17 First Kisses

by Rachael Allen

No matter how many boys Claire kisses, she can’t seem to find a decent boyfriend. Someone who wouldn’t rather date her gorgeous best friend, Megan. Someone who won’t freak out when he learns about the tragedy her family still hasn’t recovered from. Someone whose kisses can carry her away from her backwoods town for one fleeting moment.

Until Claire meets Luke.

But Megan is falling for Luke, too, and if there’s one thing Claire knows for sure, it’s that Megan’s pretty much irresistible.

With true love and best friendship on the line, Claire suddenly has everything to lose. And what she learns—about her crush, her friends, and most of all herself—makes the choices even harder.

In her moving debut, Rachael Allen brilliantly captures the complexities of friendship, the struggles of self-discovery, and the difficulties of trying to find love in high school. Fans of Sarah Ockler, Susane Colasanti, and Stephanie Perkins will fall head over heels for this addictive, heartfelt, and often hilarious modern love story.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, High School, Chick Lit, Fiction, Young Adult Contemporary

319 pages, Paperback

First published June 17, 2014

About the author

Quick bio:
RACHAEL ALLEN is a scientist by day and kid lit author by night. She is the winner of the 2019 Georgia Young Adult Author of the Year Award, and her books include Harley Quinn: Reckoning (forthcoming, RHCB ‘22), 17 First Kisses, The Revenge Playbook, The Summer of Impossibilities, and A Taxonomy of Love, which was a Junior Library Guild Selection and was among the 2018 Books All Young Georgians Should Read. Rachael lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband, two children, and two dire wolves. She loves homemade peach ice cream, having adventures all over the world, and stories that make her feel like she’s been poured inside another person.


More stuff about me:
- I love reading and writing YA.

- I'm represented by the fabulous Susan Hawk of Upstart Crow Literary.

- Laurie Halse Anderson once gave me writerly advice on a post-it, and it was the culmination of my being.

- I'm obsessed with football. Playing flag football, watching pro football (Falcons Rise Up!), being a belligerent Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets fan, and playing fantasy football with my family.

- I have held a human brain. (It was during anatomy lab. I'm not, like, a serial killer.)

- I'm such a wuss, I get scared watching the previews for horror movies. Seriously, when a scary commercial comes on, I squeal and frantically jab the fast forward button on our DVR remote.

- I love reading about strong women protagonists, fully imagined worlds, anything STEM, rebellion against the establishment, neurodegenerative diseases, and makeover montages - though probably not all in the same book.

- Some writers I love: Laini Taylor, Raina Telgemeier, Becky Albertalli, Jason Reynolds, Laurie Halse Anderson, Aisha Saeed, Libba Bray, Kara Taylor, Elizabeth Acevedo, Adam Silvera, Nina LaCour, E. Lockhart, Nicola Yoon, Julie Murphy, Sarah Dessen, Stephanie Perkins, I could go on forever.

Reviews

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 1 out of 5]

"If you were the one dating him and she was the one who couldn’t stop thinking about him, you’d want her to stay away, right?”
I wince. “Yeah. Yeah, I would.” But Luke and I are supposed to be together, I want to say. So it’s different. Isn’t it?

According to this book: boys >>>>>>> friendship.

There's a stupid 60s song by the Supremes whose lyrics I think goes together perfectly with this book.

Nothing you can say can tear me away from my guy
Nothing you can do 'cause I'm stuck like glue to my guy
I'm sticking to my guy like a stamp to a letter
Like birds of a feather we stick together
I'm telling you from the start, I can't be torn apart from my guy

I read a lot of bad books. Please believe when I say that this book has the dubious honor of being one of the worst YA contemporary romances I have ever read. You know the saying, "bros before hos," and "sisters before misters" meaning, value your same-sex friends before all else, don't let a boyfriend or a girlfriend come between the way of genuine friendship?

This book doesn't have it.

If you want female friendship, this book will tell you to "fuck off, slut." This book is a sweet book about female friendship in the same way that Fifty Shades of Grey is a lovely, uncomplicated little book about romance. There's insta-love, there's cheating, there's the most obvious love triangle in the world (it's more of a love square, really).

There is so much girl-on-girl hatred. There is so much slut shaming. I have almost lost track of the word count of references to "sluts," "bitches," "skanks," "ho-bags," and "tramps" in this book.

The girls in this book have nothing but contempt for each other. The Southern high school atmosphere is so exaggerated as to be completely fucking laughable. The guys are simple idiots. Every single girl, with the exception of the main character, is a mindless, boy-crazy whore.

I loathe slut shaming. I fucking hate it. I think it is unnecessary, I recognize that it exists, but don't expect me to like a book in which the sole comment used to insult another girl involves her sexuality. Yes, I know perfectly well that girls use those words to insult each other in real life, but a book in which a girl calls herself "a slut" for kissing a lot of boys. Where girls are constantly referred to as trashy.

A girl who is obviously determined to redefine white trash.
And she is wearing tighter-than-tight cutoff denim shorts, cowboy boots, and a shirt that says, I kid you not, Dixie Pride. In rhinestones.

Where a girl is shamed for having a curvy body. Where dressing provocatively is to risk being humiliated.

“She looks like such a skank. Everyone is talking about it.."

The word slut is a word I hate, the use of sexuality as a derogatory term is a fucking stupid trend in YA novels that should be discouraged. I absolutely hated this book's plot and main character, and the rampant shaming of sexuality within this book does it no further credit.

“Whatever,” says Amanda Bell. “You’re still a skank.”
“Ho-bag,” says Hot Pink.

The Summary:

“So, what do we do now?”
“Have the catfight of the century?”
“Ha-ha.”
“How does this always happen to us?”
You call dibs on everything in boxer shorts.

You wouldn't know it, but Megan and our main character, Claire, are best friends. Megan is the stunning, super-popular (albeit slutty-looking) Queen Bee...

Amberly’s wearing the regulation uniform like everyone else, but it just looks different on her. Like it’s a stripper costume.

Who has long ago initiated lowly, gawky Claire into her super-secret-special-society.

She clasps her hands in front of her and smiles. “CJ, we want you to be a member of the Crown Society.”

And Claire is, like, SOOOOOOOOOO grateful. Thanks to the beautiful Megan, she is now one of the popular girls. Megan is not only her best friend, she is her closest confidance. Megan knows Claire's secrets. She knows about Claire's mother's secret depression, Megan understands Claire. I mean, they made a PACT together.

Pact #1: We will be best friends forever (sealed with a pinky swear in seventh grade).

So how long does that pact last? All of 5 minutes after Claire falls into insta-love with dreamy newcomer Luke.

I’m momentarily startled by his eyes. They’re blue and dreamy and everything, but there’s something else, something shuttered, and that’s the part I find myself strangely drawn to. If my life were one of those paranormal romances, he would be the guy that turns out to be a were-manatee or whatever.

Ah, yes, the irresistible were-manatee.

Friendship, fuck friendship. This is war. The prize is Luke. Years and years of friendship is nothing when it comes to securing a man, y'all. Megan wants him, too, and it is a silent battle, because Claire saw him first. She might have peed on him alpha-wolf style, if she could.

I’m dying to scream, Back off. I saw him first!

They're at war, an undeclared war where Claire can't even hug Megan without thinking about Luke.

I want to hug Megan right here in the middle of the cafeteria, but that would be weird. Plus, she might take the hug as permission to go after Luke, which I am so not giving her.

Everything Luke does has sooooooooo much more meaning when he does it with her instead of Megan.

Her story sounds similar to when Luke was comforting me. But...she must have misinterpreted what he did. I know what it was like with Luke on that porch. I’m positive he wanted me.

Instead of comforting Megan when her newfound relationship with Luke is starting to fall apart...

As I slip downstairs I feel shocked and sad for my best friend like I’m supposed to, but buried underneath that, I feel the tiniest flicker of hope.

When it looks like Luke is talking shit about Megan behind her back how does Claire feel?

He laughs. “Megan’s not exactly the brightest crayon in the box.”
She’s not dumb, and I actually hate when people say things like that, but I let it slide because I’m relieved he doesn’t seem to be harboring any feelings for her.

And when she gets the chance, will Megan stab her best friend in the back?

Perfect enough to backstab your best friend over? a tiny voice inside me asks.
I shake that thought away. I saw him first. We were supposed to be together all along.

Oh, you fucking bet.

The Setting: I expect a lot of sweetness, quietness, community when I read a book that takes place within a small-town setting.

