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Kissing Kate
Sixteen-year-old Lissa's relationship with her best friend changes after they kiss at a party and Lissa does not know what to do, until she gets help from an unexpected new friend.
198 pages, Hardcover
First published April 14, 2003
95 people are currently reading
12543 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Myracle
95 books2,026 followersLauren Myracle is the author of numerous young adult novels. She was born in 1969 in North Carolina. Lauren Myracle holds an MA in English from Colorado State University and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. she has written many novels, including the famous IM books, ttyl, ttfn, and l8r, g8r.
Her first novel, Kissing Kate, was selected as one of ALA's "Best Books for Young Adults" for the year 2004. It was named by Booklist as one of the "Top Ten Youth Romances" of the year, as well as one of the "Top Ten Books by New Writers." Her middle-grade novel, Eleven, came out 2004, followed by its YA sequels (Twelve, Thirteen, Thirteen Plus One) .
Her first novel, Kissing Kate, was selected as one of ALA's "Best Books for Young Adults" for the year 2004. It was named by Booklist as one of the "Top Ten Youth Romances" of the year, as well as one of the "Top Ten Books by New Writers." Her middle-grade novel, Eleven, came out 2004, followed by its YA sequels (Twelve, Thirteen, Thirteen Plus One) .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 395 reviews
December 27, 2018
Dear Kissing Kate,
Why did you do that to me?
You gave me an interesting premise, decent main characters, and pretty good chemistry between the main couple (something I find majorly lacking in most YA books, especially YA LGBT), but you failed in one of the most important areas -- your subplots sucked ass. You're like that guy going down on his girlfriend who pulls away and refuses to continue, no matter how much she begs. What's your problem?
Your MC, Lisa, isn't bad. In fact, I kind of liked her. She's one of the better LGBT heroines. I tried reading Annie on My Mind. It bored me. I tried reading Empress of the World. It bored me. I tried reading Keeping You A Secret. Guess what? It bored me. Your MC didn't bore me! That's the first step to making me happy reader.
Now, for the love interest -- Kate. Not a lot of people know this about me, but I'm a huge fan of will-they-won't-they drama. On this front, I was satisfied. In fact, I wanted more of Kate. I found myself skimming to get back to the Kate drama. I didn't give a fuck about Beth, Finn, Ariel/Kimberly, or any of the other characters in those god forsaken subplots. They were boring, two dimensional clichés. In fact, I suspect that your author didn't really care for them either. I think they were just added in to pump this novel up to 50k. Heads up -- many books work just fine as novellas. They suffer when needless, boring subplots are added. Go all the way or don't bother at all because, blue balls really suck.
What did the sub-plots add? Nothing. Why were the relevant to the main plot? Eh, they weren't.
With a book like this, that relies on two main characters trying to figure out their feelings for one another, you focus on those two as much as you can without ever having them cross the line until the climax. They are, in essence, Geisha. They will tempt you, tease you, serve you, but won't actually do anything until the end of the night, when everyone else is gone.
This is my problem with John Green books post Looking for Alaska. I don't give a flying fuck about any of the characters outside of the MC and the love interest. And that's fine, when you devote as little time as necessary to them. But you, Kissing Kate, decided to bring your boring side characters out at every turn, flaunting them in my face, having them strip for god knows whose enjoyment, all the while, leaving the truly interesting story as a side-show when it was the main attraction.
What did Ariel/Kimberly contribute? She was the friend for Lisa to vent to. That's it. Her weirdness didn't matter in terms of advancing the plot.
What did Beth contribute? Besides being the little sister, nothing.
I can’t even remember Darlin’, or whatever her name was.
In fact, the only side characters who contributed to the plot were Jerry and Finn. Jerry, for making Lisa awkward around all that is feminine and Finn, for being the male that makes Lisa realize she's completely in love with Kate.
Moving on.
Alright, book. Despite that bullshit you pulled, I still like you. But I've got more complaining to do.
You have no resolution. You give a climax and drop it. You don't wrap up your romantic arc. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO KATE AND LISA!
Obviously, Kate's in love with Lisa, too. Look, I don't like happily ever afters (lie) but I do like conflict resolution. While I understand Lisa is hurt that Kate cares about how she appears to other people, she should see that Kate really likes her. I mean, good fucking god, that girl dumped her beard (well.... not beard. What do you call a guy a girl is dating so people won't think she's gay? A tit? A boob? Yes, boob. That sounds nice. He's clueless, like a boob.), lied about what really happened, and makes up petty excuses to spend time with you. She used to be way too touchy feely with you, and after you make out, she's dying to spend time with you, but doesn't want to get too close. She gets jealous when you date guys and is ecstatic when you don't enjoy the date.
I can see how she'd be upset that Kate isn't willing to out herself, but is it worth throwing away four years of friendship just because you're hurt that she won't admit she's gay? You know you're in love with each other. Just ride it out. I mean, god, she's supposed to be super-hot. Just wait. Obviously, she's not completely adverse to the idea. Even after you kissed a second time, and she rejected you out of fear, she still wants to hang out with you. You just ditch her, ignoring the fact that it might be hard for her to come to terms with what she is. You know, you were the one ignoring her. For what? What do you gain by ditching her? One less friend and one girl who’s in love with you but won’t admit it. I understand that you hate hanging out with her and being unable to talk about what you really feel, but what do you gain by ignoring her? You think she’s just going to change her mind and out herself? Eh, no. So, in essence, you’re ditching your best friend (the girl you love, who you know loves you) for nothing. Logic fail.
ETA: Going back over the parts that I skimmed, I'm even more pissed with Lissa (and you, book).
Way to compare a stupid 3rd grader who made you feel like shit to your best friend who's having the exact same issues with her sexuality as you. Brilliant. By the end of the book, Lissa is back to square one, only she's friends with the two-dimensional Ariel, who just happens to poof a happy lesbian couple from out of her ass. Instead of confronting your problems or, I don't know, trying to help your friend with hers, I guess it's just better to ditch her and run off with someone else because your friend won't make out with you. Yeah. That's what good friends do.
And, seriously, all we get is kissing. I mean, I have no problem with a book that's just kissing, but come on. If we cut out all those horrible, horrible subplots (or just made them better) and added more scenes between Kate and Lisa, and gave this book a proper resolution, I can see a sex scene fitting in. I was expecting one. Or least something more than a short kiss in the final confrontation between the main couple.
Anyway, yeah, I have a lot to complain about, book. And, as you're an inanimate object (I can't spell to save my life, so spell check corrected inannimate to intimate. A book as an intimate object. Interesting), you can't answer my questions. I'm just going to say that I'm very disappointed. You're the best YA book I've read featuring lesbians, but goddamnit, you could've been so much more.
Sincerely,
Your Slightly Pleased, But Mostly Disgruntled Reader
PS -- I hate you so much for not including a resolution. There are so many innuendos I could include right now, but I won't. I'll just say that there’s no love trope I hate more than the open ended, maybe I'll move on bullshit ending. Well, except insta-love, crappy love triangles, and crappy forbidden love.
PPS -- Finish your fucking third act. I hate reading unfinished books.
PPPS -- Love you, Sara Zarr, but that goes for you, too. Your subplots are vastly superior, though.
Why did you do that to me?
You gave me an interesting premise, decent main characters, and pretty good chemistry between the main couple (something I find majorly lacking in most YA books, especially YA LGBT), but you failed in one of the most important areas -- your subplots sucked ass. You're like that guy going down on his girlfriend who pulls away and refuses to continue, no matter how much she begs. What's your problem?
Your MC, Lisa, isn't bad. In fact, I kind of liked her. She's one of the better LGBT heroines. I tried reading Annie on My Mind. It bored me. I tried reading Empress of the World. It bored me. I tried reading Keeping You A Secret. Guess what? It bored me. Your MC didn't bore me! That's the first step to making me happy reader.
