saved and
returned to her dorms by a gorgeous, enigmatic but evasive guy named
Demetri. Phoenix is a character who truly lacked self-preservation, I
wouldn’t say she was careless as much as I would call her extremely
curious with authority issues, but I absolutely adored her! She had
spunk, was witty and humorous and her knack for needing to know
everything made her an enjoyable heroine, she was also extremely
selfless. We find out a lot more about the night students after Phoenix
agrees to partake in an experiment in which she will be injected with a
formula that will allow her body to mimic a flesh-eater or Zhamvy as
they are known and will enable researcher Dray to study her in the hopes
of finding a cure for his people who are dying out. We also have two
love interests, Demetri who just happens to be a Crown Prince and is the
more serious and emotionless of the two and Luka who was flirty and fun;
despite them being so different I did prefer Phoenix’s connection to
Demetri. I found Luka’s background to be quite intriguing but I saw him
as more of a best friend or brotherly figure for Phoenix. Although I am
not a fan of love triangles what so ever, I never felt there was much of
a choice between the two, it worked out well. The well constructed
world Ms Evangelista has created was enthralling, I liked the unique
paranormal twist and despite the creepy species they were I am thankful
there wasn’t much flesh eating going on and they weren’t depicted as
being gruesome in any way besides their diet, they were actually all
extremely beautiful and their customs although unusual made for an
interesting read. The side characters were well-developed, bad guys
included – I especially liked Dray, Demetri’s brother and crazy
scientist as well as Luka’s sister, Yana who was fun and snarky. I
enjoyed Ms Evangelista’s writing, the fast paced plot, wonderful
characters and mesmerizing setting; I love books which take place around
schools/academies etc. and Barinkoff was no exception. Overall, Taste
was a fun and enjoyable read and a nice twist on the Zombie/Human
relationship. I am definitely eager to read more books written by Kate Evangelista.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog*** Taste by Kate E

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Taste by Kate Evangelista
Publisher: Crescent Moon Press
Publication Date: April 30, 2012
Rating: 5 stars
Source: Ecopy provided by the author

(Old review - original posted on June 20, 2012)

Summary (from Goodreads):

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.


What I Liked: 

The whole book! Truly, I loved this book. First, the characters. Phoenix is so likable. I can empathize and get in her head and understand exactly why she did things. She's reckless at times, but it's not that stupid reckless that leaves readers thinking "What?! Why would she do that?!". Phoenix rarely acts ignorantly. When she makes her decisions, she knows what she's doing, and she accepts the consequences of the decisions. She handled the change that Dray presented in her life pretty well. She's got a fiery temper that I love, because I've got a pretty bad one myself. I can understand this girl. 

And Demitri. The hot-and-cold, responsible, duty-bound prince. He's not the flirty kind that leaves Phoenix wondering what's going on. He takes the job of being the crown prince seriously, and he doesn't want Phoenix to mess up anything. Luka is almost the opposite. He's playful, charming, and encourages Phoenix to explore the Zhamvy world. I liked both guys, but I think halfway through, the readers could tell which guy Phoenix would probably end up with. And in the end, both guys were still good characters. Neither one of them turned evil and wanted to kill everyone and take over the world. Neither one of them wanted to kill each other over Phoenix. I usually don't like love triangles, but in this case, it worked nicely.

The type of paranormal fiction that Ms. Evangelista drew upon was a breath of fresh air. I totally expected this book to be about vampires, because I saw that it was about "flesh-eaters". Don't be fooled. This is not a vampire book. Nor is it a zombie book. I like the type of creature that Ms. Evangelista has created. The Zhamvy are original, but has bits and piece of creatures that readers already know about, so it's not completely new and surprising. The setting of the Zhamvy palace is almost surreal. I wish it were a real place, because I'd love to see it.

Ms. Evangelista's writing style is amazing. I believe this is her first novel, which surprises me, because this book is so well-written. The story just seems to flow perfectly. I usually don't like first person points of view, but Ms. Evangelista wrote this book with such detail and precision that I didn't mind much about the first person perspective. Once I started this book, it was hard for me to put it down. I only did so in order to get a couple hours of sleep!


