Summary from Goodreads:
Amanda can’t figure out what’s so exciting about kissing.
It’s just a lot of teeth clanking, germ swapping, closing of eyes so you can’t
see that godzilla-sized zit just inches from your own hormonal monstrosity. All
of her seven kisses had been horrible in different ways, but nothing compared
to the awfulness that followed Kiss Number Eight. An exploration of sexuality,
family, and faith, Kiss Number Eight is a coming-of-age tale filled with humor
and hope.
Review:
This wasn’t the book I was thinking it would be. I was
expecting a light-hearted rom-com about kissing, crushes, sexuality, and
becoming yourself. It was definitely a much more serious book. It was also
really sad. There were some things I really liked about it, and some things I
really didn’t like.
First off, I hated Amanda’s friends. They were so awful to
her. Also, I hate that Amanda’s best friend kept calling Amanda’s mom a
bitch…It’s never cool for a friend to refer to your mom that way. So, I guess,
right off the bat I didn’t like her friends. There was also the bad girl friend
and the good girl friend. The bad girl friend encouraged Amanda to sneak out,
drink, get drunk, swear, fight with their other friend, hook up with strangers,
and just so many other awful things. And then the good girl friend never stood
up for herself, though she did help Amanda solve a family mystery. But, her end
actions made her almost worst than the bad girl friend.
When everything falls apart in the climax of the story (in a
colossally bad way), both the bad girl friend and the good girl friend abandon
Amanda in her time of need. (Spoiler sentences approaching: don’t read the rest
of this paragraph if you don’t want spoilers). The boy Amanda slept with (who’d
been crushing on her for years) abandons her because of a rumor…And her
father’s prejudices ruined their close/best friend-like relationship. The only
one to have Amanda’s back is her mom (clearly not the bitch her friends thought
her to be). And soon Amanda finds new friends, much nicer friends. But, there
is never any real resolution with the awful best friends who abandon her.
I also like the role religion plays here. I thought for sure
that Amanda’s family’s religion would come off negatively. They go to church
every Sunday, volunteer in soup kitchens, and got to a Catholic school.
However, despite some mean nuns, a prejudiced/religious father, and some
falsehoods taught to her since birth, Amanda has faith. Some of my favorite
moments in the book are when she’s talking to God, seeking help. And I kind of
like that the awful people around her don’t change her or affect her
relationship with her faith.
I liked Amanda, and I liked watching her grow into herself.
I also loved her mom. I kind of hated everyone else in the story (except for
her new friends at the end). I guess my biggest issue is the lack of resolution
with her close friends that she’s had since childhood. I get that not all
childhood friendships last forever, nor should they…but I felt like I needed
some more resolution. So much of the focus of the whole book was on them, and
then they kind of disappear. I wished the dad showed up at the end, but I like
that Amanda is hopeful about him. There is hope there. That was also
believable. I liked the family drama/mystery. I wish the book was marketed as
the serious book it is, and not as something lighter. All in all, I give this a
7/10.
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