Member Reviews

This was cute. The formatting was a bit hard to read but overall I really enjoyed it. The main characters reminded me a lot of my sister which made the read that much more enjoyable

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Was unable to read the copy the publisher provided on my Kindle, and this wasn’t fixed after I contacted NetGalley about it.

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Thanks to Netgalley and Abrams Kids for the ARC of this! I will say off the bat something was wrong with the formatting that made it really difficult to read and stay immersed because I had to keep stopping to try to decide what was being said. As that will probably not be an issue in the final product, I rounded up.

I thought this was overall a cute, fun story. It was pretty fluffy and surface level, but sometimes that’s what you want. For fans of Space Battle Lunchtime and Pumpkinheads, this friends to lovers cooking show graphic novel is full of tasty looking food and fun competition.

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A baking romance is a great recipe for a graphic novel. I really liked it, and can’t wait to read the final product since the arc didn’t have color yet.

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An excellent and fun story! I quickly fell in love with the characters and would love to see more books about their future adventures!

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The description in the galley copy says its British Baking Show meets Check, Please! While I know enough about the British Baking Show, I know much more about the delightful Check, Please! and couldn't agree more that is has the wonderfully round characters with the delightful humor, grit, and fun that makes Adams' graphic novel simply the best.

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The preview copy was thoroughly scrambled and near-nigh unreadable, but what I was able to make out was charming enough that I look forward to seeing a better copy after the release.

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From what I could read this book was very cute and entertaining but the key words are "what I could read." The text was so blurry and almost illegible on most pages throughout all devices I tried it on. This is something that needs to be fixed before publication and if it is I recommend this one but if it is not be sure you only get the physical copy. If I could make out the writing on all the pages I imagine I would give this one more starts but as it stands I'm going with 3.

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I love me a graphic novel plus a romance!! Add in POC and I am sold.

When seventeen-year-old small-town waitress Rose impresses a famous food critic, she and her best friend, Fred, find themselves thrust into the tough world of competitive baking. The contest is an intense ten days of bizarre challenges, and the competition is cutthroat. Some competitors are willing to lie, cheat, and sabotage their way to the top. Rose may be in over her head, but she is determined to show that she can become a top chef. Batter Royale is a fish-out-of-water style romantic comedy about climbing out of the circumstances you're in and making your dreams come true.

This was the cutest! Its's a wonderful palate cleanser between super long books. I really enjoyed this one and looking forward to getting the hard copy!! The e-copy was a bit hard to read so I MUST have a physical one.

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Rose wants nothing more then to become a professional chief. Yet she is finding it hard to prove her abilities at the dinner she is currently working at. One day when a celebrity reviewer stops in Rose takes a chance and decides to bake something special for her that is not on the menu. Little did she know that that dessert would garner her an invitation to one of the most intense cooking reality shows ever. Rose is so excited about the opportunity, yet there is only one draw back she needs a partner. Can she convince Fred in time to enter the competition?

This is a fun book with quite a twist on how teams are asked to bake. I love that Rose is able to stay true to herself and find ways to support her other competitors throughout the competition. Personally I know if I went on any type of baking show with the same expectations I would never do as well as Rose did. I truly loved how Rose shined through the writing and jumped off the page as being a real team player.

Thank you so very much to Abrams Kids and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy.

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I was really looking forward to reading this, but the text is blurry and impossible to read on all of my devices!

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**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Leisl Adams debuts with a contemporary graphic novel, Batter Royale. Marketed as Check, Please! meets The Great British Bake Off, readers follow Fred and Rose as they compete on a reality cooking show. Fred wants the prize money to help save his mother's restaurant. Rose wants the money to fund her attendance at culinary school. The competition reveals that Fred and Rose's feelings for each other might be extending beyond friendship.

I went into this graphic novel expecting it to be cute and fun, and it definitely met my expectations. I love the art style and the inclusion of recipes for the various desserts being made through the story. Rose is a protagonist you can't help but root for.

I do feel that Chopped! would be a better tv show comparison than The Great British Bake Off, given that there are traps, twists, obstacles, and heated competition between the various teams. This would set the expectations in a way that would be more representative of the tone of the story.

My only real complaint is that the story was kept heavily surface level. Adams did introduce the background of Rose's parents separating and the potential for Fred's mom to lose her restaurant, but these issues were mostly background problems. Rose and Fred in general, while our most developed main characters, were pretty two dimensional. None of the other competitors were developed significantly beyond the main antagonist, and even then the characterization remained flat.

Overall, I absolutely enjoyed this work for what it was and recommend this graphic as a light-hearted good time. I look forward to future works from this author and find Batter Royale to be a lovely debut.

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I am extreme thankful to Abrams Books Team for this copy of Batter Royale!! Unfortunately, I was unable to read this because it was so blurry. I hope it will be fixed soon so I can read it and give an actual review! It sounds incredible and like nothing I have ever read before!

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Baking + romance + family drama --> Batter Royale (not Battle Royal!!)
Love the character and plot focused aspect of this graphic novel
Super cute and is fast paced as well and easy to understand!

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Due to my committee work I am unable to review titles that are eligible to be included on our Great Graphic Novels for Teens list. Please see www.yalsa.com/thehub for a blog post about this title.

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This cute YA GN doesn't cover any new ground but is a quick, sweet read. There are a lot of elements-- the main character's parents separating, money trouble, college applications, work performance-- that surprisingly don't feel overwhelming or crowded. The only part that feels vague is actually the contest: is it all teens? some of them seem professional, some look older. Challenge elements are constantly a surprise to the contestants and in general the show seem unplanned, which is the least realistic aspect.

The illustrations are consistent and readable with a sweet, round style.

Suggest to readers who liked [book:Pumpkinheads|40864790], [book:Space Battle Lunchtime Vol. 1: Lights, Camera, Snacktion|30220713], and [book:Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey|37534577].

ARC from NetGalley.

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Thank you Leisl Adams and netgalley for this book! I found the story super charming and definetely a book I'll add to my list for foodie recommendations. I think it was super smart to have this book as a graphic novel so you could use all of your senses and be dazzled by the food!

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A lot of baking, romance, family drama, and some intrigue, put it all together and you have a recipe for a great graphic novel. Rose is tenacious, knows what she wants, and isn't afraid to reach for her dreams.

I read an advance copy so it did not have color yet but the illustrations were great and I cannot wait to see the final product. I loved the recipes sprinkled throughout the novel, can't wait to try a few.

Would highly recommend this book.

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I can't wait to see the finished version of this book. I was reading an e-arc from Netgalley and the images were too pixelated. I got the gist of what was going on, but it took a lot longer to read than I would have liked.

If you're a fan of shows like The Great British Baking Show and similar, I think this book is definitely the one for you.

Thank you to Abrams Kids and Netgalley for the chance to read an e-arc

My review is currently posted on Goodreads, and I will add it to Amazon once it allows me to.

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I had high hopes for this book…POC, baking, travel, and overall adorable cover. Yet the dialogue and plot just didn’t work well. The reality show was just too over the top. Characters were flat and didn’t arc. The quality of the ARC was terrible and reading it was truly painful on my eyes. I will look at it again when it is in print because the concept is wonderful and what I could see of the artwork was cute.

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