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Kissing Emma
Emma and her mother are down on their luck. They're taking turns sleeping on the sofa in her nan's tiny flat - and desperately trying to come up with an escape plan.
Emma is struggling with her family, struggling at school where the girls are bitchy towards her and the boys only seem to want one thing, and struggling with never having enough money for anything, ever.
Just as she's contemplating quitting school to get a real job, she meets two men who convince her that she has a shot at modelling. But their motives are far from innocent, and Emma is soon pulled into a dark world. And then she meets Con, who is rich, handsome and so romantic! Has Emma's luck finally changed?
Kissing Emma is inspired by the real life and untold story of Emma Hamilton, Lord Nelson's mistress. But Shappi Khorsandi's modern Emma is going to get the happy ending her namesake never did - and stick two fingers up at the men who dare to take advantage of young women while she's doing it.
Emma is struggling with her family, struggling at school where the girls are bitchy towards her and the boys only seem to want one thing, and struggling with never having enough money for anything, ever.
Just as she's contemplating quitting school to get a real job, she meets two men who convince her that she has a shot at modelling. But their motives are far from innocent, and Emma is soon pulled into a dark world. And then she meets Con, who is rich, handsome and so romantic! Has Emma's luck finally changed?
Kissing Emma is inspired by the real life and untold story of Emma Hamilton, Lord Nelson's mistress. But Shappi Khorsandi's modern Emma is going to get the happy ending her namesake never did - and stick two fingers up at the men who dare to take advantage of young women while she's doing it.
- GenresYoung AdultAbuse
320 pages, Paperback
Published April 2, 2025
6 people are currently reading
269 people want to read
About the author
Shaparak Khorsandi
8 books155 followersShaparak "Shappi" Khorsandi (born 8 June 1973) is an Iranian-born British comedian.
The daughter of Hadi Khorsandi, her family was forced to flee from Iran to London after the Islamic Revolution following the publication of a satirical poem her father composed. The poem was perceived as being critical of the revolutionary regime. Shappi was raised without any religion.
Khorsandi graduated from the University of Winchester in 1995, with a degree in Drama, Theatre and Television, then moving onto pursue a career in comedy. In 2010, the University honoured her by awarding her an honourary doctorate.
Khorsandi was married to fellow comedian Christian Reilly, by whom she has a son named Charlie. They divorced in 2010. She lives with her son in west London near Richmond Park. Her father and brother are also stand-up comedians.
Khorsandi performs stand-up comedy, having been a noted performer at Joe Wilson's Comedy Madhouse throughout 1997. She has appeared on many BBC Radio 4 programmes, including Quote... Unquote, Loose Ends, You and Yours, Midweek, Just A Minute, The Now Show and The News Quiz, as well as BBC Television's Have I Got News For You. In July 2009 she hosted her own four-part series, Shappi Talk on BBC Radio 4, examining what it is like growing up in multi-cultural families. She also writes an occasional column for online magazine Iranian.com.
In 2007, she made her first trip to Australia and the Melbourne Comedy Festival with her show Asylum Speaker. She also appeared live on the Australia comedy talk show Rove. Later, she was nominated for best breakthrough act at the 2007 Chortle Awards. In December 2008, she appeared on the BBC stand-up television show Live at the Apollo alongside Russell Kane and Al Murray. She also made an appearance on Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow on 20 June 2009, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on 26 June 2009 and 8 Out of 10 Cats on 10 July 2009.
Khorsandi's memoir, A Beginner's Guide to Acting English, was published by Ebury Press on 2 July 2009. She performed her show, The Distracted Activist, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 6–31 August 2009.
She was a panellist on Question Time in 2006, and returned on 14 January 2010. During that show, she mentioned that her political support goes to Labour. She performed on the second episode of Let's Dance for Sport Relief 2010.
In 2010, Khorsandi took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala, a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena in London on 30 March. She appeared as a guest in Genius hosted by Dave Gorman on 31 October 2010. Khorsandi appeared on Channel 4's The Celebrity Bank Job in March 2012 and won £59,000 for her chosen charities.
The daughter of Hadi Khorsandi, her family was forced to flee from Iran to London after the Islamic Revolution following the publication of a satirical poem her father composed. The poem was perceived as being critical of the revolutionary regime. Shappi was raised without any religion.
Khorsandi graduated from the University of Winchester in 1995, with a degree in Drama, Theatre and Television, then moving onto pursue a career in comedy. In 2010, the University honoured her by awarding her an honourary doctorate.
Khorsandi was married to fellow comedian Christian Reilly, by whom she has a son named Charlie. They divorced in 2010. She lives with her son in west London near Richmond Park. Her father and brother are also stand-up comedians.
Khorsandi performs stand-up comedy, having been a noted performer at Joe Wilson's Comedy Madhouse throughout 1997. She has appeared on many BBC Radio 4 programmes, including Quote... Unquote, Loose Ends, You and Yours, Midweek, Just A Minute, The Now Show and The News Quiz, as well as BBC Television's Have I Got News For You. In July 2009 she hosted her own four-part series, Shappi Talk on BBC Radio 4, examining what it is like growing up in multi-cultural families. She also writes an occasional column for online magazine Iranian.com.
In 2007, she made her first trip to Australia and the Melbourne Comedy Festival with her show Asylum Speaker. She also appeared live on the Australia comedy talk show Rove. Later, she was nominated for best breakthrough act at the 2007 Chortle Awards. In December 2008, she appeared on the BBC stand-up television show Live at the Apollo alongside Russell Kane and Al Murray. She also made an appearance on Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow on 20 June 2009, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on 26 June 2009 and 8 Out of 10 Cats on 10 July 2009.
Khorsandi's memoir, A Beginner's Guide to Acting English, was published by Ebury Press on 2 July 2009. She performed her show, The Distracted Activist, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 6–31 August 2009.
She was a panellist on Question Time in 2006, and returned on 14 January 2010. During that show, she mentioned that her political support goes to Labour. She performed on the second episode of Let's Dance for Sport Relief 2010.
