The Slice

Killer Pizza #2

by Greg Taylor

Four months after they discover that their new place of employment, Killer Pizza, was a front for an underground Monster Hunting Organization, Toby and his fellow rookie Monster Combat Officers, Annabel and Strobe, have been invited to New York City to tour KP Headquarters. But the exclusive tour is cut short when a monster emergency sends the trio off on a secret mission delivering Calanthe, a beautiful 14-year-old, defecting monster with serpent-like abilities, into the Monster Protection Program. It seems like an easy assignment until the teens realize Calanthe is the sacrificial offering in a ceremony set to happen in a few days and her people will stop at nothing to get her back! Greg Taylor delivers a tale of horror and humor that even reluctant readers will love.

Genres: Young Adult, Horror, Fantasy, Action, Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal

352 pages, Hardcover

First published June 21, 2011

About the author

Greg Taylor (b. 1951) is an American writer of books for children and young adults. He is also a screenwriter of films including Jumanji and Prancer.

Reviews

[Dayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know what? Hell yeah. This book was fun and once I finally just focused solely on it, I finished it quickly. I'm sad this is basically out of print, so it's near impossible for readers to get a physical copy anymore because this could be a really great read for younger fans of horror.

This sequel was more fun than book one and we got to see another set of monsters for the kids to hunt down and investigate. I know there's one more book after this one, but I think this could have had the potential for more books.

Because the kids are established monster hunters in this one, we don't get to see a lot of the technical sides of their job anymore, but what we got was still fun. And it allowed for the reader to focus more on character development and seeing how these kids have started working even better together.

There were some creepy moments and I definitely had to suspend my disbelief a bit (these are kids, after all), but it was still a good time.

Happy reading!

[Philip · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yowzer. I was lucky enough to be chosen as a "Celebrity Reader" for our school book-fair. I was unlucky enough to have this book as the one to review. Here's what I wrote up for the book-fair:

Killer Pizza: The Slice

Monsters are the name of the game once again in the latest edition to the “Killer Pizza” series. Using a pizzeria as a front, this group of teens works to put hunted monsters in the “Monster Protection Program…” While this ambitious book brought lots of action, I found it a little cheesy (pun intended) and thought the author was spoon-feeding his audience; telling us what happened rather than developing the story.

If the thought of protecting monsters appeals to you, consider picking up this book. (The book fair also has the series’ first book, Killer Pizza.) If it doesn’t, the book fair has other books that will. (My highest recommendations are The Hunger Games, Speak, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.


*End of book-fair review*

Now, let me say that I don't feel like I sold out, or lost my integrity by writing that review. ...feelings... uggg... at least I didn't feel like I sold out.

I did, however list this as a "good" book. But, in this case "good" was a euphemism for "bad." (I got to post little pictures of my face by the books I read with a "good/better/best" rating. There was no "meh" category. Maybe I am a sell out.

Really, I'm wondering if I should bump it down to one star - especially after I gave "A Tale of Two Cities" one star in my last review. Was this better than a Dicken's Classic? ...? Let's let the true literary scholars debate that. (Yes I'm talking to you Tim K.)*

Now, before I get into reasons I didn't like it, I'd like to mention that this is a sequel, and I didn't read the first book - but honestly, I don't think that has much to do with it.

A couple things:

1: The author has characters ask questions the readers have, then puts off the answer. It's like he didn't know at that point in his writing, so he put in a "I don't want to answer that right now because I don't know the answer either answer" and then didn't go back and edit it. (See page 120: "I don't want to get into that right now, Strobe. Annabel's tone was firm. She absolutely would not allow this conversation to go there." ... There was no point in her not allowing the conversation. It didn't make sense.)

2: Subtlety is dead. There's so much telling, and not enough story. (See page 142: "'Well this might sound weird, but sometimes Calanthe reminds me of some of the characters in the books I've been reading in English.' // 'What books have you been reading' // "Wuthering Heights, The House of Mirth. I just started Turn of the Screw' ... main characters are these... well, they're doomed heroines, really.'") Thanks for pointing your intent.

3. Several weak intros... (See page 178: "'I'd like to tell you a story...'" -page break- "A spellbinding story it was.") Just tell the story.

