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First Kiss (Then Tell): A Collection of True Lip-Locked Moments
Was it magical, momentous, and completely earth-shattering? Or was it sloppy and self-conscious? Cecil Castellucci realizes that bad boys can be good kissers. Lisa Papademetriou relives being a Texas girl at a Vermont summer camp-and one momentous night in the woods. Amy Kim Ganter draws her first kiss with her future husband in full comic-book form. And those are just a few of the many stories in First Kiss (Then Tell), a collection of anecdotes, poems, cartoons, and stories that are altogether hilarious, heartwarming, and memorable-just as a first kiss should be.
This unique collection features pieces from today's hottest young-adult authors, and is packed with extras like kissing advice, trivia, and favorite quotes. First Kiss (Then Tell) will make readers want to relive their own magical moments all over again-or imagine what it might be like someday . ..
This unique collection features pieces from today's hottest young-adult authors, and is packed with extras like kissing advice, trivia, and favorite quotes. First Kiss (Then Tell) will make readers want to relive their own magical moments all over again-or imagine what it might be like someday . ..
212 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2007
6 people are currently reading
850 people want to read
About the author
Cylin Busby
23 books176 followersCylin Busby is the author of several teen books and numerous articles as well as the acclaimed young adult memoir, THE YEAR WE DISAPPEARED,which was a Wall Street Journal bestseller, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, and a Cybils Award winner.
Her latest novel, THE NINE LIVES OF JACOB TIBBS, has earned starred reviews and was an Amazon Best Book of the Month. The former Senior Editor of Teen Magazine, Cylin now lives in Los Angeles with her family.
Her latest novel, THE NINE LIVES OF JACOB TIBBS, has earned starred reviews and was an Amazon Best Book of the Month. The former Senior Editor of Teen Magazine, Cylin now lives in Los Angeles with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
March 22, 2014
To find out whether or not this book is right for you, I've devised a simple test: just read the cover and the synopsis. Does the premise look interesting to you? If so, you'll probably like this book. Are you a fan of any of the authors listed on the cover? If so, you may or may not like this book, but you might as well read it anyway.
If you're not a fan of any of the authors, however, and the book doesn't look good, don't bother reading it. This is not a book that rises above its premise, or even one that puts in any effort to separate itself from its premise. It is a book about authors recounting their first kisses: nothing more, nothing less. It's exactly what you're expecting. I would've never read this book if not for David Levithan and Justine Larbalestier's contributions - I'm a fan of both authors.
I did dock a star for the premise, though. It simply doesn't lend itself to interesting stories - maybe fictional stories about first kisses would've worked better, but in this book, authors weren't given much creative freedom. (I say this not just because of the restricting topic, but also because a lot of the 'hip' voices sounded suspiciously similar.) I don't know if Busby thinks teenagers don't think about kissing enough, or if she's really into kissing, or if she just wasn't thinking. But either way, the anthology was fundamentally a mistake. It doesn't help that there were smaller contributions about kissing in general, presumably written by Busby, that just fell flat for me - they ranged from polls on readers first kisses, to the history of kisses, all the way to - I swear to God - advice on how to avoid a kiss you don't want.
But will that stop me from reviewing it story by story? Of course not!
For John by Deb Caletti: 2/5
This is going to demonstrate the pattern that we're going to see for a lot of the book. The writing was okay - despite what I said earlier, Busby seems to be pretty good at weeding out terrible prose - but it was otherwise uninteresting. The story was very rushed. The part about her experience with kissing before the real story - presumably meant to act as a prologue - lasted longer than the story itself, to give you an idea of how the pacing worked. Besides that, though, the story just wasn't interesting. There was kind of a message to it, but it wasn't particularly original or insightful. It's not something that's going to stick in your memory at all - in writing this review, I had to go back to the story itself to jog my memory, which I don't normally have to do.
First Last Kiss by Micol Ostow: 4/5
This was equally rushed, but far more memorable and original. The idea of a 'first last kiss' - the first time you kiss a guy for the last time before a breakup - is an interesting one, that I hadn't thought of before. And its themes live up to the promise of the idea. The story felt very well-formed: everything led up towards the theme, in a way that would've felt convenient except it's a true story. The fact that it was a true story, though, meant that it was very effectively delivered. The very efficient and controlled prose helped with this, as well. It was a bit too concise, but not as bad as most of the book - overall, it was a real highlight.
Bad Reputation by Cecil Castellucci: 4/5
More than a year ago, I read a story that Castellucci co-wrote with Holly Black for the anthology Geektastic, and I really enjoyed it. This wasn't quite as good as that story, but it was still another highlight in this book. The thing that stood out the most to me that it wasn't didactic, despite what I imagine was a huge temptation. After all, this story was about Castellucci making out with someone known for being dangerous, without really knowing him that well. But she managed to just tell the story as it was, letting the reader make judgements. It also had great prose, and unlike most of the anthology, it wasn't rushed. Amazingly, everything actually felt fleshed-out and complete. This makes the story another very well-formed one, even if it's not as theme-oriented. The one problem? The dialogue was kind of terrible. I mean, I get that Castellucci is going from memory, but it's okay to fictionalize things a little when your alternative is dialogue that looks like this:
I mean, really? The overuse of stock phrases, the awkward repetition of "[character x] said", and just a complete lack of naturalism make the scene surreal as hell. Other than that, though, this was a really good story, and it makes me look forward to reading Castellucci's book, Boy Proof.
Yeah, I Know by Jon Scieszka: 3/5
I remember liking The Stinky Cheese Man as a kid, and so I had pretty high hopes for this one. And it was... alright, I guess. It was definitely funny - I laughed out loud here more than in any other story. And the prose was definitely good. But I felt like the story would've benefited if Scieszka had been willing to fictionalize it a bit more. There was a lot of narrative summary used, and I never felt like I was really in the story with Scieszka. Actually that made up my other complaint: it wasn't in-depth enough. Scieszka needed a higher word count, to flesh out his memories more, and to fictionalize it a bit. The story had potential, especially considering the wit present, but it fell flat in more than one area.
The Third First Kiss by Amy Kim Ganter: 1/5
This is the first of three mini-comics in the book, and probably the worst. The artwork, while not exactly bad, was kind of bland. Maybe there's just not much American graphic novel artwork that I like, but this fell flat for me. It was also kind of cheesy and childish in nature, with a whole theme of, 'Dreams really do come true!' Even knowing it was a true story, it felt too simplistic to ring true. The theme and observation was also pretty cliched, particularly in its presentation: it shows Ganter fantasizing about her first kiss from a young age, and eventually getting fantasy after two stumbles. (Hence the title). There wasn't much new or interesting to be found, and it quickly left my memory.
Our First Kiss (With Each Other) by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale: 4/5
This, on the other hand, was actually pretty interesting. It shows both Shannon and Dean talking about their first kiss with each other, first Shannon, then Dean. The writing was very good, particularly Dean's section, but more importantly, they each had a distinct voice and personality. They didn't have much time to establish themselves, but they did it efficiently and effectively, without letting the story drag. They were also both very funny, again, particularly Dean. The one thing that I wish they could've changed was that the format should've been a little different. The two authors seemed to be telling different parts of the same story, whereas I kind of thought it would work better if they'd both told their version of the same story, since they remembered it differently. But it still worked pretty well as is, so it's not too much of a problem. Overall, this was still quite a highlight.
