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shannon_cocktailsandbooks's review
4.0
Talk about a book that makes you think. Who would have thought a seemingly harmless kiss would lead to death, ridicule and a family to finally to speak about the past? This wasn't your typical YA book full of teenage angst about who loves who and why it isn't it.
Samantha is the new girl at school, trying to fit in while finding her place on the swim team that will hopefully get her into a good college. While she doesn't have many friends, she count two of her teammates amongst her friends, secretly wishing for a little more with Zee. It's because of Zee that at a party she kisses his friend Alex and is labeled is killer when an asthma attack results in his death.
Your heart really goes out to Sam. She is devastated to think that the PB&J sandwich she had as a snack before going to the party resulted in Alex's death. She feels she deserves all the labels and names her classmates give her. She may hide herself away in her room, but her father and aunt take steps to help Sam come to grips with what happened and also understand her mother's life, something she had been missing before this.
With peanut allergies becoming more common place in schools, this story brought forth how important it is for everyone to understand exactly what having the peanut allergy means. Prior to reading this story, it was something that I didn't pay much attention to (since my kids don't have it), but this did force me to have a conversation with my kids to understand just what could happen.
A wonderful though provoking read.
Samantha is the new girl at school, trying to fit in while finding her place on the swim team that will hopefully get her into a good college. While she doesn't have many friends, she count two of her teammates amongst her friends, secretly wishing for a little more with Zee. It's because of Zee that at a party she kisses his friend Alex and is labeled is killer when an asthma attack results in his death.
Your heart really goes out to Sam. She is devastated to think that the PB&J sandwich she had as a snack before going to the party resulted in Alex's death. She feels she deserves all the labels and names her classmates give her. She may hide herself away in her room, but her father and aunt take steps to help Sam come to grips with what happened and also understand her mother's life, something she had been missing before this.
With peanut allergies becoming more common place in schools, this story brought forth how important it is for everyone to understand exactly what having the peanut allergy means. Prior to reading this story, it was something that I didn't pay much attention to (since my kids don't have it), but this did force me to have a conversation with my kids to understand just what could happen.
A wonderful though provoking read.
kelseybee17's review
4.0
I really really enjoy Who I Kissed. Janet Gurtler is a very talented storyteller. She has a excellent knack for writing realistic novels for very different situation.
This is my third novel by her and I really love her books. The only thing I would comment on is I feel that her main characters, Tess in I'm Not Her; Sam in Who I Kissed, and Grace from her newest novel, How I Lost You, all are very similar. They have very similar personalities. I haven't read If I Tell yet, but I'm hoping the main character in that novel is more different then the other MC's.
This is my third novel by her and I really love her books. The only thing I would comment on is I feel that her main characters, Tess in I'm Not Her; Sam in Who I Kissed, and Grace from her newest novel, How I Lost You, all are very similar. They have very similar personalities. I haven't read If I Tell yet, but I'm hoping the main character in that novel is more different then the other MC's.
jlove731's review
5.0
Who I Kissed by far exceeded any expectation I had for it. When you first read the synopsis you feel like the book may revolve around nut allergies... but honestly it doesn't. Is it a huge aspect of the book? Of course it is but, there were so many other aspects that I didn't expect and I ended up loving them all. Who I Kissed not only brings awareness to allergies, but it's an intense journey of a girl whose one decision changed her life but not for the worst.
Samantha Waxman lives for swimming and at her new school she can finally be someone and not live in the shadow of her "lesbian" rumor. Trying to fit in, she goes to her friend's party and there finds herself hanging out with swim partner, crush, and sexy hunk, Zee. What she doesn't expect is for Zee to hook up with someone right in front of her, but Sam decides to play his game right back and kisses his friend Alex. Then things take a turn for the worse, as Alex starts to have a breathing attack right in her arms and he dies on the way to the hospital. Sam then becomes the school prey and kids are blaming her for kissing Alex and not knowing about his peanut allergy. She starts to cave inside herself and even gives up swimming, but she'll come soon to find that not everyone blames her and she ultimately needs to forgive herself.
Like I said before, this book is filled with so many things, other than the nut allergy, that I did not expect. There is a huge swimming aspect, family matters, betrayals, high school drama, romance, and forgiveness. The characters were another thing I absolutely loved. I wasn't expecting for there to be such a wide array of characters and there were so many that stuck out like, Chloe, Taylor, her aunt, Casper, and Zee. Taylor was one of my favorites. She acted how a true best friend should always act to a friend and her quirky personality just helped even more. And, Zee as well I found myself loving from the first chapter and then falling for him even more by the end. Finally our main character Sam. She shows us a true struggle that honestly could happen to any one but, Sam also shows us the way to forgiveness and redemption and how to deal with things that are truly life changing.