Now, for the love interest -- Kate. Not a lot of people know this about me, but I'm a huge fan of will-they-won't-they drama. On this front, I was satisfied. In fact, I wanted more of Kate. I found myself skimming to get back to the Kate drama. I didn't give a fuck about Beth, Finn, Ariel/Kimberly, or any of the other characters in those god forsaken subplots. They were boring, two dimensional clichés. In fact, I suspect that your author didn't really care for them either. I think they were just added in to pump this novel up to 50k. Heads up -- many books work just fine as novellas. They suffer when needless, boring subplots are added. Go all the way or don't bother at all because, blue balls really suck.
What did the sub-plots add? Nothing. Why were the relevant to the main plot? Eh, they weren't.
With a book like this, that relies on two main characters trying to figure out their feelings for one another, you focus on those two as much as you can without ever having them cross the line until the climax. They are, in essence, Geisha. They will tempt you, tease you, serve you, but won't actually do anything until the end of the night, when everyone else is gone.
This is my problem with John Green books post Looking for Alaska. I don't give a flying fuck about any of the characters outside of the MC and the love interest. And that's fine, when you devote as little time as necessary to them. But you, Kissing Kate, decided to bring your boring side characters out at every turn, flaunting them in my face, having them strip for god knows whose enjoyment, all the while, leaving the truly interesting story as a side-show when it was the main attraction.
What did Ariel/Kimberly contribute? She was the friend for Lisa to vent to. That's it. Her weirdness didn't matter in terms of advancing the plot.
What did Beth contribute? Besides being the little sister, nothing.
I can’t even remember Darlin’, or whatever her name was.
In fact, the only side characters who contributed to the plot were Jerry and Finn. Jerry, for making Lisa awkward around all that is feminine and Finn, for being the male that makes Lisa realize she's completely in love with Kate.
Moving on.
Alright, book. Despite that bullshit you pulled, I still like you. But I've got more complaining to do.
You have no resolution. You give a climax and drop it. You don't wrap up your romantic arc. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO KATE AND LISA!
Obviously, Kate's in love with Lisa, too. Look, I don't like happily ever afters (lie) but I do like conflict resolution. While I understand Lisa is hurt that Kate cares about how she appears to other people, she should see that Kate really likes her. I mean, good fucking god, that girl dumped her beard (well.... not beard. What do you call a guy a girl is dating so people won't think she's gay? A tit? A boob? Yes, boob. That sounds nice. He's clueless, like a boob.), lied about what really happened, and makes up petty excuses to spend time with you. She used to be way too touchy feely with you, and after you make out, she's dying to spend time with you, but doesn't want to get too close. She gets jealous when you date guys and is ecstatic when you don't enjoy the date.
I can see how she'd be upset that Kate isn't willing to out herself, but is it worth throwing away four years of friendship just because you're hurt that she won't admit she's gay? You know you're in love with each other. Just ride it out. I mean, god, she's supposed to be super-hot. Just wait. Obviously, she's not completely adverse to the idea. Even after you kissed a second time, and she rejected you out of fear, she still wants to hang out with you. You just ditch her, ignoring the fact that it might be hard for her to come to terms with what she is. You know, you were the one ignoring her. For what? What do you gain by ditching her? One less friend and one girl who’s in love with you but won’t admit it. I understand that you hate hanging out with her and being unable to talk about what you really feel, but what do you gain by ignoring her? You think she’s just going to change her mind and out herself? Eh, no. So, in essence, you’re ditching your best friend (the girl you love, who you know loves you) for nothing. Logic fail.
ETA: Going back over the parts that I skimmed, I'm even more pissed with Lissa (and you, book).
“And another time I dreamed about a kid from my elementary school, this girl named Cookie Churchill. She was, like, luring me farther into the parking lot.”
“Cookie?” Ariel said.
“Yeah. We used to be friends, sort of, but sometimes she’d be mean to me, too. Like if I got upset about something, she’d say, ‘What’s your prob, little snob?’ And one time she told the whole class my toenails were gross.”
“So why’d you hang out with her?”
“I don’t know. I honestly don’t.” I shrugged. “I guess I still liked her, even though she made me feel like crap.”
Ariel looked at me in an odd way.
“What?” I said.
“You heard what you just said, right?” She waited, then raised her eyebrows. “You still liked her, even though she made you feel like crap?”
“Yeah, well, I was in third grade. Give me a break.”
“That’s not what I mean,” she said. “Cookie doesn’t remind you of anyone? Someone who isn’t in third grade?”
“Ariel, I have no idea what you’re—” I stopped. Blood rushed to my face.
“Oh. Oh, God, I didn’t think about it like that.”
“In your dream it was Cookie, but I bet it was really Kate.”
“Wow, that is so weird,” I said. I thought about it for a second. “But yeah, they both treated me the same, didn’t they? That kind of freaks me out.”
Way to compare a stupid 3rd grader who made you feel like shit to your best friend who's having the exact same issues with her sexuality as you. Brilliant. By the end of the book, Lissa is back to square one, only she's friends with the two-dimensional Ariel, who just happens to poof a happy lesbian couple from out of her ass. Instead of confronting your problems or, I don't know, trying to help your friend with hers, I guess it's just better to ditch her and run off with someone else because your friend won't make out with you. Yeah. That's what good friends do.
And, seriously, all we get is kissing. I mean, I have no problem with a book that's just kissing, but come on. If we cut out all those horrible, horrible subplots (or just made them better) and added more scenes between Kate and Lisa, and gave this book a proper resolution, I can see a sex scene fitting in. I was expecting one. Or least something more than a short kiss in the final confrontation between the main couple.
Anyway, yeah, I have a lot to complain about, book. And, as you're an inanimate object (I can't spell to save my life, so spell check corrected inannimate to intimate. A book as an intimate object. Interesting), you can't answer my questions. I'm just going to say that I'm very disappointed. You're the best YA book I've read featuring lesbians, but goddamnit, you could've been so much more.
Sincerely,
Your Slightly Pleased, But Mostly Disgruntled Reader
PS -- I hate you so much for not including a resolution. There are so many innuendos I could include right now, but I won't. I'll just say that there’s no love trope I hate more than the open ended, maybe I'll move on bullshit ending. Well, except insta-love, crappy love triangles, and crappy forbidden love.
PPS -- Finish your fucking third act. I hate reading unfinished books.
PPPS -- Love you, Sara Zarr, but that goes for you, too. Your subplots are vastly superior, though.
October 8, 2008
I picked up this book hoping for a teen girl struggling to figure out her sexuality. Instead, I get a book about lucid dreaming, which I have no interest in. There is barely any mention of her questioning her sexuality.
April 13, 2009
This book had many great moments, but upon reflection, I am not sure if I really liked it. I was certainly hooked on it, and read most of it in one sitting, but I felt like I was just expecting it to get better, and I'm not sure it ever did. I felt that Lissa's emotions were incredibly genuine and well depicted, and her struggle with Kate seemed very real. Yet, at the same time, I was annoyed with the various subplots that I felt skewed the focus of the story. There were quite a few cliche moments, as well. I really enjoyed how the story between Lissa and Kate unfolded, but the rest of the story wasn't as interesting. The ending bothered me--it seemed to me that little was actually resolved. Overall, it was certainly enjoyable, but could have been better. It's worth a read.