Breathless by Nikki Grimes: 4/5
This was the first of a few poems, and probably my favorite. Grimes, like a lot of others, realized that she didn't have much of a story here, but instead of trying to extend it out and make it a three-page short story, she took a wiser option and made it into a poem. It read a bit too much like prose given random line breaks, but its insight into tongue kissing was funny and effectively evocative of an awkward first kiss. It's just the kind of thing that should've populated this book, the kind of funny and short stuff that's appropriate for the premise. Another strong entry.
You Can Take the Girl Out of Texas... by Lisa Papademetriou: 2/5
I just read My Brother is a Big Fat Liar, a book by Papademetriou, which I wasn't a big fan of. After reading this story, the only conclusion I can come to is that her works just aren't my kind of thing. The writing was okay, but the story made all the mistakes that I was accustomed to in this book by now: the story was uninteresting and unmemorable, it relied on narrative summary and felt too concise, and it was just plain bland. Looking back, I really can't remember anything to say about it that I haven't said before - it didn't stand out at all.
Improvisation by Paul Ruditis: 4/5
This is probably my favorite story in the anthology. It was the only play that was featured, and boy, was it hilarious. It really is a shame that Ruditis decided to write it for this particular anthology, where the ending was spoiled by the premise - publish it anywhere else, and it would've been even more surprising and original. As it stood, it was very funny, with excellent dialogue. The characters were, again presented and developed in a very short amount of time - Ruditis took good advantage of his concise format. My only complaint was a small one: the stage directions often felt unnecessary and intrusive. But other than that, this story was close to perfect, and easily the best that this anthology has to offer.
Read Our Lips by Leslie Margolis and Sarah Mlynowski: 1/5
Two different authors that I disliked in 21 Proms collaborating on a short story? I can't imagine how this could go wrong! And indeed, this was probably the worst story in the anthology. It wasn't a story, really, more of a fake advice column regarding kisses. And it was cheesy. Dear lord was it ever cheesy. I mean, this is how they talked, the entire time:
It really is hard to sum up how terribly cheesy that is. Not only is it very unintelligent (of fucking course lips have muscles, otherwise they wouldn't be able to move), it's also not at all how people talk, unless they're speaking to kindergarteners. It got more painful to read with each passing question. The questions themselves weren't any better. They were all written in what I think was meant to be teenspeak, but, I mean...
Y'know, maybe the quote above wasn't that cheesy. Maybe Margolis and Mlynowsky really are talking to kindergarteners, and they're just doing their best to accommodate. Anyway, that was hardly the most unrealistic question asked of them:
I have no words. I really don't. This would all be hilarious if you didn't get the subtle feeling that Margolis and Mlynowski are trying to be funny with all this. At which they fail. See, humor is supposed to involve something called 'honesty', or else it's not funny. There is nothing honest about any of this - it's just exaggerated and stupid. As I said, this is my least favorite story in the anthology - I don't like either of these authors, and this just reinforces that impression.
Public Service Announcement by Robin Wasserman: 2/5
It's a shame I didn't like this story very much. I really enjoyed Wasserman's story from the anthology 666, that I read more than a year ago. But that was a horror anthology, and I feel like that's just what Wasserman is more suited to. This was undeniably well-written - the voice used was very distinct and unique - but it fell flat other than that. While I liked the voice, the use of second person was unnecessary, and it just served to distance me from the story. It seemed like Wasserman was saying that her general experience of kissing - a disappointing one - is reflective of everyone's experiences, but that's just obviously not true. And there's not much value in the story other than that. The thoughts and feelings in the story were very cliched, making it even harder to get connected with anything. I can see what Wasserman was going for, but this was just another unmemorable story in an unmemorable anthology.
My First Kiss(es) by Roz Chast: 1/5
This is another comic entry that I didn't like. In the least. It was probably even worse than the last one. See, in the last one, I criticized the art, but at least it was drawn competently, y'know? I could say, "It's not my thing, but it's passable." This, on the other hand, appears to have been drawn by an eight year-old in a moving vehicle. I couldn't find any screenshots on the internet, but it's very clear Chast isn't an artist. The artwork here was sloppy, too grey-scale, and completely unrealistic. Moreover, the content just wasn't interesting. This was the shortest non-poem entry in the anthology - just a page and a half of drawings. And that made things really, really concise; it barely began before it was over. It also forced the story to stuff a lot into not very much space, leading to notes that overstuffed the panels. It felt very intrusive. And the language wasn't even all that engaging, to boot - it was pretty awkward, overall. This wasn't the worst entry (that went to the piece of shit two entries above), but it was pretty close.
Independence, Missouri by Naomi Shihab Nye: 3/5
This was another poem, but I didn't like it quite as much as the last one. It did feel more like poetry than Breathless, but this suffered from some other fundamental problems. Probably the biggest one was that unlike Breathless, this poem felt too short - it didn't feel complete as it is. And that made it not very memorable, and in an anthology as unmemorable as this one, that's an easy trap to fall into. Still, there was some nice language used, and it was very evocative of an awkward first kiss. It just wasn't as good as Breathless.
Pashin', or The Worst Kiss Ever by Justine Larbalestier: 4/5
She is not kidding when she says this is the worst kiss ever. I mean, boy is it a terrible kiss. It's not as funny as perhaps Larbalestier wanted it to be, but in an anthology full of unmemorable stories, this was anything but. She chose a really interesting story to tell (it helps that it wasn't hers), and even though it's not as gut-bursting hilarious as Larbalestier wants to be, it's still entertaining. And Larbalestier seems to have mastered as skill that few authors in this anthology managed: fictionalization. Instead of sticking strictly to what she knows about a friend's first kiss, she writes something that belongs to her. And that makes it so much better to read - it feels like we're actually seeing the story, not like it's a flashback. And, of course, the prose is great. This is Justine Larbalestier we're talking about after all. I really enjoyed Liar a few months ago, and if this is any indication, I'm probably going to enjoy the rest of Larbalestier's work as well.
Tattooed Love Boys by Alyson Nöel: 2/5
In an anthology filled with stories that are ridiculously rushed, ridiculously concise (I swear, I must've used the word 'concise' in every single section of this review), we reach a story that's too long? Congratulations, Busby, you've officially made an anthology with everything. This one was pretty well-written, but Nöel just didn't have much of a story to tell here, and she fails to extend it into something meaningful - instead, it felt tedious to get through. And yet, the ending still feels cut off. I mean, this story's just a big paradox! Anyway, I didn't feel like the story had enough closure - it ended with a big cliffhanger that will obviously never be resolved. And, finally, Nöel's feelings ere almost certainly exaggerated. It was just too unrealistic and big to be real. This stood out in the ways that it was bad, but not in its actual content - it was forgettable, just like everything else.
A Brief History of First Kisses by David Levithan and Nick Eliopulos: 3/5
This was the third and easily the best comic in the anthology. Eliopulos's artwork was okay, but not that great. And it's kind of a shame that Eliopulos was involved at all, because really, this story felt like it would be better as a short story. The ideas presented relied largely on narration, not on dialogue, and the artwork added very little to the story. It's an even bigger shame, because the idea really was interesting - with Levithan's master insight, we got a genuine and true story of the feelings involved in kissing and being kissed. But... it didn't feel fleshed-out enough. I wanted more, in a way that only a short story could give. There were little bits that were skimmed over (like Levithan kissing a boy, when neither he nor the boy were out yet), that I wanted more elaboration on. That said, the dialogue was very good; Levithan's showed his usual mastery of language. The entry overall has potential, but it was dragged down by its format.
Braces by Scott Westerfeld: 2/5
This was a haiku*
It was alright, I suppose
Maybe too concise?
