A review by apoppyinthewind
Batter Royale by Leisl Adams

adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It's a entertaining, quick read that's ideal for baking competition enthusiasts but it is written for a younger audience so elements are a bit trope-y or un-realistic. I personally didn't mind because I thought it was fun and a little tongue in cheek with the challenges. The only complaints I have are

Fred having a cold for a couple of scenes and the showrunner sabotaging 2 of the 3 teams near the end. The first was just gross and unnecessary as no one wants to see someone sick handling food and it doesn't really affect the story. You could literally take out those two pages and the few sick illustrations and nothing would change. 

As for showrunner sabotage, I thought it was going to be 'reality tv storytelling' where the showrunners set up Nicole to be a more obvious villain for ratings but instead it was to see how the other teams manage and teach Nicole a lesson? But one team gets completely screwed over & eliminated in the process? The other over the top elements felt like fun embellishments but the strange sabotage just didn't make sense from a story telling point of view.

That said, I still enjoyed it and I thought the friends to romance storyline was cute.