Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor

Killer Pizza is one of those books that you either like or don't like. I read it simply because it seemed outrageous, wacky and totally not normal, but I still wasn't very happy with it. 3 out of 5 stars.

Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor
3 out of 5 stars
Published.
Summary from Goodreads: Pizza you’ll die for!

Toby McGill dreams of becoming a world-famous chef, but up until now, his only experience has been watching the Food Network. When Toby lands a summer job at Killer Pizza, where pies like The Monstrosity and The Frankensausage are on the menu, things seem perfect. His coworkers, Annabel and Strobe, are cool, and Toby loves being part of a team. But none of them are prepared for what’s really going on at Killer Pizza: It’s a front for a monster-hunting organization!

Learning to cook pizzas is one thing, but killing hideously terrifying monsters? That’s a whole other story. Still, if Toby quits Killer Pizza, will monsters take over his town?


Killer Pizza starts off with Toby, your average shy, half-geeky boy. He's desperate for something to do over the summer, so he gets a job at Killer Pizza. Not only is he happy with getting a job, but he's also happy with the fact that he gets to cook! Cooking is his vice. I thought Toby could have been slightly more developed, but overall he was an okay character.
As for his sidekicks, Strobe and Annabel, I thought they were both better developed than Toby. While I didn't really have any major thoughts about Toby, I definitely thought about Strobe and Annabel. I love their relationship with each other! It's really interesting and fun to read about! Plus, they both are great side characters who are tough, unique and thought out!

There was plenty of action, I'll give the author that. I read about crossbows, knives and plenty of other weapons. I read about fight scenes where the characters almost die, but I still think Killer Pizza could have a better plot.While there is a lot of action, the plot in general has some weaknesses. If you took away the fighting scenes, the remainder would be bland, artificial and slightly cheesy. I admire the guttata parts, but like I said, it was a little cheesy. Still, I definitely think it was a great try for a debut.

Greg Taylor wrote Killer Pizza in third person, which was a really daring thing to do. While it was great that he could also narrate in the perspectives of some of the other characters, I felt as if it was a bad choice overall. I felt less connected to Toby and his feelings. It was as if I was just watching the scenes, instead of feeling like I was a part of it.

I thought the whole cooking thing was a little odd, but I definitely enjoyed it. It was pretty fun reading about Toby try to create his own recipes.... especially Dragon Breath. I love the description of that pizza! Sweet, spicy, saucy.... I need to eat it now! Luckily, my version of the book has a recipe in the back!
Now I'm feeling really, really hungry....