In the end, I was actually pleasantly surprised with how the story ended. I wasn't sure in which direction Janet would take the story, and I was so happy that it ended the way it did. This story is so brilliantly written and brings huge awareness to how you should be careful in your own daily life. There's also a huge forgiveness aspect and how you need to learn to be able to forgive yourself first. If you were on the fence with Who I Kissed, honestly pick it up. It's not just a big information gab thrown at you, but it's a beautiful story that I think people should really take the time to read and enjoy.
Samantha Waxman lives for swimming and at her new school she can finally be someone and not live in the shadow of her "lesbian" rumor. Trying to fit in, she goes to her friend's party and there finds herself hanging out with swim partner, crush, and sexy hunk, Zee. What she doesn't expect is for Zee to hook up with someone right in front of her, but Sam decides to play his game right back and kisses his friend Alex. Then things take a turn for the worse, as Alex starts to have a breathing attack right in her arms and he dies on the way to the hospital. Sam then becomes the school prey and kids are blaming her for kissing Alex and not knowing about his peanut allergy. She starts to cave inside herself and even gives up swimming, but she'll come soon to find that not everyone blames her and she ultimately needs to forgive herself.
Like I said before, this book is filled with so many things, other than the nut allergy, that I did not expect. There is a huge swimming aspect, family matters, betrayals, high school drama, romance, and forgiveness. The characters were another thing I absolutely loved. I wasn't expecting for there to be such a wide array of characters and there were so many that stuck out like, Chloe, Taylor, her aunt, Casper, and Zee. Taylor was one of my favorites. She acted how a true best friend should always act to a friend and her quirky personality just helped even more. And, Zee as well I found myself loving from the first chapter and then falling for him even more by the end. Finally our main character Sam. She shows us a true struggle that honestly could happen to any one but, Sam also shows us the way to forgiveness and redemption and how to deal with things that are truly life changing.
In the end, I was actually pleasantly surprised with how the story ended. I wasn't sure in which direction Janet would take the story, and I was so happy that it ended the way it did. This story is so brilliantly written and brings huge awareness to how you should be careful in your own daily life. There's also a huge forgiveness aspect and how you need to learn to be able to forgive yourself first. If you were on the fence with Who I Kissed, honestly pick it up. It's not just a big information gab thrown at you, but it's a beautiful story that I think people should really take the time to read and enjoy.
bookishnicole's review
5.0
I wasn't expecting this book to be as explosive as it was. I never really knew what I was missing until I dove into this super quick read. All in all it took me less than a day to read which I adored, its been awhile without a super quick read that I truly adored.
I've heard good things about it, and I was excited about getting it when I went to BEA12. It looked really interesting and it was nice to see a a story where it wasn't a paranormal reason for the death of a character. (I.E Touch of Death or Cursed) In this case, Peanuts were to blame, and I was excited for this, I also needed a good contemporary that blew me out of the water.
For starters, what I loved about this book was Sam, she was a little cliche, but at the same time I felt that her reactions to things were normal for a girl her age. To wallow in this self pity that she was alive while Alex was dead was totally normal. I felt that she was a normal girl and I loved that, too often authors try to make their main character more special than everyone else (in this case she was a superb swimmer, but we hardly got to see that because she gave it up to punish herself.) I absolutely adored her family too, her crazy aunt who believed in angels and spoke in a silly spanish voice for her Chihuahua.
I wasn't a big fan of Zee, but just because of the way that he treated Sam, although it was also understandable because of how he was grieving for what happened. I just felt that it wasn't fair of him to judge her so harshly because it was entirely his fault that she was in that situation in the first place.
This was a great contemporary that I really enjoyed. It was quick to read, and hand a great message about not giving up and that shitty things happen, but that you have to move on with life.
I've heard good things about it, and I was excited about getting it when I went to BEA12. It looked really interesting and it was nice to see a a story where it wasn't a paranormal reason for the death of a character. (I.E Touch of Death or Cursed) In this case, Peanuts were to blame, and I was excited for this, I also needed a good contemporary that blew me out of the water.