'Twas a bit awkward
Does anyone say 'tongue tip'?
Not that I'm better
I didn't enjoy
Leviathan in the past
This was no better
*Technically, twas not
Haikus are about nature
But this used the form
To be continued!
If you're not a fan of any of the authors, however, and the book doesn't look good, don't bother reading it. This is not a book that rises above its premise, or even one that puts in any effort to separate itself from its premise. It is a book about authors recounting their first kisses: nothing more, nothing less. It's exactly what you're expecting. I would've never read this book if not for David Levithan and Justine Larbalestier's contributions - I'm a fan of both authors.
I did dock a star for the premise, though. It simply doesn't lend itself to interesting stories - maybe fictional stories about first kisses would've worked better, but in this book, authors weren't given much creative freedom. (I say this not just because of the restricting topic, but also because a lot of the 'hip' voices sounded suspiciously similar.) I don't know if Busby thinks teenagers don't think about kissing enough, or if she's really into kissing, or if she just wasn't thinking. But either way, the anthology was fundamentally a mistake. It doesn't help that there were smaller contributions about kissing in general, presumably written by Busby, that just fell flat for me - they ranged from polls on readers first kisses, to the history of kisses, all the way to - I swear to God - advice on how to avoid a kiss you don't want.
But will that stop me from reviewing it story by story? Of course not!
For John by Deb Caletti: 2/5
This is going to demonstrate the pattern that we're going to see for a lot of the book. The writing was okay - despite what I said earlier, Busby seems to be pretty good at weeding out terrible prose - but it was otherwise uninteresting. The story was very rushed. The part about her experience with kissing before the real story - presumably meant to act as a prologue - lasted longer than the story itself, to give you an idea of how the pacing worked. Besides that, though, the story just wasn't interesting. There was kind of a message to it, but it wasn't particularly original or insightful. It's not something that's going to stick in your memory at all - in writing this review, I had to go back to the story itself to jog my memory, which I don't normally have to do.
First Last Kiss by Micol Ostow: 4/5
This was equally rushed, but far more memorable and original. The idea of a 'first last kiss' - the first time you kiss a guy for the last time before a breakup - is an interesting one, that I hadn't thought of before. And its themes live up to the promise of the idea. The story felt very well-formed: everything led up towards the theme, in a way that would've felt convenient except it's a true story. The fact that it was a true story, though, meant that it was very effectively delivered. The very efficient and controlled prose helped with this, as well. It was a bit too concise, but not as bad as most of the book - overall, it was a real highlight.
Bad Reputation by Cecil Castellucci: 4/5
More than a year ago, I read a story that Castellucci co-wrote with Holly Black for the anthology Geektastic, and I really enjoyed it. This wasn't quite as good as that story, but it was still another highlight in this book. The thing that stood out the most to me that it wasn't didactic, despite what I imagine was a huge temptation. After all, this story was about Castellucci making out with someone known for being dangerous, without really knowing him that well. But she managed to just tell the story as it was, letting the reader make judgements. It also had great prose, and unlike most of the anthology, it wasn't rushed. Amazingly, everything actually felt fleshed-out and complete. This makes the story another very well-formed one, even if it's not as theme-oriented. The one problem? The dialogue was kind of terrible. I mean, I get that Castellucci is going from memory, but it's okay to fictionalize things a little when your alternative is dialogue that looks like this:
[David, Kenny, and John were walking towards us.]
"Oh, my god, David Kahn is looking over here," Jodi said.
"Don't look him in the eyes, he might use his knife," Judith said.
"Ew. Why doesn't John Little ever wear a shirt?" Michelle said.
I mean, really? The overuse of stock phrases, the awkward repetition of "[character x] said", and just a complete lack of naturalism make the scene surreal as hell. Other than that, though, this was a really good story, and it makes me look forward to reading Castellucci's book, Boy Proof.
Yeah, I Know by Jon Scieszka: 3/5
I remember liking The Stinky Cheese Man as a kid, and so I had pretty high hopes for this one. And it was... alright, I guess. It was definitely funny - I laughed out loud here more than in any other story. And the prose was definitely good. But I felt like the story would've benefited if Scieszka had been willing to fictionalize it a bit more. There was a lot of narrative summary used, and I never felt like I was really in the story with Scieszka. Actually that made up my other complaint: it wasn't in-depth enough. Scieszka needed a higher word count, to flesh out his memories more, and to fictionalize it a bit. The story had potential, especially considering the wit present, but it fell flat in more than one area.
The Third First Kiss by Amy Kim Ganter: 1/5
This is the first of three mini-comics in the book, and probably the worst. The artwork, while not exactly bad, was kind of bland. Maybe there's just not much American graphic novel artwork that I like, but this fell flat for me. It was also kind of cheesy and childish in nature, with a whole theme of, 'Dreams really do come true!' Even knowing it was a true story, it felt too simplistic to ring true. The theme and observation was also pretty cliched, particularly in its presentation: it shows Ganter fantasizing about her first kiss from a young age, and eventually getting fantasy after two stumbles. (Hence the title). There wasn't much new or interesting to be found, and it quickly left my memory.
Our First Kiss (With Each Other) by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale: 4/5
This, on the other hand, was actually pretty interesting. It shows both Shannon and Dean talking about their first kiss with each other, first Shannon, then Dean. The writing was very good, particularly Dean's section, but more importantly, they each had a distinct voice and personality. They didn't have much time to establish themselves, but they did it efficiently and effectively, without letting the story drag. They were also both very funny, again, particularly Dean. The one thing that I wish they could've changed was that the format should've been a little different. The two authors seemed to be telling different parts of the same story, whereas I kind of thought it would work better if they'd both told their version of the same story, since they remembered it differently. But it still worked pretty well as is, so it's not too much of a problem. Overall, this was still quite a highlight.
Breathless by Nikki Grimes: 4/5
This was the first of a few poems, and probably my favorite. Grimes, like a lot of others, realized that she didn't have much of a story here, but instead of trying to extend it out and make it a three-page short story, she took a wiser option and made it into a poem. It read a bit too much like prose given random line breaks, but its insight into tongue kissing was funny and effectively evocative of an awkward first kiss. It's just the kind of thing that should've populated this book, the kind of funny and short stuff that's appropriate for the premise. Another strong entry.
You Can Take the Girl Out of Texas... by Lisa Papademetriou: 2/5
I just read My Brother is a Big Fat Liar, a book by Papademetriou, which I wasn't a big fan of. After reading this story, the only conclusion I can come to is that her works just aren't my kind of thing. The writing was okay, but the story made all the mistakes that I was accustomed to in this book by now: the story was uninteresting and unmemorable, it relied on narrative summary and felt too concise, and it was just plain bland. Looking back, I really can't remember anything to say about it that I haven't said before - it didn't stand out at all.
Improvisation by Paul Ruditis: 4/5
This is probably my favorite story in the anthology. It was the only play that was featured, and boy, was it hilarious. It really is a shame that Ruditis decided to write it for this particular anthology, where the ending was spoiled by the premise - publish it anywhere else, and it would've been even more surprising and original. As it stood, it was very funny, with excellent dialogue. The characters were, again presented and developed in a very short amount of time - Ruditis took good advantage of his concise format. My only complaint was a small one: the stage directions often felt unnecessary and intrusive. But other than that, this story was close to perfect, and easily the best that this anthology has to offer.