What I Did Not Like: 

I think I would have liked to know more history behind the Zhamvy. Without giving too much away, I can say that readers learn about one king and his life, but I wish that I could have read more about other stories of the Zhamvy. It would made the race seem more real, to know about how they came about, how they've lived, and so on. But chances are, that's probably just me saying this. 

I also didn't really feel must sympathy towards Phoenix when it came to her mother's death. I just didn't care enough. I know it drove her decision to help Dray and the Zhamvy, and that Phoenix talked about it with her roommate Preya, but I feel like the author didn't do the best job of making the readers care about this death. The same with Phoenix's father. I really didn't care about him. I completely forgot about him until the end of the book. And even Phoenix's situation with him wasn't truly resolved. But this did not detract from the overall plot of the story, which was good.


Would I Recommend It: 

Yes! The pros of this book are too many to name. This is appropriate for young adults.


Rating: 

5 stars. There are TWO companion books to this one, Savor and Fervor, and I cannot wait to read them!

This is a very unique story. It took me a little while to get in

This is a very unique story. It took me a little while to get into the storyline, but once I did it was hard to put it down. The world building is well done and Kate's take on the supernatural will certainly hold your attention. One of the things I most enjoyed about the book was the suspense. She does a great job of providing you with just enough information that you want to keep going. Sometimes when I read a paranormal or urban fantasy book it's like once you discover the "others" than an info dump. Kate doesn't do that at all. She intersperses little tidbits here and there.

Phoenix was an interesting character. Her personality was very much along the lines of "curiosity killed the cat." It's hard to get used to because you want to shake her as she continues to get in trouble. At the heart of Phoenix is a girl that just wants to help. Seeing a glimpse of that helps make her character easier to relate to and understand.

Luca and Demitri are like two sides of a coin. This is a love-triangle, but there are some differences. Her feelings for one are definitely stronger than the other. Of course it's always kind of refreshing, in my opinion, to watch a guy chase the girl. I think if I had to pick one of the two I'd want someone in the middle. Demitri is very reserved and loyal. Committed to his perceived duty. He's fighting himself because while he knows what he has to do, it's not what he WANTS to do. I enjoyed watching as Phoenix did what she could to help him out. Luca is the free-spirit on the outside and dedicated behind closed doors. Which works, because he couldn't do what he needed to do if the public saw the real Luca.

I really want to talk about the take on the paranormal that Kate took with this book, but it's pretty much a spoiler for everything. However, I will say this...no vampires or werewolves.

If you like New Adult and you like a twist on paranormal...then this is a book I'd recommend!

The synopsis was something that did not make me long to read Tas

The synopsis was something that did not make me long to read Taste, instead it just made me shrug and think, “Eh.”  But I sat down and started reading and within the a few pages I had to reassess my “Eh” into an “Oh! This is going to be good.”  




And it was!  I really enjoyed the fantasy ride Evangelista took me on. Never would I have thought that Demetri’s race is a zombie.  Not what we would consider a zombie but a race that is almost as old as the gods.  The “Zhamvy” (or zombie) race is deeply hidden within the confined area of Barinkoff Academy and leave it to our heroine Phoenix to fall right into their world.  Yet these Zhamvys do not eat flesh for it is forbidden.  A king rules them; they have a society and an order to life.  They do not run around, moaning and trying to eat brains.  Zhamvys are a civilized race.  This fresh plot line makes me want to applaud Evangelista for thinking up something that is so original.  




Another reason why this plot line is so fantastic is because it is so chaotic. I mean this in a good way.  This book will not confuse you; it is easy to grasp.  However, the chaos comes from Phoenix POV.  One day she is in the library and falls asleep.  The next thing she knows, she has encountered the Night Students.  She is completely confused at to what is happening around her but a point to her character, she is curious (as Luka calls her “little cat”) and searches for the answers to all of her questions.  




I hope that Evangelista will continue this book and give me some more to feed my appetite.  Also, for some reason, I would love for this to be turned into a movie.  That would be awesome.~BookWhisperer Reviewer MC~

Not a 'Zombie' read, Zhamvys taking over...

