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A Kiss in the Dark
From a Zoella Book Club 2017 author
Real, compulsive and intense: Cat Clarke is the queen of emotional suspense. For fans of Paula Hawkins, Gillian Flynn, Megan Abbott and Jandy Nelson.
Can love survive the ultimate betrayal? A compelling story of love and identity from a bestselling author.
When Alex meets Kate the attraction is instant.
Alex is funny, good-looking, and a little shy - everything that Kate wants in a boyfriend.
Alex can't help falling for Kate, who is pretty, charming and maybe just a little naive...
But one of them is hiding an unbelievable secret, and as their love blossoms, it threatens to ruin not just their relationship, but their lives...
Real, compulsive and intense: Cat Clarke is the queen of emotional suspense. For fans of Paula Hawkins, Gillian Flynn, Megan Abbott and Jandy Nelson.
Can love survive the ultimate betrayal? A compelling story of love and identity from a bestselling author.
When Alex meets Kate the attraction is instant.
Alex is funny, good-looking, and a little shy - everything that Kate wants in a boyfriend.
Alex can't help falling for Kate, who is pretty, charming and maybe just a little naive...
But one of them is hiding an unbelievable secret, and as their love blossoms, it threatens to ruin not just their relationship, but their lives...
370 pages, Paperback
First published March 27, 2014
42 people are currently reading
2382 people want to read
About the author
Cat Clarke
16 books1,160 followersCat was born in Zambia and brought up in Edinburgh and Yorkshire, which has given her an accent that tends to confuse people.
Cat has written non-fiction books about exciting things like cowboys, sharks and pirates, and now writes YA novels. She lives in Edinburgh with a couple of cats, Jem and Scout, who spend their days plotting to spit up furballs at the most inconvenient times. She likes cheese A LOT, especially baked camembert.
Cat has written non-fiction books about exciting things like cowboys, sharks and pirates, and now writes YA novels. She lives in Edinburgh with a couple of cats, Jem and Scout, who spend their days plotting to spit up furballs at the most inconvenient times. She likes cheese A LOT, especially baked camembert.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
September 20, 2017
Horrible book. Honestly would never recommend this to anyone. Filled with queerphobic, transphobic, and cissexist bullshit. Also trivialises sexual assault - to put the cherry on top of the hot mess that is this book.
April 10, 2014
I seem to be the only person who doesn't adore this book. I'm not going to write a full review because it's unnecessary and my feelings can be summed up in one sentence:
Kate and Alex are two of the most stupid characters in the YA genre.
Kate and Alex are two of the most stupid characters in the YA genre.
October 3, 2015
read half, skimmed the rest. not very memorable and very predictable but cute ending i guess?? didn't love the writing style. didn't really do anything for me and the characters were all dumb-asses.
May 20, 2014
I'm a huge fan of Cat Clarke's writing, she always creates such realistic teenage characters and her stories never fail to pack a punch. I think A Kiss in the Dark might just be her best book yet which is really saying something!
I'm afraid that this review is going to be deliberately vague because this is the kind of story that would be incredibly easy to spoil and I would hate to ruin anyone's experience of reading it. There are so many things I want to talk about when it comes to this novel and it's killing me that I can't discuss them.
Alex and Kate are attracted to each other from the moment they first meet, they have the same interests, enjoy spending time together and slowly but surely they fall in love. In a lot of ways they are perfect for each other but Alex has a secret, one that has the power to destroy their relationship if Kate ever finds out the truth. The reader actually finds out what that secret is fairly on in the story and because the first half of the book is told from Alex's point of view we get to see just how much keeping that secret plays on their mind. Alex didn't set out to deceive Kate but what starts as a small misunderstanding between them soon snowballs into something so huge that Alex has no idea how to fix things.
I spent half of the book just waiting for the truth to come out, you know Kate is going to be devastated and you're hurting on her behalf but you can't help but feel sorry for Alex even when you're wishing that they could have been honest with each other from the very beginning. After the big reveal the point of view switches so you can see exactly how hurt Kate was by Alex's betrayal. It was at this point she does something incredibly stupid as a way of getting revenge on Alex and although I was incredibly angry at her actions I couldn't help but wonder how I would have reacted in her situation. Kate quickly starts to realise how one small lie can snowball way beyond anything you'd have imagined and I think that probably helps her to see things from Alex's point of view. The real question is whether she will do the right thing by the end of the story or will she see her revenge through to the bitter end.
A Kiss in the Dark is a gut wrenching read, I was so emotionally invested in both of these characters and it's very hard to imagine that the outcome of this relationship is going to be anything but heartbreaking which makes even the good times they spend together rather bitter sweet. This is the kind of book that makes you ask uncomfortable questions and I loved it for that. I would like to take a copy of this book and place it in the hands of every teenager I come across, there is a lot we can all learn from Alex and Kate's story and I applaud Cat Clarke for writing such an incredibly emotional book.
I'm afraid that this review is going to be deliberately vague because this is the kind of story that would be incredibly easy to spoil and I would hate to ruin anyone's experience of reading it. There are so many things I want to talk about when it comes to this novel and it's killing me that I can't discuss them.
Alex and Kate are attracted to each other from the moment they first meet, they have the same interests, enjoy spending time together and slowly but surely they fall in love. In a lot of ways they are perfect for each other but Alex has a secret, one that has the power to destroy their relationship if Kate ever finds out the truth. The reader actually finds out what that secret is fairly on in the story and because the first half of the book is told from Alex's point of view we get to see just how much keeping that secret plays on their mind. Alex didn't set out to deceive Kate but what starts as a small misunderstanding between them soon snowballs into something so huge that Alex has no idea how to fix things.
I spent half of the book just waiting for the truth to come out, you know Kate is going to be devastated and you're hurting on her behalf but you can't help but feel sorry for Alex even when you're wishing that they could have been honest with each other from the very beginning. After the big reveal the point of view switches so you can see exactly how hurt Kate was by Alex's betrayal. It was at this point she does something incredibly stupid as a way of getting revenge on Alex and although I was incredibly angry at her actions I couldn't help but wonder how I would have reacted in her situation. Kate quickly starts to realise how one small lie can snowball way beyond anything you'd have imagined and I think that probably helps her to see things from Alex's point of view. The real question is whether she will do the right thing by the end of the story or will she see her revenge through to the bitter end.
A Kiss in the Dark is a gut wrenching read, I was so emotionally invested in both of these characters and it's very hard to imagine that the outcome of this relationship is going to be anything but heartbreaking which makes even the good times they spend together rather bitter sweet. This is the kind of book that makes you ask uncomfortable questions and I loved it for that. I would like to take a copy of this book and place it in the hands of every teenager I come across, there is a lot we can all learn from Alex and Kate's story and I applaud Cat Clarke for writing such an incredibly emotional book.
March 16, 2018
Actual rating - 3.5
April 27, 2023
This shit TRAUMATIZED ME when I was 11
September 14, 2016
I was so on edge reading this because when a relationship starts with a lie, things can only go (dramatically) downhill. I was waiting for the moment Kate was told the truth about Alex, and thought that things would get better from then on, but nope. I had to read another 150 pages of angst and a fake sexual assault accusation. Both characters were digging themselves into holes they couldn't escape and I hated it, but couldn't stop reading it to see if the resolution was good.
Also, in terms of LGBT+, there were some pretty interesting (and negative) attitudes and feelings. I think that's just because the characters didn't understand where they stood, and that the term pansexual exists, that would have definitely applied well to both of them!
Also, in terms of LGBT+, there were some pretty interesting (and negative) attitudes and feelings. I think that's just because the characters didn't understand where they stood, and that the term pansexual exists, that would have definitely applied well to both of them!
July 14, 2015
No me gusto para nada...
March 30, 2014
http://wandering-world.skyrock.com/32...
Avec A KISS IN THE DARK, Cat Clarke revient en force et nous offre une histoire à la fois poignante, émouvante et pleine d’intensité. Ce n’est plus un secret pour personne : l’année dernière, UNDONE/REVANCHE m’a complètement dévasté et m’a permis d’appréhender la lecture sous un nouvel angle. C’est donc sans grande surprise que vous apprendrez que oui, effectivement, mes attentes concernant ce roman étaient plutôt élevées. Malgré tout, j’ai essayé de ne pas trop repenser à toutes les émotions que j’ai ressenties en lisant UNDONE, histoire de pouvoir laisser à A KISS IN THE DARK toutes ses chances de me séduire. Si j’ai vraiment beaucoup aimé la première partie du récit et que j’ai retrouvé avec bonheur le style de Cat Clarke, je dois bien avouer que la seconde moitié du roman m’a un peu plus déconcerté. Disons juste qu’en fait l’un des principaux renversements de situation ne m’a pas semblé légitime du tout et que, à cause de cela, je n’ai pas pu être pris par ma lecture autant que j’aurais souhaité l’être. Je pense que si je devais classer les romans de Cat Clarke par ordre de préférence, A KISS IN THE DARK finirait dernier. Je vous assure que ça me brise le cœur de le reconnaître, mais je ne peux pas nier ce que je ressens. Néanmoins, j’ai sincèrement passé un excellent moment en compagnie de ce livre, puis pouvoir lire un nouveau Cat Clarke est tellement extraordinaire que je ne peux que ressortir satisfait de ma lecture.