Read Our Lips by Leslie Margolis and Sarah Mlynowski: 1/5
Two different authors that I disliked in 21 Proms collaborating on a short story? I can't imagine how this could go wrong! And indeed, this was probably the worst story in the anthology. It wasn't a story, really, more of a fake advice column regarding kisses. And it was cheesy. Dear lord was it ever cheesy. I mean, this is how they talked, the entire time:
What's your most important kissing muscle? No, not your heart, your lips! (Fine, we're not entirely sure lips have muscles, but give us a break, we're not doctors.)
It really is hard to sum up how terribly cheesy that is. Not only is it very unintelligent (of fucking course lips have muscles, otherwise they wouldn't be able to move), it's also not at all how people talk, unless they're speaking to kindergarteners. It got more painful to read with each passing question. The questions themselves weren't any better. They were all written in what I think was meant to be teenspeak, but, I mean...
How do I get my crush to kiss me? Do you know any kissing potions?
Y'know, maybe the quote above wasn't that cheesy. Maybe Margolis and Mlynowsky really are talking to kindergarteners, and they're just doing their best to accommodate. Anyway, that was hardly the most unrealistic question asked of them:
Help! My boyfriend and I tried to kiss and now our braces are locked together. What do I do?
I have no words. I really don't. This would all be hilarious if you didn't get the subtle feeling that Margolis and Mlynowski are trying to be funny with all this. At which they fail. See, humor is supposed to involve something called 'honesty', or else it's not funny. There is nothing honest about any of this - it's just exaggerated and stupid. As I said, this is my least favorite story in the anthology - I don't like either of these authors, and this just reinforces that impression.
Public Service Announcement by Robin Wasserman: 2/5
It's a shame I didn't like this story very much. I really enjoyed Wasserman's story from the anthology 666, that I read more than a year ago. But that was a horror anthology, and I feel like that's just what Wasserman is more suited to. This was undeniably well-written - the voice used was very distinct and unique - but it fell flat other than that. While I liked the voice, the use of second person was unnecessary, and it just served to distance me from the story. It seemed like Wasserman was saying that her general experience of kissing - a disappointing one - is reflective of everyone's experiences, but that's just obviously not true. And there's not much value in the story other than that. The thoughts and feelings in the story were very cliched, making it even harder to get connected with anything. I can see what Wasserman was going for, but this was just another unmemorable story in an unmemorable anthology.
My First Kiss(es) by Roz Chast: 1/5
This is another comic entry that I didn't like. In the least. It was probably even worse than the last one. See, in the last one, I criticized the art, but at least it was drawn competently, y'know? I could say, "It's not my thing, but it's passable." This, on the other hand, appears to have been drawn by an eight year-old in a moving vehicle. I couldn't find any screenshots on the internet, but it's very clear Chast isn't an artist. The artwork here was sloppy, too grey-scale, and completely unrealistic. Moreover, the content just wasn't interesting. This was the shortest non-poem entry in the anthology - just a page and a half of drawings. And that made things really, really concise; it barely began before it was over. It also forced the story to stuff a lot into not very much space, leading to notes that overstuffed the panels. It felt very intrusive. And the language wasn't even all that engaging, to boot - it was pretty awkward, overall. This wasn't the worst entry (that went to the piece of shit two entries above), but it was pretty close.
Independence, Missouri by Naomi Shihab Nye: 3/5
This was another poem, but I didn't like it quite as much as the last one. It did feel more like poetry than Breathless, but this suffered from some other fundamental problems. Probably the biggest one was that unlike Breathless, this poem felt too short - it didn't feel complete as it is. And that made it not very memorable, and in an anthology as unmemorable as this one, that's an easy trap to fall into. Still, there was some nice language used, and it was very evocative of an awkward first kiss. It just wasn't as good as Breathless.
Pashin', or The Worst Kiss Ever by Justine Larbalestier: 4/5
She is not kidding when she says this is the worst kiss ever. I mean, boy is it a terrible kiss. It's not as funny as perhaps Larbalestier wanted it to be, but in an anthology full of unmemorable stories, this was anything but. She chose a really interesting story to tell (it helps that it wasn't hers), and even though it's not as gut-bursting hilarious as Larbalestier wants to be, it's still entertaining. And Larbalestier seems to have mastered as skill that few authors in this anthology managed: fictionalization. Instead of sticking strictly to what she knows about a friend's first kiss, she writes something that belongs to her. And that makes it so much better to read - it feels like we're actually seeing the story, not like it's a flashback. And, of course, the prose is great. This is Justine Larbalestier we're talking about after all. I really enjoyed Liar a few months ago, and if this is any indication, I'm probably going to enjoy the rest of Larbalestier's work as well.
Tattooed Love Boys by Alyson Nöel: 2/5
In an anthology filled with stories that are ridiculously rushed, ridiculously concise (I swear, I must've used the word 'concise' in every single section of this review), we reach a story that's too long? Congratulations, Busby, you've officially made an anthology with everything. This one was pretty well-written, but Nöel just didn't have much of a story to tell here, and she fails to extend it into something meaningful - instead, it felt tedious to get through. And yet, the ending still feels cut off. I mean, this story's just a big paradox! Anyway, I didn't feel like the story had enough closure - it ended with a big cliffhanger that will obviously never be resolved. And, finally, Nöel's feelings ere almost certainly exaggerated. It was just too unrealistic and big to be real. This stood out in the ways that it was bad, but not in its actual content - it was forgettable, just like everything else.
A Brief History of First Kisses by David Levithan and Nick Eliopulos: 3/5
This was the third and easily the best comic in the anthology. Eliopulos's artwork was okay, but not that great. And it's kind of a shame that Eliopulos was involved at all, because really, this story felt like it would be better as a short story. The ideas presented relied largely on narration, not on dialogue, and the artwork added very little to the story. It's an even bigger shame, because the idea really was interesting - with Levithan's master insight, we got a genuine and true story of the feelings involved in kissing and being kissed. But... it didn't feel fleshed-out enough. I wanted more, in a way that only a short story could give. There were little bits that were skimmed over (like Levithan kissing a boy, when neither he nor the boy were out yet), that I wanted more elaboration on. That said, the dialogue was very good; Levithan's showed his usual mastery of language. The entry overall has potential, but it was dragged down by its format.
Braces by Scott Westerfeld: 2/5
This was a haiku*
It was alright, I suppose
Maybe too concise?
'Twas a bit awkward
Does anyone say 'tongue tip'?
Not that I'm better
I didn't enjoy
Leviathan in the past
This was no better
*Technically, twas not
Haikus are about nature
But this used the form
To be continued!
November 6, 2012
Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
Author Cylin Busby has brought together some of young adult's funniest and most talented authors to reminisce about their real-life first kisses (or the second, or the third, or the twenty-fifth). In a collection that ranges from funny to bittersweet, from cringe-worthy to downright disgusting, this is one anthology that is guaranteed to have you laughing out loud.
A slimy first kiss that wasn't even wanted, the breathless anticipation of a first kiss that never came, and the first kiss horror stories that should exist nowhere but in nightmares -- the authors hold nothing back when it comes to their memories (that is, when they can actually remember).
The book is also interspersed with quizzes about kissing, lists including historical kisses in movies, funny (but sometimes not-so-helpful) first kiss advice, and much more. It's a quick, easy read that's sure to appeal to both girls and boys, young and old. And since a portion of the proceeds from sales of the book benefit NPR's Youth Radio, you'll be doing both yourself and other teens a favor by picking up a copy of FIRST KISS (THEN TELL).