3.5 stars. I received a free copy of this book from the author for an honest review via We Love Books ARR Goodreads Group.
The first thing I can say is that this is not really a classic Zombie read. It shouldn’t even be classified into that category. It’s just not comparable. The Zhamvy in this book (get it, Zombie?)are more like Twilight Vampires with no fangs who like flesh instead of blood alone and don’t sparkle. That being said, it was definitely an interesting twist. Though being a somewhat Paranormal Urban Fantasy, it is more High Fantasy than anything else.
Phoenix MacKay is a day student at the world reknown Barinkoff Academy, where geniuses thrive. She unwittingly falls asleep in the library one evening, therefore breaking the strict curfew rule to be off campus at dark or risk expulsion. She finds herself searching for someone to drive her home and not tell of her unfortunate slip. She runs into some unnaturally good looking ‘Night students’ in the familiar yet strangely different halls of the academy. These students want nothing but to have a ‘taste’ of Phoenix to her utter disbelief. To her rescue comes the ever so perfect and powerful Demetri, supposedly saving her life.
Curious about him and the students roaming the halls at night, Phoenix once again stays at the academy at night to discover that these students are Zhamvy, an ancient race who devour flesh to survive and are gorgeous and perfect beings. They have been forbidden to ‘taste’ flesh for 600 years. Instead, they live on yusha, a synthetic flesh. In her many escapades with her new Zhamvy cohorts, Phoenix finds herself among them, being tested on by Demitris’ nerdy brother Dray and chased by the evil priminister, who has delusions of grandeur and will do anything to assume the crown of the Zhamvy Kingdom, including sacrificing Phoenix’s safety.
This book had so many twists and plot holes, I was endlessy frustrated. Phoenix didn’t help either, she always was getting into things, did what everyone told her not to do. How many concussions can one person get before brain damage sets in? Why the Zhamvy would bother going to school at night, remained a mystery to me. The explanations may have made sense to Phoenix, who seemed to accept things easily, but then get into trouble to discover more about everyone, but they weren’t good enough for me to truly understand the reasoning behind it all. It was frustrating how many people kept secrets from Phoenix, only to blab all about it to her after she got into trouble trying to discover the truth some other way, getting knocked out or almost killed in the process. Why not tell her in the first place? I understand the need to create mystery, but it just didn’t make much sense.
Another thing, if Zhamvy aged faster than human years but lived hundreds and hundreds of years, why are they not aging days in minutes in front of Phoenix? Supposedly three hundred years is around six human years? So every human year = 50 Zhamvy years? So they technically spend 600 years in school? Why are they still in school? It'd sound more reasonable if they had graduated hundreds of years ago. Okay. The time difference just made no sense, to me.
Ok for the story, I have to say, it was good, interesting but slightly drawn out and repetitive. BUT the ending was satisfying and did leave me wanting to read the next book, which is a major plus. Mainly, I wanted to see more of Luka and his rambunctious sister. Demitri, Phoenix’s love interest, wa

I loved this book so much I read it twice!

I loved this book so much I read it twice! I loved the writing and the characters. This book was refreshing in that it provided a new take on a certain genre and added in just the right amount of action and romance. I highly recommend this book.
Natale

I have actually wanted to read this book for quite some time. I

I have actually wanted to read this book for quite some time. I had heard of it back in April when I had just started blogging and since then I'd wanted to get around to reading it but never got a chance until I found it as a part of the ARR program on Goodreads. I immediately requested it and I am so glad I did! The cover is absolutely stunning. It's the most thing that attracted me most to the book, the title wasn't bad sure but the cover had me in awe! The problem about the synopsis is - even though it sounded quite good - it felt a lot like Vampire Knight (the Japanese Manga). So I was wary from that side, because at some point that manga turned a bit freaky.

Phoenix knows she's in deep trouble when she oversleeps and misses her curfew. Her academy is known for one strict rule that everyone must abide with - one that no one has broken in centuries - to not miss your curfew. Everyone was forced to be outside the Barinkoff Academy grounds by sunset. Unfortunately for Phoenix she oversleeps in the library and is forgotten. She searches for everyone in the grounds she could bribe to drive her back to the dormitories and not tell anyone about her slight breaking of rule. After all, if she's caught, she gets expelled.

