Review of Kiss by Jacqueline Wilson

Kiss by Jacqueline Wilson; Roaring Book Press, 2010, c2007.

Carl and Sylvie, nicknamed “Titch”, are next-door neighbors and have grown up together. They have been friends since they were both very young, and Sylvie assumes that someday they will get married. They have been making up stories about “Glassworld”, and Sylvie thinks that they will eventually become famous author-illustrators. Now they are high school freshmen, and Carl has transferred to a prestigious boys’ school, and both are having adjustment problems. Sylvie is bothered because Carl is constantly talking about his pal, Paul, a soccer star at his school. Miranda, voluptuous and “boy-crazy”, has become Sylvie’s new friend, and Carl doesn’t care for her. Sylvie cannot decide why Carl has not kissed her yet. Doesn’t he love her they way she loves him? When Carl tells Sylvie that the reason he hasn’t kissed her is that he is gay, she is totally taken by surprise, but she isn’t mad. However, when Carl reveals his true feelings to Paul when trying to kiss him, Paul retaliates until Sylvie and Miranda come to his rescue!

This is a story of first love and of love scorned. Sylvie, quite likable, is portrayed as a tiny girl, hence the “Titch” nickname; her love for Carl is pure and innocent. She is the absolute opposite of Miranda, who comes across as very worldly and pushy, but turns out to be a true friend to both Sylvie and Carl. Carl, on the other hand, is your stereotypical gay guy…not into sports, extremely handsome, neat as a pin, and very artistic. Additionally, Carl’s parents seem to accept his gender issues too easily, writing it off as a phase he is going through. Also stereotypical is Paul, the quintessential jock, clowning around, slapping and hitting his friends, and acting like a “good old boy”. The gender issue is handled well, and the book is not preachy in its approach.

This novel was first published in Great Britain in 2007 by Doubleday. Since this is a British publication, there will be some words and phrases that American teens will not be familiar with. I recommend this book for high school and public libraries.

Review of Freefall by Ariela Anhalt

Freefall by Ariela Anhalt

Luke Prescott has been disillusioned and angry at the world since his father committed suicide. However, readers are only given veiled references to the suicide at first. Luke attends an exclusive prep school in California and rooms with the popular, Hayden Applegate, who has problems of his own. Both are juniors and members of the school’s fencing team, of which Hayden is the captain. It has been a tradition for new varsity fencing team members to jump from a cliff near the campus into a pond as an initiation ritual. When Russell, a new student at the school, steals Hayden’s girlfriend and threatens his leadership status on the fencing team, Hayden starts thinking about revenge. Against his better judgment, Luke agrees to accompany Russell and Hayden to the cliff for Russell’s initiation. However, Russell doesn’t end up jumping; he is pushed by Hayden. When the push results in Russell’s death, Luke wrestles with his emotions trying to decide if Hayden’s action was deliberate or an accident. The decision must be made soon because Luke has been called to testify at Hayden’s trial.

This is the first novel for Ariela Anhalt, and she shows real talent. She is able to get into the mind of male teenagers and fluently convey their thoughts. The characters are well-developed, and the plot flows easily from page to page. Hayden is portrayed as the school’s egocentric alpha-male, Luke as his foil side-kick, and Russell as the antagonistic newcomer. There is another whole group of minor characters who make up the fencing team, schoolmates, and family members of these boys, and they are just as well-developed as the major players. The courtroom scenes are well-written and gripping. I recommend this novel for upper high school students and public libraries.