KISS CRUSH COLLIDE, AN UNUSUAL TITLE

Title: Kiss Crush Collide
Author: Christina Meredith
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (December 27, 2011)
Pages: 320

What first drew me to KISS CRUSH COLLIDE by CHRISTINA MEREDITH, was in fact the cover. The title, not so great, yet it sounded interesting enough. I’ve been increasingly attracted to young adult books since my teenage daughter got me hooked on one. Each one she’s suggested was wonderfully written. KISS CRUSH COLLIDE was no exception.

Leah Johnson had her life planned out. Not that she did any of the planning. Nope, there was no need for that when she had a mother and two sisters before her that she was expected to follow in their footsteps. Only problem was, Leah wants to live her own life.

With the perfect boyfriend, Shane, why would any girl want to end their relationship? For that matter why would anyone who had it all, a promised spot as Valedictorian, prom queen, homecoming queen and the most popular girl in school, give it all up for a guy she hardly knows.

What I love about KISS CRUSH COLLIDE:

-The fast pace.
-Well developed female characters.
-Beautiful writing.
-The main characters final decision.

What I didn’t like about KISS CRUSH COLLIDE:

-The male characters weren’t developed/no deep point of view.
-The foul language.
-Not a lot of dialog.
-Not enough drama.

I would have loved to see tension between Shane, the “boyfriend” and “Porter”, the “other guy”. I appreciated there was no explicit sex, though I would have preferred a better choice on Leah’s part. I also appreciated the minimal foul language, especially considering the targeted audience.

The writing was wonderful, flowing beautifully, so much so that I finished it in only a few short days. I felt the female characters were well developed, very strong personalities, but the males were vague. I would have liked to of heard more about Porter’s story, having it played out.

I was however pleased with the ending, though it left me wanting more. As if a new story was just about to unfold. I could easily see a second book to develop Leah and Porter’s romance. I would say MEREDITH did an excellent job with her debut novel.