THE ABC'S OF KISSING BOYS

by Tina Ferraro ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 13, 2009

When Parker fails to make the varsity soccer team, she finds herself on precarious footing with Chrissandra, her best friend and the bitchy queen bee of the junior class. As her frenemy makes life increasingly difficult at school, Parker hatches an implausible plot to essentially bribe the coach into promoting her by bringing in the most money at the soccer team's kissing-booth fundraiser. The catch? She doesn't know how to kiss. Enter Tristan, the freshman next door and the son of her father's neighborhood nemesis, who provides kissing lessons and complicates both Parker's struggle for social standing and her understanding of herself. Although some plot elements are weak—the subplot involving the father and his adversary feels forced, and Tristan, like other characters, is underdeveloped—the novel nonetheless accurately captures the acute anxiety and dread experienced by ostracized teens. This is familiar territory for anyone who's seen Mean Girls, but Ferraro's protagonist is resilient enough to withstand and prevail over her tormentors. (Fiction. 12 & up)

Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2009

ISBN: 0385735820

Page Count: 224

Publisher: Delacorte

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2008

Categories: CHILDREN'S