She finds some kids -who seem to be wearing different uniforms than her own- and tries to ask for help, only to find the looks they gave her suspiciously primal. Phoenix is saved from the dilemma by Demitri who takes her back to the dorms with the promise that she keeps this to herself and doesn't miss a curfew. She nods, but does not promise of course. Meaning, she misses another curfew to know what the hell was going on. This time she's attacked by Calixta after said girl hears that Phoenix was saved the previous day by Demetri. As the chase goes on, Calixta stops in her tracks when she sees Luka and runs off. Phoenix finds herself drawn to the two - apparently non human- boys. Yet, Demitri is determined to teach her a lesson and get her off the grounds, whilst Luka finds himself drawn to her wanting to know more about her.

Phoenix's rabid curiosity doesn't wan as she is determined to know what the hell is going on, no matter how much trouble she goes into even if it involved her nearly dying, a bunch of times.


When I started reading this book for the first few chapters, all I could think of was God, this is like the Vampire Knight, this is so the Vampire Knight, darn, how annoyingly similar it is to Vampire Knight. And that wasn't in a good way either. I mean sure, when it had started it was quite good and I enjoyed Vampire Knight, but then there was the love triangle and after that there was the grossness and incest - which was why I completely stopped with it. But, after chapter five I think, things got really interesting!

The discovering of what species they were had me on the fence because they terrify the hell out of me. I mean vampires I can handle, monsters and even disgusting creatures from out of space I don't mind. But (spoil alert) zombies? That's where I most definitely draw the line. However, even with this discovery I couldn't back down, I was in too deep and engrossed in this story helpless against the draw, I absolutely needed to know what was going to happen next! I kept reading and going onwards.

The amount of details that went into creating that next world and the creatures around, as well as the history and the surroundings were absolutely brilliant. I love a great female lead character, and this was one of them. She wasn't whiny or annoying as most would be when they're thrust into an unknown world but still curious in the right amount. I definitely appreciated that, made her feel more realistic.

I loved Luka's character the most. I found him the most charming and funny character, but at the same time, when matters became serious he was up to the job. It was hard with Demitri, him being soulless then suddenly having feelings and urges again.I hate love triangles, but I tolerated it in this case because it worked well with the theme of the story and it didn't cause a sort of bitter touch. I also loved Luka's sister Yana, and hoped to read more on her. But I did enjoy most thing their names. Calixta, Yana, Phoenix, Darius... they're not common or in most cases usual names.

I did like how the title Taste played a part in the story as well:

<i>Ignoring my indignation, he faced Luka, who'd remained seated on the bench during my exchange with Demitri. &quot;Why is she with you, Luka?&quot;

&quot;I wasn't going to taste her, if that's what you're implying,&quot; Luka said. &quot;Although, she is simply delicious. I wouldn't mind if you left us alone.&quot;

There it was again. Taste. The word that kept coming up between these Night Students and I was connected to it in an increasingly uncomfortable way. To taste meant to sample, but what? My flesh? They had to be joking because the alternative wasn't funny.</i>


Kate's writing was great, her story - though it started off as a bit of a repeat - certainly didn't end that way. I finished the story in no time and was glad it wasn't a series, because I've had a lot of those to read lately and it's about time reading an amazing book and having it just end there without waiting and all.

Rating: 5/5 !

The story started when Phoenix woke up in the library of Barinko

The story started when Phoenix woke up in the library of Barinkoff Academy, suddenly she realized that she overstayed and broke the only rule in the school, no student should be at school after sundown. It was a simple yet a mysterious rule, but because of this incident, Phoenix found out the reason behind it.

At first, I really don't like Phoenix because she's stubborn and a bit snoopy but as I read further, I realized that she's not so bad after all. She has a sense of humor, a strong will power and just the right amount of vulnerability for her to be an admirable heroine.

