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Kiss
341 pages
A tender, bittersweet exploration of growing up, growing apart, and realizing that the people we love are changing right in front of us.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into the fragile, confusing space between childhood and adolescence. The narrative moves at a steady, thoughtful pace, wrapping the reader in a bittersweet and deeply nostalgic mood as the comfortable certainties of youth begin to slip away. The prose is characteristically accessible and earnest, channeling the raw, unfiltered voice of a young girl grappling with unrequited feelings and shifting identities. It is a gentle but emotionally resonant experience that does not shy away from the sting of disappointment or the awkwardness of discovering who you really are. Perfect for younger teens navigating their own evolving friendships, this story offers a compassionate look at how love changes shape as we grow up, leaving readers with a sense of hopeful, mature acceptance.
- Mood
- bittersweet
- nostalgic
- tender
- Tone
- earnest
- empathetic
- gentle
- melancholic
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- shifting friendships · discovering sexuality · loss of childhood innocence · unrequited feelings · redefining love
- The writing
- Accessible and conversational, the narrative voice perfectly captures the raw, unfiltered emotions of a young teenager trying to make sense of a changing world.
- The arc
- The journey shifts from the comfortable, naive certainty of childhood into the confusing heartbreak of adolescence, ultimately finding peace in a newly defined friendship.
- Who it's for
- Tweens and younger teens who are navigating the messy, confusing transition where childhood friendships begin to fracture and evolve.
Content notes
- heartbreak
- mild bullying
- homophobia
About the book
A wonderfully insightful and entertaining novel for older readers from the phenomenal bestselling author.Sylvie and Carl have been friends since they were tiny children. They've always played together, eaten with each other's families, called each other boyfriend and girlfriend and deep down, Sylvie has always believed that they'd end up married to each other. They even have a a magical fantasy world that belongs to them alone - and the glass hut where it's all created, at the bottom of Carl's garden. But as they become teenagers, things are starting to change. They each have different friends. Sylvie would still rather spend all her time with Carl. But Carl has a new friend, Paul, who is taking all his attention. And he seems much less happy to be called Sylvie's boyfriend. And in a game of spin the bottle, he avoids having to kiss her. Sylvie can tell his feelings have changed and that her plans for the future may be affected. But can she guess at the true reasons behind it all? A moving, compelling and delicately handled treatment of sexuality from the Children's Laureate.
Description from Open Library.
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