The Kissing Booth

Gr 9 Up—Elle and Lee have the perfect coed relationship: a best friend to shop with, stand up for you when others put you down, finish your sentences, and never ever-even for the slightest second-consider crossing the line between friendship and romance. Then Elle falls for Lee's older brother, and their friendship is put to the ultimate test. Kissing Booth is both predictable and deeply implausible. These kids have drunken parties, sleepovers at one another's houses without calling home, and sex within days of starting a relationship, and seem to wear the least amount of clothing possible at all times. Teens are likely to be turned off by this book as it paints them as irresponsible, unintelligent, and emotionally stunted on nearly every page. Simply put, today's young adults deserve a little more credit. The pacing of the novel leaves a lot to be desired, as there are several instances in which a plotline absorbs 30 to 40 pages of rising action only to fizzle in two to three anticlimactic pages. The poor writing and flawed characters can be forgiven, but the glorification of a controlling boyfriend as the ideal male is both insulting to women and a dangerous message to be sending girls.—Jennifer Furuyama, Pendleton Public Library, OR