Demitri, the handsome crown prince of Barinkoff Dynasty, reminds me a lot of Edward Cullen. He's always serious and uptight. He's the knight and shining armor of Phoenix whenever she's in trouble. But even if Demitri reminded me of Edward, I am swooned by Luka. He's just the type of character that you can instantly fell in love with. He's easy-going and caring and all the things a girl could want.

Taste is like Twilight but with handsome and noble zombies, not the blood-soaked-rotten-flesh-vomiting-bile version in the Walking Dead. And, I commend Kate Evangelista for introducing me to a whole new species of zombies and their civilized culture.

Overall it was a pleasurable read and I would recommend it to everyone.

I simple adored this book. The Zhamvy were an amazing creation,

I simple adored this book.

The Zhamvy were an amazing creation, in the sense they've taken what the world assumes flesh eaters (ie. zombies) are, and turns that stereotype completely on its head.

The story was thrilling, and enchanting at the same time. I couldn't wait to get to the next page to see where the story was going to go to next. I wouldn't say that this was your usual YA novel. You did work out which of the male characters was going to be with Phoenix in the end, but you couldn't have worked out how that was going to happen.

The characters are perfect. I would follow the story of Phoenix and Demitri anywhere, as well as that of Luka, Yana and Dray. They were just so interesting, and I wanted to know as much about them as possible.

I don't want to go into the story too much, you should read it for yourself!

A perfect YA novel.

Love has never been more dangerous. This is a thrilling new roma

Love has never been more dangerous.
This is a thrilling new romance that will leave you breathless. The impeccable writing and unforgettable characters kept me hooked from page 1. I couldn’t have asked for a better paranormal romance than this. The storyline is unique and was filled with plenty of twists and turns along the way that kept me on the edge of my seat.
I was so immersed in this story that I pulled an all nighter just to finish it. I had lots of fun figuring out the mystery of the flesh eaters along with Pheonix. There were plenty of times that had me really worried about Phoenix’s fate as well as times where I was mentally kicking Phoenix for some of her decisions. All in all it was a roller coaster ride of emotions and I loved every minute of it.
I couldn’t help, but love these characters. Phoenix was a brave and kindhearted girl who I could definitely see myself being best friends with.
Demitri was my personal favorite character. He was a bit gruff at first, but after getting to know more about him it was plain to see he had a kind heart. He was a compelling character that I loved getting to know.
Luka was the more flirtatious and playful type and definitely an interesting character. He was fun and I had a great time reading about his interactions with Pheonix.
This is a dark and compelling new romance that paranormal fans won’t want to miss out on.

I have wanted to read this book for so long now. The cover alone

I have wanted to read this book for so long now. The cover alone is absolutely beautiful. Thank goodness I finally had the chance. This book is unique and incredibly intriguing that I couldn’t believe it when I was done with it. I think this would make a great TV series. I know it would be one that would totally have me on the edge of my seat every week! Hey - hot guys and beautiful girls - all with attitude - definitely a TV series.

This book is about Zharmy - A.K.A flesh eaters. My first thought Zombies but these Zharmy are so handsome and beautiful that you might get them confused with Vampires because of their youth and beauty.

The main character is Phoenix McKay, a young girl attending Barinkoff Academy- a school with only one rule; No one on Campus after 6 p.m. Unfortunately for Phoenix, she discovers why such a silly rule exists after she finds herself waking up at the library when the clock is striking 6. She, herself, is considered a Day Student, but here at Barinkoff there are also Night Students. She discovers why each is separated when Demitri has to step in and save Phoenix from other Night Students.

Lucky for her, Demitri is the hot and quiet type. Not only does Phoenix finds herself in a world that she shouldn’t exist in but she also finds herself connected to Demitri.

I loved this book!! It was very well written and had me sucked in the entire time.

Well done Kate Evangelista!

Interesting and different! Glad I tried it. Taste is a YA Parano

Interesting and different! Glad I tried it.
Taste is a YA Paranormal Fantasy written by Kate Evangelista.

People living in a mountain, flesh eating zombies on a diet and some really bad mojo in a needle that gives you superpowers!

The Review:
Im going to mix my likes and dislikes in this review instead of listing them individually.