I really shouldn't have bothered. This book is utterly laughable. There is nothing but pettiness in this small town, from the adult churchgoing women who laugh at the fact that a woman's suffering from severe depression after losing her infant child, to idiotic teenagers who form the equivalent of a Mean Girls clique who daaaaaaaaaaance so, like, groovily, man!

Britney alternates her little dance moves with a glare that is either self-conscious or angry. Hip shake. Glare. Shimmy. Glare. Amberly dances with so much hip action I’m worried a teacher will come over. Megan looks beyond cool. She flings her long blond hair around, and throws her hands in the air, and laughs with her head thrown back as she sings along to the music.

I was laughing my ass off at the initiation of Claire in the CROWN SOCIETY because it is just so fucking dumb. Even for a bunch of teenagers, that is. If this book intends to parody Mean Girls, it fails. I'm supposed to laugh WITH the book, not AT it.

The high schoolers (particularly the female ones) in this book redefine the meaning of idiocy. There is not a single realistic, likeable teenager in this book.

“We need to talk to you,” says the blond one, who is obviously their leader.
“Yeah,” says Amanda Bell, clearly angling to be second-in-command. “You just need to know that everyone hates you.”
The blonde cuts in. “Because you’re a slut. Amberly used to be the school slut, but now it’s you.”

Claire-ly A Bitch:

I don’t like the way it makes me feel about myself to think about it, so I try to push those thoughts away.

Meet your main character! Isn't she fucking awesome?

No.

Claire is, frankly, a backstabbing bitch. Megan has been her best friend for years. They like each other, they understand each other. Despite her beauty, Megan is not stupid, and she is a good human being.

She’s fiercely loyal. She’s fun. She’s hilarious. She’s completely honest about the things she loves and the things that terrify her.

And therefore it is completely idiotic to give me a main character who is so willing and able to stab a friend in the back for the sake of insta-love.

Megan spends the entire book telling us about her 17 first kisses, and the fact that she felt like SUUUUUUUUUUUCH A SLUT because she kissed so many guys. She is immature. She is juvenile. She does stupid fucking things and hurts other people.

“No.” This time I look him right in his kind brown eyes. “I mean, that’s why I kissed you. I kissed all four of you guys to get back at him.”

I get it. Teenagers are not perfect, they do dumb things. It's when the number of stupidity seems infinite that I lose patience, and that's what this book does for me. There is simply no end to the number of dumb fucking things that Claire does.

The Romance: There is a love triangle in this book, and you could see it coming a mile away. It's between a male best friend named Sam, formerly "lardy," now a hunk.

Sam isn’t supposed to do stuff like go for drives. He’s supposed to be asexual like aphids or those lizards we learned about in bio.

And the hot new dude, the well-traveled Luke, Luke, who woos Claire with romantic stories of ALL THE THINGS.

And we’ll end in Paris, because you have to end in Paris, and I’ll take you to the best macaron shop, and we’ll have a macaron feast for breakfast while we sit on the Pont des Arcs and watch the sunrise.”
Luke. Wants to go to Europe. With me. And do all that romantic stuff he just said.

Was I ever so fickle and easily bought when I was a teenaged girl? Nope. Nope. Claire is just fucking starry-eyed and dumb as fuck.

Luke...well, this is your love interest, guys. This is the guy you're supposed to fall for. A guy who would talk trash about a girl's best friend behind her back. And Claire is just so fucking loyal to her best friend that she lets him---and takes great joy in it

“A couple of times when it was just guys hanging out, he said stuff about Megan. Like, he makes fun of the stupid stuff she does. And he called her dumb.”
“Really?” I can’t help smiling a little.
“Okay, I didn’t say that so you’d get excited. I said it so you’d realize maybe he isn’t the nicest guy.”
“Well, maybe he would be a good boyfriend. He just needs the right girl. Luke’s smart. He needs a smart girl to match him.”

Fuck you a thousand times. Die in the fire of a thousand tons of dried hyena feces.

[aimee (aimeecanread) · Rating 2 out of 5]

*This review might contain some spoilers--for the sake of ranting, of course.

Okay, we have another case of a highly misleading synopsis! Not in a particularly good or bad way, per se, but in a really confusing way. So, if you'll base your want to read this one on the synopsis, let me warn you: read between the lines.

That aside, I can say that I wasn't a fan of this novel. The story is narrated by Claire. Again, based on the synopsis, I assumed she was a really sweet, possibly naive, and caring girl. But boy am I wrong. She was the queen bee's best friend and was constantly influenced by the more popular crowd. She was called a "slut" by her classmates at some point, having kissed 13 guys at age 17.

I wouldn't call Claire a slut, but she did kiss a lot of guys because of the influence of the popular crowd. I didn't even get her friendship with said queen bee, Megan. I found it odd that they even called each other their best friends. They constantly stole each other's boyfriends, then make up after some apologies and it was really freaking me out. I get that they're close and tell each other everything, but really? If you could see me, I'd be rolling my eyes.

Claire even kissed her ex's four bandmates just to get back at him. What the hell, girl? That isn't even humane anymore. She even led one on! That was just disgusting. Let's keep in mind that Claire's seventeen.


I really didn't like Megan as an individual character, either. She let the popularity get into her head and just knew how she controlled the entire student body. I didn't understand why the other students even liked her. Puh-lease. She was bitch extraordinaire. (Excuse my French. There was no better word to describe her with.)

Let's talk about the love interest. *shudders* Okay, we have Luke. Luke, who was definitely not what he seemed. He was an asshole wearing the disguise of a sweet, caring guy. Didn't fool me, ha! I could tell from the start that something was really off about him and I was right.

A little side note: I'm a teen (fourteen) and I don't know anyone, really, who acts like the characters in these novels. There's this one character (I won't say who) who's 17 and has already done the deed with 3 girls. I mean, is that even normal? I wouldn't know, of course.

Overall, I thought this one was the baby of Catching Jordan (which I will heart forever) in terms of a misleading synopsis and Maybe One Day (which I thought was boring) in terms of friendships I hardly care about. The only positive thing I got out of this one was the really nice writing style.

[Emery Lord · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite thing about this book was that it has all the pleasures of a contemporary YA rom-com, while managing to play with tropes of the genre. 17FK takes the stereotypical Popular Girl clique (and especially the Queen Bee Cheerleader) and makes them all 3-dimensional, which was so refreshing. None of them are perfect, and their friendships aren't perfect, either. It reminded me of this picture I saw on Humans of New York, of two beautiful young women. The quote with the photo was of one saying about the other: "She's helped me view conflicts within the framework of a friendship, as opposed to seeing them as the end of a friendship." That's what I loved in 17FK: flawed female characters making mistakes with each other and giving into nasty moments...but also learning how to see your girl friends as the permanent fixtures in your life, worth forgiving and growing with.

Ultimately, this book is more about narrator Claire and her personal evolution than it was about any single relationship, which I loved. It's warm and funny, and I'd definitely recommend for contemporary YA fans!

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Review by: Amanda at Of Spectacles and Books

Why I Chose this Book:
I have come to the realization that I snub my nose at chick-lit too much. I know that I should be a well-rounded reader, and I chose this month to read at least 2-3 contemporary novels. This was a freebee I got on Edelweiss, so I decided to give it a shot. And dear God, I wish I hadn’t. I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Just to preface, this review is going to be full of ranting and raving about how upset I am about this book, so if that is not something you’re into (including minor spoilers), you should skip reading and just know not to waste your money and time on this book.

5 things you need to know about this book

1. Misleading Synopsis
This book was not okay on so many levels I nearly stopped reading it. The only reason why I finished it was so I could write a review over it. Good job to whoever mentioned Stephanie Perkins in the synopsis, because that was the reason why I took a chance on it since I’ve heard such great things about her work. But like most synopses that name drop, it fell desperately short. Even the synopsis itself is extremely misleading. I thought Claire was going to be a sweet girl, but she ended up being a popular girl right next to her best friend Megan, who -much like Claire -acted like a complete B*.

2. Abusive Relationships are Poorly Handled
Abusive relationships aren’t like Allen portrays in her book. Well, I won’t generalize it like that -most abusive relationships aren’t like she presents it in the book. Allen could have gone into so much more detail about the emotional and physical reactions to being in an abusive relationship, and even into the manipulation abusive boyfriends tend to use on girls. But Allen didn’t do anything like this. She made the relationship out to be a funny thing after it was all over.