Author Cylin Busby has brought together some of young adult's funniest and most talented authors to reminisce about their real-life first kisses (or the second, or the third, or the twenty-fifth). In a collection that ranges from funny to bittersweet, from cringe-worthy to downright disgusting, this is one anthology that is guaranteed to have you laughing out loud.
A slimy first kiss that wasn't even wanted, the breathless anticipation of a first kiss that never came, and the first kiss horror stories that should exist nowhere but in nightmares -- the authors hold nothing back when it comes to their memories (that is, when they can actually remember).
The book is also interspersed with quizzes about kissing, lists including historical kisses in movies, funny (but sometimes not-so-helpful) first kiss advice, and much more. It's a quick, easy read that's sure to appeal to both girls and boys, young and old. And since a portion of the proceeds from sales of the book benefit NPR's Youth Radio, you'll be doing both yourself and other teens a favor by picking up a copy of FIRST KISS (THEN TELL).
April 19, 2009
With a title like that, I knew I'd be horrified by the actual stories. And I was. Let me give you a glimpse into this collection: In her bio, the editor "claims she had her first kiss at age 14 (but in reality it was dangerously close to her 15th birthday)". Dangerously close? As though a bomb was about to go off but she saved the day by locking lips with a guy just in the nick of time. Barf.
And speaking of guys, almost all of the stories featured hetero kisses. Only 2 stories had gay boys and nary a baby dyke to be found. When I saw the list of contributing authors, I had hopes that David Levithan and Naomi Shihab Nye might balance out the pretty pink fluff writers. Sadly, I was wrong. Mini skirts were hiked up and tube tops were donned. No really, they actually were. Barf.
There were a couple of sweet Bonne Bell moments but there was also the story that began with the line "Can you believe she's a virgin?" Ugh. More offensive than discussions of virginity was the part in the first story, by Deb Caletti, where she explains that she was "taught to be nice. I am the one that helps the retarded boy reach his coat". You were taught to what???!! I skipped the rest of the story after reading that line and almost put the book down altogether.
To be fair, I enjoyed the graphic writing contributions. Shannon and Dean Hale wrote a lovely 2-sided piece. And Paul Ruditis was a pleasant surprise.
Clearly, the editor requested that the authors do their damnedest to be hip. This led Donna Jo Napoli to abandon her usual lyrical prose and urge her readers to "download" an Elvis song immediately. Hip, indeed. Jon Scieszka, thank god, was able to resist the editor's urgings and wrote a genuine recollection of his first kiss featuring a girl who tasted faintly of rubber bands. Not necessarily hip, but real and funny and didn't induce my gag reflex.
Is this really the story we want to share with young people? That if you're not kissed by the time you turn 15 you are a loser for life? That girls can only kiss boys? That squeezing into a tube top and kissing a guy just because he's there is the best course of action? Talk about f*ed up societal expectations. Horrifying doesn't begin to describe my feelings on this matter.
And speaking of guys, almost all of the stories featured hetero kisses. Only 2 stories had gay boys and nary a baby dyke to be found. When I saw the list of contributing authors, I had hopes that David Levithan and Naomi Shihab Nye might balance out the pretty pink fluff writers. Sadly, I was wrong. Mini skirts were hiked up and tube tops were donned. No really, they actually were. Barf.
There were a couple of sweet Bonne Bell moments but there was also the story that began with the line "Can you believe she's a virgin?" Ugh. More offensive than discussions of virginity was the part in the first story, by Deb Caletti, where she explains that she was "taught to be nice. I am the one that helps the retarded boy reach his coat". You were taught to what???!! I skipped the rest of the story after reading that line and almost put the book down altogether.
To be fair, I enjoyed the graphic writing contributions. Shannon and Dean Hale wrote a lovely 2-sided piece. And Paul Ruditis was a pleasant surprise.
Clearly, the editor requested that the authors do their damnedest to be hip. This led Donna Jo Napoli to abandon her usual lyrical prose and urge her readers to "download" an Elvis song immediately. Hip, indeed. Jon Scieszka, thank god, was able to resist the editor's urgings and wrote a genuine recollection of his first kiss featuring a girl who tasted faintly of rubber bands. Not necessarily hip, but real and funny and didn't induce my gag reflex.
Is this really the story we want to share with young people? That if you're not kissed by the time you turn 15 you are a loser for life? That girls can only kiss boys? That squeezing into a tube top and kissing a guy just because he's there is the best course of action? Talk about f*ed up societal expectations. Horrifying doesn't begin to describe my feelings on this matter.
May 20, 2011
I just LOVED these stories. They were funny and cute, but sometimes just downright awkward or gross. It just was fun to relive funny memories of first kisses (and be glad I am not there anymore!). The book is a compilation of authors writing a small story of a first kiss, or even a last first kiss (that one was sad). I think that really any girl would love this book, its just the cutest.
Warning: I have to add this..or someone will be mad at me. Well almost all of the kisses, with the exception of 3 entries are about heterosexual couples (boy/girl kisses). There are like I said 3 boy and boy kisses, and if those make you feel awkward, skip um. There are also some stories with teenage drinking (hence the gross throw up kiss stories).
Also these stories might make you want to kiss your loved one like crazy. After all they are cute stories, (well minus the one about the girl burping while kissing. Ew.)
Also it is a really quick read. It took me about an hour and half to finish it.
Warning: I have to add this..or someone will be mad at me. Well almost all of the kisses, with the exception of 3 entries are about heterosexual couples (boy/girl kisses). There are like I said 3 boy and boy kisses, and if those make you feel awkward, skip um. There are also some stories with teenage drinking (hence the gross throw up kiss stories).
Also these stories might make you want to kiss your loved one like crazy. After all they are cute stories, (well minus the one about the girl burping while kissing. Ew.)
Also it is a really quick read. It took me about an hour and half to finish it.
March 14, 2009
Dear Cylin Busby
This book was a very humorous book. “First Kiss” is all about different people and their first kiss experiences. They are just so funny! It’s unbelievable some of the bad luck people have! These embarrassing stories can lift anyone’s spirit! My favorite story talks about a girl who goes to a kissing party. She had drunk and ate so many different things that she was completely full. Then this guy asked to kiss her, she was so happy that she forgot all about her full stomach and kissed him. Not a tap kiss but a French kiss, this caused all the food to come back up and when she tried to pull away from him he didn’t let her go. So she threw up all over him! The funny thing is in the end she says she never saw him again! How embarrassing!
This book was a very humorous book. “First Kiss” is all about different people and their first kiss experiences. They are just so funny! It’s unbelievable some of the bad luck people have! These embarrassing stories can lift anyone’s spirit! My favorite story talks about a girl who goes to a kissing party. She had drunk and ate so many different things that she was completely full. Then this guy asked to kiss her, she was so happy that she forgot all about her full stomach and kissed him. Not a tap kiss but a French kiss, this caused all the food to come back up and when she tried to pull away from him he didn’t let her go. So she threw up all over him! The funny thing is in the end she says she never saw him again! How embarrassing!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2009
this book was so cute! my favorite was especially scott westerfeld's who decided to do a haiku:
halfway to Bio
my tongue tip glides the metal
just behind your lips
HILARIOUS! for a man wrote writes some good kissing in books, he had so little to say of his own first experience. some of the first time kissing accounts were mortifying and made me wonder how they werent traumatized for life. then some were really sweet, and some heartbreaking. made me reminiscent of mine...