For starters, what I loved about this book was Sam, she was a little cliche, but at the same time I felt that her reactions to things were normal for a girl her age. To wallow in this self pity that she was alive while Alex was dead was totally normal. I felt that she was a normal girl and I loved that, too often authors try to make their main character more special than everyone else (in this case she was a superb swimmer, but we hardly got to see that because she gave it up to punish herself.) I absolutely adored her family too, her crazy aunt who believed in angels and spoke in a silly spanish voice for her Chihuahua.
I wasn't a big fan of Zee, but just because of the way that he treated Sam, although it was also understandable because of how he was grieving for what happened. I just felt that it wasn't fair of him to judge her so harshly because it was entirely his fault that she was in that situation in the first place.
This was a great contemporary that I really enjoyed. It was quick to read, and hand a great message about not giving up and that shitty things happen, but that you have to move on with life.
mrsjkamp's review
4.0
See full review here!
First of all, this cover really does the book no justice. I have to say this because I had the TOTAL wrong impression of what this book was going to be about! I feel like I have to always say this, but more often than not I tend to pass on reading the description of books. I just genuinely like to read, and covers generally draw me in. This book looked very interesting at ALA, and I got it signed by the author. I thought it was more of a light teen romance, but that's definitely NOT what this book is. At all, really. Even with the title.. but I was so wrong.
And that turned out to be okay! Since it took a total turn for the "I have no idea what's going to happen next," I was able to stay much more interested than I originally thought. Well, I probably would have been just as interested in a teen romance since that's what I thought I was getting myself into. But this book is about death, grief, forgiveness. There's a bit of the romance stuff in there, but this book is about Samantha's journey after a significantly sad event occurs in her life.
Sam is strong but totally broken after the "event." She basically gives up, tortures herself by going back to school, and tries to get lost in a relationship that is barely even there. She has to work through her emotions with the help of her father, her kooky aunt, and some pretty good friends. Some things we just need to fix on our own time, I guess. I don't know how I can relate this story to my own life, but I can definitely feel myself inside Samantha's shoes. She had something horrible happen, and getting through it must be just like she describes it. It sounds awful, but I think most people would react the same way. That makes this book a little enjoyable in a way.
I really enjoyed this. I read it in a few hours because I couldn't put it down. Not because I had to know what happened to Sam, really. More because I liked being inside their lives. They were a fun group of people, and I'd like to read more about them for sure. Check this book out if you're ready to be so deceived by this cover, if you like a a bit of darkness in your YA, and if you need a book to pull you out from anything that's dragging you down.
First of all, this cover really does the book no justice. I have to say this because I had the TOTAL wrong impression of what this book was going to be about! I feel like I have to always say this, but more often than not I tend to pass on reading the description of books. I just genuinely like to read, and covers generally draw me in. This book looked very interesting at ALA, and I got it signed by the author. I thought it was more of a light teen romance, but that's definitely NOT what this book is. At all, really. Even with the title.. but I was so wrong.
And that turned out to be okay! Since it took a total turn for the "I have no idea what's going to happen next," I was able to stay much more interested than I originally thought. Well, I probably would have been just as interested in a teen romance since that's what I thought I was getting myself into. But this book is about death, grief, forgiveness. There's a bit of the romance stuff in there, but this book is about Samantha's journey after a significantly sad event occurs in her life.
Sam is strong but totally broken after the "event." She basically gives up, tortures herself by going back to school, and tries to get lost in a relationship that is barely even there. She has to work through her emotions with the help of her father, her kooky aunt, and some pretty good friends. Some things we just need to fix on our own time, I guess. I don't know how I can relate this story to my own life, but I can definitely feel myself inside Samantha's shoes. She had something horrible happen, and getting through it must be just like she describes it. It sounds awful, but I think most people would react the same way. That makes this book a little enjoyable in a way.
I really enjoyed this. I read it in a few hours because I couldn't put it down. Not because I had to know what happened to Sam, really. More because I liked being inside their lives. They were a fun group of people, and I'd like to read more about them for sure. Check this book out if you're ready to be so deceived by this cover, if you like a a bit of darkness in your YA, and if you need a book to pull you out from anything that's dragging you down.
readerziyya's review
3.0
Kasian banget, Alex, yang memiliki alergi peanut eh dicium sama Sam yang sebelumnya habis makan sandwich peanut. Alex meninggal, setelah dicium Sam.
Sam bahkan baru tahu Alex malam itu dan dia sudah menjadi orang yang 'membunuh'nya. Doh, tiba-tiba dia jadi sasaran gosip seantero kota kecil tempat mereka tinggal. Sam sendiri trauma, ia yang mengira telah merenggut masa depan Alex, pada akhirnya memilih untuk keluar dari tim renang padahal Sam termasuk anggota tim yang bersinar dan sangat potensial untuk kejuaraan renang nasional.
