If We Kiss

Perhaps because I've been reading so much contemporary all of a sudden in a relatively short time span, I really cannot help comparing them one to another. Oddly enough, the Ruby Oliver series by E. Lockhart has become a sort of benchmark I compare all of the funny, quirky, happy, romance-focused books to. If We Kiss shares the messed up romances and friendships of E. Lockhart's series, but does not feature quite so likable of a heroine or delve as deep emotionally. On its own merits, If We Kiss is a cute story of a girl becoming, well, not a woman, but not a girl anymore either.

Rachel Vail depicts Charlotte, better known as Charlie, as a sort of average girl. She's pretty and witty (though in a quirky way most people don't get), but show more feels inferior to her more attractive and more outgoing best friend, Tess. Where Tess has already dated and kissed several boys, Charlie's never even been tempted.

Then Kevin Lazarus begins messing with her head. He kisses her, suddenly, one morning before school after minimal interactions, her first kiss. The scene is awkward and uncomfortable, and very much not the fireworks and magic of so many first kisses in fiction. Despite that, Charlie is sure that she must be in love with Kevin, because what kind of girl would kiss a boy she doesn't even love? Later, at Charlie's party, she finds Kevin kissing Tess. Oh, the course of young love never did run smooth.

Both Tess and Charlie fancy themselves in love with Kevin after one kiss, just like happens in so many YA books and probably to so many teens. The difference from YA books with instalove, though, is how obvious it is that these girls have merely a passing fancy. They are naive, learning about love by making silly mistakes like this one. Charlie's misguided notions of love and prudishness are childish, but she does at least learn through the course of the novel, during which she makes a number of really bad decisions.

These decisions are where the Ruby Oliver comparison really becomes apt. Like in the Lockhart series, the trouble in If We Kiss stems from best friends with crushes on the same boy not being totally up front with one another. The only way to make it through such a situation with friendship unscathed is honesty at every moment. Unfortunately, such an assuredly unpleasant conversation seems quite daunting to a young heroine like Charlie, and she has to suffer the consequences of her choices to omit the truth.

Vail does add side stories about Charlie joining the newspaper and her family. Thought Charlie only joins the newspaper to get to know Kevin better, she becomes quite passionate about it. In fact, this is pretty much the only time she does not think about Kevin. In these moments, the reader gets a little window into the person Charlie could become, someone honest, motivated and intent on justice. She clearly has a long way to go to get there, but her experiences with lying will likely help her discover how important truth really is.

In an odd, yet predictable, turn of events, Charlie's mom and Kevin's dad have been dating. This happens a lot in fiction, and it's a very strange thing. Do teens with romantic pasts together really end up step-siblings so frequently? This subplot seems largely a setup for shenanigans and added drama. However, there are some good moments of bonding between Charlie and her mother.

There's one really weird thing about this book, and, frankly, I feel a bit silly belaboring it, but I'm going to anyway. Early in the book, Tess, sleeping over at Charlie's house, wants a headband so she can wash her face but Charlie doesn't have one. Since Tess is totally comfortable stripping down, she takes her underwear off and puts it on her head to hold her hair back. Later, I guess to see what it's like to be like Tess, Charlie puts her own underwear on her head. Am I the only one really grossed out by this? I mean, by all means put clean underwear on your head, but don't just whip off your dirty underwear and make it a hat, especially if you're not going to wash your hair right after. Or maybe I'm weird, but I'm not a neat freak, so mostly I thought that was just really strange.

If you're looking for a light, funny young adult romance, If I Kiss fits the bill. Though occasionally frustrating, I think Vail sends a good message about teen romance and learning what you want out of relationships. I really enjoyed the ending of the book, and am very curious to see what happens in the sequel, Kiss Me Again. show less

Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.

If We Kiss was a satisfying read about first kisses, first crushes, and overall, just growing up. Charlie was a fabulous main character, even though I thought that she seemed a tad bit immature sometimes. Honestly, sometimes she seemed overly mature too, so I'm not really sure what to say about that. Her maturity level bounced around, I guess. But most of the time I found myself cheering her on, and she grew on me.

She seemed really normal, you know? Not that I don't love YA's extraordinary characters thing, but I'm *le gasp* weirdly normal. So it was refreshing to read about a character that I could imagine goofing off with. Some of the interactions with her friends seemed strangely show more familiar (similar jokes between me and mine) and they made me like her even more. She had a fantastic sense of humor.

The one thing that killed me about If We Kiss was the insta-love, though. By the end of the first chapter, Charlie thinks herself in love with Kevin-- and I just wasn't feeling it. They had one kiss, then suddenly Charlie just can't wait to see him again, she wants to kiss him again, she thinks she's in love with him-- it just didn't work for me. Overall, I really enjoyed this one, but...no way. I'm no fan of insta-love.

