Rating: 2.5 stars
Cover Rating: 3 stars (What's with the crappy photoshopped tattoo?)
Genre: Young Adult
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: December 27, 2011
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Page Count: 313 p.
Add it: Goodreads
When Leah starts roaming around outside of the country club, she meets Porter. They take a fast ride which leads to making out in the grass. Now Leah can't get him off her mind. They never call each other and they never make plans. Porter just shows up on the road with a car to whisk her away. Soon Leah's going to have to make some decision though, because she can't have everything. Leah is going to have to decide whether to follow the easy path for her, laid out by her sisters and mother or the path that she wants to take.
I feel lukewarm about this novel. There was nothing particular that I disliked, but I didn't really like it all that much. The one thing I did like was the feeling that Leah got with Porter. It's understandable because he's pretty mysterious. He just shows up and that's that. Leah was very self-absorbed though. She also felt liked she deserved everything that she got. Really things just fell to her, because it was family tradition. Leah never had to make hard decisions, but was always complaining about her life. I would have liked it a lot more if she was more of a rebel. She did what she was told and fit in perfectly. She barely even changed throughout the whole novel. Most of this book is Leah complaining about and observing her family. I want more heat. I mean, "kiss" is in the title! All we get is scrapes of a sort-of relationship. None of the characters even stick out. Everyone fits in their confusing roles, without any personality beyond what Leah seems fit to stick them with. Her mother is psychotic and Valerie is confusing. I don't even get how she went from annoying leech to best friends with Leah. It didn't really make sense to me. I don't regret reading this book, but it wasn't really for me at all I guess.
First Line:
"'Leah!' My mother rolls her eyes, sounding completely exasperated as she steps down the three thick stone slabs at our front door, her heels clacking."
Favorite Line:
"It seemed he preferred to communicate nonverbally through erratic gearshifting and sudden, violent breaking."
Ha, the tattoo on the cover does look a bit terrible!
ReplyDeleteAnd what a shame about the story, it sounds like a bit of a let down? Some character growth is needed if we're to feel anything for the MC. I had high hopes for this too :(