Lalu ada Zee, rekan di tim renang Sam yang adalah sahabat baik Alex. Zee adalah gebetan Sam sebenarnya. Pada malam Alex meninggal, Zee didekati Kaitlyn dan membuat Sam cemburu hingga ia memutuskan dengan gegabah untuk menarik perhatian Zee dengan mencium Alex dan berakhir kematian Alex. Sigh
Jadi, Sam, Zee, (dan juga Chloe, adik Alex) merasa memiliki andil atas kematian Alex. Bagaimana mereka mengatasi kehidupan mereka yang menjadi gloomy setelah kematian Alex? Bagaimana karir renang Sam? Lalu hubungan Sam dengan Zee?
**
udah agak lama bacanya, bulan lalu, tapi ga langsung direcord di Goodreads. Awal bacanya, ikutan shock seolah jadi Sam yang secara tidak sengaja menjadi penyebab terbunuhnya Alex. Ngerti desperate-nya Sam.
Ngerti juga kenapa hubungan Sam dengan Zee yang adalah sahabat Alex, kemudian jadi awkward. Tapi, mau ngga mau mereka harus menyelesaikan awan-awan kebimbangan di benak mereka setelah kematian Alex. Yah, mereka harus move on, dengan ada atau tidaknya Alex di kehidupan mereka.
Sam bahkan baru tahu Alex malam itu dan dia sudah menjadi orang yang 'membunuh'nya. Doh, tiba-tiba dia jadi sasaran gosip seantero kota kecil tempat mereka tinggal. Sam sendiri trauma, ia yang mengira telah merenggut masa depan Alex, pada akhirnya memilih untuk keluar dari tim renang padahal Sam termasuk anggota tim yang bersinar dan sangat potensial untuk kejuaraan renang nasional.
Lalu ada Zee, rekan di tim renang Sam yang adalah sahabat baik Alex. Zee adalah gebetan Sam sebenarnya. Pada malam Alex meninggal, Zee didekati Kaitlyn dan membuat Sam cemburu hingga ia memutuskan dengan gegabah untuk menarik perhatian Zee dengan mencium Alex dan berakhir kematian Alex. Sigh
Jadi, Sam, Zee, (dan juga Chloe, adik Alex) merasa memiliki andil atas kematian Alex. Bagaimana mereka mengatasi kehidupan mereka yang menjadi gloomy setelah kematian Alex? Bagaimana karir renang Sam? Lalu hubungan Sam dengan Zee?
**
udah agak lama bacanya, bulan lalu, tapi ga langsung direcord di Goodreads. Awal bacanya, ikutan shock seolah jadi Sam yang secara tidak sengaja menjadi penyebab terbunuhnya Alex. Ngerti desperate-nya Sam.
Ngerti juga kenapa hubungan Sam dengan Zee yang adalah sahabat Alex, kemudian jadi awkward. Tapi, mau ngga mau mereka harus menyelesaikan awan-awan kebimbangan di benak mereka setelah kematian Alex. Yah, mereka harus move on, dengan ada atau tidaknya Alex di kehidupan mereka.
bethreadsandnaps's review
4.0
For a book geared to young adults, I was surprised by how engaging and "deep" this book was. Main character Sam kisses a guy at a party, and he dies due to a severe peanut allergy after she had eaten a peanut butter sandwich. The book focuses on the guilt she feels and how the rest of the school blames her for killing such a good guy.
The author tried to give Sam some quirks, like the braid, and developed interesting characters like the aunt.
On the downside, you could see the plot twist coming from miles away. Also, I had problems with what Sam did 3/4 of the way through the book. It really didn't seem in character at all.
Overall, I was pleased with the book and would recommend it to people who like YA and don't want to deal with vampire books.
Bonus points for a unique premise and more depth than the typical YA book.
The author tried to give Sam some quirks, like the braid, and developed interesting characters like the aunt.
On the downside, you could see the plot twist coming from miles away. Also, I had problems with what Sam did 3/4 of the way through the book. It really didn't seem in character at all.
Overall, I was pleased with the book and would recommend it to people who like YA and don't want to deal with vampire books.