In 2010, Khorsandi took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala, a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena in London on 30 March. She appeared as a guest in Genius hosted by Dave Gorman on 31 October 2010. Khorsandi appeared on Channel 4's The Celebrity Bank Job in March 2012 and won £59,000 for her chosen charities.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
March 31, 2024
After rating Nina is Not Ok 5 stars, I really thought I’d like this one.
The main problem for me is the pacing. We don’t see the events in the blurb until 200 pages into the book (out of 300). The first part was emotional, but slow, followed by a very busy, too quick, ending.
Shappi dealt with some very emotional topics, some important issues, but I feel like the pacing of the book really let it down.
Overall, 3 stars because it was good on the whole, but needed some adjustments for a higher rating from me.
The main problem for me is the pacing. We don’t see the events in the blurb until 200 pages into the book (out of 300). The first part was emotional, but slow, followed by a very busy, too quick, ending.
Shappi dealt with some very emotional topics, some important issues, but I feel like the pacing of the book really let it down.
Overall, 3 stars because it was good on the whole, but needed some adjustments for a higher rating from me.
September 2, 2021
The skilled inter-weaving of a teenage girl's life , and the true story of Emma Hamilton, the mistress of Horatio Nelson, combines to make a brutally honest picture of the way in which women are regarded as disposable.
Examining Emma from her disrupted, violent childhood, where she begins to be framed for her associations with the estate she lives on, her father's reputation, the missed opportunities of her mother's life choices and the violence and abuse which exists as the family's norm, the novel follows her through to her late teens.
As she grows in this shadow of her mother's unrevealed involvement in her father's death, Emma is looked down upon, groomed almost by her mother to use her looks and natural beauty as her ticket out of sleeping in her Nan's living room, taking on cleaning jobs to make ends meet, fending off the lascivious looks of boys(and men) as well as the jealousy of her classmates.
Nothing is secure in Emma's life, all she has is the expectation that money will buy her freedom, and the way to the money which will rescue her and her mother is through her external appearance. No-one seems to value her for her intelligence and her quick wit, her acting dreams are smashed by her careers advisor, and the are further enforced by the casual disregard which boys treat her with once they have what they wanted.
The sheer rage that builds as you read a story which could, frankly, be set in any time period and be wildly accurate, is the same as it ever was-looks and brains do not go hand in hand, Emma's looks make her expendable, disposable and, most of all, consumable. And after being taken advantage of by 2 boys that she thought were really seeing her, she decides to parse her one perceived redeeming feature to her advantage.
Except this is not a grown woman.
She is sixteen.
And still, still, she is blamed for the things that happen to her, from being sexually assaulted, slut shamed by girls in her school, abandoned for being too 'needy' and exploited by men who scented her vulnerability and groomed her to be their plaything/investment. KissingEmma is the instagram handle they give her , again reinforcing this is something which happens to her , making her a passive recipient of men's desires, objectifying her. This is viewed through the reflections Emma makes as she goes through her threads, responding to the girls who love her look, in order to sell the 'freebies' she has been sent, and ignoring the pervy men. She is unaware that she is showing herself as someone to influence young girls into this lifestyle until it is too late to get out.
By the time she is 16, she has lived multiple lifetimes, survived more trauma than anyone should have had to, and come through the other side.
Through Emma's eyes you see how poverty limits your life choices, informs how people think of you, don't even give you a chance to show what you are made of.
Emma is a walking, talking definition of 'know your place,' and 'stay in your lane.'
As someone who has lived in social housing for the best parts of two decades, this is something I can relate to so very. The constant under-estimation of ambition and the pouring of cold water onto dreams is so very realistically portrayed, the veracity of a life lived on the edge is not over egged, but played perfectly. The 'wrong' postcode is very much in evidence, I have 5 daughters all of whom have been underestimated, had to fight harder to be seen , and needed more resilience than you can imagine because of where we live. And this core is in Emma, she does not judge her mother for the way she was brought up, her mother knew no better.
The only life lesson she could give Emma is to avoid the handsome men, and go for quality not quantity, she gives her a strong work ethic and moves her family when life in her flat becomes unbearable. She wastes no time packing Emma up and moving in with Emma's Nan, aunt Jean and 2 cousins after Emma is assaulted by men on their estate. She tells Emma to aim higher, that she is too good for the future that she is destined for , and it is this core which makes Emma fight for more, strive for more for herself.
And it is, ultimately, her sense of self and her realness which shines through and carries her through the many, many different ways that men want to consume her. They want her to be a secret from their family, they want her to make them money and they want her body. And they will tell her anything to get what they want.
The way in which Emma finds herself, takes back her sense of identity is incredible, she fights back, and , despite being used by 2 men to provide Instagram 'content' manages to sit her GCSE's is an incredible feat.
Emma's visibility contrast so much with the fact that the people in her life do not really 'see' her, the one constant in her life is ex-social worker Suze, who , being trans, has found herself and her identity and is not about to let it get away from her. In Emma she sees the conflation between the person she is, and the person she is becoming, and is a rare and beautiful sweet spot in a novel that has violence, assault, coercive control and abusive relationships in it.
In order to break the cycle that exists in her Nan-'men will take anything if it is out there on a platter-her aunt, who puts up with her 'pervy' husband because it is better than being alone, her cousins who stay out all night and have money despite no jobs, her mother who was regularly beaten by her husband and then turned into a pariah upon his death.
This is an intelligent novel that speaks to teens, not at them, it has an authentic voice and an understanding of so many issues facing young girls today and yet returns to them the power of their agency in a way that is not overblown, or exaggerated.
In short, it is wonderful, heartbreaking, outstanding, timely and wise.
I would encourage mothers of teen girls to leave this lying around the house, leave it on a bedside table, talk about, talk about the issues it raises and the original Emma Hamilton.
Let's start by giving these girls and women back their names, stop undervaluing them and raise them up.
Let them be influenced by authenticity ,not a shallow reproduction of a filtered reality.
Examining Emma from her disrupted, violent childhood, where she begins to be framed for her associations with the estate she lives on, her father's reputation, the missed opportunities of her mother's life choices and the violence and abuse which exists as the family's norm, the novel follows her through to her late teens.