January 1, 2014
This book frustrated the shit out of me. I was all about it at first. Lissa and her supposedly best friend since elementary school Kate go to a party where Kate gets a bit tipsy and kisses Lissa. Things went a little PG-13 and now for some reason Kate is ignoring Lissa. It's hard to review because the book then goes off on some weird deep end randomly delves into the topic of "Lucid Dreaming", won't go there. It's also hard to review because there is barely any character definition of Kate ( aside of how perfect and blonde she is ), Kate makes several attempts to apologize to Lissa- for what I don't know, Lissa wanted to kiss Kate too...Lissa somehow gets defiant every apology and it just gets old. Then the books just ends. Literally. No wrap up, no amends, no nothing. I turned to the last page and thought there had been a mistake. If I wasn't on an e-reader I would have thought pages had been torn out. You never really find out of Lissa is gay (probably) or if she just had feelings for Kate. I feel like the author just gave up because she didn't even know what was going on.
August 14, 2023
Reread from 2012.
I am 110% sure I was not happy how this book ended when I was younger. Reading it now as a proper adult, I get it. Yes, it’s young adult, coming of age, finding yourself, whole deal. However, it also holds some heavy issues and if handled inappropriately, may lead to disastrous consequences mentally and emotionally. Kissing Kate struck the right balance between heavy and juvenile issues which I appreciate. It took a whole lot of lucid dreaming though which was a bit tedious to read through but necessary.
I am 110% sure I was not happy how this book ended when I was younger. Reading it now as a proper adult, I get it. Yes, it’s young adult, coming of age, finding yourself, whole deal. However, it also holds some heavy issues and if handled inappropriately, may lead to disastrous consequences mentally and emotionally. Kissing Kate struck the right balance between heavy and juvenile issues which I appreciate. It took a whole lot of lucid dreaming though which was a bit tedious to read through but necessary.
December 28, 2017
If I'd read Kissing Kate in high school, it probably would have been one of my favorite books. Reading it then would have shown me that it was okay to question, okay to feel what I was feeling. In that sense, Kissing Kate is a good first-coming-out-to-yourself book. Yet reading it as an adult, I can see the things that could be construed as flaws. Overall, it's a good read. I think Adult Lissa would look back at this time in her life, and be like.
December 17, 2011
I almost didn't want to write a review about this book because I didn't really enjoy it. Still, I'm trying to keep up with all of the books that I've read this year (I think that I've only missed a couple of reviews) so here it goes.
I. Didn't. Like. It.
Kissing Kate is the story of two best friends, Kate and Lissa. One night at a party, a very tipsy Kate approaches Lissa and kisses her. (In fact there's quite a bit of kissing going on and minor touching). When Kate's boyfriend and a couple of guys approach she pushes Lissa away and acts like nothing happened.
And she continues to act like nothing happened at school the next day.
This pretense carries over for weeks. The Kate and Lissa twosome now no longer talks because of this white elephant in the room. During this time Lissa realizes her attraction and love for Kate. She believes that Kate feels the same way but refuses to acknowledge it.
So why didn't I like it? By no means was it because of the plot. Nope. I think the plot is quite believable and realistic for high school experiences. I didn't like it because I couldn't care about the characters. They weren't three dimensional, they weren't people I would picture in high school. I wanted to do a character intervention, shake them up a bit, and tell them "you have a good story here, do something with it."
I. Didn't. Like. It.
Kissing Kate is the story of two best friends, Kate and Lissa. One night at a party, a very tipsy Kate approaches Lissa and kisses her. (In fact there's quite a bit of kissing going on and minor touching). When Kate's boyfriend and a couple of guys approach she pushes Lissa away and acts like nothing happened.
And she continues to act like nothing happened at school the next day.
This pretense carries over for weeks. The Kate and Lissa twosome now no longer talks because of this white elephant in the room. During this time Lissa realizes her attraction and love for Kate. She believes that Kate feels the same way but refuses to acknowledge it.
So why didn't I like it? By no means was it because of the plot. Nope. I think the plot is quite believable and realistic for high school experiences. I didn't like it because I couldn't care about the characters. They weren't three dimensional, they weren't people I would picture in high school. I wanted to do a character intervention, shake them up a bit, and tell them "you have a good story here, do something with it."
December 6, 2015
This book started off really great, honestly. But then towards the end, with about 50 pages left, then 25, I was kind of like "Is that it?" I was convinced she would fall in love with her new friend, since that seemed to be the direction it was going but nope. Not that I mind but now I kind of just don't see the point of her character other than Lissa's character development. The point being, this book kind of just...left me hanging. Like I don't know if it was a choice or if it's length of the novel, but nothing really happened. For me, I don't mind that the whole novel was just about Lissa's self-discovery and her learning to overcome the power of a bad friend - in fact, I really really liked that aspect, I related to Lissa somewhat. But I think because this is a book, the author could have done so much more within the story. She didnt really do the characters justice and the "journey" that Lissa goes through could have been much more eventful - which would have made a good opportunity to create more emotional and dramatic reactions from the main character, instead of having her lying in bed and not doing much of anything. I dont know, it was nice but could have been much better.
September 16, 2013
When I first read the Title of the book “Kissing Kate,” instantly, I felt as though this book would be exhilarating. I kept flipping through the pages hoping it would get better, but it never did. I am highly disappointed in the author because I feel like this book is missing essential details and scenes. The author had a whole bunch of useless information like Darlin’s role in the movie was completely pointless. The part where Ariel and Lissa went to visit her gay cousin was also pointless because they didn’t even really talk to Kate about her situation. They were talking about useless things. That entire part was garbage. I don’t know---Maybe I came in expecting too much because I am extremely disappointed with the outcome of the book. The ending left us confused. How can Kate throw away a four year friendship away when she is clearly in love with Lissa. Im not asking for a happy fairy tale ending but there should have been more scenes with Kate and Lissa. At the end we should have known what happened with Kate and Lissa. There should have been more dialogue between the two girls. Im just so upset at how this book turned out. I want to rewrite it myself and fill in all the missing pieces.
March 18, 2009
Kissing Kate
Lauren Myracle
Penguin Group, 2003, 198 pages, $7.99
Friendship, Homosexuality, Lesbians, Identity
978-0-14-240869-8
One summer night at a party, Kate, a drunk 16 year old, kisses her best friend Lissa. After awkward weeks of avoiding each other Kate tries to reconnect with Lissa and pretend like nothing has happened and just be friends. Lissa tells Kate she wasn't drunk and isn't sure how she feels about Kate or herself. Kate tries to talk Lissa out of being a lesbian, but Lissa's new friend Ariel has shown support and openness to her challenge in deciding who she is.
This book would definitely be useful and applicable for a student to read as a free choice book; however, I do not think I would teach it to the whole class. The topic of Lissa questioning her sexual identity turns out to not be the only prominent theme in the book. Lissa also learns to question friendships, values, and what is really important to her.
Lauren Myracle
Penguin Group, 2003, 198 pages, $7.99
Friendship, Homosexuality, Lesbians, Identity
978-0-14-240869-8
One summer night at a party, Kate, a drunk 16 year old, kisses her best friend Lissa. After awkward weeks of avoiding each other Kate tries to reconnect with Lissa and pretend like nothing has happened and just be friends. Lissa tells Kate she wasn't drunk and isn't sure how she feels about Kate or herself. Kate tries to talk Lissa out of being a lesbian, but Lissa's new friend Ariel has shown support and openness to her challenge in deciding who she is.
This book would definitely be useful and applicable for a student to read as a free choice book; however, I do not think I would teach it to the whole class. The topic of Lissa questioning her sexual identity turns out to not be the only prominent theme in the book. Lissa also learns to question friendships, values, and what is really important to her.
February 20, 2017
I wasn't going to rate this but I got 10 pages in and couldn't stand the writing style or the whiny main character, so I'm giving this 1 star anyway
July 6, 2012
(Spoilers - varying from major to minor- ahead. Warning. Proceed carefully.)
When a book handles a dangerous,powerful, hard subject such as coming to terms with your sexuality - and accepting it - I feel as if it should be fantastic, should make me bawl or something along the same lines.