Well, suffice it to say: I didn't love it. Perhaps there will be hoards of Greg Taylor fans coming to his defense, as there were A.S. King fans when I didn't like (nay, hated) her book Dust of 100 Dogs. More than likely they won't have taken the time to read this review though.



*My vote is no, this is not better than "A Tale..." the star rating system here on goodreads is somewhat messed up. That's more or less the problem.

[Joshua B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book "Killer Pizza: The Slice" created by Greg Taylor is filled with 341 pages of Action Adventure. I recommend reading this series if you want action, adventure, mystery, and a side order of humor to go along with all of that. The run down is that after Tobe, Strobe, and Annabel discover that the pizza place the work at: Killer pizza, is actually a monster hunting organization, they are put on a mission to protect and get information out of a different species running away from her village, which happens to look like a regular human girl. But they encounter problems when her kind want her back, and will do anything to make that happen. I read this book first, but maybe you should start with the first one, basically, read this series now!

[Mamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not read the first book but it wasn't confusing to follow the story line: young teens by day, monster hunters by night. I liked that the plot revolved around the kids and the higher ups at Killer Pizza protecting a young monster from a gruesome fate and wanting to give her a chance to forge her own destiny.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second in this mid-grade/YA horror series does a very good job with the actions scenes--better than most adult fiction. The monsters, however, are a bit cartoony and improbable despite the amount (for mid-grade) of grue and gore. I keep expecting some thread of romance to appear (the characters are 15 or so) but not a hint of a hormone. That's probably the most unbelievable thing in the series.

[Linda Heggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read for young teens and that’s how it should be approached. It’s like Men In Black but teenagers and they have some great fight scenes. I enjoyed the book as it was a fast but engaging read. I read this for a Gr 5 book report. I am an EA in the class and wanted to participate in the activity, the book report was presented as a box of cereal. I chose the book to fit the audience.

[Zach Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I didn't really think much of this book but, I have to say this was pretty good book. The plot is that a monster ran away from her village and these three teens need to protect her form the Day of Days event.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

For teen fiction this series is pretty good. I liked the first book better. This one got wrapped up too quickly, and I knew it'd be predictable.

[Savannah Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good for most of the part. But I got very confused with the whole story. If it was write better it would have been a way better book

[DoneReadThat · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's your typical teenage adventure book. Mild angst, some spooky (but not too spooky), fast paced read.
It did make me crave pizza the entire time I was reading it.

[Angelique Talbot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it I felt like the characters were relatable and I enjoyed the journey that they were going on and I would definitely suggest this to people

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great continuation from the first Killer Pizza book and a great new monster species!

[Santiago Mendoza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose to read this book because I read the first book a while back, like in 6th grade, and when I saw this book I was curious to see what would happen to the trio of the Killer Pizza series, Toby, Annabel, and Strobe. So the moment I saw this book available I decided to get my hands on it and relieve the awesome moments I had from when I read the first one. And as I suspected, the book was great, it was nice reading about my favorite characters from the past. Although it was as good as I hyped about. One detail that is important to know is that Killer Pizza is not only a place where the main trio worked but it is also a front for an underground Monster Hunting Organization. So basically Toby,Annabel, and Strobe were monster hunters.

There were two characters that were interesting but the most intriguing was a girl, that was a "monster", who was unique. Her name was Calanthe, a beautiful 14 year-old girl , who unlike other monsters that the trio has faced did not look like a monster. She was part of a group of species, called Dekayi who lived away from human contact. She had snake-like abilities and was the only one from her village that escaped to get away from her traditions and learn how humans interact and live. From there she met the trio and imprinted on them. Another interesting character was an actual monster,well... an ancient demon called a Rukh,who wanted to capture Calanthe from orders of his master. He is an ancient demon who has a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, can turn completely invisible, and is extremely hard to kill since it can heal rapidly.

This leads to another my other topic, I did not like how the Rukh was left out for like half of the story. He was introduced as a monster who brings death. He was powerful. Then he is not seen again after being hurt badly. He was killed very easily for being a demon, a powerful one too. Although the times the Rukh was seen in the story compensated for it. Mr.Taylor could have done more with such an interesting character. Another thing I thought could have been better was the ending. I knew Calanthe was not going to stay for ever, I saw it coming but the way she was taken away from the story was sudden Calanthe gave the trio a farewell and left to the unknown in a car. It felt like she was ripped away from the story. One thing I really liked was instead of hunting monsters the trio had to protect a monster. I was expecting the trio to hunt another fearsome monster but instead they were assigned a mission like never before. To protect Calanthe and they sure did.