I am, however, a fan of forbidden love. Kevin and Charlie's romance falls nicely into that category, so of course after I got over the insta I was going to enjoy it. And I did. They're so sweet together, and I honestly don't think that they ever meant to hurt anyone. They were just confused, and young, and...hormonal? Yeah, that's it. Hormonal. *snickers*

All in all, If We Kiss was a really sweet contemporary, but it's ending left me wanting more. show less

This was cute and kind of silly. If not for the last 40 pages or so, this would have been a solid 2 stars

But with all lies and people who can't help but tell lie after lie after lie, I find it's only realistic if we get to see the point where all their lies catch up and they have to face the truth.

and George was adorable ;)

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: A teenage story about a first kiss and the emotional rollercoaster of the kiss thereafter.

Opening Sentence: Kevin Lazarus stopped in front of me in the hall, turned around, and asked me if I was ready for the bio quiz.

The Review:

Rachel Vail’s If We Kiss is about a young girl’s first kiss and the kisses thereafter. But Vail talks about more than just a kiss. In a young girl’s life, it will always be more about the moment than the actual act of kissing and Vail talks about that. If We Kiss is simple and beautiful, bringing me back to the moment of my very own. Of course, Vail’s version is a little more complex than mine, and it makes for a great read.

In If We Kiss, Charlie is show more living life as a freshman girl. Surrounded by a loving mom, a distant dad and extended family, and a small collection of quirky close girlfriends, Charlie is one of the only girls in her circle that hasn’t had a first kiss. But one morning, Kevin brought her aside and gave Charlie her first kiss. The emotional ramifications of that first kiss has sent Charlie down a spiraling path. Every action has a reaction, and for Charlie, that single kiss has created a mountain of questions and insecurities.

Charlie was written really well. Vail captured the mind and essence of a freshman girl on the cusp of young love. While her first kiss wasn’t exactly what she hoped for, Charlie has torn the scenario apart and overanalyzed it to death. She is realistic and her thoughts are personal. Vail gave her a great voice, fitting for a young freshman girl in high school. And it’s not just about the kiss, she also has the typical problems of a girl her age, involving family life, school life, and just life in general. I loved reading her, despite if I thought she was too angsty for me. It was realistic and true to the character.

Kevin is an interesting character. I want to say he is a freshman’s version of a bad boy. He has a reputation, or gossip has run wild about who he hangs out with. He is the other side of high school life, but portrayed in a positive light. Kevin has a lot of layers to his character, and I was surprised and pleased at how much I enjoyed reading about him. There’s a persona that Vail wants you to perceive, but then she reveals a different side of him that is nice also.

It’s not always easy to write about teenage angst or even first kisses. There’s something personal and intimate about it, and sometimes it doesn’t carry out properly. Vail manages to marry the two together nicely in If We Kiss. There’s an emotional involvement, but also a point of self discovery of who the characters are. There’s a message of relationship and friendship, but also of respect. The characters grow individually and together, and it was nice to see that progression of growth.

I was connected to the story, for the most part. I didn’t always agree with the amount of angst, but that’s a personal preference. I enjoyed Charlie’s thought process, her emotions, and her actions throughout the book. I was happy that Vail paced the story the way she did. Great story about a girl and her first kiss.

Notable Scene:

I do like George, I guess. There’s nothing not to like. I feel bad for him, though. He has this idea of me that he likes a whole lot more than he’d ever like the actual, secret, horrible me. He thinks I have values and standards and morals, that I’m “mature,” that I’m “deep.” But I’m not anymore.

Because the sad fact is, if that really had been Kevin on the phone earlier, calling to ask me out, I would’ve dumped George in a hot second.

FTC Advisory: Harper Collins provided me with a copy of If We Kiss. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. show less

I know they say "don't judge a book by it's cover" but that's the reason I decided to read this book and I'm glad I did. This is a very interesting book with a lot of plot twists. It is about a girl named Charlie that kisses her best friend's boyfriend, who is also the son of the man her mother is dating. Even though Charlie knows she shouldn't, she keeps wondering what would happen if they kiss. I thought this was a very good book and definitely a page turner. Also, it's a pretty quick read and recommended for tweens to teens.

When We Kiss is definitely an entertaining read by Rachel Vail that follows the story of Charlie's crush and first kiss with a ladies' man (or boy). Kevin is the boy all girl swoon over and Kevin also happens to be her best friend's boyfriend. Wow--the complication of 9th grade love! And of course, there is George, who is of the best friend, next door neighbor status. Kissing Kevin is a growing thing--even Charlie can't believe she likes doing something so disgusting and something that could ruin her friendship with Tess, not to mention something that could end up totally weird since Kevin's dad and Charlie's mother are dating. Overall, a fun book and a true to life voice. I remember having some the same feelings and probably saying a show more lot of the same things as Charlie. But, Charlie's voice is too much like someone from middle school and the book is probably a favorite more among the 12 and 13 year olds. It is possible, though, that Rachel Vail's narrative reads at a younger level because Charlie has never been kissed. In that sense, Charlie is more innocent and naive than the average high school freshman. See full review at http://athenasbooks.blogspot.com show less

hmm....
the word(s): kiss, kissing, kissed is mentioned like 1-10 times on each page.. smh
The first half of the book was so cringe... but it starts picking up around Christmas when they go to Vermont.
I kinda liked it though..