The premise was fascinating. It sounded real in a way that I can't imagine myself in, but can see other people having as a reality. The cover was pretty. And when I first met the main character, I sort of like her.
Besides that, the story could have been so..powerful, life changing. After all, it's dealing with a hard, coming of age topic that many adolescents deal with today. And it had the right protagonist to make it happen. The author had the right skills to pull it off- I have read her other novels.
And...despite everything in its favor...it did not. Did not what? Did not do anything. The main character is likeable enough and I have meet a few people who are just like her. Lissa is confused, broken, and trying not to look reality in the face. She wants to talk everything out- but that's hard, seeing as how the other main character, Kate, is on the "let's-pretend-that-never-happened" end of the relationship (Have you noticed, there's always one of those? There is the girl who wants to talk the situation out and face the truth, and the girl who pretends nothing happened and doesn't want to admit a thing.). Okay. Lissa wasn't exactly attempting to confront Kate at every turn, but that's what made her more likeable- the fact that, despite society and media making it seem otherwise, in real life, you probably would be shying away too. You'd want to confront your feelings, but really, if the other person isn't cooperating and is brutally giving you the cold shoulder, it's hard to work up the nerve. It makes you feel weak and as if you'll only make things worse to bring it up again. So, it was realistic for Lissa to feel that. And what Kate was feeling was realistic, too. So, focus on their relationship, past, and problems, and this SHOULD be a great book. Like I said, the two main characters were likeable enough.
That's just the thing. The two main characters, are hardly the "two" main characters. Yes, Lissa is the narrator and protagonist- but what about Kate, the other main character? She should be the focus on the story- she and Lissa. So why did I find myself skimming pages and snoring and rolling my eyes as I forced myself to read through pointless dialog, futile subplots, and two dimensional characters? I loved Kate and liked Lissa well enough. But there was NOT enough Kate and Lissa in this book. It was mainly Lissa driving around or/and talking with her "weird" friend, Ariel/Kimberly, who SHOULD obviously have been all deep and realistic, but was two-dimensional, annoying, unhelpfull, and...well, there was no need for her to be there at all. I feel as if the author was like, "I'm too afraid to write a book on such a powerful topic, so instead of actually dealing with it and trying to write a life changing, deep novel, I'm going to avoid attempting sucha feat and will just focus on random subplots that nobody will care to read about." That's what happened here. Ariel/Kimberly was in this book more than Kate, which was stupid because Kate, as I said, was the focus of the story along with Lissa. And Ariel didn't contribute to anything except lowering my rating of this book. Here's why I found the subplots and supporting characters so infuriating and random.
To start with, there were a thousand subplots. From Darlene (I think this was her name...she was really forgetable and, again, didn't contribute to...anything...) and her being forever alone and joining a dating group, to Finn and his infatuation (which was a case of random insta-love that come out of nowhere, which I could not understand. I liked Kate because she was real and I could understand her....now why did you like her, Finn? Tell me. I am begging.) with Lissa. The latter was meaningful enough - trying to date a boy can really make things clear for someone in the way of their sexuality. However, Finn was also two-dimensional. He and Ariel had the same voice/feel to me: all clean, all smiles, all good. I can't bring myself to care for those two, really. And the whole Darlene character and subplots? Please. Don't feed me your excuses about how Darlene's subplot was important for girl-empowerment to help Kate/Lissa, Myracle. I'm not buying that. The girl-empowerment group never helped Lissa, didn't make a noticeable impact. And everything else to do with Darlene was the same as Ariel and Finn; trivial, boring, pointless. Most of all, it just got in the way of the real plot. I felt like the REAL concept of the story was buried beneath all the random, annoying subplots, and by the end I had to idea what the big picture was, had no idea what was going on. Everything was blurry because the subplots kept eating away the plot until it was hardly there. There was maybe one scene focusing on Kate and Lissa, two minor scenes with them, and that's it. If you take those two minor scenes, one major scene, and one major flashback, you have a story that is more a novella than a book/novel. A lot shorter- and a LOT better, so much better that it hurts. I mean, really, the biggest problem was that Myracle seemed to lose the focus of the story and was too afraid to explore it. That bugged me. She, and I, didn't care about Finn or Ariel or Darlene or Beth or Jared or whatever the others were. They (except MAYBE Finn) did not help this story. They weren't even three-dimensional. They were all the same, nice, happy, smiley, neat. No flaws, no redeeing qualities, and ABSOLUTELY NO PERSONALITY. Ariel was supposed to be weird, but she was still flat and lacking of depth. And all she was actually good for was tugging the already-lost-and-broken Lissa around and telling her things like, "Guess what? You totally hate Kate. She treats you bad and you should ditch her. You are a great person and I like everyone. Move on and see the happiness of life. Now let's go giggle pointlessly and talk over strawberry smoothies, or maybe i can get on MY catering truck and you get on YOUR catering truck and we can drive around and communicate on loud walkie talkies. Ya know, the usual." That can summon everything about Ariel or Ariel/Lissa in one paragraph, rather than a whole darn book. All Ariel did was feed Lissa "you-go-girl", Life 101 lessons and control her life. Really, it seemed like Ariel was the one who tried to do everything. Which didn't bother me, because Ariel was just another random subplot, and didn't affect the story in anyway. If there's still a story beneath all that subplotting, that is. Oh- by the way, did anybody else hate the fact that Ariel kept telling Lissa how Kate treats/treated her like crap, despite the fact it was Kate who was Lissa's best friend and her only friend when everyone thought Lissa was weird. Kate, has NEVER treated Lissa like crap. Not in the flashbacks, not in the present, not in the future. If you call Kate having to deal with being gay and outing herself to society, which can be harsh, Kate "treating you like crap", then you have a serious problem, Ariel.
Moving on from Ariel/Kimberly/Pointless Girl/Darlene/Finn, we have...ah. Nothing. You see? Remove the supporting, two dimensional characters and their mini-stories, and there is nothing. Well, there is Beth. The little sister who is trying to fit in with her own friends. This, actually, COULD HAVE MATTERED IN THE STORY. Lissa could have realized that she, and Kate, are doing the same thing as Beth, on a larger scale- that they are trying to avoid their sexuality and the truth (as Beth is avoiding being herself) to fit in with Society, as Beth tries to fit in with the populars. However, Lissa makes no note of this, and neither does Myracle. So really, Beth's subplot also does not impact the story.
There was a kissing scene. And chemistry. And SO MUCH POTENTIAL. This kight've been a five star book, had the author actually focused on the problem at hand. Which she didn't. Proof of this is the fact that there was no solution to the problem. No climax, and no closure. We never find out what happens with Lissa and Kate. Lissa just sits with Ariel and smiles and DRINKS COFFEE/SMOOTHIES (forgot what it was.) AND SIGHS AND THINKS, "Maybe it will be all right." Okay- I could have worked with that...except for the fact that Kate WAS LISSA'S FREAKING BEST FRIEND. I have a hard time believing that if Lissa cares for Kate as much as she claims she does, she'll just one day wake up and be all peaceful and decide to drop Kate all together, just because Kate is having a hard time dealing with this. You had a hard time living with it, too, Lissa.
That was my basic problem with the book, really. Could have been five stars. Was only two. It was one of those books that could have been so much better.
When a book handles a dangerous,powerful, hard subject such as coming to terms with your sexuality - and accepting it - I feel as if it should be fantastic, should make me bawl or something along the same lines.
The premise was fascinating. It sounded real in a way that I can't imagine myself in, but can see other people having as a reality. The cover was pretty. And when I first met the main character, I sort of like her.
Besides that, the story could have been so..powerful, life changing. After all, it's dealing with a hard, coming of age topic that many adolescents deal with today. And it had the right protagonist to make it happen. The author had the right skills to pull it off- I have read her other novels.