This made my blood boil. This is a book primarily for teenagers. These teenagers are being taught that it’s still the girl’s fault if she gets raped, so what the hell is this book trying to tell girls about abusive relationships? I mean seriously? Abusive relationships should not be romanticized in any way, even if it’s just in a minor way.

Furthermore, Claire's friendship with Megan is not what friendship should be about. It shows a very skewed version of friendship that is based on selfish desires and not on a mutually giving partnership.

3. What is up with these characters?
These character were just terrible. There was no depth, no growth, no self-discovery really. There were multiple times she could have taken advantage of good material to go in depth with theses character, but she never took it. (1) She gave Luke a verbally abusive dad, but didn’t go into how that shaped him as a character; it is only implied. (2) Claire had a mom who was severely depressed -she touched on this the most, but it didn’t do much for me in way of shedding light on her character. (3) Megan is as close to a bimbo without being a bimbo as you can get with no development either.

4. Megan and Claire and teenage sex
The friendship between Megan and Claire is so jacked up. They act like stupid preteens with promises they never intend to keep and hormones they never even try to keep in check. They think, and the author supports, that messing around and having sex is what everyone does, as if it’s a rite of passage. Allen presents this facet of the book with absolutely no repercussions. She paints both of the characters (though Claire is still a virgin) as sexual teens, but she never shows the impact of sex or sexual actions and what it can do to people emotionally.

5. Other Minor Rants
A) You don’t screw over your best friend for a boy. That’s a no-no. But screwing over your best friend twice? Something is seriously wrong. No high schooler who wants to graduate alive (socially and otherwise) does crap like this.
B) You don’t kiss all of your ex-boyfriend’s buddies in order to get back at him. Like really? Claire even leads on one of the poor guys. Once again, she shows how selfish she is.
C) Peer Pressure GALORE! Claire and Megan are the popular girls in school, and much like the stereotype, they are as helpless as a fairytale damsel when it comes to peer pressure. Claire is constantly listening to peer pressure, even when she knows it’s not right -even to the certain extent that she ponders if rape is okay. Yeah, NO! There is absolutely no strength of character to be had in this novel except for one person (Sam), but there is almost no development for him, and he’s sadly flat.

Final Thoughts
I’m almost as disappointed in HarperTeen for picking this book up as I am at Rachael Allen for thinking that the issues she mentions in her book is okay for anyone let alone teenagers to read. I would not in any way recommend this book. It wasn’t even good writing in my opinion. You people may find my review harsh, but I can’t tell you how angry, offended, and frustrated I am that this book was even picked up to publish let alone written with the idea that this thought process is still found valid in our society today.

[Dahlia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a pleasant surprise of a book. It's not that 17 FIRST KISSES is a misnomer of a title; it isn't. In fact, I love the way the stories of the kisses are scattered as vignettes throughout the book. But this is really a book about family and friendship, and looking at the things that really define your life. It's not at all a neat-and-tidy book, and I have so much love for books that acknowledge that there are sexual options between kissing and sex, because, uh, there are? Definitely a contemp to watch out for in 2014!

[Jenni Arndt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fact that I even read 17 First Kisses at all is a testament to what book bloggers can accomplish. I had written this one off and didn’t think it was going to be for me at all until I saw Blythe’s (Find Bliss In Books) review. As soon as I saw that she recommended it for fans of Courtney Summers I knew that it was going to be so much more than the blurb let on. And it was, this one has become close to, if not my favourite contemporary read of 2014 so far.

What I loved so much about this book is that it was so much more than a romance. There were friendships here that were so interesting, secondary characters that were perfectly fleshed out and one of the best family dynamics I have seen in a contemporary novel. The blurb leads readers to believe that this will be a book about two best friends falling in love with the same boy and duking it out for his attention, but I can’t stress enough that it is so much more than that. Sure, there is a heavy focus on Claire’s love life, we actually get to re-live all of her first kisses with boys through some well done flashbacks, but even those moments feel much more important that just being about high school romance. In these flashbacks we see what her family has gone through in the past years and how she has lost the family that she was once blessed to have. Watching her struggle with picking up the pieces and bringing her family back to life was probably my favourite part of the novel. The emotions that come along with having your home life ripped out from under you are conveyed so well and everything Claire feels when she sees her mother grieving, or watches her father completely shut off were so palpable.

She's not only dealing with stuff at home but we also see her friendships are constantly growing and changing as well. She’s amongst the popular group of four girls in her school and as you can imagine that comes along with it’s fair share of drama. What was great about this was we saw how close Megan and Claire were. On the outside everything about this group of girls looked so superficial but they were really great friends. Once Luke comes into the picture things get rocky, but they have an openness with one another than can only come from years of great friendship. Even the other two girls in the group, Amberly and Britney became people that I really cared about. Each of these girls had their very own personality that was conveyed so well, I think Allen did such a wonderful job of fleshing everybody out.

Adding to the list of wonderful things about this novel is the honesty of it. The high school politics, sex and even the ugly truth behind relationships is all dealt with in a completely authentic way. I loved that Allen didn’t sugarcoat anything and I appreciated it because it made the story feel that much more real. It’s a true to life depiction of what being a girl in high school is like. From the name calling that goes on to the fear of losing one’s virginity I couldn’t be happier with the depiction I was presented with.

I could really gush about this book forever but then you would all get pretty bored. I think this is a must read for any contemporary lover and the recommendation Blythe made is so spot on, Summers fans will devour this book and love every single moment of it. Claire’s narration is spot on for a girl of her age and I loved that she was smart and funny to boot!

--

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

[Lisa Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that a book with kisses in the title is actually a story about the complexity of the friendships between girls--how they grow and develop and change and, sometimes, break. CJ/Claire is such a sympathetic character. I doubt any reader wouldn't find her compelling and beautifully written. None of these girls is a cliche, but the book deals with everything from self-doubt, to consent, to slut-shaming, all in a subtle way that makes the issues come alive without it being a heavy-handed issue book. It breathes with the life and truth of life in those years where you're just learning who you want to be. The flashbacks to the 17 kisses of the title help to reveal a past that complicates the present. I loved this book. A true treat...and were-manatees forever!

[catherine ♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was chock full of cliches (and not the good kind): cliques, cheating, unnecessary drama, high school stereotypes...you name it.

The characters were honestly all unlikeable, and I felt like no one was really developed.

The plot was unfortunately predictable, and overall there were so many girl fights and slut-shaming. I'd rather not.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at Writer of Wrongs

Rating: Surprisingly delightful, though flawed

I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. Contemporary, for me, is very hit or miss, but the common denominator in all my favorite contemps is definitely voice. And that was the element in 17 First Kisses that really, truly earned my love: the fact that Claire's voice is funny and touching as all hell. While this was by no means a perfect read for me,  the likes definitely outweighed the dislikes, and I ultimately really enjoyed myself.

I liked: Claire/CJ and her voice. Oh my GOD, do I love this girl. Like I said, she's hysterical, but also intensely relatable. She grew up a total soccer-playing tomboy, friends with boys (like former fat kid Sam) and unfamiliar with all thing stereotypically feminine, much to her mother's horror. But then, in junior high, she became best friends with the super popular Megan, who helped transform her from CJ the jock into Claire the girly-girl (who still plays soccer). Claire feels strangely divided and unsure who she really is, and while she and Megan clearly love each other, there is also a VERY strong element of unhealthy competition in their friendship.

But yeah. CLAIRE. THIS GIRL. I adore her utterly, and I did from the moment she got all Viola Hastings and shoved a tampon up the nose of the new-hot-guy-in-town after an unfortunate flirting-while-playing-soccer-with-elbows situation.



I didn't like: the slut-shaming. Allen handles it in a pretty interesting way, and I liked the lessons that came out of it and the way CJ deals when essentially the entire student body begins to slut-shame her. But there were also some incidents of CJ herself slut-shaming a bit, and utlimately tese aspects of the plot only served to churn my stomach. Claire definitely grew from them, but they didn't make for very pleasant reading experiences.

I liked: the 17 first kiss stories/mini vignettes. AMAZING. Every few chapters, we're treated to little flashbacks to all of Claire's kisses. What's so gorgeous about these is that the kisses really are all about Claire and her growth and her character. Each kiss story reveals more about her. I wish she'd had 1700 first kisses so I could just keep reading more of these little slivers of her past. So phenomenally done.

I didn't like: Megan. Obviously you're not meant to love most of the things Megan does, but at certain times I wasn't moved by Allen's execution of her character. Sometimes she felt too evil, or not well-rounded enough, but I guess most of the point of this book is how flawed characters are, especially teenagers who are trying to figure themselves out. This book definitely got that aspect down, which isn't always super enjoyable to read, but is certainly honest.