Bonus points for a unique premise and more depth than the typical YA book.
mountie9's review
5.0
will post review tomorrow or next day as i busy mom and book whore (work at bookstore)
The Good Stuff
A sweet and realistic story of grief, guilt, family, relationships and forgiveness
As a mom I found it a thought provoking and challenging read at times. I won't lie I spent much of the story silently weeping. Made me think could I forgive someone who might have inadvertently killed my child. Made me think about my serious consumption of peanut butter and how I will be so much more vigilant about cleaning up, brushing my teeth and washing my hands when I consume.
Again as a Mom my heart went out to Sam and her grief and wanted to just give her a great big hug (also as a Mom it makes you think about your own child in the situation)
Relevant to the world our kids live in with cyber-bullying and drinking and relationships. Author isn't naive about how kids deal - never sugar coats anything and isn't overly preachy so kids will relate
No archetypical characters - these people will remind you of someone you know - again YA readers will relate to (And us old mom's will appreciate that the adult characters aren't evil, totally ignore their kids or stupid - very refreshing thank you)
The scenes between Sam and Alex's family just broke my heart
well written and intriguing
Enjoyed the scenes between Aunt Allie and Sam's Dad
Great for a class discussion or teen book club (Not to mention one for mom's)
nice touches of humour at the right spots
Added this to my Staff Picks at work I loved it so much
The Not So Good Stuff
Don't read in public unless you enjoy people staring at you while you sniff and wipe the tears from your eyes
Would have liked to seen some repercussions or mentions of punishment for those who were exhibiting bully behaviour online (Sorry its a mom thing)
Cover doesn't do the brilliant story justice
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"Hold out your hand," he says in a deep, rich voice that sounds like he gargles daily with sexy juice."
"Of course not," Aunt Allie says. "That would require actual human compassion."
Both of them stare off into space. "At least we don't have to worry about me being spoiled by my grandparents," I say.
Aunt Allie shakes her head and turns to me and smiles. "That we don't."
"She's working on a full house cleanse to rid us of negative energy. Dad's been holding his tongue about it, mainly because I think he appreciates the free cleaning."
"It's not fair." I whisper. "He had so much to live for."
"He was just a kid," my dad says softly. "It was a mistake. God knows we all make them."
Who Should/Shouldn't Read
Probably not for someone who only enjoys fast paced dystopian, paranormal reads (Nothing wrong with that though)
Other than that I would say this can be enjoyed by anyone of any age (probably would appeal more to girls than boys - yes I know that is sexist - but probably true)
Excellent for someone who is dealing with grief - they will relate to Sam and her friends and families honest & realistic portrayal of guilt and grief
A must have for every public and school library
FYI - parents & educators - there is a sex scene but it is tasteful, realistic and honest - please kids are going to have sex, help them make sure they are protected - don't be naive and think that they are not going to do it (sorry sometimes I go all preachy and high horsey)
5 Dewey's
I purchased this at Janet's launch at Chapters Shawnessy where I work - she was lovely and the book cookies were a nummy breakfast the next morning
The Good Stuff
A sweet and realistic story of grief, guilt, family, relationships and forgiveness
As a mom I found it a thought provoking and challenging read at times. I won't lie I spent much of the story silently weeping. Made me think could I forgive someone who might have inadvertently killed my child. Made me think about my serious consumption of peanut butter and how I will be so much more vigilant about cleaning up, brushing my teeth and washing my hands when I consume.
Again as a Mom my heart went out to Sam and her grief and wanted to just give her a great big hug (also as a Mom it makes you think about your own child in the situation)
Relevant to the world our kids live in with cyber-bullying and drinking and relationships. Author isn't naive about how kids deal - never sugar coats anything and isn't overly preachy so kids will relate
No archetypical characters - these people will remind you of someone you know - again YA readers will relate to (And us old mom's will appreciate that the adult characters aren't evil, totally ignore their kids or stupid - very refreshing thank you)
The scenes between Sam and Alex's family just broke my heart
well written and intriguing
Enjoyed the scenes between Aunt Allie and Sam's Dad
Great for a class discussion or teen book club (Not to mention one for mom's)
nice touches of humour at the right spots
Added this to my Staff Picks at work I loved it so much
The Not So Good Stuff
Don't read in public unless you enjoy people staring at you while you sniff and wipe the tears from your eyes
Would have liked to seen some repercussions or mentions of punishment for those who were exhibiting bully behaviour online (Sorry its a mom thing)
Cover doesn't do the brilliant story justice
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"Hold out your hand," he says in a deep, rich voice that sounds like he gargles daily with sexy juice."
"Of course not," Aunt Allie says. "That would require actual human compassion."
Both of them stare off into space. "At least we don't have to worry about me being spoiled by my grandparents," I say.