As she grows in this shadow of her mother's unrevealed involvement in her father's death, Emma is looked down upon, groomed almost by her mother to use her looks and natural beauty as her ticket out of sleeping in her Nan's living room, taking on cleaning jobs to make ends meet, fending off the lascivious looks of boys(and men) as well as the jealousy of her classmates.
Nothing is secure in Emma's life, all she has is the expectation that money will buy her freedom, and the way to the money which will rescue her and her mother is through her external appearance. No-one seems to value her for her intelligence and her quick wit, her acting dreams are smashed by her careers advisor, and the are further enforced by the casual disregard which boys treat her with once they have what they wanted.
The sheer rage that builds as you read a story which could, frankly, be set in any time period and be wildly accurate, is the same as it ever was-looks and brains do not go hand in hand, Emma's looks make her expendable, disposable and, most of all, consumable. And after being taken advantage of by 2 boys that she thought were really seeing her, she decides to parse her one perceived redeeming feature to her advantage.
Except this is not a grown woman.
She is sixteen.
And still, still, she is blamed for the things that happen to her, from being sexually assaulted, slut shamed by girls in her school, abandoned for being too 'needy' and exploited by men who scented her vulnerability and groomed her to be their plaything/investment. KissingEmma is the instagram handle they give her , again reinforcing this is something which happens to her , making her a passive recipient of men's desires, objectifying her. This is viewed through the reflections Emma makes as she goes through her threads, responding to the girls who love her look, in order to sell the 'freebies' she has been sent, and ignoring the pervy men. She is unaware that she is showing herself as someone to influence young girls into this lifestyle until it is too late to get out.
By the time she is 16, she has lived multiple lifetimes, survived more trauma than anyone should have had to, and come through the other side.
Through Emma's eyes you see how poverty limits your life choices, informs how people think of you, don't even give you a chance to show what you are made of.
Emma is a walking, talking definition of 'know your place,' and 'stay in your lane.'
As someone who has lived in social housing for the best parts of two decades, this is something I can relate to so very. The constant under-estimation of ambition and the pouring of cold water onto dreams is so very realistically portrayed, the veracity of a life lived on the edge is not over egged, but played perfectly. The 'wrong' postcode is very much in evidence, I have 5 daughters all of whom have been underestimated, had to fight harder to be seen , and needed more resilience than you can imagine because of where we live. And this core is in Emma, she does not judge her mother for the way she was brought up, her mother knew no better.
The only life lesson she could give Emma is to avoid the handsome men, and go for quality not quantity, she gives her a strong work ethic and moves her family when life in her flat becomes unbearable. She wastes no time packing Emma up and moving in with Emma's Nan, aunt Jean and 2 cousins after Emma is assaulted by men on their estate. She tells Emma to aim higher, that she is too good for the future that she is destined for , and it is this core which makes Emma fight for more, strive for more for herself.
And it is, ultimately, her sense of self and her realness which shines through and carries her through the many, many different ways that men want to consume her. They want her to be a secret from their family, they want her to make them money and they want her body. And they will tell her anything to get what they want.
The way in which Emma finds herself, takes back her sense of identity is incredible, she fights back, and , despite being used by 2 men to provide Instagram 'content' manages to sit her GCSE's is an incredible feat.
Emma's visibility contrast so much with the fact that the people in her life do not really 'see' her, the one constant in her life is ex-social worker Suze, who , being trans, has found herself and her identity and is not about to let it get away from her. In Emma she sees the conflation between the person she is, and the person she is becoming, and is a rare and beautiful sweet spot in a novel that has violence, assault, coercive control and abusive relationships in it.
In order to break the cycle that exists in her Nan-'men will take anything if it is out there on a platter-her aunt, who puts up with her 'pervy' husband because it is better than being alone, her cousins who stay out all night and have money despite no jobs, her mother who was regularly beaten by her husband and then turned into a pariah upon his death.
This is an intelligent novel that speaks to teens, not at them, it has an authentic voice and an understanding of so many issues facing young girls today and yet returns to them the power of their agency in a way that is not overblown, or exaggerated.
In short, it is wonderful, heartbreaking, outstanding, timely and wise.
I would encourage mothers of teen girls to leave this lying around the house, leave it on a bedside table, talk about, talk about the issues it raises and the original Emma Hamilton.
Let's start by giving these girls and women back their names, stop undervaluing them and raise them up.
Let them be influenced by authenticity ,not a shallow reproduction of a filtered reality.
September 18, 2022
A novel about gullible chavs who are trying to get out of their sink estate lifestyle in all the wrong ways. One interesting fact was learning about the meaning of "Trafalgar" (Trafalgar Square) and that this Lord Nelson guy had all these things named after him but treated his working class mistress poorly. The author tried to parallel this historic event with the experiences of the protagonist, but it didn't become clear until the afterword at the end of the last chapter.
July 6, 2022
The pacing was really weird throughout the book. The first 200 pages felt really slow and the the last 100 pages were really fast and that wasn't very nice to read. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I didn't hate it but it wasn't that good either.
September 5, 2021
I loved this book from start to finish. A gripping story that explores the exploitation of females and Instagram today's society.
July 24, 2023
It didn't occur to me, when I read the synopsis, that the protagonist, would be British despite the very obvious use of the word 'nan'.
I agree with all the other reviews I've seen on this book when it comes to the events, rather their pacing. The first few chapters got me HOOKED. I thought those were written so realistically, you can't help but start sympathizing with Emma through all the domestic violence she experienced, (despite seeing myself not particularly striking in the beauty department.) A few chapters later (when they moved), it all started to slow down...like REALLY SLOW. We're given all these different scenarios unfolding in her new school - a bully, snobby prep girls, pervy teenage boys. Which would be FINE until she was on the second trashy boyfriend.
The plot ACTUALLY picks up only by the latter part. I was probably halfway through and still searching for some plot development. It got frustrating tbh.
"Then Emma is tempted by two men who promise the world in exchange for modelling work. But there's a dark side to to their offer that she will only discover when she's in too deep." (synopsis)
But that doesn't happen until you complete about 80% of this book. And by then, Emma's been through a lot...got her heart broken more than once, her dignity AS A WOMAN shattered, been taken advantage of, and all sorts of things that you'd think would make her less gullible. Still, I'm trying to see where she might be coming from with their financial situation and all. but STILL frustrating ykwim?