A KISS IN THE DARK est coupé en deux parties bien distinctes : « l’Avant » narré du point de vue d’Alex et « l’Après », narré de celui de Kate. Dès les premières pages, j’ai été COMPLÈTEMENT envoûté et captivé par Alex. Au bout de deux chapitres, BOUM, on a déjà le droit à une révélation fracassante qui nous coupe le souffle. Là, j’ai retrouvé Cat Clarke ♥ Mais j’étais loin, trèèès loin de me douter que le personnage d’Alex allait autant me toucher et me déglinguer le cœur et l’estomac après cette énorme surprise. Mon dieu… Oh mon dieu qu’Alex est bouleversant. Comme à son habitude, l’auteure confère à ses protagonistes une personnalité tellement attachante qu’on ne peut que craquer pour eux et avoir l’impression qu’ils sont là, autour de nous, avec nous, pendant notre lecture. Le plume de Cat Clarke est indéniablement toujours aussi forte et saisissante de par toutes les petites phrases qu’elle distille ici et là, phrases qui m’ont juste époustouflé et qui m’en ont fait voir de toutes les couleurs. A travers le personnage d’Alex, l’auteure nous brise, nous dévaste, nous détruit. Alex m’a profondément marqué. Son humour, sa manière de concevoir le monde, ses idées, ses prises de conscience, absolument tout m’a ébloui chez lui. Son caractère terriblement humain nous ramène constamment à nous, lecteurs, et à notre façon de voir les choses. J’ai toujours su que Cat Clarke était extrêmement forte et douée pour partager avec nous sa perspective sur notre société mais, avec A KISS IN THE DARK, elle va au-delà de tout ça. Elle est parvenue, grâce à Alex, à me toucher non seulement moi, mais également mon humanité. Cat Clarke va droit au but, droit au cœur. On se retrouve comme piégés dans un océan d’émotions toutes plus intenses, blessantes, éprouvantes, oppressantes et magnifiques les unes que les autres au fur et à mesure que les pages défilent. Alex… Haaa, Alex ♥
Jusque-là, sincèrement, tout était parfait. Rien qu’en écrivant ma chronique, j’ai le cœur qui bat la chamade et l’irrépressible envie de relire A KISS IN THE DARK. Malheureusement, la partie sur Kate ne m’a pas autant emballé. Du point de vue d’Alex, Kate était vraiment mignonne, drôle, ultra sympathique et hyper touchante. Mais une fois dans la tête de Kate, justement, les choses changent. Difficile de ne pas vous expliquer le pourquoi du comment sans vous spoiler, mais je vais essayer. Disons qu’un des retournements majeurs de l’histoire provient d’une décision que Kate va prendre. En elle-même, cette décision est juste énorme et vraiment déconcertante, dans le meilleur sens du terme. Je n’avais rien vu venir, et j’ai été totalement pris de court en découvrant le choix que notre héroïne avait décidé de faire. Malheureusement, une fois la stupeur passée, j’ai commencé à réaliser que cette décision, aussi excitante et palpitante était-elle, n’avait pas du tout lieu d’être. Enfin si, mais non. A mes yeux, elle était complètement stupide. Aux yeux de Kate, absolument pas. Du coup, je n’ai pas pu m’empêcher de détester Kate, et ce n’était pas bon du tout. Il y a des protagonistes qu’on aime haïr, c’est malsain mais terriblement attirant. Là, c’était carrément le contraire. J’ai été tellement énervé contre Kate et ce qu’elle a décidé infliger à Alex que j’ai commencé à m’en prendre à Cat Clarke et à sa terrible idée. Ok, j’ai toujours adoré les histoires tortueuses et complètement folles, vous le savez, mais seulement lorsque les évènements qui les poussent à être aussi tordues sont légitimes. Là, vraiment, le choix de Kate m’a semblé n’avoir ni queue ni tête, pareil à un caprice. Ainsi, même si toute l’histoire tient la route et est réellement poignante, j’ai été déçu et gêné par le fait que cet énorme rebondissement soit complètement tiré par les cheveux. Par ailleurs, cette erreur de parcours a, j’ai trouvé, empêché l’auteure de s’arrêter sur des thèmes extrêmement importants qui, s’ils sont déjà bien abordés, auraient pu être encore plus marqués et plus approfondis. Des thèmes comme l’homosexualité, le deuil, le suicide ou la revanche étaient tellement, tellement, tellement bien décrits dans UNDONE que je n’ai pas pu faire autrement que de ressentir un espèce de « manque » en voyant comment l’auteure dépeignait certains sujets ici.
Fort heureusement, Cat Clarke reste Cat Clarke. La conclusion du livre m’en a fait voir de toutes les couleurs et m’a littéralement coupé le souffle. J’avais le cœur qui battait à cent à l’heure et j’étais complètement engourdi en lisant les ultimes pages du roman. Tout s’accélère, tout s’intensifie, tout devient un prétexte pour que nous ayons l’esprit accaparé par cette histoire. Les derniers chapitres de A KISS IN THE DARK sont tout simplement obsédants et exaltants au possible. A l’instar de ces autres histoires, Cat Clarke nous livre un final explosif et parfait. On se pose mille et une questions jusqu’à la toute dernière ligne de l’histoire. Même si cette fin s’avère être beaucoup moins… Comment dire… Incroyable et troublante que celles des autres livres de l’auteure, elle me plaît énormément. Malgré tout, je reste un peu sur ma faim, étant donné que la conclusion du récit découle du choix de Kate. Tout aurait pu être différent si elle n’avait pas pris cette décision juste horriblement agaçante. Mais restons sur l’idée que cette fin me plaît, c’est plus sain.
En résumé, A KISS IN THE DARK est une lecture qui sort totalement des sentiers battus et qui signe le retour tant attendu de Cat Clarke. Si j’ai adoré Alex et son histoire, je crois que j’aurais toujours Kate et son caractère immature en travers de la gorge. Bon après, je me dis que si j’en veux autant à un personnage, c’est bien que j’ai réellement vécu l’histoire, non ? Mais me dire ça est loin d’être suffisant. A cause d’un retournement de situation énorme et juste prodigieux (parce que, oui, même s’il est tiré par les cheveux, il reste tout de même génial), tout va de travers, ce qui revient à dire : à cause de Kate, tout va de travers. Donc non, je ne lui pardonne pas. Cat Clarke nous livre donc un récit dévastateur mais imparfait, qui, malheureusement, ne risque pas de me rester en tête aussi longtemps qu’UNDONE (qui me hante depuis plus d’un an maintenant). Mes attentes étaient hautes, certes, mais j’ai eu le sentiment qu’il manquait quelque chose à A KISS IN THE DARK pour le rendre totalement éblouissant. Néanmoins, Cat Clarke est de nouveau parvenue à me consumer de l’intérieur et à me gifler avec ses mots et son intrigue. J’ai beaucoup aimé A KISS IN THE DARK, c’est indéniable, mais, ce qui l’est encore plus, c’est l’absence du truc, de l’étincelle qui a rendu CONFUSION, CRUELLES et REVANCHE inoubliables.
Avec A KISS IN THE DARK, Cat Clarke revient en force et nous offre une histoire à la fois poignante, émouvante et pleine d’intensité. Ce n’est plus un secret pour personne : l’année dernière, UNDONE/REVANCHE m’a complètement dévasté et m’a permis d’appréhender la lecture sous un nouvel angle. C’est donc sans grande surprise que vous apprendrez que oui, effectivement, mes attentes concernant ce roman étaient plutôt élevées. Malgré tout, j’ai essayé de ne pas trop repenser à toutes les émotions que j’ai ressenties en lisant UNDONE, histoire de pouvoir laisser à A KISS IN THE DARK toutes ses chances de me séduire. Si j’ai vraiment beaucoup aimé la première partie du récit et que j’ai retrouvé avec bonheur le style de Cat Clarke, je dois bien avouer que la seconde moitié du roman m’a un peu plus déconcerté. Disons juste qu’en fait l’un des principaux renversements de situation ne m’a pas semblé légitime du tout et que, à cause de cela, je n’ai pas pu être pris par ma lecture autant que j’aurais souhaité l’être. Je pense que si je devais classer les romans de Cat Clarke par ordre de préférence, A KISS IN THE DARK finirait dernier. Je vous assure que ça me brise le cœur de le reconnaître, mais je ne peux pas nier ce que je ressens. Néanmoins, j’ai sincèrement passé un excellent moment en compagnie de ce livre, puis pouvoir lire un nouveau Cat Clarke est tellement extraordinaire que je ne peux que ressortir satisfait de ma lecture.
