Kissing Max Holden

Gr 8 Up—When Max climbs through his childhood best friend and neighbor Jill's window on Halloween night, everything changes with a kiss. Both teens are dealing with family issues—Max's father has recently had a severe stroke, and Jill's dad and pregnant stepmother, Meredith, are fighting more and more. Further complicating any potential romantic relationship are Max's girlfriend, Becky, and Jill's father, who has forbidden Jill from seeing Max after catching them kissing in her bedroom. Jill dreams of attending culinary school in New York and is devastated to learn that the money her father saved for her education was used for fertility treatments for her stepmother, while Max drinks to cope with his problems. Despite everything, the teens can't stay away from each other. After Jill's baby sister is born and her parents' marital issues come to a head, Jill must admit the truth: she loves Max, but she has to decide if she is ready to make their relationship a reality. Although this title will satiate the yearnings of romance-loving teens, it's a predictable love story that covers weighty material superficially.