I would not like to trade places with any members of the trio. Instead I would also like to in the Monster Hunting Organization and join the trio to form quartet. Hunting monsters is dangerous and all but as a teen, things like that are amazing. I have always wanted to be part of something important. To be trained professionals and have Toby, Strobe, and Annabel as my partners sounds cool. I could be a legendary hunter and save many lives. But that is just me .

[Juwon H · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the story Killer Pizza "The Slice" three teenagers named Toby,Annabel,and Strobe are recruited onto a pizza resturaunt called Killer Pizza. Soon they find out that Killer Pizza is also a monster protection program. The founder of KP known as Harvey recruited them onto the task force.One day Harvey told the three to go and meet someone at the park.When the three arrived at the park they met a beautiful girl named Calanthe,she was different, she had the power to turn into a serpent like form.The gang finds out that she is from a tribe of monsters in Canada and she has fled from her home.The four then decides to go to base through the woods when Calanthes master and his bodyguard the rukh tries to take her back home and they end up having a vicious fight. Calanthe injured the rukh and was able to escape with the others. Calanthe then has to start a new life as a regular teenager,the gang helped her with all the stuff like school and daily used objects.But it is not over,the master wants to sacrifice her as an offering for the gods during a ritual. Will she be able to use her powers and the gang use their training to keep Calanthe safe?

Although all the characters are ones I really loved in the book, my favorite character in the book is Strobe. Strobe is my favorite character because he can be funny, he loves hot dogs,and in the story he can show lots of skill and action,he can also be really creative when it comes to crafting. A connection that one of my friend has with Strobe is that a while ago he was always the tough guy, and he still is, Strobe is also sent to do a very dangerous mission while the others take care of Calanthe. So because of all that, Strobe is my favorite character.

If I had to recommend this book to somebody, it would have to be somebody who really likes suspense, action, and a little bit of drama. So I would specifically recommend it to my tough friend that was mentioned earlier. All the characters are different but work together very well, it's like a good concoction of food, totally different kinds of foods but they go together very well. So I think my friend and this book is also a perfect match.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

Toby, Annabel, and Strobe have been invited to New York City for a training session for promising workers of Killer Pizza at their headquarters. But KP is actually a front for an organization of monster hunters. The three co-workers have been invited to join the KP ranks.

As soon as they arrive, Harvey sends them out on a job. They're asked to bring in a dekayi monster who needs protection from her own kind. However, not much information about the dekayi exists. They're supposed to find a dekayi girl who looks human in Central Park and bring her to headquarters.

Things don't go according to plan. Someone doesn't want the dekayi girl to escape. They're hot on her trail. After a huge fight, the team finally escapes with the girl. They return to Hidden Hills and their normal lives.

Then Harvey calls with news that Calanthe only wants to talk with them. She's not ready to spill any secrets unless she's under their protection. Harvey comes up with a plausible story of a foreign exchange student, and Calanthe arrives to stay with Annabel.

The three not only have the job of protecting her, but also trying to acclimate her into the human world. Everything goes smoothly until they uncover that the dekayi will do anything to get Calanthe back.

THE SLICE picks up four months after KILLER PIZZA ends. I love the idea of a pizza joint being a front for fighting monsters! I love the names of the pizzas, and I love the banter between the three friends and the co-workers. THE SLICE includes lots of action, danger, and suspense. It's a winner!