A KISS IN THE DARK est coupé en deux parties bien distinctes : « l’Avant » narré du point de vue d’Alex et « l’Après », narré de celui de Kate. Dès les premières pages, j’ai été COMPLÈTEMENT envoûté et captivé par Alex. Au bout de deux chapitres, BOUM, on a déjà le droit à une révélation fracassante qui nous coupe le souffle. Là, j’ai retrouvé Cat Clarke ♥ Mais j’étais loin, trèèès loin de me douter que le personnage d’Alex allait autant me toucher et me déglinguer le cœur et l’estomac après cette énorme surprise. Mon dieu… Oh mon dieu qu’Alex est bouleversant. Comme à son habitude, l’auteure confère à ses protagonistes une personnalité tellement attachante qu’on ne peut que craquer pour eux et avoir l’impression qu’ils sont là, autour de nous, avec nous, pendant notre lecture. Le plume de Cat Clarke est indéniablement toujours aussi forte et saisissante de par toutes les petites phrases qu’elle distille ici et là, phrases qui m’ont juste époustouflé et qui m’en ont fait voir de toutes les couleurs. A travers le personnage d’Alex, l’auteure nous brise, nous dévaste, nous détruit. Alex m’a profondément marqué. Son humour, sa manière de concevoir le monde, ses idées, ses prises de conscience, absolument tout m’a ébloui chez lui. Son caractère terriblement humain nous ramène constamment à nous, lecteurs, et à notre façon de voir les choses. J’ai toujours su que Cat Clarke était extrêmement forte et douée pour partager avec nous sa perspective sur notre société mais, avec A KISS IN THE DARK, elle va au-delà de tout ça. Elle est parvenue, grâce à Alex, à me toucher non seulement moi, mais également mon humanité. Cat Clarke va droit au but, droit au cœur. On se retrouve comme piégés dans un océan d’émotions toutes plus intenses, blessantes, éprouvantes, oppressantes et magnifiques les unes que les autres au fur et à mesure que les pages défilent. Alex… Haaa, Alex ♥
Jusque-là, sincèrement, tout était parfait. Rien qu’en écrivant ma chronique, j’ai le cœur qui bat la chamade et l’irrépressible envie de relire A KISS IN THE DARK. Malheureusement, la partie sur Kate ne m’a pas autant emballé. Du point de vue d’Alex, Kate était vraiment mignonne, drôle, ultra sympathique et hyper touchante. Mais une fois dans la tête de Kate, justement, les choses changent. Difficile de ne pas vous expliquer le pourquoi du comment sans vous spoiler, mais je vais essayer. Disons qu’un des retournements majeurs de l’histoire provient d’une décision que Kate va prendre. En elle-même, cette décision est juste énorme et vraiment déconcertante, dans le meilleur sens du terme. Je n’avais rien vu venir, et j’ai été totalement pris de court en découvrant le choix que notre héroïne avait décidé de faire. Malheureusement, une fois la stupeur passée, j’ai commencé à réaliser que cette décision, aussi excitante et palpitante était-elle, n’avait pas du tout lieu d’être. Enfin si, mais non. A mes yeux, elle était complètement stupide. Aux yeux de Kate, absolument pas. Du coup, je n’ai pas pu m’empêcher de détester Kate, et ce n’était pas bon du tout. Il y a des protagonistes qu’on aime haïr, c’est malsain mais terriblement attirant. Là, c’était carrément le contraire. J’ai été tellement énervé contre Kate et ce qu’elle a décidé infliger à Alex que j’ai commencé à m’en prendre à Cat Clarke et à sa terrible idée. Ok, j’ai toujours adoré les histoires tortueuses et complètement folles, vous le savez, mais seulement lorsque les évènements qui les poussent à être aussi tordues sont légitimes. Là, vraiment, le choix de Kate m’a semblé n’avoir ni queue ni tête, pareil à un caprice. Ainsi, même si toute l’histoire tient la route et est réellement poignante, j’ai été déçu et gêné par le fait que cet énorme rebondissement soit complètement tiré par les cheveux. Par ailleurs, cette erreur de parcours a, j’ai trouvé, empêché l’auteure de s’arrêter sur des thèmes extrêmement importants qui, s’ils sont déjà bien abordés, auraient pu être encore plus marqués et plus approfondis. Des thèmes comme l’homosexualité, le deuil, le suicide ou la revanche étaient tellement, tellement, tellement bien décrits dans UNDONE que je n’ai pas pu faire autrement que de ressentir un espèce de « manque » en voyant comment l’auteure dépeignait certains sujets ici.
Fort heureusement, Cat Clarke reste Cat Clarke. La conclusion du livre m’en a fait voir de toutes les couleurs et m’a littéralement coupé le souffle. J’avais le cœur qui battait à cent à l’heure et j’étais complètement engourdi en lisant les ultimes pages du roman. Tout s’accélère, tout s’intensifie, tout devient un prétexte pour que nous ayons l’esprit accaparé par cette histoire. Les derniers chapitres de A KISS IN THE DARK sont tout simplement obsédants et exaltants au possible. A l’instar de ces autres histoires, Cat Clarke nous livre un final explosif et parfait. On se pose mille et une questions jusqu’à la toute dernière ligne de l’histoire. Même si cette fin s’avère être beaucoup moins… Comment dire… Incroyable et troublante que celles des autres livres de l’auteure, elle me plaît énormément. Malgré tout, je reste un peu sur ma faim, étant donné que la conclusion du récit découle du choix de Kate. Tout aurait pu être différent si elle n’avait pas pris cette décision juste horriblement agaçante. Mais restons sur l’idée que cette fin me plaît, c’est plus sain.
En résumé, A KISS IN THE DARK est une lecture qui sort totalement des sentiers battus et qui signe le retour tant attendu de Cat Clarke. Si j’ai adoré Alex et son histoire, je crois que j’aurais toujours Kate et son caractère immature en travers de la gorge. Bon après, je me dis que si j’en veux autant à un personnage, c’est bien que j’ai réellement vécu l’histoire, non ? Mais me dire ça est loin d’être suffisant. A cause d’un retournement de situation énorme et juste prodigieux (parce que, oui, même s’il est tiré par les cheveux, il reste tout de même génial), tout va de travers, ce qui revient à dire : à cause de Kate, tout va de travers. Donc non, je ne lui pardonne pas. Cat Clarke nous livre donc un récit dévastateur mais imparfait, qui, malheureusement, ne risque pas de me rester en tête aussi longtemps qu’UNDONE (qui me hante depuis plus d’un an maintenant). Mes attentes étaient hautes, certes, mais j’ai eu le sentiment qu’il manquait quelque chose à A KISS IN THE DARK pour le rendre totalement éblouissant. Néanmoins, Cat Clarke est de nouveau parvenue à me consumer de l’intérieur et à me gifler avec ses mots et son intrigue. J’ai beaucoup aimé A KISS IN THE DARK, c’est indéniable, mais, ce qui l’est encore plus, c’est l’absence du truc, de l’étincelle qui a rendu CONFUSION, CRUELLES et REVANCHE inoubliables.
April 4, 2014
I was super excited to read another book by Cat Clarke. I've loved all of her previous books and I love how emotional everything she's written has been. I especially loved the idea of this book.... the idea of a large secret that comes between two people starting out in a new relationship.
I don't fully understand why the official product summary is vague about this secret that threatens this relationship between Alex and Kate, especially as the secret is revealed (to the reader) fairly quickly. I wish that books such as this would be a little bit more open about the topics that it covers as I now feel like revealing the secret in this review will spoil something for others in their own reading experience. So I will have to keep the rest of this review slightly vague.