And...despite everything in its favor...it did not. Did not what? Did not do anything. The main character is likeable enough and I have meet a few people who are just like her. Lissa is confused, broken, and trying not to look reality in the face. She wants to talk everything out- but that's hard, seeing as how the other main character, Kate, is on the "let's-pretend-that-never-happened" end of the relationship (Have you noticed, there's always one of those? There is the girl who wants to talk the situation out and face the truth, and the girl who pretends nothing happened and doesn't want to admit a thing.). Okay. Lissa wasn't exactly attempting to confront Kate at every turn, but that's what made her more likeable- the fact that, despite society and media making it seem otherwise, in real life, you probably would be shying away too. You'd want to confront your feelings, but really, if the other person isn't cooperating and is brutally giving you the cold shoulder, it's hard to work up the nerve. It makes you feel weak and as if you'll only make things worse to bring it up again. So, it was realistic for Lissa to feel that. And what Kate was feeling was realistic, too. So, focus on their relationship, past, and problems, and this SHOULD be a great book. Like I said, the two main characters were likeable enough.
That's just the thing. The two main characters, are hardly the "two" main characters. Yes, Lissa is the narrator and protagonist- but what about Kate, the other main character? She should be the focus on the story- she and Lissa. So why did I find myself skimming pages and snoring and rolling my eyes as I forced myself to read through pointless dialog, futile subplots, and two dimensional characters? I loved Kate and liked Lissa well enough. But there was NOT enough Kate and Lissa in this book. It was mainly Lissa driving around or/and talking with her "weird" friend, Ariel/Kimberly, who SHOULD obviously have been all deep and realistic, but was two-dimensional, annoying, unhelpfull, and...well, there was no need for her to be there at all. I feel as if the author was like, "I'm too afraid to write a book on such a powerful topic, so instead of actually dealing with it and trying to write a life changing, deep novel, I'm going to avoid attempting sucha feat and will just focus on random subplots that nobody will care to read about." That's what happened here. Ariel/Kimberly was in this book more than Kate, which was stupid because Kate, as I said, was the focus of the story along with Lissa. And Ariel didn't contribute to anything except lowering my rating of this book. Here's why I found the subplots and supporting characters so infuriating and random.
To start with, there were a thousand subplots. From Darlene (I think this was her name...she was really forgetable and, again, didn't contribute to...anything...) and her being forever alone and joining a dating group, to Finn and his infatuation (which was a case of random insta-love that come out of nowhere, which I could not understand. I liked Kate because she was real and I could understand her....now why did you like her, Finn? Tell me. I am begging.) with Lissa. The latter was meaningful enough - trying to date a boy can really make things clear for someone in the way of their sexuality. However, Finn was also two-dimensional. He and Ariel had the same voice/feel to me: all clean, all smiles, all good. I can't bring myself to care for those two, really. And the whole Darlene character and subplots? Please. Don't feed me your excuses about how Darlene's subplot was important for girl-empowerment to help Kate/Lissa, Myracle. I'm not buying that. The girl-empowerment group never helped Lissa, didn't make a noticeable impact. And everything else to do with Darlene was the same as Ariel and Finn; trivial, boring, pointless. Most of all, it just got in the way of the real plot. I felt like the REAL concept of the story was buried beneath all the random, annoying subplots, and by the end I had to idea what the big picture was, had no idea what was going on. Everything was blurry because the subplots kept eating away the plot until it was hardly there. There was maybe one scene focusing on Kate and Lissa, two minor scenes with them, and that's it. If you take those two minor scenes, one major scene, and one major flashback, you have a story that is more a novella than a book/novel. A lot shorter- and a LOT better, so much better that it hurts. I mean, really, the biggest problem was that Myracle seemed to lose the focus of the story and was too afraid to explore it. That bugged me. She, and I, didn't care about Finn or Ariel or Darlene or Beth or Jared or whatever the others were. They (except MAYBE Finn) did not help this story. They weren't even three-dimensional. They were all the same, nice, happy, smiley, neat. No flaws, no redeeing qualities, and ABSOLUTELY NO PERSONALITY. Ariel was supposed to be weird, but she was still flat and lacking of depth. And all she was actually good for was tugging the already-lost-and-broken Lissa around and telling her things like, "Guess what? You totally hate Kate. She treats you bad and you should ditch her. You are a great person and I like everyone. Move on and see the happiness of life. Now let's go giggle pointlessly and talk over strawberry smoothies, or maybe i can get on MY catering truck and you get on YOUR catering truck and we can drive around and communicate on loud walkie talkies. Ya know, the usual." That can summon everything about Ariel or Ariel/Lissa in one paragraph, rather than a whole darn book. All Ariel did was feed Lissa "you-go-girl", Life 101 lessons and control her life. Really, it seemed like Ariel was the one who tried to do everything. Which didn't bother me, because Ariel was just another random subplot, and didn't affect the story in anyway. If there's still a story beneath all that subplotting, that is. Oh- by the way, did anybody else hate the fact that Ariel kept telling Lissa how Kate treats/treated her like crap, despite the fact it was Kate who was Lissa's best friend and her only friend when everyone thought Lissa was weird. Kate, has NEVER treated Lissa like crap. Not in the flashbacks, not in the present, not in the future. If you call Kate having to deal with being gay and outing herself to society, which can be harsh, Kate "treating you like crap", then you have a serious problem, Ariel.
Moving on from Ariel/Kimberly/Pointless Girl/Darlene/Finn, we have...ah. Nothing. You see? Remove the supporting, two dimensional characters and their mini-stories, and there is nothing. Well, there is Beth. The little sister who is trying to fit in with her own friends. This, actually, COULD HAVE MATTERED IN THE STORY. Lissa could have realized that she, and Kate, are doing the same thing as Beth, on a larger scale- that they are trying to avoid their sexuality and the truth (as Beth is avoiding being herself) to fit in with Society, as Beth tries to fit in with the populars. However, Lissa makes no note of this, and neither does Myracle. So really, Beth's subplot also does not impact the story.
There was a kissing scene. And chemistry. And SO MUCH POTENTIAL. This kight've been a five star book, had the author actually focused on the problem at hand. Which she didn't. Proof of this is the fact that there was no solution to the problem. No climax, and no closure. We never find out what happens with Lissa and Kate. Lissa just sits with Ariel and smiles and DRINKS COFFEE/SMOOTHIES (forgot what it was.) AND SIGHS AND THINKS, "Maybe it will be all right." Okay- I could have worked with that...except for the fact that Kate WAS LISSA'S FREAKING BEST FRIEND. I have a hard time believing that if Lissa cares for Kate as much as she claims she does, she'll just one day wake up and be all peaceful and decide to drop Kate all together, just because Kate is having a hard time dealing with this. You had a hard time living with it, too, Lissa.
That was my basic problem with the book, really. Could have been five stars. Was only two. It was one of those books that could have been so much better.
November 23, 2013
I borrowed this book from the library because first of the all, I really liked the cover and second of all, the blurb on the back sounded interesting.
Now, after finishing the book, I think that those were the only two good features of this piece of fiction.
Okay, okay. That is a slight exaggeration. The story begins with a prologue (that is also repeated later in the story) that sort of tells the reader what had happened between two best friends, Lissa and Kate, at a party. Kate gets drunk and she and Lissa hang out at a gazebo. Kate leans over and kisses Lissa. Then, they lay down as Kate slips her hand under the back Lissa’s shirt and they make out some more.
Kate and Lissa have sort of a falling about because apparently, Kate feels all weirded out about what happened and she does not want to be called a dyke. So, Kate starts hanging out with someone else and kind of ignores Lissa. Lissa does not understand the feelings she is experiencing and is trying to find out if she “likes” Kate in that way and if she is gay.
