Myracle, Lauren. Kissing Kate. Speak, 2007 (reissue). ISBN 978-0142408698 208 pp. $7.99
*****
I want to second all of April’s comments about Kissing Kate by Lauren Myracle. It’s an awesome teen identity book. It’s a journey and exploration and exactly what I love about good teen coming of age fiction. Myracle manages to tackle some tough issues with heart and maturity while still appealing to a teen reader. The story goes something like this: Lissa and her best friend Kate share a kiss and a little bit more on a drunken party night. Now, they aren’t speaking.
Lissa holds on to this secret tightly. (The way she holds on to this secret reminds me of the main character in Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak). Lissa is ashamed and scared and missing her friend Kate. But through some new friendships that she makes in Kate’s absence, Lissa gains the courage to face her feelings and come to terms with the fact that she might be gay. I put the book down feeling like Lissa was not completely resolved about whether or not she was a lesbian and I really liked that. There is so much ambiguity in those pesky teen years… it just seemed like the right way to end the book.
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