Aunt Allie shakes her head and turns to me and smiles. "That we don't."
"She's working on a full house cleanse to rid us of negative energy. Dad's been holding his tongue about it, mainly because I think he appreciates the free cleaning."
"It's not fair." I whisper. "He had so much to live for."
"He was just a kid," my dad says softly. "It was a mistake. God knows we all make them."
Who Should/Shouldn't Read
Probably not for someone who only enjoys fast paced dystopian, paranormal reads (Nothing wrong with that though)
Other than that I would say this can be enjoyed by anyone of any age (probably would appeal more to girls than boys - yes I know that is sexist - but probably true)
Excellent for someone who is dealing with grief - they will relate to Sam and her friends and families honest & realistic portrayal of guilt and grief
A must have for every public and school library
FYI - parents & educators - there is a sex scene but it is tasteful, realistic and honest - please kids are going to have sex, help them make sure they are protected - don't be naive and think that they are not going to do it (sorry sometimes I go all preachy and high horsey)
5 Dewey's
I purchased this at Janet's launch at Chapters Shawnessy where I work - she was lovely and the book cookies were a nummy breakfast the next morning
lcarslibrarian's review
2.0
Samantha's whole life is swimming but sometimes the other parts of life sneak in. At a party, Samantha's crush Zee is distracted by a trollop, so Sam decides to kiss his friend Alex to make him jealous. Bad idea. Alex has a serious peanut allergy and Sam had a PBJ before going to the party. Alex dies on the way to the hospital.
Sam's whole life is turned upside down. She can't swim, going to school is awful, and there's a new boy with suspect motives interested in her.
Overall, I thought that this was a good book that delves into the predictable consequences of a horrible accident. The taunts and jeers that Samantha experienced at school made me cringe, they were so realistic. Her struggles are mostly understandable, except for her refusal to go back to swimming for a long time. I would have thought that swimming would have helped her character more because Alex wasn't really related to swimming, but I can still understand it.
My biggest problem with the book is (SPOILER ALERT!) that at the end, you find out that Alex's dying because of an asthma attack after smoking pot at the party, not from an allergic reaction to Sam's peanut butter mouth. This just made all of the trauma and guilt that Sam went throw seem meaningless. I think the story would have had a more emotional impact if the peanut allergy really did kill Alex. But I could be cruel.
[I got this book from a Goodreads giveaway, and didn't receive anything else in return for this review.]
Sam's whole life is turned upside down. She can't swim, going to school is awful, and there's a new boy with suspect motives interested in her.
Overall, I thought that this was a good book that delves into the predictable consequences of a horrible accident. The taunts and jeers that Samantha experienced at school made me cringe, they were so realistic. Her struggles are mostly understandable, except for her refusal to go back to swimming for a long time. I would have thought that swimming would have helped her character more because Alex wasn't really related to swimming, but I can still understand it.
My biggest problem with the book is (SPOILER ALERT!) that at the end, you find out that Alex's dying because of an asthma attack after smoking pot at the party, not from an allergic reaction to Sam's peanut butter mouth. This just made all of the trauma and guilt that Sam went throw seem meaningless. I think the story would have had a more emotional impact if the peanut allergy really did kill Alex. But I could be cruel.
[I got this book from a Goodreads giveaway, and didn't receive anything else in return for this review.]
kimmypete1's review
4.0
Who I Kissed does not fall into my preferred category of contemporary (the light and funny kind) but I really enjoyed it. There were a couple of parts that made me tear up. I didn't dislike Samantha but I can't really say I liked her either. Mostly I just felt sorry for her. Obviously after she kisses Alex and he dies she completely withdraws into herself, intent on punishing herself. She makes a couple of not so great decisions that had me irritated because you just know that it's not going to work and she shouldn't do it.
For the most part I liked all the other characters except Casper. That boy is not right. But her dad and aunt are great and I really liked Zee, especially since he wasn't that "perfect boy." He had flaws, just like everyone else.
I liked the ending, mostly because everything made a lot more sense to me. The whole peanut allergy thing is also an interesting concept and it kind of opens your eyes a bit to how serious some allergies can be.
For the most part I liked all the other characters except Casper. That boy is not right. But her dad and aunt are great and I really liked Zee, especially since he wasn't that "perfect boy." He had flaws, just like everyone else.
I liked the ending, mostly because everything made a lot more sense to me. The whole peanut allergy thing is also an interesting concept and it kind of opens your eyes a bit to how serious some allergies can be.