Evertaster (Evertaster Series) (Volume 1)

Sometimes reading a book- a really, really awesome book- is an experience equivalent to savoring something super yummy. Well, reading Adam Glendon Sidwell's Evertaster was like snacking on the most delectable, homemade cupcakes...yeah, it's that good!Guster Johnsonville takes being a picky eater to a whole new level. Nothing makes his taste buds dance. Fed up with his fickle ways, his mother takes him to New Orleans to find something he'll eat and they come across a dying baker who changes their lives. The baker tells them of the Gastronomy of Peace, an ancient and secret recipe that could change the world and before he can tell them the whole story they're attacked by mysterious chefs in red. Suddenly Guster, his mom, his sister and two brothers find themselves on the run from a secret society and in search of the secret ingredients for the Gastronomy of Peace. With only a strange, old egg beater as a map, the Johnsonvilles head out on the adventure of their lives that takes them across the globe.Smart. Refreshing. Wonderfully written. Full of superb characters and exciting adventure. These are just a few ways to describe this fantastic MG book! Evertaster is bursting with flavor, fun and fabulousness.Sidwell has created one of the most original, well-crafted and imaginative MG stories I've come across in a long time. I love the idea of being an Evertaster, someone who doesn't simply taste their food, but taste the soil it grew in, the ocean wind that blew across a lemon, the clovers the cows, whose milk you're drinking, ate, the rain that fell upon the veggies. Or as it says in the book:Someone who tastes every flavor that ever touched every ingredient in his food. They taste time. They taste history. (Kindle, location 1450)This book pulled me in from page one (I couldn't put it down!) and held me enchanted till the very last word. The author writes with a clever, addicting voice that will captivate readers of all ages and the settings are vivid and lush. The story is quite cinematic and I could see every detail play out in my mind and almost taste every scrumptious tidbit.The adventure is exciting and suspenseful with a mystery that is like the Da Vinci code for kids. There are enough thrills, twists and bad guys to keep even the most discerning palates satisfied. And I love that the whole Johnsonville family takes this journey together. Not many MG books feature parental characters that are significantly involved throughout the whole plot, but in Evertaster Mrs. Johnsonville is an important (and great!) character. But that doesn't mean that the younger characters aren't courageous heroes and heroines, because they are. Guster and his siblings are charming, clever young characters that readers will easily relate to.I love how the book concludes, but I'm ecstatic that the adventures will continue in the sequel.MY FINAL THOUGHTS: From the spellbinding adventure, original story and engaging characters, I love everything about this dazzling and imaginative debut! This book reminds me of why I adore MG fiction (and makes me want to bake!). A MUST read book that I recommend for readers all ages!

I read this one with my kids and we really enjoyed it. This book has the genuine fun of an adventure book that most kids (and adults) will relate to. Certainly keeping their attention with mysteries to solve and car chases is important. However, what sets it apart for me was the descriptive elements regarding taste. I know that sounds odd, but the author really does a nice job of transporting the reader to tastes and smells just as much as to places and descriptions of people. That's missing in a lot of the books my kids read, so I found that to be a nice change of pace.

This book was recommended to me, and I admit I read it more out of curiosity than out of genuine interest. The description on the back of the book does not do this book justice! I was very pleasantly surprised. The main character, Guster Johnsonville, is a believable and lovable anti-hero. He has the very unconventional superpower of taste. He can not only taste individual ingredients in any given dish, but he can taste the origins of the ingredients (i.e., the freshness of the clover that the cows who made the butter ate before they were milked). Because of this superpower, he is practically starving since most of the food his mother makes is almost painfully bland and indigestible. When he stumbles onto an international conspiracy to acquire the world's most sought-after recipe, he is automatically swept up in a suspenseful search to first get himself and his family out of mortal danger, and second to find this food that will release him from the brink of starvation (and bring world peace). Haven't you ever eaten something that made you so happy you wanted to give everyone a hug? :)I thought the author did a good job of making the story unbelievable enough to keep you reading, but plausible enough to... keep you reading. DaVinci Code meets Martha Stewart and Nancy Drew. As a foodie, I thought it was brilliant to incorporate taste (an often neglected sense in novels) as a major plot point. The descriptions of the ingredients, tastes, and smells were so compelling, I could hardly put the book down. Grumpy kids woke me early after I had stayed up late the night before reading, but I was quickly heartened when I remembered I still had more of the book left to read. I was still curious as to how the book was going to end up until the last chapter- this was perhaps my biggest surprise.Thanks, Adam Sidwell! I am looking forward to the sequel!

Whether you're a young adult or grown adult, foodie or an adventurer, this book is for you! Some of the names of the characters are pretty groan-worthy. Epiglottis, Estomago, Lengua?! Those are: the little thing that keeps food and liquid out of the wrong tube, stomach, and tongue! But you can overlook the corn to get to the meat!There are plenty of Evertasters in this world, and finally, someone has written about them in a way that makes us want to not only commiserate, but cut them a little more slack. (Fun fact: my daughter can taste the difference between "real cheese" and processed, even if she was in a completely different room when we cooked her meal.) What really sets this book apart is that during the adventure, Guster takes a good long look at who he is and why he "is the way he is." This book allows the reader not only to enjoy the adventure, but explore the character's needs, and invites us to take a look at ourselves too.You simply must read  The Buttersmiths' Gold (Evertaster Series)  too! I read it before I read Evertaster, but you can read it after, or even at the same time, if you're that good! It is just as exciting and silly as this book, and gives you a look into the "history" surrounding one of the key ingredients in The One Recipe!Read both books, you'll be hungry for more!

loved it