I think the thing that I loved about this book is that it is a book that showcases the strength and beauty of love. I absolutely adored both main characters in this book, but especially Alex. Alex carries around this huge amount of guilt and for that I really came to care more for Alex than I ever expected despite the lies and deception that takes place. Alex is a person who believes that this relationship with Kate is an opportunity for happiness and love that could potentially be missed out for good if this secret is revealed. So things carry on with Kate far longer than they should and while Alex and Kate slowly fall in love with each other, their happiness is tinged with this awful foreboding for what will happen when all parties learn the truth. I felt really bad for both Alex and Kate. My heart absolutely broke for them both and while I hoped for a happy ending, it really didn't seem at all possible.
A Kiss in the Dark is told in two parts, before and after, and we are able to see this relationship from both Alex and Kate's perspective which I think was really interesting, especially as in both parts each of these characters is dealing with some pressure and guilt for their own actions. I think it was definitely important to see things from both points of view in order to get a clear picture of everything that has happened though I did find it a little harder to connect with Kate's narration.
The other thing that I really loved about this book is the support from Alex's mother and brother. I really love both of these characters and the ways in which Alex's mother and Jamie go out of their way to voice their love and acceptance of Alex both in subtle ways as well as in more explicit terms.
A Kiss in the Dark was a really interesting book to read. I loved the way in which perceptions of gender and sexuality are challenged and explored. I found it interesting to see both main characters dealing with an awkward situation and carrying it on longer than necessary even when it becomes apparent how hurtful the consequences are because of how difficult it becomes to tell the truth. But more than anything else, I thought Alex and Kate's love was a really beautiful thing to witness and I'm so glad that I took this journey with them.
Well done, Cat Clarke, for writing such a beautiful, emotional, and heart-wrenching story! Highly recommended.
I don't fully understand why the official product summary is vague about this secret that threatens this relationship between Alex and Kate, especially as the secret is revealed (to the reader) fairly quickly. I wish that books such as this would be a little bit more open about the topics that it covers as I now feel like revealing the secret in this review will spoil something for others in their own reading experience. So I will have to keep the rest of this review slightly vague.
I think the thing that I loved about this book is that it is a book that showcases the strength and beauty of love. I absolutely adored both main characters in this book, but especially Alex. Alex carries around this huge amount of guilt and for that I really came to care more for Alex than I ever expected despite the lies and deception that takes place. Alex is a person who believes that this relationship with Kate is an opportunity for happiness and love that could potentially be missed out for good if this secret is revealed. So things carry on with Kate far longer than they should and while Alex and Kate slowly fall in love with each other, their happiness is tinged with this awful foreboding for what will happen when all parties learn the truth. I felt really bad for both Alex and Kate. My heart absolutely broke for them both and while I hoped for a happy ending, it really didn't seem at all possible.
A Kiss in the Dark is told in two parts, before and after, and we are able to see this relationship from both Alex and Kate's perspective which I think was really interesting, especially as in both parts each of these characters is dealing with some pressure and guilt for their own actions. I think it was definitely important to see things from both points of view in order to get a clear picture of everything that has happened though I did find it a little harder to connect with Kate's narration.
The other thing that I really loved about this book is the support from Alex's mother and brother. I really love both of these characters and the ways in which Alex's mother and Jamie go out of their way to voice their love and acceptance of Alex both in subtle ways as well as in more explicit terms.
A Kiss in the Dark was a really interesting book to read. I loved the way in which perceptions of gender and sexuality are challenged and explored. I found it interesting to see both main characters dealing with an awkward situation and carrying it on longer than necessary even when it becomes apparent how hurtful the consequences are because of how difficult it becomes to tell the truth. But more than anything else, I thought Alex and Kate's love was a really beautiful thing to witness and I'm so glad that I took this journey with them.
Well done, Cat Clarke, for writing such a beautiful, emotional, and heart-wrenching story! Highly recommended.
April 4, 2014
Read more reviews at What Danielle Did Next
This will be short and sweet because of spoiler risk and my overwhelming feels...
A KISS IN THE DARK presented as a story of simple teen romance before turning my world upside down with an emotionally charged, beautiful story of love, perception, reality and heartbreak. This was my first Cat Clarke book but will not be my last!
Alex and Kate meet online, bonding over a mutual love of music they agree to meet at a gig of their favourite band. The attraction is instant, both feel for the first time that they belong, the connection they have always craved has finally manifested and for the most part this book is a story of the sweet naiveté of teen romance, those first faltering steps as barriers are broken down and risks are taken. Alex has a secret though, one that if Kate finds out could destroy the uneasy happiness both of them crave.
My heart instantly starts to pick up pace when I think back over this book, at one stage I said "this is like a car crash, I simply cannot look away" and it was the truth. From the first pages I was hooked as Clarke drew me into this world that promised raw, blisteringly real human emotion that leaked out of every page and captivated me as I fervently hoped for the happy ending I craved. The subject matter is brutal as it deals with society and its expectations, its misunderstandings and confusions and its wish to put people in neat little boxes that don't cause offence or challenge the status quo. A KISS IN THE DARK tells the human side of what happens when people step out of the box and the destruction caused by words tossed out with little care.
I never felt so deeply for a couple as I did for Alex and Kate. The book is split into two sections, Before and After with Before told by Alex and After by Kate. Despite the basic fact that Alex deceived Kate in a heartbreaking way, I adored Alex and craved from beginning to end that life would turn out okay for both teens. The change in narration was jarring but I think necessary to get both sides of the story and the effects of the lie on both Alex and Kate. What I love about this book is how it challenges your perceptions, it makes you think, it takes a story that from the blurb appears to be a bad case of insta-love and makes you care deeply for the pair.
Clarke's ability to provide an insight into the teen mind and give the book the raw, blunt and endearing voice it needs to make this story work is remarkable. Alex and Kate's abilities to rationalise both the lie and its after-effects is so real and indicative of the coping mechanism we use all through our lives to escape the pain of life and put off dealing with the consequences for just a little longer.
Astonishing, gritty and emotionally destructive in the best way possible, A KISS IN THE DARK is an unforgettable and important book of love, acceptance and the lengths necessary in today's society to grasp both.
This will be short and sweet because of spoiler risk and my overwhelming feels...
A KISS IN THE DARK presented as a story of simple teen romance before turning my world upside down with an emotionally charged, beautiful story of love, perception, reality and heartbreak. This was my first Cat Clarke book but will not be my last!
Alex and Kate meet online, bonding over a mutual love of music they agree to meet at a gig of their favourite band. The attraction is instant, both feel for the first time that they belong, the connection they have always craved has finally manifested and for the most part this book is a story of the sweet naiveté of teen romance, those first faltering steps as barriers are broken down and risks are taken. Alex has a secret though, one that if Kate finds out could destroy the uneasy happiness both of them crave.
My heart instantly starts to pick up pace when I think back over this book, at one stage I said "this is like a car crash, I simply cannot look away" and it was the truth. From the first pages I was hooked as Clarke drew me into this world that promised raw, blisteringly real human emotion that leaked out of every page and captivated me as I fervently hoped for the happy ending I craved. The subject matter is brutal as it deals with society and its expectations, its misunderstandings and confusions and its wish to put people in neat little boxes that don't cause offence or challenge the status quo. A KISS IN THE DARK tells the human side of what happens when people step out of the box and the destruction caused by words tossed out with little care.
I never felt so deeply for a couple as I did for Alex and Kate. The book is split into two sections, Before and After with Before told by Alex and After by Kate. Despite the basic fact that Alex deceived Kate in a heartbreaking way, I adored Alex and craved from beginning to end that life would turn out okay for both teens. The change in narration was jarring but I think necessary to get both sides of the story and the effects of the lie on both Alex and Kate. What I love about this book is how it challenges your perceptions, it makes you think, it takes a story that from the blurb appears to be a bad case of insta-love and makes you care deeply for the pair.
Clarke's ability to provide an insight into the teen mind and give the book the raw, blunt and endearing voice it needs to make this story work is remarkable. Alex and Kate's abilities to rationalise both the lie and its after-effects is so real and indicative of the coping mechanism we use all through our lives to escape the pain of life and put off dealing with the consequences for just a little longer.
Astonishing, gritty and emotionally destructive in the best way possible, A KISS IN THE DARK is an unforgettable and important book of love, acceptance and the lengths necessary in today's society to grasp both.
May 3, 2019
1.5 stars ✨ (contains spoilers!)
I didn't like this book but I also wanted to keep reading to see how it all would come together... It wasn't what I was expecting and it wasn't what I wanted at all.
I didn't like what happened especially how Kate reacted. I mean yes it's not OK what Alex did but it's very serious to accuse someone of assault. The ending shouldn't have been that way. It's too easy. She should have admitted to lying way sooner.
Overall, this book just made me angry at the choices that the characters made.