This book left me wrinkling my nose and scratching me head. I really wanted to love it. And it wasn't a total loss in my opinion, but I just could NOT get past the whole flesh eating zombie thing. It kinda grossed me out. Let me explain.

I have no problem with zombies. I love zombies. I love zombie movies, I love zombies that walk slow and repeat &quot;braaaaaaaaaiiiiiinnnnnsssssss&quot; as they do the robot walk. I love zombies who growl and run faster than a squirrel on crack! I love rotting zombies and I love drooling zombies. So, the problem wasn't the fact this race of beings were zombies... err.. Zhamvy's. My problem came with a superior race of people with super human speed, strength, longevity and a beauty that eat flesh like a chocolate junkie in a Godiva shop.

I got the concept the author tried to get across. I actually thought it was ingenious, creative and original. And though they stopped the practice of eating human flesh long ago, there were several occasions where the characters were eating tofu like synthetic flesh that tasted like yogurt or fried pig flesh with a hint of vinegar...yuck! I was just having a hard time seeing this race of people in the beatific, romantic way the author tried to portray them with that running through my mind. I think I would have had an easier time if that particular part wasn't emphasized so much.

But let's move on. Like I said, the idea of a beautiful, superhuman race of Zhamvy's was creative and I've never read anything like it before, so it had originality. I loved the action and the story was good. I also really liked the history and the character building. I loved the Zhamvy society, their archaic and modern mix. I thought the idea of them living secluded inside a mountain with a school above them was weird though. The humans were Day Students, the Zhamvy, Night Students. So they weren't supposed to co-mingle. But if you have a race of flesh eating people under a school of humans, even with a curfew law in place, there had to be a moment when someone thought this was a bad idea. The humans were a bunch of teens. Teens love nothing more than to break the rules, so Im surprised there wasn't a curfew break long before Phoenix decided to oversleep.

Im not poking fun at the story at all, but I think it was full of plot holes and unrealistic scenarios.

I liked how Phoenix wanted to help the Zhamvy race, especially since some of them wanted to eat her, kill or maim her. Agreeing to help, she unknowingly lets Dray, one of the Zhamvy, inject her with a serum that will give her the super human abilities of his race so that he can experiment on her to find out why his race is dying. That whole part of the story line was great and the author did a terrific job with the science and experimentation. But I did think Phoenix rushed in head first without much thought and that left me wondering about her sanity! She barely knew these people, they wanted to eat her and suddenly she wanted to help? I also found her constant whining about &quot;booo...my past sucks so much!!...&quot;, &quot;what about me??...&quot; &quot;you're choosing your people over me?!?&quot; a bit self centered and really irritating.

I really liked the triangle between Phoenix, Demitri and Luka. (By the way, awesome names throughout the entire book!) The men.. wowza! Who wouldn't want to eat.. err.. devour.. err crawl into a jell-o pit with these guys! Demitri and Luka were great male leads and kind of hot, excluding of course their proclivities towards eating flesh. And Im totally Team Luka! Yum! ;)

Though the story line was well done, some of the dialogue and character actions left me rolling my eyes. It was overly dramatic and a bit confusing. There was some major info dumping along the way, but I can over look that. However, I get irritated if the ending isn't solid and this ending left much to be desired. It felt unfinished, rushed and too many things were left unanswered.

The Wrap Up:
I think this book had amazing potential but it just fell flat for me. The ideas, world building and society were imaginative and well thought out! There were some very amazing and wondrous aspects to this book and then there were some not so great parts. Im glad I read it but I don't see myself adding it to my re-read shelf.

NOTE: I read this as a R2R with We ♥ YA Books! with Goodreads. As always, a special thank you to the mods and author for allowing me to participate.