A Haiku:
*clears throat*
Hard to know who lead
Your tongue was there with full force
My sleeve dried my face
What's your first kissing experience?????
halfway to Bio
my tongue tip glides the metal
just behind your lips
HILARIOUS! for a man wrote writes some good kissing in books, he had so little to say of his own first experience. some of the first time kissing accounts were mortifying and made me wonder how they werent traumatized for life. then some were really sweet, and some heartbreaking. made me reminiscent of mine...
A Haiku:
*clears throat*
Hard to know who lead
Your tongue was there with full force
My sleeve dried my face
What's your first kissing experience?????
January 31, 2009
There's pretty much something for everyone, whether your first kiss was recent, hasn't happened, or it's been more than a decade. Some stories play on your emotions, some gross you out,and some would probably inspire fears I never would have thought of on my own.
February 20, 2008
This book has to be one of the funniest books I've ever read. Even if you're not into the whole romance thing, this book is something I'd recommend reading!
March 26, 2008
Justine's was the grossest, Scott's was the funniest, but I loved David's best!
June 9, 2008
I love nerds. I love all these authors. I love reading kisses. I love random facts. I love this book.
January 5, 2009
Super cute short stories of first kisses. Fun read!
February 20, 2017
This book was pretty cute. It’s not my favorite thing I’ve ever read or anything, but it was just cute and fun and the perfect thing to read on Valentine’s Day. I think my favorite thing about this book was how each author had such a different perspective on how to answer the question of their first kiss. I mean there were stories and poems and comics and other stuff but more than that, their answers were so different. Some wrote about their actual first kiss, some wrote about their first kiss that mattered, some wrote about all kinds of first kisses and what they mean and I thought that was really cool. My favorite story was actually Cylin Busby’s first kiss story in the introduction because it was super cute and it was one of the only one’s that I liked that had a happy ending or at least not a sad ending and I liked how she talked about how there’s a million different kinds of first kisses and if you’re creative enough you can keep having first kisses throughout your whole life even if you’re kissing the same person. Some of the other stories I liked were First Last Kiss by Micol Ostow and Public Service Announcement by Robin Wasserman even though they were both kind of sad. I also liked For John by Deb Caletti because her second first kiss was just so cute and perfect. And I liked Read Our Lips by Leslie Margolis and Sarah Mlynowski because I just think purposefully bad advice is super funny. I like how David Levithan said that a first kiss happens each time you kiss a new person. The story I was most disappointed by was Braces by Scott Westerfeld. I’ve never even heard of most of the authors in this book, but Scott Westerfeld is an author that I love and I was looking forward to his story the most and then all he contributes is a haiku. Seriously? I also didn’t really like either of the other poems, because they were super short and not memorable at all. And for obvious reasons I did not like the stories where the girls either burped or threw up into the guy’s mouth. I loved the little extras spread throughout the book especially The Evolution of the Kiss and Kisses on the Silver Screen. And I loved the quotes especially the ones by Rene Yasenek and Joey Adams and the Chinese proverb. I also liked how there were biographies after each contribution, because like I said I’ve never heard of most of these authors and I thought it was cool how most of the biographies were written specifically for this and weren’t just the standard ones that would go in any of their books. I would definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for something light and cute to read.
December 30, 2022
Kind of terrifying in the best way.
October 22, 2012
Fist kiss(Then tell)is a collection of true lip-locked moments. It's a shor book of 212 pages, the book is edited by Cylin Busby. The book has 25 authors for teens telling the story of their first kiss. Some stories might make you cry, authers will make you laught. The stories are funny and cute, but sometimes it's awkward or gross. It just fun to relive funny memories of first kisses. I like and enjoyed read Fist Kiss(Then Tell) because I think one of the most interesting things about this book is the fact that they are featured in multiple forms. Some are short stories, others are poems, and it's all about their first kiss.
My favorite story in the collection is written by Amy Kim Gante. "Ever since i was little, i'd daydream about my firs kiss." I guess every girls always dream about their firs kiss. How is it going to be and where? With who is it going to be? Is it going to be perfect? We ask ourselves thos questions. " After those 2 fist kisses, i thought maybe love wasn't real. Maybe the fairy tales were wrong." Fairy tales made people believe that everything has a happy ending,specially to little girls. In a little girl's world everything is perfect, they think life is like a fairy tales, and nobody can make them change their minds about it, they change their own mind by growing up, face hard things and realize that life is not that perfect than they thought of fairy tales, and finally end up by asking themselves if fairy tales was real.
"In case the last name didn’t give it away." It's written by Shannon and Dean Hale who are married authors.The two were friends in high school and college. Both tell their side of the story when it comes to their feelings about one another as well as their first kiss. " Will one kiss ruin everything?" Have you ever kiss your bestfriend and don't know if it's right or wrong? one kiss can ruin everything between bestfriend or else make things better than it use to be. It's just depend on a situation. It's amazed me to see how the female and male mind differ and makes you wonder whether or not we over think one too many things.
If you're looking for a quick and short book, this collection is a perfect choice. by reading it you have a chance to read about different kind of stories about first kisses. Whether random, romantic, funny, heartwarming,or sad. Reading this collection will leave you happy and satisfied seeing as many have had the same love, heartbreaking, and even embarrassing first kiss experiences.I really like this book, it's the first one that i have ever like to read and it catches my attention. I can read this book over and over again without getting bored by it.
My favorite story in the collection is written by Amy Kim Gante. "Ever since i was little, i'd daydream about my firs kiss." I guess every girls always dream about their firs kiss. How is it going to be and where? With who is it going to be? Is it going to be perfect? We ask ourselves thos questions. " After those 2 fist kisses, i thought maybe love wasn't real. Maybe the fairy tales were wrong." Fairy tales made people believe that everything has a happy ending,specially to little girls. In a little girl's world everything is perfect, they think life is like a fairy tales, and nobody can make them change their minds about it, they change their own mind by growing up, face hard things and realize that life is not that perfect than they thought of fairy tales, and finally end up by asking themselves if fairy tales was real.
"In case the last name didn’t give it away." It's written by Shannon and Dean Hale who are married authors.The two were friends in high school and college. Both tell their side of the story when it comes to their feelings about one another as well as their first kiss. " Will one kiss ruin everything?" Have you ever kiss your bestfriend and don't know if it's right or wrong? one kiss can ruin everything between bestfriend or else make things better than it use to be. It's just depend on a situation. It's amazed me to see how the female and male mind differ and makes you wonder whether or not we over think one too many things.
If you're looking for a quick and short book, this collection is a perfect choice. by reading it you have a chance to read about different kind of stories about first kisses. Whether random, romantic, funny, heartwarming,or sad. Reading this collection will leave you happy and satisfied seeing as many have had the same love, heartbreaking, and even embarrassing first kiss experiences.I really like this book, it's the first one that i have ever like to read and it catches my attention. I can read this book over and over again without getting bored by it.
October 31, 2011
First kiss
The book first kiss is about many different kisses good ones,bad ones,sloppy ones,scary ones,hurtful ones, and the number one kiss the one that makes u tingle from head to toe. the book first kiss has 23 different stories and all different authors. my favorite one is about a boy and a girl. the girls name is Jessica and boys name is Jacob.the girl secretly likes the boy they never talk or make eye contact but one day after school the girl hears her door bell ring and she runs down stairs opens the door and sees Jacob she stands there with silence saying "hey" and then he says hey lets go play outside but the boy really takes her to an island that's in the middle of the street and they sit on a rock and he leans in to kiss her she goes along with it because she really likes him. than after he kisses her it gets akward and he says well see you tomorrow she thought he men't at school she waited the whole day for him to say anything but she didn't even get a hello. she goes back home again and hears the door bell ring it was Jacob again they did the same thing they did the day before. It actually became a routine she new that nothing more was going to happen just a kiss everyday after school and she was fine with it because it was like she was getting her first kiss everyday but over and over again. the other books on first kisses were actually a whole lot different about how bad a first kiss would be and how they wish they could take there first kiss back. one of the stories was actually funny it was about a girl and she had about 20 first kisses if she didn't like the kiss she would try and erase it from her memory and say it wasn't her first kiss until she finaly got a good enough kiss to say it was her first kiss and it was magical. the book first kiss was wierd it was interesting it was a whole lot of different stories and all very interesting it makes me want to have a first kiss all over again but try it the way all the stories were some were sad some were funny but some also had love to them.