I liked: Claire's family. Oh, this storyline is so beautiful done and pretty darn heartbreaking. Claire's formerly active Southern mama has been replaced by a depression-crippled ghost. Claire is fighting so hard to be just like her girly older sister to please her mother, her younger sister desperately misses the mother she used to have, and everything is falling to pieces. It huuuuurts, but it hurts so gooood. It was this aspect, and Claire, that totally convinced me I had to read whatever Rachael Allen writes next.



Mixed bag: The boys. You would think that, from the title, this book would be ALL ABOUT DA SHIPS, but it's actually not. And for once, I was okay with that (though obviously there is still A SHIP and it's IMPORTANT). I like that Claire made boy-related mistakes and poor decisions, and what I loved even more is that she learned from them. The ending might have made me whisper-shout, "Noooooooo," on a crowded plane, but it was also such a mature and wise and hopeful and gorgeous ending that I can't even be mad at it. Also I don't want to say too much specifically about the boy-related stuffs because it's spoilery, but know that I want to throw very sharp cleats at one of the boys' head, and the other one I want to hug very tightly all day long.

Despite my sometimes conflicting thoughts, I definitely think you should check out 17 First Kisses. Claire is just the sort of contemporary narrative who burrows her way into my heart and stays there by being equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking.

[Celeste_pewter · Rating 5 out of 5]

17 First Kisses is why I enjoy YA literature so much - it's a story that appears to be a typical cute YA romance at first, but ends up being so much more.

Debut author Rachael Allen introduces us to Claire and Megan: two best friends who have each gone through their share of romances, without finding the right boyfriend, even though it always feels like Megan wins out in the end. However, they both end up falling for the same guy this time around, and that's when things get complicated…

I've read plenty of coming-of-age novels in the past several years, but none which have struck me quite so much as 17 First Kisses. From the very first page, Allen masterfully showcases the complexities of growing up and trying to find your version of a happily-ever-after, even as you realize that not everything you believed - whether it's happy families or cute boys - is as perfect or ideal as you have initially believed.

Part of that is accomplished through Allen's clever decision to have part of Claire's story be revealed in vignettes that run parallel to the main storyline. Readers learn how Claire and Megan's lives have evolved over time, including family drama, jerky boyfriends, and evolving personal interests, all of which have continued to shape their views of what they want in their lives and their futures.

The main storyline of the triangle between Claire, Megan and Luke is nicely done as well. Allen isn't afraid to shy away from the petty jealousies and slight jabs that will occur even between friends when a cute boy appears on the scene, but also gently reminds readers that it's friendship that will always be the most important thing. There's a definite reminder that relationships will come and go, but friendships will be forever - including friendships in unexpected places - which is a strong lesson for all readers

Of special note for parents and educators: as Blythe points out in her review, some readers may find issue with the fact that the there is a certain degree of slut-shaming in the book. However, I personally believe that Allen's inclusion of those scenes is not only highly realistic, but also handled in a way that is intelligent and well-reasoned, and will make readers think about similar events within their lives.

Allen does the same with the family dynamics which she explores in the book. She's profoundly honest with the stark realities and time involved with family drama and loss, but also optimistic and realistic as things begin to change for the better.

Finally, without giving any spoilers away: the ending is also perfect. Allen truly knows what it means to write that perfect ending which fully showcases a character's arc while also staying absolutely true their characterization and growth.

***
Final verdict:

I went into 17 First Kisses expecting a standard cute YA romance.

But what I got was a thoughtful, beautifully-written debut novel on first loves, the importance of family, and most importantly, finding strength in your friendships and in yourself, as you begin to work through the weird, marvelous journey that is life.

I highly recommend this book for fans of contemporary fiction of all ages. Readers will love both Claire and Megan, cheering for them as they begin to follow their passions, while also remaining true to their friendship. I also recommend this book for fans of Sarah Ockler and Huntley Fitzpatrick.

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

17 First Kisses was completely not on my radar, until it showed up in a package from HarperCollins, along with something I’d actually requested. I often side-eye these accompanying books, but I am so glad that Allen’s debut novel showed up on my doorstep. I was charmed right from the get go by the setting and the real high school-ness of it. Allen tackles a lot of deep subjects in her debut: family, grief, sex, friendship. Despite that, the novel still is a pleasant read, rather than depressing. It’s a novel that makes you think about the good sides of growing up, of the promise the future holds.

Read the full review at A Reader of Fictions.

[Patty]

OPENING LINE

"Finding a guy to kiss in this town is next to impossible."

DNF at page 30.

Excuse me, while I roll my eyes at the first sentence alone...

"First of all, I have to find a guy who isn't secretly pining over Megan McQueen, the most popular girl in school and my best friend. And second of all, I live in Pine Bluff. Which would be find if I wanted to kiss guys who chew tobacco and wear flannel. But I don't."

Okay, I know I probably should have given this book a couple of more chapters but from the first sentence I already didn't like Claire. As I continued to read I just continued to dislike her more and more. I didn't go into this with high expectations. I figured this would be a cute, fluffy, light summer read. Clearly I shouldn't have expected that either. Many of my friends on here gave this book 4 or more stars so it's probably just not my cup of tea.

"He's a complete tool, and I never would have let him kiss me had I not been under extreme emotional duress at the time of said kiss."

I think I almost lost my eyes from the amount of eye rolling I did. I can (probably) already guess how this will possibly play out. Claire falls for Luke, Megan falls for Luke. But Megan is miss popular so she'll probably get him first. Claire will be heartbroken, but Luke will then move on to Claire. Which causes the friendship between Megan and Claire to come to an end. But Luke will probably either turn out to be a jerk or the chemistry fizzles away...or possibly to repair her friendship with Megan she ends things with Luke. Oh, the possibilities are running wild! NOT. In the end, I put money on the fact that Claire won't even end up with Luke. I'm sure the moral to the story is learning and respecting yourself, making tough choices and learning who your real friends are...blah, blah, blah.

[Jaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun book and like others have said, this is a book less about romance and kissing, than it is about friendship, family, and the tiny perfect moments that make being a teenager so intense. This book is authentic and warm and just an all around fun read.

Highly recommended for those who love fast reads about forever friendships and accepting each other, no matter what.

[Michelle Krys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable, heart-warming, and contains probably the #1 funniest line of dialogue I've ever encountered. Recommend!

[Saoirse · Rating 2 out of 5]

An ARC was provided by the publisher for review purposes. This does not affect my review or my opinion for that matter in any way.

17 Last Disses

This is a story of a book with a highly misleading synopsis of a girl who really, REALLY likes to kiss a bunch of guys.

Dis #1 - Here we are, yet again, with an annoying heroine who gets bundled up with peer pressure coming from her group of friends. This time, her name is Claire (but most people call her CJ) who plays soccer for school.

Dis #2 - Claire has kissed an approximation of fifteen boys since her lifetime (not including present time which is plus two). Roughly 3:15 of those guys turned out to be her boyfriend for no more than a year, 1: 11 of those guys molested her while she was drunk, 4:10 of those guys she kissed are only for revenge purposes because her ex-boyfriend broke her heart and 1:4 of those revenge guys turned out to be someone who really liked her without her even knowing it. Since then, she underwent a ‘No Kiss Streak’ wherein she hadn’t kissed anyone for two whole years. But whatever, she ended up with 0:17 of those guys anyway. HA. Who says I can’t do math? (Obvs)

Dis #3 - Claire has an iniquitous group of friends who only thinks about kisses and boys and sex AND BOYS. Dude, no. That’s not the only thing teenage girls talk about. There’s a life outside of that circle and it does not include a fit of raging hormones on male species.

Dis #4 - Claire and the school’s queen bee (AKA her best friend), Megan, set up an unhealthy competition for the cute, new boy, Luke. Apparently, this has happened before with Megan’s ex-boyfriend who Claire has been attracted to. So, to make things fair, they set up a few rules to follow.

Still, that doesn’t make everything all right. The fact that they’re risking their friendship over a guy is a bad thing. It does not revoke a sense of confidence between the characters just because the guy showed some ‘flirty’ signs. Most guys tend to be over-friendly and don’t realize it that way.

Dis #5 - Flashback to those times when Megan made a mistake to Claire, like when she stole Claire’s boyfriend (who was her ex-boyfriend) while they were still dating. How Claire could forgive and forget about it was beyond me. It was infuriating. The more frustrating it becomes when their friends said that Claire technically stole the guy because he was Megan’s ex-boyfriend. She saw him first, so that made Claire the bitch and not Megan. WTF? And by the next morning, Claire found out that her boyfriend was now holding hands with her best friend. AS IF IT’S NOT A BIG DEAL.