HOWEVER!! We shan't blame the abused. She probably got blamed every time a perv did something, including her aunt's boyfriend. And much like grandparent culture, of course, they go with the "don't attract attention if you don't want attention." Anyways, I got particularly annoyed that a FOURTH guy was introduced. And this was at the point when we were approaching the resolution so you think "he's the guy that'll save her" in predictability. Which I didn't like that she would just end up being saved by a man when all this book's energy or main point was feminism and supporting our independent girlies.
Plot twist, she did end up being independent. Fourth guy was still a douche but you gotta admit that without this guy's help, her situation probably wouldn't have gotten better. Not that I'm saying he should be thanked for. I just wish the author went with a different route. One of her picking up her broken pieces on her OWN. I think that would've delivered a much MUCH stronger message.
I agree with all the other reviews I've seen on this book when it comes to the events, rather their pacing. The first few chapters got me HOOKED. I thought those were written so realistically, you can't help but start sympathizing with Emma through all the domestic violence she experienced, (despite seeing myself not particularly striking in the beauty department.) A few chapters later (when they moved), it all started to slow down...like REALLY SLOW. We're given all these different scenarios unfolding in her new school - a bully, snobby prep girls, pervy teenage boys. Which would be FINE until she was on the second trashy boyfriend.
The plot ACTUALLY picks up only by the latter part. I was probably halfway through and still searching for some plot development. It got frustrating tbh.
"Then Emma is tempted by two men who promise the world in exchange for modelling work. But there's a dark side to to their offer that she will only discover when she's in too deep." (synopsis)
But that doesn't happen until you complete about 80% of this book. And by then, Emma's been through a lot...got her heart broken more than once, her dignity AS A WOMAN shattered, been taken advantage of, and all sorts of things that you'd think would make her less gullible. Still, I'm trying to see where she might be coming from with their financial situation and all. but STILL frustrating ykwim?
HOWEVER!! We shan't blame the abused. She probably got blamed every time a perv did something, including her aunt's boyfriend. And much like grandparent culture, of course, they go with the "don't attract attention if you don't want attention." Anyways, I got particularly annoyed that a FOURTH guy was introduced. And this was at the point when we were approaching the resolution so you think "he's the guy that'll save her" in predictability. Which I didn't like that she would just end up being saved by a man when all this book's energy or main point was feminism and supporting our independent girlies.
Plot twist, she did end up being independent. Fourth guy was still a douche but you gotta admit that without this guy's help, her situation probably wouldn't have gotten better. Not that I'm saying he should be thanked for. I just wish the author went with a different route. One of her picking up her broken pieces on her OWN. I think that would've delivered a much MUCH stronger message.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2023
Sharapka Khorsandi's last book, Nina is Not Ok, is one of my favourites ever and I feel like I've been waiting years for her next book! I'm so pleased to tell you it didn't disappoint at all! I loved it!
Kissing Emma is a modern, gritty YA story based on the real Emma Hamilton, Lord Nelson's mistress (who I hadn't actually heard of, but the end of the book gave lots of information about her!)
The Emma in the book lives on a rough council estate in London, and when her dad dies and her mother is accused of murder her life gets a bit turned upside down!
Emma has big dreams and tons of ambitions but as a pretty young teenager there are plenty out there willing to take advantage of her.
Emma won me over straight away. A girl who has a tough life and upbringing, who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it. Refuses to be placed in a box or know her place. But still young and naive enough to be taken in by a handsome guy.
I just loved the whole story. Despite aspects of the story being far fetched it still felt realistic. It accurately showed what it's like to be in a high school, be on social media and teenage friendships in such a believable way. It's really thought provoking, highlighting how where you come from shouldn't define who you are but people will judge you for it anyway. It makes you think about how girls and women are treated in general within society and social media.
It does get a little bit dark at times and there are trigger warnings in the front of the book and resources for support in the back.
Can't wait to see what Shappi Khorsandi brings out next!
Kissing Emma is a modern, gritty YA story based on the real Emma Hamilton, Lord Nelson's mistress (who I hadn't actually heard of, but the end of the book gave lots of information about her!)
The Emma in the book lives on a rough council estate in London, and when her dad dies and her mother is accused of murder her life gets a bit turned upside down!
Emma has big dreams and tons of ambitions but as a pretty young teenager there are plenty out there willing to take advantage of her.
Emma won me over straight away. A girl who has a tough life and upbringing, who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it. Refuses to be placed in a box or know her place. But still young and naive enough to be taken in by a handsome guy.
I just loved the whole story. Despite aspects of the story being far fetched it still felt realistic. It accurately showed what it's like to be in a high school, be on social media and teenage friendships in such a believable way. It's really thought provoking, highlighting how where you come from shouldn't define who you are but people will judge you for it anyway. It makes you think about how girls and women are treated in general within society and social media.
It does get a little bit dark at times and there are trigger warnings in the front of the book and resources for support in the back.
Can't wait to see what Shappi Khorsandi brings out next!
September 5, 2022
Uhm... no no no no.
The book starts of describing this girl's shitty life at her council estate and the school bully. Then at what, page 100 (?), she moves estates/schools and the exact same story is repeated. Still a shitty life, shitty boyfriends are added, new shitty school bully.
Then from page 200 it gets completely ridiculous. Yes, the thing that happens when a pretty girl is "scouted" by two random pretty guys happens. I mean, no spoiler, anyone who reads the blurb can figure that out. The classic "you're so pretty please model in your knickers and bra for us". What 16-year-old isn't alarmed when an Instagram account has been created for her with the handle 'KissingEmma69'?!!! And her mum encourages it?! Her friends find it funny?! I find it unbelievable that a girl so into social media, especially nowadays, is so easily fooled.
Totally weird and the storyline felt so early '00s, Mean Girls, not original whatsoever. Only giving this 2 stars and not 1 because it's not inherently bad and touches on topics that are worth discussing, but the execution is just reaaaaaaally not my thing.