I didn't like this book but I also wanted to keep reading to see how it all would come together... It wasn't what I was expecting and it wasn't what I wanted at all.
I didn't like what happened especially how Kate reacted. I mean yes it's not OK what Alex did but it's very serious to accuse someone of assault. The ending shouldn't have been that way. It's too easy. She should have admitted to lying way sooner.
Overall, this book just made me angry at the choices that the characters made.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2014
Cat Clarke is one of my auto-buy authors. Her books have always grabbed me, but at the same time destroyed me! They’re usually quite intense. They’re always well written. A Kiss In The Dark is no exception. Don’t be put off by the somewhat vague synopsis. It is an incredible book.
A Kiss In The Dark is one of those books where I don’t want to say too much about it, because it would really ruin your reading experience. Therefore, reviewing it is incredibly tricky. I just want to fangirl over it, and tell you that you should totally read it.
A Kiss In The Dark is about two teenagers, Alex and Kate who meet and form an instant bond. They fall in love deeply and intensely. They can’t bare to be apart. Right from the offset, I knew it wasn’t going to end well for either of them. I was just waiting for everything to fall to pieces in a heart-breaking way. Their story is told from both perspectives. This really enriched the reading experience for me.
The reason I love Cat Clarke so much, is that she tells stories with brutal honesty. She doesn’t shy away from gritty subjects. I couldn’t put this book down, and I’m still thinking about it now. This book is a real winner for UK Young Adult fiction. I can’t speak highly enough of it.
Apologies for the fairly vague review, but all I really had to say was… ‘READ IT!!!’
A Kiss In The Dark is one of those books where I don’t want to say too much about it, because it would really ruin your reading experience. Therefore, reviewing it is incredibly tricky. I just want to fangirl over it, and tell you that you should totally read it.
A Kiss In The Dark is about two teenagers, Alex and Kate who meet and form an instant bond. They fall in love deeply and intensely. They can’t bare to be apart. Right from the offset, I knew it wasn’t going to end well for either of them. I was just waiting for everything to fall to pieces in a heart-breaking way. Their story is told from both perspectives. This really enriched the reading experience for me.
The reason I love Cat Clarke so much, is that she tells stories with brutal honesty. She doesn’t shy away from gritty subjects. I couldn’t put this book down, and I’m still thinking about it now. This book is a real winner for UK Young Adult fiction. I can’t speak highly enough of it.
Apologies for the fairly vague review, but all I really had to say was… ‘READ IT!!!’
April 7, 2014
Intense and gripping, A Kiss in the Dark is another page-turning winner from Cat Clarke. Filled to the brim with love, lies, secrets and heartache, Clarke’s latest offering demands to be read in one-sitting, thanks to its timely subject matter and jaw-dropping plot twists and turns. I’ve said this before of Cat Clarke’s books, and after reading A Kiss in the Dark, my thoughts remain the same: YA doesn’t get much better than this.
Read the rest of my review: http://daisychainbookreviews.blogspot...
Read the rest of my review: http://daisychainbookreviews.blogspot...
June 10, 2020
“Love was love. I truly believed that. And I had blown my one shot at it”
A Kiss in the Dark revolves around two young teenagers who meet online, after many conversations where they become very familiar with one another they decide to meet in person. It’s clear from the ‘Before’ section of the book that these two individuals, Alex and Kate, feel very strongly about one another. It gave me warmth watching their relationship blossom, they share so many romantic and heart wrenching moments together. Despite being in full support of the relationship’s development it didn’t stop the anxiety in my chest raising its head...
Anxiety at a secret one of the two held onto very tightly, this secret immediately planted the seed in my mind that there was no possible way this relationship would work out positively. Sadly I was correct. During the entire ‘Before’ sequence I shared Alex’s worry that the secret being held onto would eventually bring the relationship tumbling down. I found myself not wanting the character of Alex to get hurt or be misunderstood. After all Alex meant no harm with the secret in question.
My worst fears as the reader were confirmed, however, when Kate unintentionally and very suddenly finds out the secret. She’s hurt, confused and engulfed in betrayal which I related to very strongly. Unfortunately, for me personally this sympathy towards Kate’s character was diminished the moment the second part of the book sequence began. This section was titled ‘After’ and portrays how quickly a hurtful secret can pave the way for an even more disastrous outcome.
My feelings towards Kate during the time in which she causes the situation to escalate include frustration and disgust. It was an effort to continue reading as I was so shocked at the turn of events. Thankfully I stuck with the book and I’m glad I did because things eventually sorted themselves out. The ending was slightly abrupt but I do feel it got the important emotions and points across. Overall, I don’t think I’ll be re-reading this book but I enjoyed it nevertheless.
A Kiss in the Dark revolves around two young teenagers who meet online, after many conversations where they become very familiar with one another they decide to meet in person. It’s clear from the ‘Before’ section of the book that these two individuals, Alex and Kate, feel very strongly about one another. It gave me warmth watching their relationship blossom, they share so many romantic and heart wrenching moments together. Despite being in full support of the relationship’s development it didn’t stop the anxiety in my chest raising its head...
Anxiety at a secret one of the two held onto very tightly, this secret immediately planted the seed in my mind that there was no possible way this relationship would work out positively. Sadly I was correct. During the entire ‘Before’ sequence I shared Alex’s worry that the secret being held onto would eventually bring the relationship tumbling down. I found myself not wanting the character of Alex to get hurt or be misunderstood. After all Alex meant no harm with the secret in question.
My worst fears as the reader were confirmed, however, when Kate unintentionally and very suddenly finds out the secret. She’s hurt, confused and engulfed in betrayal which I related to very strongly. Unfortunately, for me personally this sympathy towards Kate’s character was diminished the moment the second part of the book sequence began. This section was titled ‘After’ and portrays how quickly a hurtful secret can pave the way for an even more disastrous outcome.
My feelings towards Kate during the time in which she causes the situation to escalate include frustration and disgust. It was an effort to continue reading as I was so shocked at the turn of events. Thankfully I stuck with the book and I’m glad I did because things eventually sorted themselves out. The ending was slightly abrupt but I do feel it got the important emotions and points across. Overall, I don’t think I’ll be re-reading this book but I enjoyed it nevertheless.
April 8, 2014
(http://lavoixdulivre.blogspot.fr/2014...)
What to say about this book? I’m washed out. There are no words for this novel, no way for me to say how much I loved this book. I fell in love with it, just as Alex and Kate fell in love. We have to survive this: our heart gets broken, and then we have to wait for it to be pieced back together. But when will it happen? There are no words to express this kind of emotional turmoil. Yet I have to do that, don’t I? This book is narrated by two voices, which are emerging from the darkness to tell their story. Electrifying, endearing, disturbing and yet so very real …
Alex and Kate meet on a forum. It’s total alchemy. The couple gets together as if it is inevitable. Their relationship is filled with tenderness. But one of them is hiding a secret. A terrible secret. “Can their love survive?”
Everything begins tactfully. We plunge into a strange and terribly fascinating atmosphere; a mixture of attraction, fear and excitement. The feelings are brilliantly portrayed and there is this incredible atmosphere which urges you to believe in them. You become attached to this heartrending couple, where each point of view is unique and simply moving. You begin to dream, to see things from the point of view of Alex. Who also persuades us to believe this, who persuades us that anything is possible, yes, that this dream exists.
This dream, this Love. This is an incredible dream-like ode to sincere, just and sweet feelings. Quintessentially, bearing in mind the idea that anything is possible, this book is wonderfully delicate. How can we not believe in it? How can you not tell yourself that love makes anything possible.
Every moment from the beginning, enchants you, slowly at first, then more and more deeply. At the beginning, the story is interesting, engaging, then it gets more and more fascinating.
All of this moves you and makes you understand that it’s much more than a simple love story. My heart was in my throat. When everything collapses, when everything changes, there is only the fear, the darkness, and no more kisses left. How can we get through it? What do broken dreams become? What does withered hope become? Cat Clarke answers these questions with tears and some love.
In reality, this is a book about all of the above, but it’s also about lies. What is this lie? What does it bring? Good or bad. What is left in the end? Does the hope of truth remain? Poignant, this book brings answers, but questions as well. Sensitively and powerfully, Cat Clarke brings us a story like no other, that will have your heart in your throat and tears in your eyes. The lie will destroy everything.
There is Alex. A person who is sweet, attentive, and who leads us to believe that everything could be different, unique, dreamy. Hope and heart, Love and fear. The first part is sincerely wonderful, endearing in all aspects, but also so heartrending and captivating: how will it resolve itself? Then there is Kate, down to earth and in love, she stays in our hearts and we wonder, what is left of her feelings? What is left for her? Will she ever recover? They’re a couple, just a couple. But this is so real, it’s our turn to fall in love with them. Who do we fall in love with? People are just people, aren’t they?