The book first kiss is about many different kisses good ones,bad ones,sloppy ones,scary ones,hurtful ones, and the number one kiss the one that makes u tingle from head to toe. the book first kiss has 23 different stories and all different authors. my favorite one is about a boy and a girl. the girls name is Jessica and boys name is Jacob.the girl secretly likes the boy they never talk or make eye contact but one day after school the girl hears her door bell ring and she runs down stairs opens the door and sees Jacob she stands there with silence saying "hey" and then he says hey lets go play outside but the boy really takes her to an island that's in the middle of the street and they sit on a rock and he leans in to kiss her she goes along with it because she really likes him. than after he kisses her it gets akward and he says well see you tomorrow she thought he men't at school she waited the whole day for him to say anything but she didn't even get a hello. she goes back home again and hears the door bell ring it was Jacob again they did the same thing they did the day before. It actually became a routine she new that nothing more was going to happen just a kiss everyday after school and she was fine with it because it was like she was getting her first kiss everyday but over and over again. the other books on first kisses were actually a whole lot different about how bad a first kiss would be and how they wish they could take there first kiss back. one of the stories was actually funny it was about a girl and she had about 20 first kisses if she didn't like the kiss she would try and erase it from her memory and say it wasn't her first kiss until she finaly got a good enough kiss to say it was her first kiss and it was magical. the book first kiss was wierd it was interesting it was a whole lot of different stories and all very interesting it makes me want to have a first kiss all over again but try it the way all the stories were some were sad some were funny but some also had love to them.
January 31, 2010
Rating: C-
Review: This is your typical short story collection. Some good, some bad, some redundant.
My favorites were:
-"Bad Reputation," by Cecil Castellucci (with implications regarding the influence of friends on the kissing dynamics);
-"Yeah, I Know," by Jon Scieszka (a down-to-earth guy's perspective that tells it like it is... smelling rubberbands?); and
-The she said/he said, "Our First Kiss (with each other)" by Shannon and Dean Hale.
There were two other good stories, but (because they were so similiar), they cancelled each other out. Both "Pashin' or The Worst Kiss Ever" (by Justine Larbalestier) and "Lips, Tongues, and Dr. Pepper" (by Lauren Myracle) were cute to read (because they were so cringe-inducing), but they had the same theme. And, unfortunately for Myracle, Lauren's came later and seemed unnecessary. This showed that the book could have used tighter editing. Larbalestier (who is a really good author) didn't even write regarding her own first kiss--it was a friend's--so Busby should have worked to get something original and different (to give Myracle's room to breathe).
A good number of the other contributions were of the same theme: if you haven't kissed someone by 15, then you're destined to be a spinster. Therefore, do everything in your power to get that kiss under your belt. Not the best message in the world to be sending. Over and over again.
I did appreciate that they mixed it up with graphic contributions ("The Third First Kiss" by Amy Kim Ganter was my favorite of this group) and some in verse.
Review: This is your typical short story collection. Some good, some bad, some redundant.
My favorites were:
-"Bad Reputation," by Cecil Castellucci (with implications regarding the influence of friends on the kissing dynamics);
-"Yeah, I Know," by Jon Scieszka (a down-to-earth guy's perspective that tells it like it is... smelling rubberbands?); and
-The she said/he said, "Our First Kiss (with each other)" by Shannon and Dean Hale.
There were two other good stories, but (because they were so similiar), they cancelled each other out. Both "Pashin' or The Worst Kiss Ever" (by Justine Larbalestier) and "Lips, Tongues, and Dr. Pepper" (by Lauren Myracle) were cute to read (because they were so cringe-inducing), but they had the same theme. And, unfortunately for Myracle, Lauren's came later and seemed unnecessary. This showed that the book could have used tighter editing. Larbalestier (who is a really good author) didn't even write regarding her own first kiss--it was a friend's--so Busby should have worked to get something original and different (to give Myracle's room to breathe).
A good number of the other contributions were of the same theme: if you haven't kissed someone by 15, then you're destined to be a spinster. Therefore, do everything in your power to get that kiss under your belt. Not the best message in the world to be sending. Over and over again.
I did appreciate that they mixed it up with graphic contributions ("The Third First Kiss" by Amy Kim Ganter was my favorite of this group) and some in verse.
November 25, 2008
A collection of true first kiss stories.
The idea of this book was very intriguing to me, I found it equally interesting that famous authors wouldn't mind sharing their personal experiences with the masses. Being the nosy person that I am, I was totally for hearing their stories. This book had a wide range of stories, some were grotesque, disgusting, sweet, pathetic, weird, sloppy, and all were unforgettable. I liked most of the stories, I thought that they portrayed reality instead of the fantasy that the world keeps trying to shove down our throats. There were two stories that I absolutely did not care for at all, and I was slightly annoyed to see them in there and really wished that they had left them out. Most of the stories weren't picturesque, which I thought was nice, it wasn't like the movies where everything is perfect and you felt ripped off because you knew it was so fake. These were the truth, the raw and sometimes unbearably sloppy truth. I liked this book, but because of a couple of the stories I don't think I'd recommend it to everyone.
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2008...
The idea of this book was very intriguing to me, I found it equally interesting that famous authors wouldn't mind sharing their personal experiences with the masses. Being the nosy person that I am, I was totally for hearing their stories. This book had a wide range of stories, some were grotesque, disgusting, sweet, pathetic, weird, sloppy, and all were unforgettable. I liked most of the stories, I thought that they portrayed reality instead of the fantasy that the world keeps trying to shove down our throats. There were two stories that I absolutely did not care for at all, and I was slightly annoyed to see them in there and really wished that they had left them out. Most of the stories weren't picturesque, which I thought was nice, it wasn't like the movies where everything is perfect and you felt ripped off because you knew it was so fake. These were the truth, the raw and sometimes unbearably sloppy truth. I liked this book, but because of a couple of the stories I don't think I'd recommend it to everyone.
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2008...
July 18, 2008
Read more at rowijo.void-star.net!
* Reading level: Young Adult
* Paperback: 224 pages
* Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books [December 26, 2007]
* ISBN-13: 978-1599902418
Usually I feel that short story collections are not very popular with young adults, due to the use of short stories as a teaching medium in English classes. However, First Kiss (Then Tell): A Collection of True Lip-Locked Moments is an innovative anthology that breaks down barriers. Along with short stories, it also has poems, a haiku, graphic-novel format stories (graphic short stories?), stories in letter and e-mail format, quotes, and facts about kisses. Some of the best YA authors out there such as Scott Westerfeld and Donna Jo Napoli are featured (among many others), so the draw for avid readers is there, as well as a bubble-gum trash-romance cover and premise for girls who don't read but are willing to pick up a book if it matches their purse for the day.
Overall, First Kiss (Then Tell): A Collection of True Lip-Locked Moments is a quality anthology of short fiction in several media that is a good pick-up for any YA collection.