Dis #6 - When Megan finally managed to snag Luke, Claire was devastated. BUT she must be happy for her best friend. She must accept that Luke chose Megan, not her, and act as if it’s no big deal. I don’t think this was handled well at all. It was weird, it was off, it was random! It totally came out of nowhere. I feel like it wasn’t told enough to make it convincing for me. As far as I know, Claire’s totally okay with it while still flirting with Luke. WTF.



Dis #7 - I like to think the author purposely made Megan’s character a bitch to make things more interesting with the plot. But it did not work out for me. In fact, Megan’s character was so shallow that it was unbelievable to the point where I could not think I would ever have that kind of friend. Let alone a best friend. You make a mistake to your best friend once, that’s okay. Everybody does that once in a while. It’s a humane thing. But when you make the same mistake again, that’s not the same story. Most especially when you let it go just that easy.

My point is, Megan is not much of a friend to Claire, other than prepping her up and making Claire feel beautiful and accepted and FAMOUS. That’s not how friendship works. It takes two to have a mutual respect. That’s what BFFs is all about and not competing after a certain guy or say, stealing boyfriends. They have to be both willing to hold consideration on each other’s feelings. Sure, Megan does make it up to Claire at the end when she saved her in the bathroom from a guy who almost raped her. But overall, I don’t think Megan is genuine enough to call her as a friend. I don’t know about this but I guess because there wasn’t really any depth and emotion to Megan’s character, it’s kind of hard to see her as a realistic person.

Dis #8 - It’s not only Megan. All of these characters were terrible. They were all over the pages and yet I couldn’t feel a single damn thing about them. I hold no sympathy, no real emotion to their problems, and I feel like they were not written well enough to tell a worthwhile story. There were no developments all throughout. These characters don’t hold a significant purpose in the plot because honestly, they were just so bland and boring. There was no life in them. The dialogues feel forced, like it came out straight from a quote book, and got thrown around within the characters. And, I also got these bunches of holes on their back stories.

Dis #9 - There were no substance to the sub-plots. What about Luke’s character? What happened to the abusive relationship his parents had? Would Luke finally manage to overcome his own temper issues? And how about Claire’s own parents? Will her mom fully recover from the trauma she had when her youngest son died? Will Claire’s dad recover too? Will her mom finally continue with her business? And then there’s Megan. How will she manage with her culinary school? Will her parents finally support her?

There are just a bunch of questions in my head that I want to ask but couldn’t. There are a lot of lacking parts in the book that didn’t get to see the light of the day. What happened?

Dis #10 - Slut-shaming to the nth-degree!

Dis #11 - ^That happened when Megan and Luke broke up because of Claire. Luke didn’t exactly cheat but after a day or two, Luke and Claire started to go out together. They made it a secret at first because they don’t want everyone to think that Claire has got to do it. (Even when it’s so obvious she does) But when someone from school caught them making out together in the bathroom, the spilled secret went hiatus all over school. This caused even a bigger rift between Megan and Claire’s friendship.

I feel very uncomfortable reading this part because of the slut-shaming thing. They were just everywhere! From the looks everyone gives Claire to the word W-H-O-R-E written on the front of her jersey shirt, it was horrible. If you’re not into that kind of thing, you should probably get yourself prepared.

Dis #12, #13, #14 - There’s a reason why I tripled up this diss. One, because I hate the way how Claire reacts to Sam’s admiration for her. As far as I remember, Claire seemed to be pretty adamant about how she’s clearly NOT going to go after someone as Sam because he’s her best friend. She doesn’t want that friendship go to waste. (This girl had the nerve to talk about friendships. -.-)Two, because I hate how Claire seems to be all “I—I think I like you too” just after she broke up with Luke when Sam stated that he still has feelings for her after all those boys she kissed these years. Three, because I hate how unfair it is. Sam deserves to have someone better. Four, because I hate how Claire immediately became all smitten over the guy who helped her with her boxes in her college dorm right after she settled in. Five, because I HATE CLAIRE.

Dis #15 - Another cute cover gone to waste.

Dis #16 - I DON’T HATE THIS BOOK ENTIRELY. It’s definitely not one of my favorites but I had fairly enjoyed my short time with it. I do think that Rachael Allen is a fantastic author. I think that her writing style isn’t horrible for a debut author. She has a lot of potential but I think this book deserves to have some tweaking around. It’s not entirely the best but it wasn’t that horrible either. I just don’t think that the message she was trying to convey wasn’t that clear enough for me. There were a lot of plot holes that needed some fixing up. This book lacked something in general.

Dis #17 - I don’t think the blurb “Fans of Sarah Ockler, Susane Colasanti, and Stephanie Perkins will fall head over heels for this addictive, heartfelt, and often hilarious modern love story” should not be tossed around because this is serious matter. This was surely disappointing. All I can say is Rachael Allen is a debut author on my to-watch list. There’s always room for improvement.

[Gisbelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to HarperTeen for this galley.

This book was more than what I had expected. At first I thought it was going to be another mushy, gooey teenage romance. Well, it still had all the mushiness, but on the level that I was okay with. However, there were also a lot more going on.
It was a wonderful debut!


I thought the plot was absolutely well-developed. It moved from something oh-so-casual as Claire trying to find a decent boyfriend as having kissed 13 guys before, and most of the time, it didn't turn out pretty. Then it moved on to more serious stuff like Claire's family trying to cope with the tragedy.

Initially, I believed this book going to be all about teenage girls being all crazy over some guy. And it did look like it was going in that direction too. Then things got more intense when some family drama got in the mix. This took me by surprise as it was not mentioned in the synopsis. A nice surprise, though, because the emotional scenes and giddy, boy-crazy scenes kind of balanced out in the end.

I thought the ending was okay. It could have been a lot better if it had been more conclusive. Nevertheless, I'm happy with how everything ended up.


I loved almost every character in this book. Both Claire and Megan annoyed me quite a few times, but in general I loved these two and their friendship was very inspiring. Claire's parents were also wonderful characters. They made me sad because of what they had to go through. I would have loved if there had been more scenes featuring Sam, though. It seemed like I didn't know enough about him.


Point of View: First Person | Single (Claire)
Tense: Present
Up to kiss #14, the story was told by switching back and forth from the present and when each kiss took place. I liked how the book was written because it made the story more suspenseful. No worries about those scenes with the kisses as they were pretty much PG. Well, most of them anyway. Besides, I loved getting a glimpse of what happened in the past - the betrayal, forgiveness, the family tragedy and more.

However, the way that the author jumped from one scene to the next was not done very smoothly. Sometimes, it took a while for me to realize that the follow-up scene took place a few weeks or months after. It frustrated me a little. However, the pace in general was quite nice.


Overall, it was a satisfying read for me. I loved the characters and the story line. It wasn't too emotional that made reading it a depressing experience, and it wasn't a sugary sweet teenage romance either.
I loved that this book showed the important of friendship and the supports the family members are supposed to provide for one another in any difficult circumstances.


Those who want a quick read on high school drama with some family tragedy involved. The synopsis is a little misleading since there are so much more going with this book that a seven-year-old trying to land a cute boyfriend.

[Celine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review and more awesomeness are also over at YA Midnight Reads

17 First Kisses is an interesting book. The thing is, your enjoyment of this novel almost entirely hinges on the way you interpret this. You can either see this as petty, pointless drama or an in-depth examination of a friendship. Personally, I saw this book as the latter, but I know plenty of people who think it’s the former.

17 First Kisses is told in “the present” and flashbacks to all of Claire’s kisses. In the present, Claire meets a boy named Luke. She feels she has a lot in common with him, and she’s taking a liking to him. The only problem? So has her friend, Megan. The flashbacks deal with all of Claire’s kisses: some uncomfortable, some enjoyable, some the kind you’d rather forget immediately. Hearing all this, it probably seems that 17 First Kisses is about romance, romance and romance. But the thing is, it’s not. The one thread through all of these pieces of present and past is friends. Claire has a few friends, but the book mostly focuses on her best friend Megan.

The friendship between Claire and Megan is so unique and so undeniably real. They know each other through and through, but it’s not all perfect. They obviously love each other and take care of each other, but Claire is still jealous of Megan sometimes, or annoyed by her. As is Megan by Claire. Again, you could be bored by this friendship while reading. Petty drama. But I just found it to be so incredibly real. Most friendships aren’t perfect. No matter how much you care for each other, there will be annoyances and bad days, but also shared moments and support.