Only reason I didn't DNF is because I got it from a book subscription service.
I'll stick to fluffy YA.
- - -
On @tulipandthread I document an embroidered doodle per read book this year - for this one it's lips
The book starts of describing this girl's shitty life at her council estate and the school bully. Then at what, page 100 (?), she moves estates/schools and the exact same story is repeated. Still a shitty life, shitty boyfriends are added, new shitty school bully.
Then from page 200 it gets completely ridiculous. Yes, the thing that happens when a pretty girl is "scouted" by two random pretty guys happens. I mean, no spoiler, anyone who reads the blurb can figure that out. The classic "you're so pretty please model in your knickers and bra for us". What 16-year-old isn't alarmed when an Instagram account has been created for her with the handle 'KissingEmma69'?!!! And her mum encourages it?! Her friends find it funny?! I find it unbelievable that a girl so into social media, especially nowadays, is so easily fooled.
Totally weird and the storyline felt so early '00s, Mean Girls, not original whatsoever. Only giving this 2 stars and not 1 because it's not inherently bad and touches on topics that are worth discussing, but the execution is just reaaaaaaally not my thing.
Only reason I didn't DNF is because I got it from a book subscription service.
I'll stick to fluffy YA.
- - -
On @tulipandthread I document an embroidered doodle per read book this year - for this one it's lips
September 22, 2021
Kissing Emma is one of the most powerful YA novels I’ve ever read which explores some very difficult subjects such as sexual assault and domestic abuse.
A story that all teenage girls and even women can learn something from, Shappi Khorsandi takes each difficult subject and handles it perfectly, showing just how easy it is for any girl to be taken advantage of.
My heart absolutely broke for Emma and even though there were many times where I just wanted to shake her to tell her that she was being taken advantage of, I could understand why she made the choices she did. This is a tale about a young vulnerable girl who just wants to be loved and have a better life but the way she thinks she has to achieve these things lead her into some very dark situations.
It was fascinating to learn that this was inspired by Emma Hamilton, Lord Nelson’s mistress who I hadn’t heard of until reading this. I especially loved how the author modernised the story and incorporated the dangers surrounding the obsession with social media and the world of ‘influencers’. This was a big part to the story and what essentially starts Emma on this rocky path.
Overall this story is powerful, emotional and heartbreaking but ultimately it’s a story of courage, understanding, resilience and hope!
A story that all teenage girls and even women can learn something from, Shappi Khorsandi takes each difficult subject and handles it perfectly, showing just how easy it is for any girl to be taken advantage of.
My heart absolutely broke for Emma and even though there were many times where I just wanted to shake her to tell her that she was being taken advantage of, I could understand why she made the choices she did. This is a tale about a young vulnerable girl who just wants to be loved and have a better life but the way she thinks she has to achieve these things lead her into some very dark situations.
It was fascinating to learn that this was inspired by Emma Hamilton, Lord Nelson’s mistress who I hadn’t heard of until reading this. I especially loved how the author modernised the story and incorporated the dangers surrounding the obsession with social media and the world of ‘influencers’. This was a big part to the story and what essentially starts Emma on this rocky path.
Overall this story is powerful, emotional and heartbreaking but ultimately it’s a story of courage, understanding, resilience and hope!
August 14, 2021
A high school romance, supposed to be feminist but not really realistic. Transposing the life of a 18-century lady into a 21-century teenage girl isn't easy, and some things don't work.
The writing is quite compelling and I kept reading because I wanted to know what would happen to Emma, but she just makes the same mistakes over and over again before finally breaking the circle - we don't know how or why.
So, the subject is greatly important, but maybe it needed a more serious treatment and a couple more hundred pages to really develop. In the Bellatrix series, I'd rather recommend "The Deathless Girls" by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, much more magical and intriguing.
The writing is quite compelling and I kept reading because I wanted to know what would happen to Emma, but she just makes the same mistakes over and over again before finally breaking the circle - we don't know how or why.
So, the subject is greatly important, but maybe it needed a more serious treatment and a couple more hundred pages to really develop. In the Bellatrix series, I'd rather recommend "The Deathless Girls" by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, much more magical and intriguing.
April 18, 2025
We don’t see the events of the blurb occur until almost at the end. While the plot was good and the author went into detail about some very serious and emotional topics, I feel like the blurb should’ve been worded so very differently. Maybe phrasing it by alluding to her finding herself attached to horrible and abusive men, not the whole modelling thing. The modelling plot was barely apart of the story and felt more like a side plot not the main plot as the blurb alludes to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2021
The cover caught my eye of this book and after reading the cover, I went in search of more information about the historical Emma Hamilton. After reading a brief bio, I was ready to read an updated homage to this interesting character.
I found Kissing Emma to be an accurate and disheartening representation of current stories you hear time and time again in the news: young people caught up in a spiral of poverty, addiction and/or domestic violence with very few positive options to escape.
Emma lived with her mum and dad .
"For a long time, I wondered why God didn't bless Sheila with kids. How could he have looked at lovely, kind Sheila and gone. 'Nope. Not trusting you with a baby, ' but then looked at my dad and thought, 'He's fine, he can have one'?"
3% into this book and its already apparent Emma's dad is proper scary. A violent unpredictable thug who takes out his frustrations on the most vulnerable - his family - but is naturally the best mate going.
After her dad's unfortunate but welcomed death he's remembered by friends as :
"...a good man.
Solid. Never backed out of a fight"
Emma is increasingly ostracized at school which doesn't help her home situation. She no longer terrorised, under the threat of violence but she's not happy, secure or safe.
Poverty makes you desperate. Desperation takes you to places you wouldn't intentionally go.
Essentially Kissing Emma, is about searching for love, a home to call her own and finding herself. This is a difficult task for Emma, as while there are role models around her, they're ones with low aspirations. Those who seek more in life, are not part of Emma's family unit and so she's not interested in listening to them. Meaning that it's easy for Emma to make impulsive often poor decisions and unfortunately suffer the consequences.