Questions. Always the same questions throughout the story which captivate you. Cat Clarke leads us in a dance and we get transported on a movement so marvelous, and not as alien as we might think, in a blend of black and white, hot and cold, lie and truth…
And when all is lost, we understand that this is more complex than that. And that everything is different from this incredible dream we forged with Alex and Kate. On what does love rely? All these questions are touched on with depth and an infallible intelligence. These questions ran on a loop in my head, and they’re still running. I’ve been looking for the answers since I finished the book… but I always come back to the same thing: this intelligence used with care and depth confuses you and brings so many feelings out in you… This couple is sincerely wonderful and this ending is… indescribable. Extraordinary. (What else is there to say?!)
Indeed, Cat Clarke handles our feelings with skill in order to bring us into this incredible story in a believable way, never wavering. Her writing style is simple but endearing and effective. Words smash against us. A writing genius, she tells us about the discernible existence of love and the terrifying threat of lies. What remains after that?
What remains after A Kiss in the Dark? The incredible hope of a happy ending haunts us throughout the whole book. This is the main question of the novel: can love, true love, survive in any circumstances? And are lies the most destructive force in the world? More generally, the novel is about hope. The hope of a sweet, wonderful life, far away from darkness, spent in someone else’s arms or in the warmth of a sunset on the beach. This book is about hope that illuminates the darkness … much like a kiss in the dark.
What to say about this book? I’m washed out. There are no words for this novel, no way for me to say how much I loved this book. I fell in love with it, just as Alex and Kate fell in love. We have to survive this: our heart gets broken, and then we have to wait for it to be pieced back together. But when will it happen? There are no words to express this kind of emotional turmoil. Yet I have to do that, don’t I? This book is narrated by two voices, which are emerging from the darkness to tell their story. Electrifying, endearing, disturbing and yet so very real …
Alex and Kate meet on a forum. It’s total alchemy. The couple gets together as if it is inevitable. Their relationship is filled with tenderness. But one of them is hiding a secret. A terrible secret. “Can their love survive?”
Everything begins tactfully. We plunge into a strange and terribly fascinating atmosphere; a mixture of attraction, fear and excitement. The feelings are brilliantly portrayed and there is this incredible atmosphere which urges you to believe in them. You become attached to this heartrending couple, where each point of view is unique and simply moving. You begin to dream, to see things from the point of view of Alex. Who also persuades us to believe this, who persuades us that anything is possible, yes, that this dream exists.
This dream, this Love. This is an incredible dream-like ode to sincere, just and sweet feelings. Quintessentially, bearing in mind the idea that anything is possible, this book is wonderfully delicate. How can we not believe in it? How can you not tell yourself that love makes anything possible.
Every moment from the beginning, enchants you, slowly at first, then more and more deeply. At the beginning, the story is interesting, engaging, then it gets more and more fascinating.
All of this moves you and makes you understand that it’s much more than a simple love story. My heart was in my throat. When everything collapses, when everything changes, there is only the fear, the darkness, and no more kisses left. How can we get through it? What do broken dreams become? What does withered hope become? Cat Clarke answers these questions with tears and some love.
In reality, this is a book about all of the above, but it’s also about lies. What is this lie? What does it bring? Good or bad. What is left in the end? Does the hope of truth remain? Poignant, this book brings answers, but questions as well. Sensitively and powerfully, Cat Clarke brings us a story like no other, that will have your heart in your throat and tears in your eyes. The lie will destroy everything.
There is Alex. A person who is sweet, attentive, and who leads us to believe that everything could be different, unique, dreamy. Hope and heart, Love and fear. The first part is sincerely wonderful, endearing in all aspects, but also so heartrending and captivating: how will it resolve itself? Then there is Kate, down to earth and in love, she stays in our hearts and we wonder, what is left of her feelings? What is left for her? Will she ever recover? They’re a couple, just a couple. But this is so real, it’s our turn to fall in love with them. Who do we fall in love with? People are just people, aren’t they?
Questions. Always the same questions throughout the story which captivate you. Cat Clarke leads us in a dance and we get transported on a movement so marvelous, and not as alien as we might think, in a blend of black and white, hot and cold, lie and truth…
And when all is lost, we understand that this is more complex than that. And that everything is different from this incredible dream we forged with Alex and Kate. On what does love rely? All these questions are touched on with depth and an infallible intelligence. These questions ran on a loop in my head, and they’re still running. I’ve been looking for the answers since I finished the book… but I always come back to the same thing: this intelligence used with care and depth confuses you and brings so many feelings out in you… This couple is sincerely wonderful and this ending is… indescribable. Extraordinary. (What else is there to say?!)
Indeed, Cat Clarke handles our feelings with skill in order to bring us into this incredible story in a believable way, never wavering. Her writing style is simple but endearing and effective. Words smash against us. A writing genius, she tells us about the discernible existence of love and the terrifying threat of lies. What remains after that?
What remains after A Kiss in the Dark? The incredible hope of a happy ending haunts us throughout the whole book. This is the main question of the novel: can love, true love, survive in any circumstances? And are lies the most destructive force in the world? More generally, the novel is about hope. The hope of a sweet, wonderful life, far away from darkness, spent in someone else’s arms or in the warmth of a sunset on the beach. This book is about hope that illuminates the darkness … much like a kiss in the dark.
March 12, 2017
Things like this really do happen in real life. I remembered that this also happened to someone I know. She was devastated of course because she invested a lot in the relationship. Only to find out it was all a lie.
Love is the reason people make crazy things.
I can't say that I totally understand why you have to trick someone you love but also I'm trying to put myself into her shoes.
For the first part, you can read Alex's POV.
It made me nervous because although you know that something will happen, like you're just waiting for the shoe to drop, you still continue to read it.
She's16 and actually think she's really sweet. She idolize her older brother Jamie.
She met Kate online. They chatted and eventually met on a concert. And from there, things had gotten serious about them. They fell in love. Only Alex had a secret. She pretended to be a boy.
The second part is Kate's POV. And I'm literally biting my nails. You can read about how hurt she is of the betrayal and because of that, she made up things to hurt Alex too.
I wanted to shake her.
Things got pretty messed up. I'm torn with feeling sorry for Kate and hating her.
Teenagers and their twisted minds.
It's easier to lie than to tell the truth. You have to really wait for things to be drastic before you do something. Whew! What a ride. Very angst filled.
Warning: Deception and lies. Tons of lies.
Love is the reason people make crazy things.
I can't say that I totally understand why you have to trick someone you love but also I'm trying to put myself into her shoes.
For the first part, you can read Alex's POV.
It made me nervous because although you know that something will happen, like you're just waiting for the shoe to drop, you still continue to read it.
She's16 and actually think she's really sweet. She idolize her older brother Jamie.
She met Kate online. They chatted and eventually met on a concert. And from there, things had gotten serious about them. They fell in love. Only Alex had a secret. She pretended to be a boy.
The second part is Kate's POV. And I'm literally biting my nails. You can read about how hurt she is of the betrayal and because of that, she made up things to hurt Alex too.
I wanted to shake her.
Things got pretty messed up. I'm torn with feeling sorry for Kate and hating her.
Teenagers and their twisted minds.
It's easier to lie than to tell the truth. You have to really wait for things to be drastic before you do something. Whew! What a ride. Very angst filled.
Warning: Deception and lies. Tons of lies.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2017
I have literally just finished this book and I don't even remember how to function. There are no words for what I feel right now.
Why do you do this to me Cat. Why do you end books that way? You can't leave it like that! I want more. No I need it!!
This was just beautiful and heartbreaking and wonderful and horrible and made me hurt in so many different ways.
I'm not going to say anything else because it'll turn spoilery :)
Why do you do this to me Cat. Why do you end books that way? You can't leave it like that! I want more. No I need it!!
This was just beautiful and heartbreaking and wonderful and horrible and made me hurt in so many different ways.
I'm not going to say anything else because it'll turn spoilery :)
April 7, 2014
Having read and adored Cat Clarke's other novels- Entangled, Torn and Undone- I was expecting great things from A Kiss in the Dark. However, I did not anticipate just quite how potent and moving the story would be. As others have stated, it's challenging to review this book without giving too much of the plot away- a reason why the book description is so vague. However, what I can say is that this novel is simply beautiful. The perspective of both main characters, Alex and Kate, are explored deeply, in separate halves of the book, although I must admit that I felt a stronger connection with Alex. I like how Clarke has given both characters a difficult secret and a lie to deal with, which they must work to overcome. The book also challenges society, and its idea of what is right and what is wrong, which is a bold move by Clarke. Despite being masked by the face value of a teenage romance fiction, there are some far deeper subject matters examined, such as accepting sexuality, which can be, as the characters clearly demonstrate, a struggle to face up to due to the views of society, whether these views are morally correct or not. Another theme covered is the matter of love, and again whether love can ever be 'right' or 'wrong', but I can't go into detail as this may spoil part of the plot for those of you who have not yet read the book.