Over the course of the novel, their friendship almost shatters, builds up again, almost shatters… And maybe builds up again, maybe not. You’ll have to see for yourself. Despite the little annoyances, the thing that almost breaks them up is a boy. You might roll your eyes at that (I won’t judge you if you do), but in 17 First Kisses it’s brought in a believable way. Though I wish it would be otherwise, boys can come between friendships. What’s truly magnificent about this story, though, is the messages within 17 First Kisses. To name a few: having sex is not a bad thing. Abusive relationships are. You should never be forced to do something. Having sex, with your boyfriend or otherwise, does not make you a slut.

And yes, there is slut-shaming in this book, quite a lot. It’s not the main character who does that – she’s the victim. Believe me, I despise slut-shaming. I absolutely hate it. But 17 First Kisses attaches a message to it, a message I can stand behind. Slut-shaming isn’t seen as something normal or even good. It’s used to show how ridiculous it really is.

If you are looking for a cute romance… I guess I can say you’ll find one in 17 First Kisses. It’s not at all what the book is about, though. This is a novel about friendships; how they can change over the years, how they can be broken and built back up, and how important they are. This is a novel about choosing yourself over others when you need to. This is a novel about boys, but mainly about the impact they can have on your life. This is a book where it doesn’t really matter whether the main character ends up with the guy or not, because that’s not at all what it’s about.

~Thank you HarperTeen for sending me a review copy!~

[Jaime Arkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title, 17 First Kisses may lead you to think that this is a fluffy contemporary YA novel… and it is that, but it’s absolutely so much more as well. It’s about friendship and family and it tackles a few topics I was surprised to see included.

Claire and Megan are best friends living in a small town. Claire is convinced she’s never going to find that one person she wants to date, and of course kiss until she meets Luke, the new kid. Everyone seems to fall for the amazing Megan before they can even get to know her. But Luke seems like the perfect guy, they both love soccer and she’s absolutely comfortable with him for once, and she met him first… that should be enough right? But she quickly finds out Megan is also interested and suddenly their friendship could be on the line all because of a boy!

I really loved Claire, while being one of the popular girls, she managed to not succumb to the stereotype that is so typically found in YA and I have to commend Allen for doing that. I loved that she had interests other than becoming the most popular. She was smart and athletic and it was refreshing to read, but she isn’t perfect. You know I loved my flawed protagonists! I loved the pacing of the story told in present time but including flashbacks to the many kisses she has had. It was a great way to work our way through Claire’s story … and her friendship with Megan.

Megan… *sigh* I don’t even know what to say about her. I’m not even entirely sure what to make of her. I really, really liked her… but there were times that I really, really didn’t like her, and maybe that was intentional, but it really made it hard to understand why Claire stuck around. Her underhandedness was a bit cruel, yet she was a bit more complicated than we’re led to believe. She definitely has her own issues.

Now for the boys… in all honesty I didn’t really connect with any of them. I mean for the majority of the story the boy I really liked was dating someone else, and Luke… *sigh again* He too has issues and ultimately he isn’t the person these girls thought he was and that was a little depressing.

I really liked that this went a bit deeper than a fluffy contemporary romance. This addresses issues of family and friendship, depression and abuse, and puts it in a setting that will appeal to many readers all while never making light of the issues. I also really liked that these to completely different girls were able to form a friendship and while they definitely had issues, ultimately their friendship holds up for all the right reasons.

I definitely recommend this for fans of Sarah Dessen or Huntley Fitzpatrick… readers who are looking for a bit more depth to their contemporary YA.

Thank you to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

Going into this novel, I was under the impression that all this book cares about is romance and boys and stuff. I mean, we are told about her first kisses after every chapter and everyone seems to be tripping over this guy, Luke. Anyway, I didn't hate this book. However the characters are pretty flimsy and I found myself rolling my eyes whenever the girls get into fights but I didn't dislike it as much as I thought I would have.

I hated how shallow and boy crazy the main character is. I wanted Claire to realize how little boys mean compared to your best friend. I also had a hard time believing Claire's family life. It's not realistic the pain and suffering that her family goes through and quite frankly, there's really no point for it to be in the book. The romance between Claire and Luke is pathetic at best and I felt apathetic towards all. Furthermore, I wanted more from Luke! He's the centre of the whole book with his intense blue eyes *rolls eyes* and killer smile. He felt forced and undeveloped to me. I would have liked it more if Luke opened up more about his family life and how it affected him instead of being a boring love interest.

Without thinking too hard about this one, this is a light novel. The message by the end of the book is all right and I did enjoy the relationship between Claire and Megan at the end of the book. The way that they realized what's truly important to them. The writing is so smooth! I think that if it weren't for the writing, I would have had a harder time getting through this one. Moreover, the flashbacks, about Claire's first kisses is well done and well explained. I could relate to some of them and feel her embarrassment. They're cute and fun.

17 First Kisses is a really cute novel. I didn't have a problem getting through it and it has a few fun spots. The relationships and problems are contrived and a bit annoying but the writing is cute and it helped to pass the time. I recommend this one to anyone looking for something light and don't mind the crappy relationships and the annoying romance.

[Brittany · Rating 1 out of 5]

Extremely clever marketing ploy name dropping Sarah Dessen in the book synopsis. It totally sucked me in, but I would have to disagree that this book is anything like something Dessen would write. I would really hope teen girls will not be as easily fooled as I was because there are several reasons why I came close to just walking away from this story. Here are a few examples of horrible life lessons this book will teach young teens:
1. You CAN become popular overnight.
2. It's no big deal to forget who you are once said popularity comes into play.
3. It is totally ok to screw over your best friend for a boy. Twice.
4. To get back at a boy who cheated on you you should kiss all of his friends.
5. It's super easy to escape an abusive relationship.
There were actually a few different serious storylines going on here that the author chose to gloss over instead of digging into. Everything was just presented with a somewhat caviler attitude and with the mindset that everything would be okay in the end as long as you were pretty and popular and had a boyfriend. It could have been a fun, enjoyable Dessen-esque read had the characters been more developed and thought out. The way this book stands, it will probably find a readership, but it is not something I would ever recommend.

[Just a person · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read this one because I wanted to know what the tragedy with her family as well as find the dirt on the 17 kisses as well as her current crush.

I immediately felt for Claire. I was always the girl that had a hard time with boys, especially at first. She had a great narrative voice and it was so easy to read from her perspective and laugh with her, worry about her mom with her, and reminisce about those kisses and how they went wrong.

It was such a shame that the new guy to school, Luke, in the present, was in the middle with her and Megan, Claire's best friend who is gorgeous and who all the guys seem to fall for, even ones that Claire has liked and kissed. But Megan liked Luke too and it became a strain on their relationship because neither of them really wanted to step down. It is hard seeing a friendship tested like that, but an important dynamic to explore since hot sweet guys can make us as women's heads a little fuzzy, us hormonal and make some questionable decisions.

Some interesting twists came up with Luke besides the fact that he was leading on two girls. Some of it I saw coming others I really didn't. But while he added drama to the story, I think that the main message is about so much more than kissing. I liked the emphasis on friendship and showing the many ways they can be damaged, repaired, stretched, formed and all other sorts of things. There was also a big focus on Claire's family. They weren't the most functional because of their tragedy, but who could blame them. I was so glad to see them all start to grow and let life run its course without letting it drag them down out of it. The parents were dynamic characters in the story too, and I liked that none of the issues were gift wrapped, it showed that it took time, patience and lots of hard work to get through tragedy.

Parts of the story is told in flashback and it gives a unique look not only in Claire's string of kisses and failed relationships with guys, but also a more emotional view of the past tragedy within the family so that I felt it and was more emotionally invested rather than it just being mentioned. At first it was a little hard to keep all of the characters (guys especially) straight from one another, but they all played a role on how Claire sees guys, her and Megan's friendship.

Seeing them when they were first best friends makes the tension between them over Luke harder to read. I can see both sides of it, but it just seems like the closeness they have, everything they have done to be there for each other should take precedence. I know it was a hard road, but I did appreciate how in the end it worked for them despite their issues, even if maybe not quite as easy as could have been if they'd made different choices.