It is sad but relatable to see Emma running so far and fast away from her past, making choice after choice that will ultimately prove disastrous. Repeating the patterns of her mum, in her need to find someone to love, somewhere to belong.
Kissing Emma, clearly illustrated grooming techniques and the different presentation of predators. How it can be obvious and edgy or sophisticated and lightly done. It revealed that when your manipulated, you can find yourself degraded in the pursuit of connection, material goods or security.
There's nothing sexy about being coerced into something you don't want to do, because it makes someone else happy.
It's a cliché, but if you don't know yourself, value yourself, then you run the risk of others taking advantage, then liberties, until you cease to exist as an individual and become an extension of another.
As downbeat as the subject matter was, I wouldn't say that Emma had hope and that kept her going. It was more that she didn't lose her trustful nature, she got knocked down, got back up again and tried again. I'm not sure if that's resilience or stupidity.
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result"
Albert Einstein
In summary, reading this book made me further despair of this age of influencers and reality TV celebs, who want to be rich and famous but have no discernible skill or ability. Being good looking naturally, via surgery or the short-term fix of Adobe Photoshop, FaceApp and Instagram filters is not a job. How and why would you get fulfilment from influencing is baffling to me. But I'm old and supremely grateful that social media wasn't around when I was growing up. I still don't understand how people proport that they're empowered by being on sites like Only Fans, not realising the exploitative nature of this business, which is par for sex work. It's not the punters or workers who are getting rich.
It's easy for the reader to forget with all that's she's been through and what she's doing that Emma is a child. She's 16 year old and she shouldn't have to think about STDs, coercion, domestic violence, let alone experience them.
I haven't mentioned Emma's mum (who I couldn't like despite her poor attempts at doing the best she could) or the various cast of characters who were a good support of real personalities living in inner city London, because this review is long enough as it is. Suffice to say, I found them and the situations they were in believable.
Kissing Emma was thought provoking, concerning and a must read to see the intersections and ramifications of low educational achievement, domestic violence, and poverty. A real peek into the challenges of modern urban living for a significant number of families.
My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for a copy of this book in return for a candid review.
I found Kissing Emma to be an accurate and disheartening representation of current stories you hear time and time again in the news: young people caught up in a spiral of poverty, addiction and/or domestic violence with very few positive options to escape.
Emma lived with her mum and dad .
"For a long time, I wondered why God didn't bless Sheila with kids. How could he have looked at lovely, kind Sheila and gone. 'Nope. Not trusting you with a baby, ' but then looked at my dad and thought, 'He's fine, he can have one'?"
3% into this book and its already apparent Emma's dad is proper scary. A violent unpredictable thug who takes out his frustrations on the most vulnerable - his family - but is naturally the best mate going.
After her dad's unfortunate but welcomed death he's remembered by friends as :
"...a good man.
Solid. Never backed out of a fight"
Emma is increasingly ostracized at school which doesn't help her home situation. She no longer terrorised, under the threat of violence but she's not happy, secure or safe.
Poverty makes you desperate. Desperation takes you to places you wouldn't intentionally go.
Essentially Kissing Emma, is about searching for love, a home to call her own and finding herself. This is a difficult task for Emma, as while there are role models around her, they're ones with low aspirations. Those who seek more in life, are not part of Emma's family unit and so she's not interested in listening to them. Meaning that it's easy for Emma to make impulsive often poor decisions and unfortunately suffer the consequences.
It is sad but relatable to see Emma running so far and fast away from her past, making choice after choice that will ultimately prove disastrous. Repeating the patterns of her mum, in her need to find someone to love, somewhere to belong.
Kissing Emma, clearly illustrated grooming techniques and the different presentation of predators. How it can be obvious and edgy or sophisticated and lightly done. It revealed that when your manipulated, you can find yourself degraded in the pursuit of connection, material goods or security.
There's nothing sexy about being coerced into something you don't want to do, because it makes someone else happy.
It's a cliché, but if you don't know yourself, value yourself, then you run the risk of others taking advantage, then liberties, until you cease to exist as an individual and become an extension of another.
As downbeat as the subject matter was, I wouldn't say that Emma had hope and that kept her going. It was more that she didn't lose her trustful nature, she got knocked down, got back up again and tried again. I'm not sure if that's resilience or stupidity.
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result"
Albert Einstein
In summary, reading this book made me further despair of this age of influencers and reality TV celebs, who want to be rich and famous but have no discernible skill or ability. Being good looking naturally, via surgery or the short-term fix of Adobe Photoshop, FaceApp and Instagram filters is not a job. How and why would you get fulfilment from influencing is baffling to me. But I'm old and supremely grateful that social media wasn't around when I was growing up. I still don't understand how people proport that they're empowered by being on sites like Only Fans, not realising the exploitative nature of this business, which is par for sex work. It's not the punters or workers who are getting rich.
It's easy for the reader to forget with all that's she's been through and what she's doing that Emma is a child. She's 16 year old and she shouldn't have to think about STDs, coercion, domestic violence, let alone experience them.
I haven't mentioned Emma's mum (who I couldn't like despite her poor attempts at doing the best she could) or the various cast of characters who were a good support of real personalities living in inner city London, because this review is long enough as it is. Suffice to say, I found them and the situations they were in believable.
Kissing Emma was thought provoking, concerning and a must read to see the intersections and ramifications of low educational achievement, domestic violence, and poverty. A real peek into the challenges of modern urban living for a significant number of families.
My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for a copy of this book in return for a candid review.