[Ryan Godec · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is about A boy named Toby Magill and his co-workers Anabel and Strobe working for a pizza place called Killer Pizza which is actually a front for a monster hunting agency. After saving they're town Hidden Hills, OH in the previous book they are going to take a tour of the monster hunting headquarters in New York.
In the book while they are at the headquarters they are sent to meet Calenthe. A monster from a species called deaikei. She is joining the Monster Protection Agency. Meaning she is defecting to the humans side. After meeting her they run into a tall old man and a large invisible creature known as the rukh. These two are after Calenthe trying to bring her back to her village. After a lot of running and fighting the group manages to knock the rukh off of a building. But when they look down they see it is gone. The group decides that it went off to die and notices that Calenthe is not moving. They see she is in a coma-like state to heal the large cut on her arm. After returning to they're boss Harvey and telling him what happened they are sent home. Weeks later they learn Calanthe has woken up, but she refuses to talk to anyone. Harvey sends her to live with the them so that she can adjust to her new life and so they can try to find out more about her species. But far away the ruhk is in a deep sleep, healing.
There was no obvious theme, and i'm not sure perseverance because of how they always protect and teach Calanthe. Besides that I have no idea.
I don't think I would recommend this to a friend because it was weird and kinda confusing. I think that the first book is much better and makes more sense

[Kari Worsham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sequel to Killer Pizza and follows the same characters on another monster hunting adventure. The sequel is quick paced, the characters and situations are believable (considering it's about hunting monsters), and leaves you still wanting to read more. I would like to see the series develop their friendships a little bit deeper, Taylor keeps that on the surface but maybe that is for the best since this time they are also saving a monster from the others in her village instead of hunting and killing this time they are being hunted. That sounds intense but the subject matter is well done and not too violent which is why younger readers would be okay with it. I would recommend 3rd grade and up.

[Ilya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose this book because of the cover, I thought it looked nice. The main characters are Toby, Annabel & Strobe have to work at a pizza place and fight/hunt monsters. Calanthe (beautiful girl) is the offering to please the monster but the team try's to protect Calanthe from the monster. This book was very confusing for me because I did not read the book before the 2nd book. I think the point of view of the story is narrated by Toby. I wouldn't recommend this book if you just read a random book in the series without reading the 1st book.

[Andy Ly · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the monster is dead in the first book, some scientists found the monster and revive it, they inject the drug that makes the monster paralyzed, and put it in a special science museum. Finally the monster had found a way to un-parlayed itself. The monster started destroying people again. So the Killer Pizza team head out and shot down the monster. This book is the best!

[Allison Esparza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. Basically the same type of book as the first. The only think I didn't like was they were after a community of dekai but they never really explained how the dekai could hurt humans. I didn't really see the dekai as bad guys. Will be interested if Calanthe returns as a fourth member of Killer Pizza.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book, and it was a great sequel to the first Killer Pizza. I really liked that Strobe got a bigger role in this book. He's a cool character and I'm glad readers got to see him go on an adventure and battle bad guys. Calanthe was also a cool new character in this book. Anyone who liked the first Killer Pizza will love this sequel.

[Randy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book had a good plot of a secret agency behind the Killer Pizza pizza place. There are 4 people(2 girls and 2 guys) who were sent out to kill or capture these monsters by the secret monster killing agency(Killer Pizza). I personally thought the book started off OK, but after a while it became too much. After reading this book Ii found that I might just not be into monsters.

[Kristy McRae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first Killer Pizza book several years ago, and loved it. A great middle-grade to YA story, about a group of teens who secretly work for a monster hunting agency! The first one was very cinematic--I could envision it as a movie script. This sequel was just as great as the first one. More adventure, more monsters, more cloak-and-dagger secret agent work. More, please!

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Young adults might find this engaging (especially male readers), since it is about fighting monsters, but as a teacher, I did not find the book to touch upon worthy themes and the writing was trite. Fine for independent reading, especially for reluctant readers, as long as students are reading other novels as well.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book is so deep. I like that even that calathen is a Monster Toby Annabel and Srobe still protect her. But in the book you can tell that once Calathen almost kills Annabel without knoiwng the gangs relationship is shaken really badly. This book is even better than the last one.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Slice is a bit more edgy than the first book in the series, but the harsher moments aren't that harsh and are balanched with enough goofyness that you don't feel like you're being drug down into the pits of missery. Strobe is still the bomb.com.

[Ms. Mielke's Class Make sure you post how your sheets tell you to!!!! · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Slice is the sequel to Killer Pizza. It is about a young girl who is a monster that seeks help from the monster fighting organization. She is apart of a secret group of monsters. Three teenages help protect her and help her fit in to high school. The book is pretty good. - SD

[Eesha]

its funny and scary and its good and i really liked it

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun young adult read.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

not as good as the first. Screams middle school boy.