In this graphic novel, Rose dreams of going to culinary school but doesn’t know how she’s going to afford it. One day, a food critic comes into the restaurant where Rose works and tells them about a baking competition show with a big money prize! Rose teams up with a friend (or could they be more…?) and signs up for the show.

I thought this graphic novel was very interesting. If Batter Royale was a real cooking show, I’d definitely watch it. The plot development went a little slowly in my opinion but picked up once the cooking competition started. This would be a good choice for a high school or even middle grade classroom library.

In the past year or two, there have been quite a few books published centering food, restaurants, and all sorts of cooking competitions! So when I saw a graphic novel that featured a baking competition, I just had to request it, in order to complement all the novels I was reading with similar elements!

There were a few issues with the e-file I was given through NetGalley, so I ended up waiting until this book was published to get it from my library to read and review it, which is why this review is going up a lot later than I originally planned!

Batter Royale follows Rose who loves to bake and dreams of going to culinary school. She's always messing around in the kitchen, and when she hears that a famous food critic is coming to the café where she works as a server, she takes a chance to sneak in a dessert she thinks the critic will like into the spread of desserts that the critic requested. Her daring takes off, and she's invited to London to take place in a culinary competition!

Firstly, before I even get into the story and my more detailed thoughts on that aspect, I need to discuss how much I loved the art style! Everything was clear, bright, and colorful, and the panels worked so well to highlight different expressions and focus points. I had a feeling I would enjoy the art based on the cover, and I was definitely right!

As for the story itself, it was lots of fun to watch unfold! Rose has to convince her friend and co-worker, Fred to accompany her on the show, and I appreciated how both of them had their own motivations for wanting to win. The competition itself had lots of antics, with ridiculous diversions and challenges set by the producers and host, as well as fierce competition from some of the other contestants on the show. There's even a small romance component that I could have done without, but since it's merely a thread in the overall story, and not the main plot, I didn't mind it too much.

Overall, I ended up giving this book 4 stars. It's not quite a new favorite, but it's definitely one I enjoyed! If you're craving both a graphic novel and some baked goods, this is definitely the story for you, especially since the author includes recipes for all the delicious creations Rose and Fred make throughout the graphic novel!

Rose and her best friend Fred made me smile. If you are looking for total reality regarding the storyline, then you are in the wrong place, but if you can suspend that notion and read and enjoy the graphic novel for what it teaches you, then you have come to the right place. Rose is truly delightful, and the antics between her and Fred as they work to come out on top in a baking competition will bring a smile to your face and even a laugh or two. Personally, I adored the storyline, and the graphics are colorful and pleasing to the eye. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

Thank you to Harry N. Abrams & Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of Batter Royale in exchange for an honest review!

!!! this graphic novel is the perfect mix of growing up, following your dreams, BAKING!!!! and a cute friends-to-lovers romance! the art is SO CUTE. the characters are lovely! & there are even recipes you can follow throughout! also, the baking competition show in Batter Royale is so off-the-rails, it's a blast.

There is an awful lot to unpack with this one.... If I'm being honest, I don't quite know where to start. Who would want to participate in this kind of cooking competition. Something about this just feels too light-I need/want more from it.

For Libraries: I think this is meant to be YA, but the style evokes more middle grade.

Thank you to Abrams Kids/Amulet Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this graphic novel
This is a really adorable story that has a friendly competition, a small romance, and full of moral lessons for young people following their dreams. The art is adorable, there are also recipes with simple explanations on how to make the featured desserts, the reader can also understand the plot and is sweet. Overall, though, this was a ton of fun, and I would highly recommend it to middle schoolers who love baking. 4 out of 5 stars.

I liked the story if it was a tad unbelievable. Rose is a 17 year old waitress who impresses a fancy food critic with her dessert. She then goes on a competition style baking show that has different obstacles for each round. She and her partner, Fred, go through the ten day competition overcoming all the things that the show throws at them as well as the sneaky other teams. It all comes down to the last challenge but you'll have to read the book on your own to find out what happens!