September 27, 2022
! possible very minor spoilers !
i feel two ways about this book.
the first maybe 150-200 pages were really good! i was taken in and interested in the storyline, particularly when emma started standing up for herself and hinting at something to happen in the future, when she gets taken advantage of + assaulted she and her mother move and start somewhere new;
however, i don't feel like there was significant progression in the storyline. emma is "scouted" by two middle-aged men, but i easily clocked what happened to her and that wasn't particularly surprising for me. she meets other men, but again and again she gets let down, taken advantage of, it feels like repetition. after she moves and comes to a new school, she makes new friends who stay w her until the end of the story, the argument over elliot, other small fights felt unnecessary and i don't know why they were there?
the last 50 or so pages felt rushed. by the end of the story, we learn emma has grown from those troubling times and is now a famous instagram model/ actress? i enjoyed the historal aspect w lady hamilton + lord nelson, and i feel that the author was trying to reflect this story through emma's story, however i don't think this was clear until it was brought up, and even then it didn't bring much relevance because everything had kind of already happened; maybe if it had appeared sometime earlier, e.g she learnt it in school that would have had more impact, because i think that could have lifted the whole storyline/ reading experience.
overall it wasn't a bad book and i did finish it! i just wish the historal aspect was mentioned a little more, maybe that's just me because i like history, and maybe that the storyline wasn't quite so repetitive? after the modelling opportunity, it seems to be her finding other guys and them letting her down again and again with modelling opportunities + maybe other minor events e.g fights w friends her mother moving out;
i feel two ways about this book.
the first maybe 150-200 pages were really good! i was taken in and interested in the storyline, particularly when emma started standing up for herself and hinting at something to happen in the future, when she gets taken advantage of + assaulted she and her mother move and start somewhere new;
however, i don't feel like there was significant progression in the storyline. emma is "scouted" by two middle-aged men, but i easily clocked what happened to her and that wasn't particularly surprising for me. she meets other men, but again and again she gets let down, taken advantage of, it feels like repetition. after she moves and comes to a new school, she makes new friends who stay w her until the end of the story, the argument over elliot, other small fights felt unnecessary and i don't know why they were there?
the last 50 or so pages felt rushed. by the end of the story, we learn emma has grown from those troubling times and is now a famous instagram model/ actress? i enjoyed the historal aspect w lady hamilton + lord nelson, and i feel that the author was trying to reflect this story through emma's story, however i don't think this was clear until it was brought up, and even then it didn't bring much relevance because everything had kind of already happened; maybe if it had appeared sometime earlier, e.g she learnt it in school that would have had more impact, because i think that could have lifted the whole storyline/ reading experience.
overall it wasn't a bad book and i did finish it! i just wish the historal aspect was mentioned a little more, maybe that's just me because i like history, and maybe that the storyline wasn't quite so repetitive? after the modelling opportunity, it seems to be her finding other guys and them letting her down again and again with modelling opportunities + maybe other minor events e.g fights w friends her mother moving out;
January 18, 2022
4.5 stars
I could hardly put this book down. It was so, so good. It tells the story of Emma, beginning with when she was a child and living with her abusive father, and showing all the hardships she goes through as she grows up. I think the author did an amazing job of capturing what British teen life is like, especially friendship and boy problems. All of the characters felt real, and most were likeable, although there were quite a few nasty pieces of work. I liked the relationship Emma and her mum had, The story had a lot of ups and downs - mainly downs - but it had a positive ending. The things Emma experiences in this book, namely being groomed and exploited by older men on the internet, is unfortunately a reality for a lot of young girls nowadays. It's a tough topic to tackle but the author did it well, and I would definitely like to read this book again because although quite heavy, there is humour in here too and a positive message at the end.
Recommended for: Ages 14+. Deals heavily with themes of sex, abuse and grooming.
I could hardly put this book down. It was so, so good. It tells the story of Emma, beginning with when she was a child and living with her abusive father, and showing all the hardships she goes through as she grows up. I think the author did an amazing job of capturing what British teen life is like, especially friendship and boy problems. All of the characters felt real, and most were likeable, although there were quite a few nasty pieces of work. I liked the relationship Emma and her mum had, The story had a lot of ups and downs - mainly downs - but it had a positive ending. The things Emma experiences in this book, namely being groomed and exploited by older men on the internet, is unfortunately a reality for a lot of young girls nowadays. It's a tough topic to tackle but the author did it well, and I would definitely like to read this book again because although quite heavy, there is humour in here too and a positive message at the end.
Recommended for: Ages 14+. Deals heavily with themes of sex, abuse and grooming.
March 29, 2022
2.5* rounded up
I came into the book with quite high expectations, having really enjoyed Shappi Khorsandi's previous YA, Nina Is Not OK. Kissing Emma is quite a different book - serious and less huourous, and also aimed for a slightly younger reader. I didn't mind either of these things, but unfortunately I didn't feel that the story worked. There was so much "this happened, and then that happened" kind of narration, which meant that events moved on quite quickly, and everything was very surface level, with under-developed characters and situations. The story picked up for me once Emma was model-scouted, which was more what I had been expecting from the blurb, but this happened quite far into the book, which made me feel like everything I'd read up until then was setup. And then everything was resolved really quickly, which felt a letdown too - I wanted to see more of how Emma picked herself back and changed after what had happened.
Emma herself I did feel sympathy for, and I did buy that she could wander through events being relatively clueless and naive, even if it was frustrating. I just wished I could have lost myself in her mind more and that the book offered more depth overall. Frustrating.
I came into the book with quite high expectations, having really enjoyed Shappi Khorsandi's previous YA, Nina Is Not OK. Kissing Emma is quite a different book - serious and less huourous, and also aimed for a slightly younger reader. I didn't mind either of these things, but unfortunately I didn't feel that the story worked. There was so much "this happened, and then that happened" kind of narration, which meant that events moved on quite quickly, and everything was very surface level, with under-developed characters and situations. The story picked up for me once Emma was model-scouted, which was more what I had been expecting from the blurb, but this happened quite far into the book, which made me feel like everything I'd read up until then was setup. And then everything was resolved really quickly, which felt a letdown too - I wanted to see more of how Emma picked herself back and changed after what had happened.
Emma herself I did feel sympathy for, and I did buy that she could wander through events being relatively clueless and naive, even if it was frustrating. I just wished I could have lost myself in her mind more and that the book offered more depth overall. Frustrating.
December 22, 2021
First of all, cover appreciation!! The colours are awesome, don't know why I'm mentioning this but yup.
I didn't realize it was basically a fanfiction of Emma Hamilton's life until the end (frankly because I'd never heard of her before) when she explained it, but I thought that was really quite cool.
I do feel a little as if the end was rather rushed though. The first 150-200 pages were awesomely paced, I thought, but then the last 100 pages or so were just almost thrown in there a little. Certainly not too much, but just, the stuff on the blurb only happened about 65% of the way through the book.