One thing that I really wanted as I read this first part of the book was to see more growth in Claire in that she didn't let the popular crowd and peer pressure make her own decision for you. I get that some of these kisses were in elementary school and really don't count, or from spin the bottle, which I also wouldn't say adds to reputation... However, there were some where she ended up there because she didn't want to lose approval. Now, I understand that is a driving factor, but I just wanted her to realize her own value and use her own mind.

17 First Kisses was wonderfully paced, there was just enough drama, boys, friendship and family that it had my constant attention, seeing how it grew, shaped and changed Claire. The ending was nice, and while it leaves us with the start of a new chapter for Claire, I do like the way it tied up the main plots, but also gave room for lots of choices for the future for Claire because of the way some of her dreams and hopes worked themselves out. Maybe even a sequel... I definitely would not complain.

Bottom Line: Quick and enjoyable book

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
17-year-old Claire has kissed 13 boys, which she thinks is fine, but doesn’t stop the other girls at school calling her a slut.
When new boy Luke starts at school, Claire is instantly attracted to him, but so is her best friend Megan. They make a pact to both go after him, but neither are allowed to make the first move.
Who will win Luke? And is he really worth so much animosity between best friends?


This was an enjoyable story, but it did shock me in places.

Claire was an okay character, but her ideas were just a little different to mine. Right at the start of the book she complains about how living in such a small town, it’s really difficult to find decent boys to kiss, then tells us that she’s kissed 13. If she’s managed to kiss 13 in a small town where there are ‘no decent boys to kiss’, what the heck would she be like in a big city with loads of boys to kiss? I get that she thought that she didn’t deserve to be labelled a ‘slut’ when she was still a virgin, but personally I thought she was probably asking for it. Chances are that having kissed 13 different boys in a small town she had probably kissed way more boys than any of her other classmates!

The storyline in this was quite interesting, and even though we kept jumping back in time to experience all 13 of Claire’s first kisses, I didn’t get confused and the story flowed nicely. I did enjoy this book, but again – there were things that really shocked me.
One thing that shocked me was the fact that ‘the average girl kisses 79 guys before she find the one she’s supposed to marry’. Well I am way below average then at only 6! 79 guys sounds like a heck of a lot to me, yet Claire seemed to think that that was acceptable.
Again, I found her insistence that she wasn’t a slut because she was a virgin argument a little iffy, because although she wasn’t having sex with these boys, she did at one point kiss 4 guys in the space of an hour, so I can see why people would call her that.
I was also shocked at other things – one character’s confession that he had previously slept with 3 girls – he’s only 17 for pity’s sake! Is anyone else shocked by that? Is that just me? And a casual conversation where one character admits to his current girlfriend that he had sex with his previous girlfriend on the second date. Again, at 17, I’m pretty shocked by that.

The romance in this was obviously the main storyline, but this book also focused on the way that Claire and her best friend Megan fought over boys, and even let boys break up their friendship, which to me was a real shame. They also didn’t seem to learn from this, and continued to make the same mistakes.
I also liked the storyline concerning Claire’s mother an added bonus, although this could have been a little more developed.

The ending to this was okay, although it wasn’t really an end for Claire, just a step towards finding some different guys to kiss.
Overall; an enjoyable contemporary YA coming-of-age story,
7 out of 10.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally found on www.booksarelifereviews.com

I'm a huge fan of contemporaries, particularly those that have a twist and give us more than is expected. 17 First Kisses was one of these titles that completely exceeded my expectations. I read the majority of it in one day which seems to be the trend with me recently. Once I started I couldn't stop because I was completely caught up in Claire's world.

There are different dimensions in this book and to adequately explain it I'm going to have to break it down a little bit differently.

Dimension #1: Family Life

Something happens within Claire's family structure that completely shatters her world and no, it's not something you will expect. This is a huge part of the story that you don't really get a sense for in the synopsis. It's a huge deal and the story gets a ton of depth because of Claire's family life and what is happening behind doors.

I LOVED the family aspect of this book. The lead up to it has you guessing and when the reveal happened I was completely enthralled. All the emotions are there and they feel realistic. It's not cookie cutter, but it isn't unbelievable either, it's the perfect line that allowed me to believe that I knew the family I was reading about.

Dimension #2: The Boys

The classic storyline goes as follows- Girl meets perfect boy+Boy meets perfect girl=Happily Ever After. That doesn't happen here and I am so glad.

I love that Claire goes through multiple boys and doesn't fall in love with the first one she kisses because lets be real, who does that? The kisses are revealed slowly beginning at 2nd grade so it's not an overabundance of high school romances gone wrong. This makes it much sweeter and gives it an awesome build up.

We really get a look at Claire's entire life so by the end I felt like I really knew her and understood why she made the decisions she did.

Dimension #3: The Friends

This is the one part of the book I had slight issues with. Megan McQueen is Claire's best friend throughout the entire book and we get to see the birth of their friendship and the various stages in between. While she is her best friend and I can see the attributes within their relationship, so many times Megan treated her terribly.

Megan is all into popularity and she wants what she wants, sometimes at the expense of her best friend. I understand why things happen, but there were a couple times where I would have reacted a lot more negatively than Claire did at her actions.

Overall: I highly recommend this one to anyone who loves contemporaries. This is definitely one of my favorites this year and I will definitely be reading more from Rachael Allen!



4.5 rounded up to 5.

[Sophie · Rating 1 out of 5]

As I kept reading this book I just hated it more and more. Any time it seemed like it had a chance of redeeming itself somewhat, it went in a completely different direction than I wanted.

First of all, I kept hoping that Claire would realize what a terrible friendship she and Megan have. They're jealous, they let boys get in the way of their friendship, they punish each other, etc. This is never resolved. It's as if getting revenge on Luke is enough to fix all of their problems. In fact, everyone is terrible. The way all of the girls treat and think about each other, to the point where Claire is relieved when Luke insults her best friend because it means that he likes her more, and all of the slut shaming made me so uncomfortable. At one point I wanted the friendship between Amberly and Claire would grow during the time where she was the school outcast and that Megan and Claire's friendship would fade as Claire learned how unhealthy it was, but that didn't happen because Amberly was too concerned about her popularity to stick up for her friend. All of the friendship issues were pretty much resolved with, "well you know how it is!"

Then the whole romance thing seemed like such a waste of time. I was expecting a lighthearted romance and instead we get an abusive relationship that was so poorly written and concluded. I don't mind it when a book gets more serious but again, it was badly done.

The entire book I was thinking that Matt would end up being the love interest (even though I ended up not being so thrilled with him since he HAD to know that the girl he was dating was being so mean to his bff, and also thought it weird that Claire only found him attractive once he had lost weight and was considered hot), and in a way he was but the ending was so weird. I should like that the main character made the decision to wait and see what happens at college, but that and so many other things just made the whole book seem anticlimactic and a waste of time. And finally, apparently Claire changed a lot by the end of the book but I didn't feel that change. It was a case of being told but not shown.

All in all, a very unsatisfying read.

[Jeff Raymond · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really don't know how to describe this book in any coherent way. A number of years ago, I read and reviewed a book called The International Kissing Club , a book that seemingly existed without any real redeeming qualities. 17 First Kisses was reminiscent of that one in many ways, although it's not completely irredeemable.

The story is basically about Claire, who comes from a home that's been troubled as of late, but really just has a goal regarding boys in high school while also navigating the perils of her home life and of the social craziness that goes along with high school.

Unfortunately, the message I got from the bulk of this is that most teenage girls are really just preoccupied with kissing boys, and most boys are pretty much eager to get those kisses and perhaps more than that, and not much else. Caricatures upon caricatures with no end in sight, really unfortunate.

That Claire and company do show some growth and that there are some messages of friendship and redemption that are worthy of note here do not balance out the really significant negatives that the teen romance genre has clearly shown itself able to minimize. There's room for candy, but this isn't really it. Skip it.

[Sanara♥ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uggh why did I even bother with this..I should have just dropped it but apparently I like to torture myself by reading silly stories. T_T

All the characters are messed up...no depth and no character development.

The only characters I found okay were Sam and Amberly.
Everybody else deserves to be run over by a bus. Seriously all these characters think about is kissing or sleeping with a guy.
Can't they just stop thinking about sucking each other's faces off and just have a decent conversation. It's like they have no control. -.-

~● SPOILER!!!
Even after making that pact with Sam, all that Claire can think about when seeing another guy is making him her #17 kiss if possible. ●~

Everything in this book reeks of desperation and lack of self control.
The plot was so predictable and was irritating to read. Not my type!