Overall, this was a cute book but it felt rushed. The artwork was really cute and I enjoyed the recipes that were included throughout the story.

Batter Royale by Leisl Adams is a YA graphic novel about a baking competition. Fred and Rose have been friends since they were children and now Rose is a waitress in the restaurant that Fred’s mom owns. Rose dreams of being a chef one day and loves to experiment in the kitchen. A series of events leads her to be invited to participate in a cooking competition called Batter Royale, but a few obstacles stand between Rose and achieving her dream.

Batter Royale is a sweet graphic novel. There is a romantic element to the story, but that isn’t the primary storyline and it doesn’t distract readers from the main point of the story…Rose working to overcome obstacles to achieve her goals. In true graphic novel fashion, the story is told through both words and illustrations and readers must pay attention to both to get the full story. One of my favorite aspects of this book is that the recipes Rose bakes are all included in the book!

I would recommend this book to readers age 12 and up. There is a little mild language, but nothing too extreme and the romantic aspects of the story are very PG.

#netgalley #batterroyale #leisladams #graphicnovel #yabooks #yagraphicnovels #bookreview #booklover

3.5 stars. The art is very cute, but the story felt a little light, even for a YA story. Rose is an aspiring pastry chef who is approached to enter a baking competition (in London!). The contest is for pairs, so she convinces her best friend Fred to go with her. The competition has its predictable villains and allies, as teams are eliminated one by one. As Fred gets closer to one of the other contestants, Rose slowly realizes she might see him as more than a friend.

Sweet but needed a little more savory to go with the dessert. The characters don't have much depth, and the competition is supposed to be very high-stakes but didn't feel like it.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

I LOVED THIS ONE SO MUCH! I thought it was absolutely FANTASTIC. Anything involving cooking is always a hit with me, but I know it will also ALWAYS be a big hit with kids in the library. Especially when it’s a cooking competition. For lack of a better time, they eat these UP. And this one is no different! And I LIVE for a graphic novel about food that sprinkles in the recipes throughout! I loved it. I thought it was so sweet. I thought some parts could have used a little more attention, but such as life in the graphic novel world sometimes!

Thank you to Amulet Books and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review!

Rose is a passionate baker who just got into the culinary school of her dreams. But with money tight and her parents' relationship so strained, her dreams may be over before they’ve even begun. When Rose sneaks a dessert she made to a top food critic, she’s invited to be a contestant on a food competition show. Winning could be the answer to her problems.

"Batter Royale" was a cute story that flowed nicely. I liked the artwork a lot even having to view it all in black and white. Everything came full circle. I expected more and wanted more from the story, so it was a disappointing and okay read. While there was a dash of romance, Battle Royale didn’t really feel like a rom-com. More cutesy and low-key than anything.

Rose has the natural, raw talent to become an excellent baker. I normally love characters who are so passionate about what they love to do. But I had a hard time liking Rose. She’s eager but very impulsive to prove her worth as a baker that it often gets her into trouble. I feel she kind of took advantage of her friendship with Fred by not listening whenever he said when something was a bad idea. Fred’s a nice guy. I wish she’d been more considerate of his feelings.

I’m conflicted about Rose and Fred as a couple. These long-time childhood friends clearly like each other. They had good and bad moments, but were kind of a hot mess together, especially since both want different things at this point in their lives.

As for the competition itself, it’s not one I’d watch myself. I love food competition shows, but this one was a little over the top and the logistics didn’t make much sense even for fiction. Nichole, one of the contestants, made a good adversary. And I liked how helpful and considerate Rose was to the other contestants even when it risked losing the competition.

I think one of the best things about "Batter Royale" was that it includes several dessert recipes in between sections. Definitely made me hungry for all of it.

I wanted to like "Batter Royale," but it just fell flat for me. It’s a cute story with great artwork. And I think some readers will be able to relate to Rose, her passion, and her struggles. I just needed more.

