Review: After the Kiss - Terra Elan McVoy

Where I got it: My collection

Rating: 3.5 stars  

Cover Rating: 4 stars (Flirty and fun. A little borrowing up around that top area though.)
Genre: Young Adult

Publication Date: January 4, 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Page Count: 382 p.

Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

This isn't Camille's first move to a new town, and it won't be her last. Her parents move her whenever a new job calls. She has to just pick up her life and leave—her best friend in Cali, her heart in Chicago—and Camille has no say. She's shattered after this move from Chicago, but she figures it's only a matter of time before they move again. She'll just blend in and make no attachments, that is until the kiss.
Becca and Alec seem to be a match made in heaven. She can't believe she has a jock boyfriend who writes haikus. He's so sweet and smart and she just doesn't know what she'd do without him. But he's the one who kissed Camille, and she doesn't know what to do from here.
Camille doesn't know who Becca is, but Becca recognizes her. They're both just trying to figure out their lives and they need to take it one step at a time.

I really liked the format of this novel. It switched between Camille with her no capital letter paragraphs and Becca with her poems. Then interspersed are Alec's Haiku/dialogue. It was a great setup, and help set the two girls apart on paper, more than just their personalities. It was interesting seeing these two girls that contrast each other in so many ways, end up in each others paths. Camille gets kissed by Becca's boyfriend, but she doesn't know he's taken. Becca quickly finds out Camille's identity and forms a plan. Meanwhile, Camille's way too caught up in her real life to really give her life in this town too much thought. Her minds still in San Francisco and Chicago. Those are places she wants to be, even if she can't admit it. I hated Becca's sort-of friend, Freya, she is such a blabbermouth drama queen. I'm glad she didn't come up that often, because she was truly obnoxious. Terra Elan McVoy made an interesting love triangle here, two girls and one boy, too confused and dealing with other things to really know what they want. Becca is trying to figure out how to become and adult, while Camille is trying to figure out what she wants in life. Becca does seem a lot more childish than Camille in some ways, her thoughts and dialogue reveal that she is not as hardened. Camille seems to have done a lot of growing up as a byproduct of moving so often. When you close yourself of from getting attached, you have more time to look at the world. When you close off your emotions though, it may be hard to see what you want and need. This was a quick read and definitely one that will make you think a bit, I'd recommend you check it out, even though it's not one I'd re-read.

First Line:
"pulling in the driveway all you can think is that this is the kind of house they were trying to duplicate back in charlotte: the real southern living deal—a big beautiful old (but newly renovated) house in an area they are calling the virginia highlands, with no hills to be seen and two states separated from virginia."

Favorite Line:
"Her elbows are pointy
and find rib cages easily."