Kate does not want to talk about the experience and wants to igmore the problem until it just goes away. Lissa want to pick at it and wants Kate to talk about it. Kate is all Lissa can think about and while Kate eventually admits that she liked kissing Lissa, Kate basically says that she does not want to be a lesbian or have any type of relationship with Lissa, other than just friendship.
Now, the premise is really great. However, the delivery was truly awful.
To me, this seemed like Kissing Kate was originally a short story and the author added all this extra garbage to the story to make it reach the word count of a novel. It probably would have worked much better as a short story. We were thrown all these extra characters and boring little side stories that did not add much value to the story. And what was up with the part about the lucid dreams? Didn’t the author want to take this up a notch and find a way to really incorporate this idea into the book? It was like the author passed by a bookshelf, saw this book, bought it and decided to try to add some info into her novel to make it more interesting. The idea could have worked if the author made it important to the story.
Come to think of it, much of what the author wrote was not important to the story. And why didn’t we ever find out what was wrong with Finn’s other hand? Why have Lissa question it, have Ariel act possessive and strange, have Finn act all self-conscious and no one say what was really wrong with it? So, if the author didn’t care, then I guess that I shouldn’t care.
As for Lissa and Kate. I found Lissa to be an obnoxious, annoying, brat who was a jerk to many people in her life. Yes, there were a few times when she acted nice but for the most part, she was not. Therefore, I found her totally unlikable. Kate, other than the fact that she was drop-dead gorgeous and wore really cute clothes, I did not find her to be all that interesting. And other than the fact that Lissa and Kate were best friends, I could not figure out why Lissa was into Kate. Was it because Kate was gorgeous (and popular?) and actually found Lissa to be interesting when no one else really did? Who knows.
When I reached the end of the book, I was shocked that that was it! I had no idea that I had reached the end until I hit the next button on my Kindle and was immediately shown the table of contents. The last line seemed as though it was for a chapter ending, not for the ending of a novel. There was no resolution to any of the problems and I felt angry and disappointed for investing all this time into the book when the author didn’t even care to properly end it!
The author should have put more thought, characterization, drama and oomph into this novel or just kept it as a short story to get rid of all the unnecessary junk that took away from the storyline.
Now, after finishing the book, I think that those were the only two good features of this piece of fiction.
Okay, okay. That is a slight exaggeration. The story begins with a prologue (that is also repeated later in the story) that sort of tells the reader what had happened between two best friends, Lissa and Kate, at a party. Kate gets drunk and she and Lissa hang out at a gazebo. Kate leans over and kisses Lissa. Then, they lay down as Kate slips her hand under the back Lissa’s shirt and they make out some more.
Kate and Lissa have sort of a falling about because apparently, Kate feels all weirded out about what happened and she does not want to be called a dyke. So, Kate starts hanging out with someone else and kind of ignores Lissa. Lissa does not understand the feelings she is experiencing and is trying to find out if she “likes” Kate in that way and if she is gay.
Kate does not want to talk about the experience and wants to igmore the problem until it just goes away. Lissa want to pick at it and wants Kate to talk about it. Kate is all Lissa can think about and while Kate eventually admits that she liked kissing Lissa, Kate basically says that she does not want to be a lesbian or have any type of relationship with Lissa, other than just friendship.
Now, the premise is really great. However, the delivery was truly awful.
To me, this seemed like Kissing Kate was originally a short story and the author added all this extra garbage to the story to make it reach the word count of a novel. It probably would have worked much better as a short story. We were thrown all these extra characters and boring little side stories that did not add much value to the story. And what was up with the part about the lucid dreams? Didn’t the author want to take this up a notch and find a way to really incorporate this idea into the book? It was like the author passed by a bookshelf, saw this book, bought it and decided to try to add some info into her novel to make it more interesting. The idea could have worked if the author made it important to the story.
Come to think of it, much of what the author wrote was not important to the story. And why didn’t we ever find out what was wrong with Finn’s other hand? Why have Lissa question it, have Ariel act possessive and strange, have Finn act all self-conscious and no one say what was really wrong with it? So, if the author didn’t care, then I guess that I shouldn’t care.
As for Lissa and Kate. I found Lissa to be an obnoxious, annoying, brat who was a jerk to many people in her life. Yes, there were a few times when she acted nice but for the most part, she was not. Therefore, I found her totally unlikable. Kate, other than the fact that she was drop-dead gorgeous and wore really cute clothes, I did not find her to be all that interesting. And other than the fact that Lissa and Kate were best friends, I could not figure out why Lissa was into Kate. Was it because Kate was gorgeous (and popular?) and actually found Lissa to be interesting when no one else really did? Who knows.
When I reached the end of the book, I was shocked that that was it! I had no idea that I had reached the end until I hit the next button on my Kindle and was immediately shown the table of contents. The last line seemed as though it was for a chapter ending, not for the ending of a novel. There was no resolution to any of the problems and I felt angry and disappointed for investing all this time into the book when the author didn’t even care to properly end it!
The author should have put more thought, characterization, drama and oomph into this novel or just kept it as a short story to get rid of all the unnecessary junk that took away from the storyline.
August 23, 2010
GENRE: Fiction: Realistic fiction, problem-solving, romance.
SUBJECT/THEMES: Homosexuality, lesbians, friendship, accepting who you are, breaking up.
SUMMARY: Kate and Lissa have been best friends for four years, doing everything together. Then one night at a party, a drunken Kate kissed Lissa, who reciprocated. After that, they ignored each other for weeks. Lissa was a wreck. She was confused over her feelings for Kate, and was struggling to understand what had happened between the two of them. When they finally do speak, it is clear that Kate wants to move on and be friends again, and not discuss the kiss at all. Lissa expands her friendship base, and starts to learn a lot about herself over the course of working through the issue with Kate.
EVALUATION: I liked all of the characters in Kissing Kate; each of them seemed realistic and believable to me. This is a quick read, which covers a couple of months in the life of Lissa, whose point of view the story is told from. Lissa goes through a great many emotions while she comes to terms with her new feelings for Kate. I liked her slow progression of acceptance throughout the book. After having a somewhat failed date with a boy, Lissa heads over to Kate’s house. From that confrontation, Lissa sees things more clearly, and begins to change how she feels about herself and others.
WHY I WOULD INCLUDE IT: This book is a realistic depiction of what some teenagers go through; an attraction to a close friend. I want to ensure that any teenager that feels confused about their sexuality has access to fictional and non-fictional books that may help them better understand their feelings. Reading about characters that are experiencing things they are going through helps teenagers feel more ‘normal’.
Although it may be controversial, during the week of the Gay Pride Parade in San Francisco, this title and other ones which discuss young adults coming to terms with their homosexuality and bisexuality could be set up on a display together.
ITEMS WITH SIMILAR APPEAL:
• Dare Truth or Promise, by Paula Boock.
• Pages for You: A Novel, by Sylvia Brownrigg.
• Annie on My Mind, by Nancy Garden.
• Keeping You a Secret, by Julie Anne Peters.
• Empress of the World, by Sara Ryan.
• Girl Walking Backwards, by Bett Williams.
AWARDS:
• ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 2004.
• Booklist Top-Ten Youth Romance, 2004.
SUBJECT/THEMES: Homosexuality, lesbians, friendship, accepting who you are, breaking up.
SUMMARY: Kate and Lissa have been best friends for four years, doing everything together. Then one night at a party, a drunken Kate kissed Lissa, who reciprocated. After that, they ignored each other for weeks. Lissa was a wreck. She was confused over her feelings for Kate, and was struggling to understand what had happened between the two of them. When they finally do speak, it is clear that Kate wants to move on and be friends again, and not discuss the kiss at all. Lissa expands her friendship base, and starts to learn a lot about herself over the course of working through the issue with Kate.