On another note, the characters are surprisingly likable (if you have read other books by Cat Clarke, you may notice that sometimes the protagonists can be somewhat hard to like at times), and you can really find yourself in their situation. It's very easy to root for the characters, and I desperately wanted everything to work out okay for Alex and Kate in the end. All the characters seem realistic in my mind, and I could hear Alex and Kate's voices during their points of view in the book so vividly.
A Kiss in the Dark is extremely moving, and Clarke has great skill in pulling on the reader's emotions through her writing. I can remember feeling light and joyous one moment, before turning the page and wanting to cry.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. I think it might just be my favourite Cat Clarke novel to date, and I greatly look forward to her next book, Safe and Sound, which will be released next spring.
On another note, the characters are surprisingly likable (if you have read other books by Cat Clarke, you may notice that sometimes the protagonists can be somewhat hard to like at times), and you can really find yourself in their situation. It's very easy to root for the characters, and I desperately wanted everything to work out okay for Alex and Kate in the end. All the characters seem realistic in my mind, and I could hear Alex and Kate's voices during their points of view in the book so vividly.
A Kiss in the Dark is extremely moving, and Clarke has great skill in pulling on the reader's emotions through her writing. I can remember feeling light and joyous one moment, before turning the page and wanting to cry.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. I think it might just be my favourite Cat Clarke novel to date, and I greatly look forward to her next book, Safe and Sound, which will be released next spring.
March 25, 2014
A Kiss in the Dark was raw and frank and I was gripped from the very beginning.
I have been staring at a blank page and blinking cursor for ages now, and still cannot think how on earth to write this review to both do the book justice and convey just how amazing it is.
Alex and Kate are two teens who meet and form an instant bond. Straight away they fall deeper into their feelings for each other and can barely stand to be apart. But one of them is keeping a secret and the other has no idea.
Told firstly from Alex’s POV and then Kate’s, we get an incredible insight into both of these characters. A secret, a lie and an impossible situation. Cat Clarke has an amazing talent of showing us gritty story lines in unflinching honesty and I admire her bravery and this book shines because of it. It was rich and vibrant with Edinburgh as the backdrop to the story and the characters simply leapt off the page is startling clarity and Technicolor.
Once I started this book I could barely put it down and the deeper into the story I got, the more it held me until the end. It is real and I can’t stop thinking about it.
I have been staring at a blank page and blinking cursor for ages now, and still cannot think how on earth to write this review to both do the book justice and convey just how amazing it is.
Alex and Kate are two teens who meet and form an instant bond. Straight away they fall deeper into their feelings for each other and can barely stand to be apart. But one of them is keeping a secret and the other has no idea.
Told firstly from Alex’s POV and then Kate’s, we get an incredible insight into both of these characters. A secret, a lie and an impossible situation. Cat Clarke has an amazing talent of showing us gritty story lines in unflinching honesty and I admire her bravery and this book shines because of it. It was rich and vibrant with Edinburgh as the backdrop to the story and the characters simply leapt off the page is startling clarity and Technicolor.
Once I started this book I could barely put it down and the deeper into the story I got, the more it held me until the end. It is real and I can’t stop thinking about it.
July 21, 2014
Alex and Kate met online.
He is everything she wants in a boyfriend and she is everything he wants in a girlfriend.
But one of them has a secret that could ruin their relationship.
Well, I saw the big twist coming. It was more or less what I had expected. However, what I hadn't expected was to be hooked.
The book is divided in two parts, before and after. The before, where we meet Alex and Kate and one of them still don't know about the secret was my favorite. I'm pretty sure I read it in like, three hours. It was a solid five stars.
But then the after came.
I was expecting a hug and a quick reconciliation, but instead there was a huge misunderstanding and even more problems! Maybe it was more realistic this way, I don't know. And the ending felt rushed, too.
I hate being this vague, but it's difficult to review this without giving any spoilers.
The characters where really well written and the acted like teenagers. And they, wow!, to talk to their parents.
A quick and enjoyable read that I wish I could give a five stars.
He is everything she wants in a boyfriend and she is everything he wants in a girlfriend.
But one of them has a secret that could ruin their relationship.
Well, I saw the big twist coming. It was more or less what I had expected. However, what I hadn't expected was to be hooked.
The book is divided in two parts, before and after. The before, where we meet Alex and Kate and one of them still don't know about the secret was my favorite. I'm pretty sure I read it in like, three hours. It was a solid five stars.
But then the after came.
I was expecting a hug and a quick reconciliation, but instead there was a huge misunderstanding and even more problems! Maybe it was more realistic this way, I don't know. And the ending felt rushed, too.
I hate being this vague, but it's difficult to review this without giving any spoilers.
The characters where really well written and the acted like teenagers. And they, wow!, to talk to their parents.
A quick and enjoyable read that I wish I could give a five stars.
October 30, 2017
I really wanted to love this but unfortunately I just... didn't. I thought it dealt with LGBTQ issues clumsily (trans people are all deceitful and lie about their gender!) and it was really not satisfying. I enjoyed aspects of this book especially the fact it's set in Edinburgh where I'm from but I don't think it handled sensitive issues with enough nuance.
July 9, 2015
Read in one sitting, writing as compulsive as ever with Cat Clarke, and a subject matter that properly challenges assumptions about sexuality.
October 7, 2019
This was complete and utter trash
January 26, 2019
I really loved the start of this book - easy to read and kept me turning the pages. By about half way I was starting to overthink the characters and some of their decisions.. I had to stop myself and decided that I would just enjoy this book for what it was, young adult fiction with a few twists and turns. And that’s what I did. I enjoyed it. 3 stars.
December 1, 2017
Un buen libro
February 15, 2017
Very disappointed with this book. It was boring and dragged on a lot. :(
February 8, 2021
I Just Don't Understand How The Plot Was That Bad, it's like comp-het meets internalised homophobia meets trivialisation of meets an inverted[?] trope except somehow the plot would be better if one of the characters Actually were , instead of it being Really Heavily Implied In The First Half Of The Book but Never Acknowledged and nope I guess that's just the comp-het aCtually ??? - ... just. the conclusion of the book. the main character basically says and if THAT'S not a Red Flag, I Don't Know What Is.
If you're an LGBT person, this book will really disappoint you. There is no positive LGBT representation at all. The main characters treat the possibility of being gay as something to be embarrassed or even disgusted by. The one side character who ostensibly likes women is also the one character to use the d*ke slur. And if, like me, you were perhaps hoping for a story about a trans character ... read the first half of the book, and then Stop There and Do Not Go Any Further. - It's very strongly hinted in the first half that . However, and I think it's somewhat self-evident how problematic that is.
I've seen a couple of reviews saying that they couldn't believe how
The biggest disappointment for me is how good the depiction of the relationship between Kate and Alex is in the first half of the book: it was fluffy and happy and soft, and their feelings felt absolutely genuine. There was so much potential for this to be a great story, and if , then I think I'd have loved this.
One final note -
If you're an LGBT person, this book will really disappoint you. There is no positive LGBT representation at all. The main characters treat the possibility of being gay as something to be embarrassed or even disgusted by. The one side character who ostensibly likes women is also the one character to use the d*ke slur. And if, like me, you were perhaps hoping for a story about a trans character ... read the first half of the book, and then Stop There and Do Not Go Any Further. - It's very strongly hinted in the first half that . However, and I think it's somewhat self-evident how problematic that is.
I've seen a couple of reviews saying that they couldn't believe how
The biggest disappointment for me is how good the depiction of the relationship between Kate and Alex is in the first half of the book: it was fluffy and happy and soft, and their feelings felt absolutely genuine. There was so much potential for this to be a great story, and if , then I think I'd have loved this.
One final note -
February 21, 2015
Chronique originalement postée Sous ma Couverture
Que pensez-vous ressentir quand vous commencez un roman de Cat Clarke?
Parce que, soyons honnête. On ne lit pas un roman de Cat Clarke pour son résumé. On ne dit pas "tiens, Cat Clarke a écrit un livre, mais il ne me plait pas, alors je ne vais pas le lire."
Non. On se fiche du résumé, et parce que c'est un roman de Cat Clarke, on va le lire.