I absolutely LOVED this graphic novel because it combined two of my favorite things: graphic novel and a baking show competition. This baking show was awesome because it was kinda like an obstacle course built into the competition: think sand pit traps and swinging over fire and hostages. The characters were adorable and I adored their designs and backstories.

Rosemary (adeptly nicknamed Rose) is sweet and sassy in all the right ways. She works at a diner and itches to get her hands flour dusty in the kitchen. Fred is the reluctant chef who doesn't want to leave his mom alone to run the diner, but gets swept along in Rose's eagerness to run off to London and win a baking competition school.

While the author bakes up a great plot, the ending is almost a little too sweet. But if you like rich and decadent happy ever afters, this is the right mix for you!

One day, I hope to see a cooking show like the ones in this graphic novel!

Super cute and will be an easy sell. The author describes it as a mix between Check Please and The Great British Bake-off and it lives up to that expectation.

This story is just so much fun. I don't know how the legality would work out with the ring of fire, but I do love baking competitions. In this one, the heat is on, and so is the tension.

This is a delightful, fun graphic novel. I love food competitions and the ways food can bring people together, so I was very excited when I first saw this graphic novel. The competition is a little bonkers and weird, but the food puns from the show’s host are pretty delightful. I also really enjoyed the friendship between Rose and Fred and their growth and better understanding of their goals and strengths over the course of the competition. All around a really fun graphic novel and I highly recommend if you enjoy stories featuring baking competition and a little added sweetness of romance.

Like other reviewers here, I did not manage to download the ARC. I did, however, manage to snag a copy thanks to my local library (yay), and I'm glad I did. This review is based on the full color digital copy.

tl;dr
Beautiful, lively artwork and a fun set of lead characters. Ambitious story moves a little too fast for my tastes.

About
Rose has always wanted to be a baker, but lack of experience and money seem like insurmountable odds. But a chance opportunity to compete in a reality TV baking competition might just be what she needs to make her dreams come true.

Thoughts
I usually start with the story and then talk about the art, but the art is just too good to hold off on. It's absolutely lovely! Distinct and appealing character designs, expressive characters, and some really solid paneling. The layout when Rose's parents broke the news to her was especially poignant. Art is consistent across the board with bright colors, competent backgrounds, and tantalizing food illustrations. I absolutely loved the energy of the artwork. The story was a fun ride, albeit a bit too ambitious for the page count. Everyone loves an underdog story, and Rose's dedication to being a good person, even in the face of adversity really warmed me. I think the romance between friends was probably my favorite thread (I love a childhood friend romance!), and the confession while on the London Eye was very romantic. Outside of the two leads though, other characters don't have much time to develop, which is a shame. The main antagonists in particular get very little time to develop as characters. Is Nicole so skilled that she's definitely going to win, or is she a cheat who needs to sabotage others? Does she actually see a kindred spirit in Fred, or is she just trying to make things hard for Rose? And does her partner have any contribution to the story at all? I see the framework of a great story that I enjoy, but I suspect I'd enjoy it more if it had time to breathe over more than one volume. The book also includes recipes, which I appreciate, because after reading all that, I desire baked goods!

Unfortunately, I was not able to review it due to the removal of the download. If a better quality copy becomes available I'm happy to review!

This book didn’t wow me but it was cute enough and a quick read. It wasn’t terrible but there was nothing in this story that hasn’t been a million times done before. I probably won’t remember it at all next month but I didn’t hate it. Very meh. The art looks cute, but the blurry black and white copy I read doesn’t do the art justice, I’m sure.

This book was extremely cute. I got the version in black and white and I can't imagine how cute it would be in color. I rated this book 4 stars and I highly recommened it. Thank you, to NetGalley for the free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This seems like it will be a cute book with adorable bouncy art. But in the form I received, it's fairly illegible. Black and white is fine, I can imagine the colors and the art that is in there is cute and fun and expressive, but the text is too difficult to read to really follow the story. Hope to read it in its final form eventually!