Plus, what was the whole "be gay = get followers" thing? Excuse me but, I was frowning at that.
Some nice abortion rights stuff kinda shoved in there though.
I do feel as though she should have put more thought into what was the happen to her. It was obvious that that path holds those things (and I'm not saying that this book is unnecessary, in fact I think it's the opposite because it is important to spread awareness and all that), and Emma was just utterly blind to ALL the signals that something horrible could happen to her. Have a little brain, they keep on talking about how smart she is and then she doesn't use it.
I mean, I'll cut her some slack because she was obviously flustered and confused and young and not able to think straight all of the time (and not just because of the endless vodka) and no one deserves to be in that situation especially someone vulnerable, but still.
I didn't realize it was basically a fanfiction of Emma Hamilton's life until the end (frankly because I'd never heard of her before) when she explained it, but I thought that was really quite cool.
I do feel a little as if the end was rather rushed though. The first 150-200 pages were awesomely paced, I thought, but then the last 100 pages or so were just almost thrown in there a little. Certainly not too much, but just, the stuff on the blurb only happened about 65% of the way through the book.
Plus, what was the whole "be gay = get followers" thing? Excuse me but, I was frowning at that.
Some nice abortion rights stuff kinda shoved in there though.
I do feel as though she should have put more thought into what was the happen to her. It was obvious that that path holds those things (and I'm not saying that this book is unnecessary, in fact I think it's the opposite because it is important to spread awareness and all that), and Emma was just utterly blind to ALL the signals that something horrible could happen to her. Have a little brain, they keep on talking about how smart she is and then she doesn't use it.
I mean, I'll cut her some slack because she was obviously flustered and confused and young and not able to think straight all of the time (and not just because of the endless vodka) and no one deserves to be in that situation especially someone vulnerable, but still.
August 2, 2022
i mean… i just don’t know what to think. my whole core is just screaming at her for being dumb, but a part of me is trying really hard to understand that with her background she tends to trust more easily and grab onto any opportunities. like, i understand the message that the author was trying to send, as in you shouldnt judge girls who fall into those situations because theyve never known any better, except i wonder if she did that great of a job. everyone around her was trying to make her understand that she was taking bad decisions you know? also what was that epilogue. i think i just rated it as high as i did because at least it was easy to read and i wasnt in a slump
spoilers!!!
the baby?? and she wanted to keep it??? you know what i mean?
spoilers!!!
the baby?? and she wanted to keep it??? you know what i mean?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2021
Una historia que nos relata el crecimiento de Emma y como quiere superarse en la vida queriendo conseguir lo que sueña, donde su belleza juega una suerte y desdicha a la vez, el crecer con un padre abusador es clave para veer el desarrollo que se dan con los hombres de su vida y como se deja abusar, fue triste leer como fue tratada y el saber que es una historia inspirada en alguien real aun más choca pero es por ello que la autora queriendo conmemorar esta historia da un final apresurado que pierde el hilo de la realidad de la historia, en conclusión fue una lectura adictiva que te deja pensando las situaciones que afronta la protagonista.
March 16, 2022
Shappi Khorsandi’s contemporary YA novel uses the life of Nelson’s mistress, Lady Emma Hamilton, reimagining her as a girl on a council estate. Khorsandi is strong on prejudice, the difficulties of having a low income and the low expectations of teens from these backgrounds, but the story is repetitive with a series of selfish or abusive men taking advantage and Emma not dealing with it, which I found dull, while the pacing is lop-sided.
October 24, 2021
I finished this in one night. It is a bit hard to describe but there were parts in the book that I got slightly frustrated about. Like how easily her mum accepted these men in her life. Surely with mum's past experiences they would make her more protective of her daughter. I guess though it shows how easily the cycle can repeat itself.
February 2, 2022
I liked it
It was a simple short read it raised awareness about many difficult every day topics like domestic violence , toxic relationships ,miscarriages and mainly taking advantage of vulnerable teens
It has made me realize the point of view of the victims
What made me appreciate this book even more that it’s based on true character however the story was adjusted to suit our modern world
It was a simple short read it raised awareness about many difficult every day topics like domestic violence , toxic relationships ,miscarriages and mainly taking advantage of vulnerable teens
It has made me realize the point of view of the victims
What made me appreciate this book even more that it’s based on true character however the story was adjusted to suit our modern world
August 3, 2022
This book made me despair for the younger generation of today growing up in the age of social media and influencing. This story also highlights the difficulties people from disadvantaged backgrounds/poverty face when trying to make a better life for themselves/loved ones. It all left me feeling very pessimistic.
July 4, 2024
There was something off with this book. It felt repeated, the author had just taken one scenario and recreated that 4 times wishing the book. A guy falls in love with Emma, but then she finds out that he didn’t like her for her personality but for her appearance, and when she breaks it off he gets mad, and she’s left with some other consequence like emotional trauma ect.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2021
Great read and I honestly think its the sort of book all teenagers should read at some point.
The book is hard hitting and does come with a small warning on the back cover which I was grateful for.
Couldn't put it down.
The book is hard hitting and does come with a small warning on the back cover which I was grateful for.
Couldn't put it down.
March 25, 2023
This is one of those books, that when you're done, you stare at the wall thinking "that was a lot".
So much happened within this book in a short time frame and you feel so bad for Emma. But even after everything that happened there's a good ending.
Check trigger warnings before reading!
So much happened within this book in a short time frame and you feel so bad for Emma. But even after everything that happened there's a good ending.
Check trigger warnings before reading!
December 5, 2025
I felt like this was really promising at the start but then the second half felt like a series of small plots that didn't really go anywhere? The tension would be ramping up very quickly and then suddenly we'd just move on to the next plot point. I liked the grittier elements of this though.
August 30, 2021
3.5 rounded up
November 22, 2021
I thought this was a really good book. It was a quick read but it made me think.
December 19, 2021
i liked this book quite a lot.
i felt like i related to it.
i felt like i related to it.
February 10, 2022
i literally can’t describe how much i loved this book!!!
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