4Q, 4P
* Reading level: Young Adult
* Paperback: 224 pages
* Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books [December 26, 2007]
* ISBN-13: 978-1599902418
Usually I feel that short story collections are not very popular with young adults, due to the use of short stories as a teaching medium in English classes. However, First Kiss (Then Tell): A Collection of True Lip-Locked Moments is an innovative anthology that breaks down barriers. Along with short stories, it also has poems, a haiku, graphic-novel format stories (graphic short stories?), stories in letter and e-mail format, quotes, and facts about kisses. Some of the best YA authors out there such as Scott Westerfeld and Donna Jo Napoli are featured (among many others), so the draw for avid readers is there, as well as a bubble-gum trash-romance cover and premise for girls who don't read but are willing to pick up a book if it matches their purse for the day.
Overall, First Kiss (Then Tell): A Collection of True Lip-Locked Moments is a quality anthology of short fiction in several media that is a good pick-up for any YA collection.
4Q, 4P
September 27, 2011
It was all about some of the authors that had their 1st kiss.
March 17, 2008
I read this book because Shannon Hale (a young adult author I really like--who is LDS and shares my birthday) has a small story in here where she and her husband share their first kiss.
The book was kind of strange because really, do I want or even need to know the personal experiences of people I don't even know? How voyeristic is that? I felt a little odd about reading some of the stories (especially the homosexual first kisses--particularly the homosexual who loves all first kisses because of the promise they hold) but that said, a lot of the stories were written with a great sense of humor where I didn't feel I was watching what I shouldn't rather I was listening to a friend relate her experiences.
I have a friend who said, when her daughter had her first kiss, "Thank heavens that is out of the way!" I think a lot of these stories illustrate that sentence.
The book was kind of strange because really, do I want or even need to know the personal experiences of people I don't even know? How voyeristic is that? I felt a little odd about reading some of the stories (especially the homosexual first kisses--particularly the homosexual who loves all first kisses because of the promise they hold) but that said, a lot of the stories were written with a great sense of humor where I didn't feel I was watching what I shouldn't rather I was listening to a friend relate her experiences.
I have a friend who said, when her daughter had her first kiss, "Thank heavens that is out of the way!" I think a lot of these stories illustrate that sentence.
July 11, 2009
A cute collection. I picked this up after reading the author's memoir, and the introduction to this short story collection was really a nice little "PS" to her memoir. At least we know she did turn out okay in her teenage years after all! (The memoir THE YEAR WE DISAPPEARED doesn't tell you how they end up).
This is for young girls (or boys) and I find it so sad that so many homophobes have come here to review this sweet, innocent collection (there is nothing even PG-13 rated in here!) But I guess people who hate and discriminate just cannot tolerate. When in the world will this change? Maybe with more collections like this one, that show you that love in all its forms is OKAY will help young people. Shame on some of you, you know who you are.
Highly recommend for young people (age 13 +)
This is for young girls (or boys) and I find it so sad that so many homophobes have come here to review this sweet, innocent collection (there is nothing even PG-13 rated in here!) But I guess people who hate and discriminate just cannot tolerate. When in the world will this change? Maybe with more collections like this one, that show you that love in all its forms is OKAY will help young people. Shame on some of you, you know who you are.
Highly recommend for young people (age 13 +)
January 20, 2011
I picked “First Kiss Then Tell” at the bookstore with my friend. I read the blurb and I instantly wanted to read it. It’s filled with a bunch of stories about kisses. It is funny, cute, and interesting. My favorite story was the second one it was so funny. It was about this girl who says she’s going to tell the story about her second kiss but ends up telling about her first kiss, which was offal. There are quotes and advice, poetry, also some comics so you get a mix of different styles of writing as well as different authors. There was nothing I didn’t like about this book, I had a good time reading it, and finding myself smiling; by the time I stop reading my cheeks hurt! I might want to try more short story books in the future. i recommend this book to girls because it's so much fun to read and relate to.
April 1, 2011
I thought that this book was funny but lacking in plot. There were too many author inputs.What's facinateing about this book is that ther authors are well known, for example there are writers such as: Scott Westerfield,David Leviathan, and Amy Ganter. I do warn that there are some scenes that may seem inapropiate. I would recommend this book to young teens who experience anxiety for their first kiss.
This book is a collection of stories of author's experiences with their first or second kiss. Some stories led to love and others lead to an upset stomach. There are some cartoon stories (graphic chapters), so all sorts of reading occur in this book. This may not be an advice book, but will certainly have you laughing.
This book is a collection of stories of author's experiences with their first or second kiss. Some stories led to love and others lead to an upset stomach. There are some cartoon stories (graphic chapters), so all sorts of reading occur in this book. This may not be an advice book, but will certainly have you laughing.
November 2, 2008
I borrowed this from one of the writers who was part of it. At first, admittedly, I thought the idea was hokey--who would want to buy a book with just quick true stories about kissing? But considering that I want to write books for teenagers, this was actually a very helpful read! It was cool to read about motivations especially--whether they wanted to kiss their one true love or just really wanted to get a first kiss over with to say they'd been kissed. Plus, I never read this kind of stuff as a teenager, and now I'm thinking I'd like to encourage my own kids to read something like this, just to see the perspective that other's people's stories can offer.
June 25, 2010
First kisses are mysterious to the young and romanticized by many. In the hands of YA authors like Scott Westerfield and Shannon Hale this book does a wonderful and varied job of shining a proverbial literary flashlight into the dark corners of the first kiss by having these master story tellers write about their first kiss.
An incredibly short and fast read; I loved it. There were times I was laughing, smiling, and even gagging. A terrific idea that will sure to captivate all 7th grade readers, even the reluctant ones! For those of us years beyond the first kiss, it was great tapping into the feelings of the pre-kissed.
An incredibly short and fast read; I loved it. There were times I was laughing, smiling, and even gagging. A terrific idea that will sure to captivate all 7th grade readers, even the reluctant ones! For those of us years beyond the first kiss, it was great tapping into the feelings of the pre-kissed.
May 24, 2012
The book was bettter than I thought it was going to be. The stories are short - as in some are 3 pages long! They are the true stories of YA authors' first kisses. As a fun twist, there are kissing facts and trivia found throughout the book. Quotes from celebrities are also placed here and there. Some of the authors sharing their stories include: Deb Caletti, Cecil Castellucci, Lauren Myracle, Jon Scieszka, and Scott Westerfeld. 21 in all!
September 6, 2012
A bunch of authors' memories of their first kiss(es)... I didn't really identify with any of them SINCE THEY WERE ALL LIKE THIRTEEN. I don't know if I'm just weird, but I don't remember anybody really talking about kissing in middle school in my group of friends. All four of us. Okay, maybe I'm not the target audience. But I can at least weigh in that some of the stuff between stories was suuuuuuuuuuuuper lame advice. Did that sound like a thirteen year old?
May 29, 2008
Overall it was fairly entertaining. Definitely a one hour sort of read because some of the stories are as sort as a Haiku (Scott Westerfield). My favorite by far, and the whole reason I read the book, was Shannon and Dean Hale's story. Really cute and funny. Makes me think of Star Wars in a whole different way! ;)
February 26, 2009
I read this on valentines day. what a sucker. i enjoyed this from a voyeuristic standpoint, particularly reading about shannon and dean hale's first kiss. in between diary-like stories of first kisses, the editor compiled kissing advice/trivia for young readers. i strongly dislike that aspect of the book.
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