When I read the dust jacket description of this book, I thought

When I read the dust jacket description of this book, I thought it would
be a little different and I was intrigued. After starting the book, I
was sucked in to Barinkof Academy so quickly that I didn't have time to
wonder if I was going to even like the story. Taste is such a delicious
(pun intended) twist on zombies. If I had really connected the dots and
realized that I would be reading a book about a flesh eating race of
beings, I can easily say I would have walked away from this book. But I
would have have missed out on a terrific story. I thought the writing
was lyrical without being over the top. Ms. Evangelista created some
great pictures with her language use and I was more drawn into the story
because of it. I did, at times, want to smack the main character,
Phoenix for being too dramatic and reckless. However, these were
luckily not her main traits, which made rooting for her much easier.
The characters were fairly complex and had a long history of baggage
that they carried which made them seem more real and not simply props
for the author to manipulate according to the plot she wanted. It felt
that they were quite real, and although I am quite happy that they are
fantasy characters, some of their world was pretty spectacular. This
was a great book, and I am putting this right up at the top of my
favorites from this summer! Find it and read it!

*Received from author for review through We love YA-ARR Goodread

*Received from author for review through We love YA-ARR Goodreads
discussion group **Review posted on Goodreads, amazon, barnesandnoble,
and smashwords. I was pleasantly surprised with the premise of this
story in which the “monsters” turn out to be zombies and not vampires as
I expected from the synopsis (although they are described as flesh
eaters). I am a fan of most works zombie and Evangelista has created a
uniquely, romantic take on the genre with remarkable skill. The story
starts off with Phoenix, a normal human, inadvertently crossing paths
with flesh-thirsty citizens when she breaks campus curfew. With the
help of a dark and handsome stranger, Demitri, she escapes, but can’t
help but be drawn to that mysterious world time and again, naively
without regard for her own mortality. Phoenix’s strong curiousity,
determination, and pain-filled past drive much of the story. I liked
her as a character more and more as the plot progressed. The best
parts of the story would have to be Phoenix’s relationships as they
blossom with Demitri and Luka, the two main flesh-eaters. I
particularly loved reading about Luka and his interactions with Phoenix.
Evangelista has written a complex, compelling character with him and I
would’ve liked to have seen more of what happened to him at the end of
the story. There were science fiction elements in the story as well,
which I found a little weak as compared to other zombie novels.
However, the romance between Phoenix and Demitri is the star of the
story and made the novel a great read. There are scenes filled with
delightfully heart-pounding tension and passionate kisses that
contribute to making this a wonderful YA paranormal work of fiction.
Overall, this was a fun, romantic tale and Evangelista has done a
magnificent job!

WOW another great book! I really enjoyed this story from the fr

WOW another great book! I really enjoyed this story from the frist word
to the last! Phoenix McKay a spunky girl with a past, sent to boarding
school by her father, following her mothers death! Once at Barinkoff
Academy, she find the one thing that was never ment to be discovered!
Hot, huncky guys that are FLESH eaters called Night students! And now
that drama begins.. It was fast pace and well worth the read! I Loved
the characters and the bonds that are formed! Great job Kate!! In all,
I really liked this book and I hope that there will be a sequel.

Phoenix McKay is a 17 yr. old student of the Barinkoff Academy.

Phoenix McKay is a 17 yr. old student of the Barinkoff Academy. She is
suffering from the loss of her mother to an unknown illness and is
somewhat obsessed in finding out all she can about what killed her
mother. While researching in Barinkoff’s library, Phoenix falls asleep
and is only woken by the closing bell. You see, the only absolute rule
of Barinkoff is to never ever be on campus at night and that is exactly
where Phoenix is now. Phoenix soon discovers that the academy comes
alive at night with a whole other group of students, students that want
to eat her flesh. She is saved from that horrible fate by a “hot” guy
named Demitri (Demitri Barinkoff) and he whisks her back to her dorm and
asks her to never be on campus at night again. Curious about the night
students, Phoenix arranges to be stuck on campus at night once again.
Only to find that she is in even more danger and this time rescued by
another “hottie” (blonde this time) named Luka Visraya. Demitri shows up
and there is a strange show down between Luka and Demitri. Demitri takes
Phoenix back into the school where he has his brother Dray bring her
tea, which drugs her into a deep sleep and they leave her on the library
table to be discovered and expelled. This is where it gets very
interesting because Dray approaches Phoenix and asks to experiment on
her to help save his people the Zhamvy (what we know as zombies, but
with a big twist). Yes, in Phoenix’s ultimate wisdom, she decides to
allow this experiment and is immediately injected with something to
causes her to turn partially Zhamvy. She is then taken to the Zhamvy
world, where she faces a civil war, a love triangle between with Luka
and Demitri and death. I found Taste to be tremendously unique twist to
the zombie (Zhamvy) ideal. Kate Evangelista’s was extremely ingenious in
this really cool tale of a world beneath our world. I did have some
trouble with Phoenix’s character...they want to eat my flesh but lets
keep seeking out this super powered race and my biggest issue was...sure
inject me with something that might kill me to save your people... Yeah,
I had some issues with Phoenix but she did have an awesome friend Preya
that created fantastic witty repertoire, she got caught up in a love
triangle with 2 broody hot guys that are way to old for her :D, and she
definitely that had a curiosity that would of killed the cat. I enjoyed
Taste and definitely would read more if the story line continues. For
me, Taste was 3.5 stars. I absolutely love the cover. This copy of
Taste was given to me by Kate Evangelista and We ♥ YA Books! group @
Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