EVALUATION: I liked all of the characters in Kissing Kate; each of them seemed realistic and believable to me. This is a quick read, which covers a couple of months in the life of Lissa, whose point of view the story is told from. Lissa goes through a great many emotions while she comes to terms with her new feelings for Kate. I liked her slow progression of acceptance throughout the book. After having a somewhat failed date with a boy, Lissa heads over to Kate’s house. From that confrontation, Lissa sees things more clearly, and begins to change how she feels about herself and others.
WHY I WOULD INCLUDE IT: This book is a realistic depiction of what some teenagers go through; an attraction to a close friend. I want to ensure that any teenager that feels confused about their sexuality has access to fictional and non-fictional books that may help them better understand their feelings. Reading about characters that are experiencing things they are going through helps teenagers feel more ‘normal’.
Although it may be controversial, during the week of the Gay Pride Parade in San Francisco, this title and other ones which discuss young adults coming to terms with their homosexuality and bisexuality could be set up on a display together.
ITEMS WITH SIMILAR APPEAL:
• Dare Truth or Promise, by Paula Boock.
• Pages for You: A Novel, by Sylvia Brownrigg.
• Annie on My Mind, by Nancy Garden.
• Keeping You a Secret, by Julie Anne Peters.
• Empress of the World, by Sara Ryan.
• Girl Walking Backwards, by Bett Williams.
AWARDS:
• ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 2004.
• Booklist Top-Ten Youth Romance, 2004.
January 25, 2014
This book isn't easy to rate it's a quite complex story and after you finish it it leaves you with mixed feelings.
Lissa is very confused and lonely. Her best friend, Kate, after kissing her is ignoring her. And so Lissa is questioning everything she knew about herself, or didn't know. Trying to figure out who she is. And then at her work place there's this new girl whom she knew at elementary school and who at all cost wants to be her friend.
If you expect here an ordinary lesbian romance you are very much mistaken. This is a novel about self-discovery, coming-out and the bond of friendship. It's a pretty short novel, which I found was kinda a pity, not that it is a flaw, but I'd like to learn more. Anyway, I was captivated by the plot and writing I have to give the author credit for that, everything seemed so real.
I loved characters in this novel, especially Lissa and Ariel. Their characterization seemed so authentic. They were really alive in this novel. I especially loved Ariel. I mean sure, at first she was really getting on my nerves. However, as time passed I sympathized with her, understood her and really liked her for what she was. I would like to be her friend. What I would love next is a more in-depth characterization of Kate who didn't come across as a real person for me.
I think Ms. Myracle did a good job, and I look forward to reading her subsequent novels.
Lissa is very confused and lonely. Her best friend, Kate, after kissing her is ignoring her. And so Lissa is questioning everything she knew about herself, or didn't know. Trying to figure out who she is. And then at her work place there's this new girl whom she knew at elementary school and who at all cost wants to be her friend.
If you expect here an ordinary lesbian romance you are very much mistaken. This is a novel about self-discovery, coming-out and the bond of friendship. It's a pretty short novel, which I found was kinda a pity, not that it is a flaw, but I'd like to learn more. Anyway, I was captivated by the plot and writing I have to give the author credit for that, everything seemed so real.
I loved characters in this novel, especially Lissa and Ariel. Their characterization seemed so authentic. They were really alive in this novel. I especially loved Ariel. I mean sure, at first she was really getting on my nerves. However, as time passed I sympathized with her, understood her and really liked her for what she was. I would like to be her friend. What I would love next is a more in-depth characterization of Kate who didn't come across as a real person for me.
I think Ms. Myracle did a good job, and I look forward to reading her subsequent novels.
November 28, 2011
During a party one night, Lissa is surprised when her best friend Kate leans in to kiss, but even more surprised by Kate's reaction when Lissa kisses her back. Now abandoned by her best friend, Lissa has to try to figure out what that kiss meant and what it means about who she is now.
Kissing Kate is a simple and sweet story. Lissa is kind of lost, without really realizing just how lost she is, because she doesn't wallow in it. She doesn't rage or become rebellious; she doesn't turn to drinking or to over-dramatic displays of emotion. Rather, she goes about the business of her life, school, work, and along the way she puts the pieces of herself together. This simple and personal act of self-searching is what drives the story.
There are layers to the story, of course, side characters who present new friendships and their own life challenges. Each character is in their own journey of self discovery, or figuring out what it means to be themselves in the world. It's not an easy journey and the answers are subtle and subdued. Figuring out the answers result in new questions, which really just proves that self-discovery is an ongoing process that can be enjoyable as it is challenging.
Kissing Kate is a simple and sweet story. Lissa is kind of lost, without really realizing just how lost she is, because she doesn't wallow in it. She doesn't rage or become rebellious; she doesn't turn to drinking or to over-dramatic displays of emotion. Rather, she goes about the business of her life, school, work, and along the way she puts the pieces of herself together. This simple and personal act of self-searching is what drives the story.
There are layers to the story, of course, side characters who present new friendships and their own life challenges. Each character is in their own journey of self discovery, or figuring out what it means to be themselves in the world. It's not an easy journey and the answers are subtle and subdued. Figuring out the answers result in new questions, which really just proves that self-discovery is an ongoing process that can be enjoyable as it is challenging.
February 16, 2016
I didn’t love this book as much as I wished I did. The lucid dreaming aspect of the book was one of those things that did not work for me. Every time Lissa tried it or discussed it I was just kind of done. It’s a major element and it put me off. I would not have kept going if it wasn’t for how short the book is and the characters that I liked.
Loved the side plots that involved Ariel and Darlin. They are just great characters. Ariel reminded me of a friend I had in high school. She’s a free spirit, which is great with a name like Ariel. I saw the Tempest recently and just connected that right now.
Finn was great too. I wish we could have seen a bit more of him. I feel like we really didn’t know what he was thinking or feeling ever. There is a scene Ariel tells Lissa about I would have loved to see actually.
Lissa is a character that definitely goes through a lot. It’s interesting to see her development, but I wasn’t a fan of her for most of the book.I did enjoy Lissa’s story in the last quarter of the book more than the first half, though.The Lucid Dreams aspect just didn’t thrill me and brought this down a bit.Still liked it, though.
Loved the side plots that involved Ariel and Darlin. They are just great characters. Ariel reminded me of a friend I had in high school. She’s a free spirit, which is great with a name like Ariel. I saw the Tempest recently and just connected that right now.
Finn was great too. I wish we could have seen a bit more of him. I feel like we really didn’t know what he was thinking or feeling ever. There is a scene Ariel tells Lissa about I would have loved to see actually.
Lissa is a character that definitely goes through a lot. It’s interesting to see her development, but I wasn’t a fan of her for most of the book.I did enjoy Lissa’s story in the last quarter of the book more than the first half, though.The Lucid Dreams aspect just didn’t thrill me and brought this down a bit.Still liked it, though.
September 24, 2012
Kissing Kate was okay. I loved the idea of the story. I loved the main character but it really did not go any where for me. I understand Lissa was coming to terms with her sexuality and trying to be happy, I guess, but it wasn't enough...Gay? for me. :P I don't know. It just wasn't much. Its a good story for people trying to find their way with who they are. Personally it wasn't my favorite. Not to mention the ending was blah. I was looking forward to more romance. To me this book just didn't quite meet my picky book standards. Again, it was okay just not mind blowing. When I finish a good book I usually cant stop thinking about it for a little bit, making hard for me to move on to a new book. This one I easily thought "Oh okay. Cute" then put it down and grabbed another book to start on. I was expecting more.
November 9, 2018
Just remembered this book and how it really helped me come to terms with my bisexuality when I was young and closeted and scared. This book also started my obsession with lucid dreaming and likely led to my deep love of surrealism. Thank you, gay dreamland book.