Que pensez-vous ressentir quand vous commencez un roman de Cat Clarke?
Beaucoup d'émotions, puisé dans l'amour, la bêtise, et une fin déchirante qui fait mal.
Pour ma part, ce roman n'a pas su me donner ma dose d'émotion made in Clarke. Dès le début, je savais que je n'aurais pas un coup de coeur. Je sais que les débuts d'histoires d'amour sont toujours ultra gênante, et que soudain, on n'a plus rien à dire, et tout ce qu'on a dire semble ridiculement débile.
Alex et Kate sont passées par là aussi, et malgré cette dose de réalisme dans les dialogues, je les ai trouvés plats, et peu attractifs. J'ai croisé les doigts bien fort pour que ça s'arrange plus tard, et merci Dieu Cookie, ça s'est arrangé. N'ayez donc pas peur de ce point. Si vous ne l'avez pas lu. Vous l'avez pas tous lu quand même ? Je ne suis pas la dernière, si ?
Pour aller droit au but, la relation Alex - Kate est basée sur le mensonge. Le plus gros mensonge possible.
Pour une fois ce n'est pas l'homosexualité en soi qui pose problème, malgré des traces de gène. Cat Clarke a su me surprendre alors que je redoutais le pire durant la seconde moitié du livre. Malgré ce ... "pire", cette seconde partie a été un vrai calvaire. Je n'ai pas su m'arrêter de tourner et tourner et tourner les pages jusqu'à connaître le fin mot de l'histoire, mais qu'est-ce que mes mains m'ont démangées...
Pour finir, j'ai eu peur d'un élément final qui n'est jamais arrivé et qui a fait gagner des points supplémentaires à cette petite déception de la part des personnages, de leurs bêtises, et de leurs mensonges.
En bref, l'intrigue est très prenante, originale, bien qu'un poil tirée par les cheveux, une redondance sur les mensonges, devenue la marque de fabrique de Cat Clarke, et une fin qui a su me surprendre, et qui était réellement la bonne décision :)
Ce que j'ai le plus aimé : Un amour intense, qui se déroule dans une ville que j'ai visité il n'y a même pas un mois. Ça fait vraiment bizarre de lire des passages dans des rues ou des magasins dans lesquels je suis allée !
Ce que j'ai le moins aimé : L'envie de frapper tout ce qui passe à cause des conneries des personnages.
Que pensez-vous ressentir quand vous commencez un roman de Cat Clarke?
Parce que, soyons honnête. On ne lit pas un roman de Cat Clarke pour son résumé. On ne dit pas "tiens, Cat Clarke a écrit un livre, mais il ne me plait pas, alors je ne vais pas le lire."
Non. On se fiche du résumé, et parce que c'est un roman de Cat Clarke, on va le lire.
Que pensez-vous ressentir quand vous commencez un roman de Cat Clarke?
Beaucoup d'émotions, puisé dans l'amour, la bêtise, et une fin déchirante qui fait mal.
Pour ma part, ce roman n'a pas su me donner ma dose d'émotion made in Clarke. Dès le début, je savais que je n'aurais pas un coup de coeur. Je sais que les débuts d'histoires d'amour sont toujours ultra gênante, et que soudain, on n'a plus rien à dire, et tout ce qu'on a dire semble ridiculement débile.
Alex et Kate sont passées par là aussi, et malgré cette dose de réalisme dans les dialogues, je les ai trouvés plats, et peu attractifs. J'ai croisé les doigts bien fort pour que ça s'arrange plus tard, et merci Dieu Cookie, ça s'est arrangé. N'ayez donc pas peur de ce point. Si vous ne l'avez pas lu. Vous l'avez pas tous lu quand même ? Je ne suis pas la dernière, si ?
Pour aller droit au but, la relation Alex - Kate est basée sur le mensonge. Le plus gros mensonge possible.
Pour une fois ce n'est pas l'homosexualité en soi qui pose problème, malgré des traces de gène. Cat Clarke a su me surprendre alors que je redoutais le pire durant la seconde moitié du livre. Malgré ce ... "pire", cette seconde partie a été un vrai calvaire. Je n'ai pas su m'arrêter de tourner et tourner et tourner les pages jusqu'à connaître le fin mot de l'histoire, mais qu'est-ce que mes mains m'ont démangées...
Pour finir, j'ai eu peur d'un élément final qui n'est jamais arrivé et qui a fait gagner des points supplémentaires à cette petite déception de la part des personnages, de leurs bêtises, et de leurs mensonges.
En bref, l'intrigue est très prenante, originale, bien qu'un poil tirée par les cheveux, une redondance sur les mensonges, devenue la marque de fabrique de Cat Clarke, et une fin qui a su me surprendre, et qui était réellement la bonne décision :)
Ce que j'ai le plus aimé : Un amour intense, qui se déroule dans une ville que j'ai visité il n'y a même pas un mois. Ça fait vraiment bizarre de lire des passages dans des rues ou des magasins dans lesquels je suis allée !
Ce que j'ai le moins aimé : L'envie de frapper tout ce qui passe à cause des conneries des personnages.
April 4, 2014
There is no way I can review this book by outlining any of the plot or themes, otherwise I will totally ruin it for you. So, here’s the blurb:
When Alex meets Kate the attraction is instant.
Alex is funny, good-looking, and a little shy – everything that Kate wants in a boyfriend.
Alex can’t help falling for Kate, who is pretty, charming and maybe just a little naive…
But one of them is hiding a secret, and as their love blossoms, it threatens to ruin not just their relationship, but their lives.
A Kiss In The Dark was a phenomenal book. From the moment I started it, I felt like I was in for a treat and very quickly I was sucker punched by a huge bombshell and I was HOOKED.
The characters in this book (the main two being Kate and Alex) developed incredibly well over the course of the book and as we found out more about their lives and their relationship, I began to see them as two complex characters who I honestly felt a connection with. The narrative is divided into two sections: one from Kate’s point of view and one from Alex’s. This aspect was really well executed and it ended with me siding with both characters, not able to hate or dislike one more than the other, feeling sorry for them both.
Clarke has such skill in writing for a YA audience and for teasing certain emotions from the reader. Without sounding clichéd, I went on a huge roller-coaster of emotions. Anger, fear, shock, hatred and love were just a handful of the emotions I felt whilst reading and I cannot imagine anyone being able to read this book without having similar emotional reactions. The descriptions of settings were spot on and whilst they were secondary to the real action that was going on, it still felt as though they had been painstakingly worked on to make them as beautiful as they were.
Once I’d put this book down I wasn’t sure how I felt. I had LOVED the book up until the last few chapters and then I felt like the ending had been resolved too easily and was a little rushed. My one wish is that there had been some kind of epilogue set a few months after the book to see what had happened to the characters; otherwise it felt like a little bit of a cop out. However, having said that, I still give this book four and a half stars and urge anyone to read it straight away. You will not be disappointed.
When Alex meets Kate the attraction is instant.
Alex is funny, good-looking, and a little shy – everything that Kate wants in a boyfriend.
Alex can’t help falling for Kate, who is pretty, charming and maybe just a little naive…
But one of them is hiding a secret, and as their love blossoms, it threatens to ruin not just their relationship, but their lives.
A Kiss In The Dark was a phenomenal book. From the moment I started it, I felt like I was in for a treat and very quickly I was sucker punched by a huge bombshell and I was HOOKED.
The characters in this book (the main two being Kate and Alex) developed incredibly well over the course of the book and as we found out more about their lives and their relationship, I began to see them as two complex characters who I honestly felt a connection with. The narrative is divided into two sections: one from Kate’s point of view and one from Alex’s. This aspect was really well executed and it ended with me siding with both characters, not able to hate or dislike one more than the other, feeling sorry for them both.
Clarke has such skill in writing for a YA audience and for teasing certain emotions from the reader. Without sounding clichéd, I went on a huge roller-coaster of emotions. Anger, fear, shock, hatred and love were just a handful of the emotions I felt whilst reading and I cannot imagine anyone being able to read this book without having similar emotional reactions. The descriptions of settings were spot on and whilst they were secondary to the real action that was going on, it still felt as though they had been painstakingly worked on to make them as beautiful as they were.
Once I’d put this book down I wasn’t sure how I felt. I had LOVED the book up until the last few chapters and then I felt like the ending had been resolved too easily and was a little rushed. My one wish is that there had been some kind of epilogue set a few months after the book to see what had happened to the characters; otherwise it felt like a little bit of a cop out. However, having said that, I still give this book four and a half stars and urge anyone to read it straight away. You will not be disappointed.
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