[Rebecca Petruck]

The title suggests a teen romance, and there are boys. But this novel is also a wonderfully nuanced homage to female friendships, and what it's like to grow up with the same people in a small town who know everything you've ever done. I also found the storyline about the mother's depression and Claire's reactions to it be accurate and filled me with tension every time Claire got her hopes up. I'll be giving this to several teens because I think it will help them see that a mistake doesn't define you--what does are the people you keep around you, even when it's hard. I blow Allen a thousand kisses for writing 17 FIRST KISSES!

[Chloe · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 - 2 stars. I have to say, I really did not like this book.

To be completely honest, this book was just plain weird to me, mostly because I didn't understand the friendship between the two main girls at all. At all. The girls at first seemed to have a solid friendship, one that I actually originally thought was quite adorable that is, until you realize how messed up it is. Their relationship just didn't make any sense to me, seeing all the things Megan would do to Claire. And the way they fought over Luke?? Ridiculous!! Friends do not EVER do that to each other! It was terrible! Their relationship was just so unhealthy. Another thing I didn't get, was their complete infatuation with this guy. Sure, had it just been a crush or someone they mildly liked, fine. But both of these girls liked him way too much, and had spoken to him way too little. It just boggled my mind because we didn't get to see either of them interact with Luke very much, so it just didn't make any sense why they would like him. I just honestly really couldn't wrap my head around it. They were both just so serious about chasing after this boy and GAH I just couldn't believe it, because like I said real friends don't behave like that. And worst of all, the book was basically saying that boys were more important than friendship. But, there were a couple of things I did like so this review won't be completely negative (as that would just be kind of depressing).

Good Part Number One:
The way the story was told. I think this was the strongest part of the book. It was very interesting to see these flashbacks, and learn the backstory of Claire's life. It was also just fun to read about all the kisses, to be honest.

Good Part Number Two:
How both of the girls didn't want to conform to what their parents were telling them to do. Megan wanted to cook, which was awesome, and Claire wanted to go to Georgia Tech which was awesome, and neither would let their parents dictate what they did with their lives.

Good Part Number Three:
Claire supporting the family through her mom's depression, and then seeing her mom get out of that slump.

Good Part Number Four:
This may sound odd and contradictory to what I ranted about earlier, but seeing what Megan and Claire's friendship was like when it wasn't all weird and wonky. In general, I love to read about friendship, and some of the more heartfelt parts were actually pretty sweet (but don't think it makes up for all the other ways their friendship was so screwed up, especially because the good parts mixed with the bad parts really just lead to more confusion for the reader).

Good Part Number Five:
Claire didn't let any guys take advantage of her, which was pretty cool. She literally kicked a guy with her heel when he wouldn't get off of her, so you go Claire! Although the same couldn't exactly be said for her friend Amberly, and I wish that was an issue the author had pursued more because there was some shady stuff going on there.

And lastly, Good Part Number Six:
It's about Luke but it's also a spoiler, sorry guys, but I don't recommend this book, so feel free to read it and spoil yourselves! That neither of the girls ended up with Luke, and for a couple of reasons.
A.) It would've sent a terrible message to the reader (which is even worse as most of the readers are teenage girls). Friends are more important than random guys who make you not want to be friends!!
B.) Luke was a terrible human. And I mean even before we find out how badly he treated the girls, I already didn't like him. Mostly because he was string both girls along, and he knew it.

So even though I just listed six good parts, and it may seem like I enjoyed this book more than I made it seem, no. Just no. Like I said, I just really did not enjoy it at all, and their friendship made me so uncomfortable that sometimes I just wanted to throw this book at a wall.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Find this and other reviews at Ramblings of a Daydreamer.

It’s no secret that contemporary YA is my go-to, which is why I was excited to read 17 First Kisses. While the book started out strong and there were elements I enjoyed, this one was just okay for me.

I’ll start out with what I liked:
The story was quite unique. There were elements that were predictable, but as a whole I’ve never read a book like this. I thought the friendships were mostly realistic, especially the group dynamics between Claire, her best friend Megan, and their other two main friends. I especially liked Amberly, and Claire’s lifelong guy friend Sam. I also really liked the family dynamics; some of Claire's interactions with her family were the few times I got emotionally invested in the story. Claire's family life and friendships were messy and painful and complicated, which I liked, because it made them realistic.

I appreciated that the author made some bold choices. It was nice to see a main character who shamelessly kissed all these boys. In a society where slut-shaming is so prevalent (and ironically, in a book where it was quite prevalent and probably ended up affecting my overall enjoyment of the book), whether the girl is a virgin, has slept with one guy, a dozen guys, dresses a certain way, etc., it was nice to see a girl who enjoyed kissing and didn’t see anything wrong with it. I also appreciated one particular choice the author made with the romance, because it’s rarely seen in YA but is probably more realistic than the outcome of most YAs (even though I usually prefer that outcome, even if it is unrealistic...in this case, it worked well).

“I kissed four guys. Four. And I’m a slut? The average girl kisses seventy-nine guys before she finds the one she’s supposed to marry. You’d think I’d screwed half the football team the way everyone is carrying on. I want to scream at them, Hello I’m a virgin! - 69% of ARC

What I had trouble connecting with:
At first I liked the way the story was told: a chapter in the present, followed by a memory of one of Claire’s kisses. As the story progressed, I had trouble remembering if it was past or present, possibly because a lot more seemed to happen in the past scenes than the present ones. Even though the memories were some of my favourite parts because that's where we learned the most about Claire, I feel like they dragged down the pace of the book, which was already slow. By the time I reached 50% I was ready to DNF because not much was happening and I couldn’t imagine how it would continue.

This might be my age showing (although I’d like to point out that at least 3/4 of the books I read are YA and I rarely have this problem), but I was really annoyed with how immature and dramatic the characters were. I get that they’re teens and they’re not necessarily supposed to be mature or have their acts together or be ruled by anything other than emotion and hormones, but I kept waiting for growth and change that was slow coming. It did eventually happen in small ways, but even then the characters continued to do things that made me roll my eyes.

Overall I felt like 17 First Kisses wasn’t for me. There were elements I enjoyed, but they were outweighed by the things I didn’t enjoy and a general feeling of indifference toward the characters. Most of my issues were ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ things though, so as always, I encourage you to decide for yourself and give 17 First Kisses a try if it sounds like something you’d be interested in!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

17 First Kisses jumped onto my TBR list late last year, but I have to admit that while I liked the sound of it, I was on the fence. And then I read Blythe @ Finding Bliss In Books review and any hesitation I had flew out the window. I was not disappointed.

I love how layered a character Claire was. She loves soccer and kissing boys; can’t wait to leave her hometown to study medicine and has big dreams. She’s definitely one of the most honest, real characters I’ve come across in a long time.

For some, hearing that 17 First Kisses includes slut shaming will be a turnoff. I do not condone or support slut shaming, but whether we like it or not, it’s a real part of reality, especially in high school. One of the things I loved most was that the author doesn’t do the thinking for you or try to send a message. She lays it out on the page and it’s up to you what you take away from it. For instance, she doesn’t include slut shaming, then to weave in how it’s a problem and that you shouldn’t go around doing it. Rather she lets the reader think about how it’s a vicious cycle (like growing up in a household full of swearing. It’s just a matter of time until you pick up those habits) and how easily the S word is branded on a girl, yet guys mess around and are considered cool. It wasn’t until I had time to reflect and ponder that I realised the full extent of how powerful a move this was.

Friendships aren’t perfect and though I think it’s important to showcase strong, healthy relationships, it’s also important to include flawed, rocky ones, like Megan and Claire’s. I think the author perfectly nailed the messiness of complicated friendships while growing up, who at their core, are still just trying to figure out who they are. That isn’t to stay that they didn’t get under my skin though, they did. But again, that made them even more (frustratingly) realistic. Who hasn’t been annoyed by someone’s choices and actions in the past?

I’ve seen this recommended to Courtney Summers fans and while I’ve only read one of her books so far, I can see why. It’s not sugar coated and it doesn’t make apologies for being real, nor is it afraid to broach the big issues. Along with slut shaming and complicated friendships, there's also problems at home, as Claire tries to put her family back together. There's lots going on and being addressed, but I found it never took a turn for depressing. There's a lovely balance; sweet and swoon; light and dark.

I finished 17 First Kisses with the overall feeling of having really, really liked it. Then I saw down to write this review, did some more thinking and spent half the time looking into thin air, grinning like an idiot. This book will not be for everyone (heck, what book is?) and I can see it being quite controversial – the kind you love or hate. Me? I loved it.