January 27, 2021
i kinda got lost when she started to talk about lucid dreams. also, she only kissed kate twice. the book is called kissing kate, i would expect more than kissing kate two times. one last thing: when she started to talk about astral planes, i thought of doctor strange.
also, it has the d slur somewhere in there, also, the r word. gross.
also, it has the d slur somewhere in there, also, the r word. gross.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2010
I suppose this is one of the very few LGBT young adult books I've read, and like any other book, it had its strengths and weaknesses. The thing that definitely stuck out with this book was the vital element of realism. The moments described in the book are very down-to-earth, honest moments that teenagers experience, no matter their orientation. One of the things I didn't really like about Lauren Myracle's Internet Girls series was that, while funny and good reads, they were nothing like what I experienced during my teenage years. Moments of that series were extremely overdone and overdramatic. Kissing Kate was more down-to-earth and, in my opinion, a more genuine portrayal of the average teen's life. On the other hand, while being honest and down-to-earth, this was definitely a unique book in terms of content. It was one of the earlier mainstream LGBT YA books out there, and it goes more in depth covering the full length of a relationship, from beginning to end, as well as the oft-forgotten fallout from the end. My one real complaint with the novel was the introduction of lucid dreaming. I understand the significance of it, the reason Myracle decided to include it in her book, but the whole metaphor felt awkward and forced. My favorite thing about the book was the lack of labels. The main character, Lissa, has typical teenage emotions, but her orientation is never explicitly stated, something I found really great. Everything seems to be about labels nowadays, everyone has to be all gay, all straight, whatever, and sometimes, it feels like there's no room for anything in between. This was a great portrayal of a questioning teen who doesn't quite know what to label themselves as, which is what most teens are, when they're first figuring themselves out.
Rating: 4/5
Rating: 4/5
August 29, 2015
I enjoyed reading Kissing Kate. Lissa loves Kate, her best friend. Kate kisses Lissa, and this is the start of Lissa’s confusion. She is not sure about her sexual orientation, in addition I thought she had some self-esteem issues because without Kate she feels incomplete and becomes rather rejecting. Lissa’s confusion and insecurity about herself are shown quite nicely, however I had wished for a little more conflict between Lissa and Kate, just like I thought there were several moments where Lauren Myracle could have delved deeper into Lissa’s troubles. After all, she is finding out that her sexuality seems to be different from Kate’s, and that makes Lissa feel rather self-conscious.
However, I loved the story and found that Lissa’s confusion is obvious and clear. Her friends are peculiar and remarkable, and for me Lissa’s thoughts were teenager-like, which made the story more believable. If you are looking for a love story, you might be disappointed. If you are looking for an easy to understand ride through a slightly confused teenager with friends that border on the surreal, you have the right book. I found Kissing Kate entertaining and worth reading.
The reason why I give 4 out of 5 stars is that there could have been a little more depth in some moments, maybe the plot could have been a little more drastic in a few situations too.
However, I loved the story and found that Lissa’s confusion is obvious and clear. Her friends are peculiar and remarkable, and for me Lissa’s thoughts were teenager-like, which made the story more believable. If you are looking for a love story, you might be disappointed. If you are looking for an easy to understand ride through a slightly confused teenager with friends that border on the surreal, you have the right book. I found Kissing Kate entertaining and worth reading.
The reason why I give 4 out of 5 stars is that there could have been a little more depth in some moments, maybe the plot could have been a little more drastic in a few situations too.
July 2, 2009
The Little Bookworm
One night at a party, Lissa's best friend leans in for a kiss and Lissa kisses her back. Now Kate is ignoring Lissa and pretending nothing happened while Lissa is angry and confused. The two friends use to mean everything to each other and one kiss is getting in the way. But Lissa knows it must mean something. As she experiments with lucid dreaming, Lissa tries to come to terms with what kissing Kate means.
I've only read a couple of things by Lauren Myracle, but I've enjoyed them and when I set about looking for books for the GLBT Challenge, I found this book so it seemed a good match for me. And it was! I really enjoyed this book. No matter if you are gay or not, Lissa's struggle with liking someone who doesn't like you (or won't admit it) is easily relatable. She struggles with the aftermath of kissing her best friend and does not try to write it off. Kate was also interesting. There is a lot of foreshadowing of the kiss, mainly lead by Kate, and even if she doesn't admit it, I think I know what road Kate is going to go down.
One night at a party, Lissa's best friend leans in for a kiss and Lissa kisses her back. Now Kate is ignoring Lissa and pretending nothing happened while Lissa is angry and confused. The two friends use to mean everything to each other and one kiss is getting in the way. But Lissa knows it must mean something. As she experiments with lucid dreaming, Lissa tries to come to terms with what kissing Kate means.
I've only read a couple of things by Lauren Myracle, but I've enjoyed them and when I set about looking for books for the GLBT Challenge, I found this book so it seemed a good match for me. And it was! I really enjoyed this book. No matter if you are gay or not, Lissa's struggle with liking someone who doesn't like you (or won't admit it) is easily relatable. She struggles with the aftermath of kissing her best friend and does not try to write it off. Kate was also interesting. There is a lot of foreshadowing of the kiss, mainly lead by Kate, and even if she doesn't admit it, I think I know what road Kate is going to go down.
May 30, 2009
I really enjoyed reading Kissing Kate. The book is a look into the lives of two best friends whose friendship ends when the two girls share a kiss. Lissa discovers that she has always been in love Kate, while Kate precedes to pretend Lissa does not exist. This causes more problems than meets the eye because everyone at school knows them as "Kate & Lissa" and Lissa doesn't believe she has the charisma or the confidence to survive in high school on her own.
It is true that there could more character development, but most young adult novels are meant to be light, quick reads. I kind of like the way Lauren Myracle presents her characters because in high school everything seems like the end of the world at that moment, but when you look back on it you realize it wasn't. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgendered) or for anyone who knows someone who is. Kissing Kate helps the reader to understand how difficult coming out can be for yourself and those around you.
It is true that there could more character development, but most young adult novels are meant to be light, quick reads. I kind of like the way Lauren Myracle presents her characters because in high school everything seems like the end of the world at that moment, but when you look back on it you realize it wasn't. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgendered) or for anyone who knows someone who is. Kissing Kate helps the reader to understand how difficult coming out can be for yourself and those around you.
May 4, 2012
I enjoyed this book and appreciate the hard task of tackling such a tough subject as teenage homosexuality. I appreciate what the author did with it and would definitely read more of her books.
While I thought this book did a good job at pulling out the different emotional aspects that Lissa is going through, I felt like it never went quite far enough or did enough. The resolution felt smudged and somewhat awkward. We'd like to think that Lissa is going to be OK, but you're left with the feeling that you can't be sure.
So overall, I enjoyed it. It's a good jumping off point and conversation starter for teenagers with questions. Just don't expect it to have all the answers.
While I thought this book did a good job at pulling out the different emotional aspects that Lissa is going through, I felt like it never went quite far enough or did enough. The resolution felt smudged and somewhat awkward. We'd like to think that Lissa is going to be OK, but you're left with the feeling that you can't be sure.
So overall, I enjoyed it. It's a good jumping off point and conversation starter for teenagers with questions. Just don't expect it to have all the answers.
December 6, 2011
There were some great moments in this book. And those moments were when we actually got glimpses into the relationship between Lissa and Kate. I thought the progression of thier relationship was well done and the main character, Lissa, was interesting and funny. I felt that some of the supporting characters took away from the story sometimes and I didn't care much for the lucid dreams stuff. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I liked the parts in this book that actually dealt with Lissa's sexuality and her coming to terms with it. I just wish there'd been more of them.
November 23, 2014
I actually started writing a movie script for this
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