Independent, Spunky YA Female Lead- Loved this Book!

Taste was a super YA paranormal read! The main character is feisty, independent and spunky and dealing with her own teen issues like her relationship with her father and the loss of her mother. She tries desperately to fit in and find a family within Barinkoff Academy, only to find it in a place she's forbidden to go.

I became immersed in the Slavic themed Barinkoff Academy both the Day and Night classes. I loved the style of the Night students and the struggles they dealt with. The setting, the ominous rules, and the rebellious main character all drew me in, making me want to find out more about the Night students.

The chemistry between Phoenix and Demitri was intense and the character of Luka and his family back story is so fascinating I'm wanting to read more on him.

Great story and setting, and I particularly love strong female leads who don't do what they're told and aren't afraid to take risks.

I hope to see more from Barinkoff Academy and Kate Evangelista in the very near future!

You think vampires that suck blood is creepy? Try flesh-eaters.

You think vampires that suck blood is creepy? Try flesh-eaters.

Taste's summary caught me the moment I read it. And the gorgeous cover. Just imagine: what are your consequences once you break the curfew? I never did, because I never had. In Barinkoff Academy, expect the unexpected.

I liked Kate's world of Zhamvys, and even their life. It's interesting and beautiful. They never came out as total creepy for me once I got to know them. I liked Demitri and Luka--they're just both irresistible. At first, I doubted Luka's intention but as read on, I liked him. While the female protagonist, Phoenix--I think she's just cool, but sometimes, hard-headed.

This book just reminds of what I think about Avalon High by Meg Cabot--not that they're exactly the same, but they're both great standalone. Who would've thought a lot can happen in one book? Most of the books right now are series. They would start great but we're always trying to find out if the next book/s will carry the greatness of the first. Taste is not a series but reading it makes me feel like I've read a summary of a wonderful series. It started it's heart-stopping point on the very first page and once you read on, the excitement never stops. And the ending? I think I need more but it's just great as it is. I really liked this book!

Like so many others, I made the mistake of judging this book by

Like so many others, I made the mistake of judging this book by it's overview. Still, it was free and I had nothing else to read so I signed up for a R2R on goodreads.
You know the feeling when something you think will taste bad, evidently tastes amazing and you start glomping it down like a college student home for Christmas? Well this book is the equivalent of that and would make any underfed college student's mouth water.
Late for curfew, Phoenix McKay misses the last bus to the dorms of her prestigious boarding school. Wandering the halls and hoping not to get expelled for breaking the number one rule of Barinkoff Academy, she meets a group of unbelievably gorgeous students, looking like their wandering the halls of a castle in their historical uniforms, who want to eat her flesh. Unlike blood-sucking which has become something beautiful and sexy, flesh eating is creepy and cannot be made a sensual act no matter who's doing the eating.
The plot is fast-paced with a list of realistic and captivating characters. Everyone has secrets and lies and it was a blast uncovering their pasts with Phoenix. Honestly, Luka and Demetri were incomparable and I'd die just to be with either! Although I'm leaning towards Demetri, sorry Luka.
A hypnotic book that I devoured in one sitting after finally getting the gist of it- First chapter was slow and confusing but it gets better!