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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
An anti-peanut treatise with a nice dose of slut-shaming. (Is peanut-shaming a thing? Because I would say this book does that too.)
Everyone blames Samantha for kissing a boy that she didn't even know well enough to know about his peanut allergy. No one ever once considers that he also kissed a girl that he didn't know well enough to share about his peanut allergy. Apparently it is Samantha's fault for not asking if he was allergic to peanuts before kissing him, rather than his own fault for not checking with her before he kissed her. He is in high school and should know how to take care of himself, rather than expecting his peers to take care of him. It is not Samantha's responsibility to check with every single boy she kisses to see if they have a peanut allergy first. As the one with the allergy, Alex is responsible for taking care of himself. And he didn't. It sucks, but you can't blame Samantha.
This book was just the worst. Bland, uninspiring, condescending, and preachy. Plus a total cop-out of an ending.
I ate peanut butter while reading it. Twice. (But I read the e-book, so the deadly peanut oils are only on my own device. You're welcome, library.)
Everyone blames Samantha for kissing a boy that she didn't even know well enough to know about his peanut allergy. No one ever once considers that he also kissed a girl that he didn't know well enough to share about his peanut allergy. Apparently it is Samantha's fault for not asking if he was allergic to peanuts before kissing him, rather than his own fault for not checking with her before he kissed her. He is in high school and should know how to take care of himself, rather than expecting his peers to take care of him. It is not Samantha's responsibility to check with every single boy she kisses to see if they have a peanut allergy first. As the one with the allergy, Alex is responsible for taking care of himself. And he didn't. It sucks, but you can't blame Samantha.
This book was just the worst. Bland, uninspiring, condescending, and preachy. Plus a total cop-out of an ending.
I ate peanut butter while reading it. Twice. (But I read the e-book, so the deadly peanut oils are only on my own device. You're welcome, library.)
Overall impression:
I just didn’t like Who I Kissed and found it to be completely forgettable. It has a lot of positive reviews on Goodreads, though, so maybe I’m the odd one out.
Read the full review on Book Revels.
I just didn’t like Who I Kissed and found it to be completely forgettable. It has a lot of positive reviews on Goodreads, though, so maybe I’m the odd one out.
Read the full review on Book Revels.
I thoroughly enjoyed Who I Kissed. The storyline of Who I Kissed is definitely unique.
This is an emotional story to say the least. As Sam tries to cope with death of Alex, she finds herself in more ways than one.
To be honest I wasn`t overly interested in this book when I received it for review but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I really loved it.
The character`s are so well developed and it is very easy to get invested whole heartedly into this story.
This is definitely a book about self discovery but with a little romance as well. But who doesn`t like a little romance.
This was a book that surprised me in more ways than one. I would definitely recommend this one.
This is an emotional story to say the least. As Sam tries to cope with death of Alex, she finds herself in more ways than one.
To be honest I wasn`t overly interested in this book when I received it for review but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I really loved it.
The character`s are so well developed and it is very easy to get invested whole heartedly into this story.
This is definitely a book about self discovery but with a little romance as well. But who doesn`t like a little romance.
This was a book that surprised me in more ways than one. I would definitely recommend this one.
I loved it. A few times I almost tested up. Finished it in one day. Didn't want it to end
Samantha is a promising swimmer hoping to beat a national record and earn a scholarship to college. She moves to a new town to train with a better coach but despite her great teammates she still feels lonely. When a team mate invites her to a party, Sam reluctantly goes trying to overcome her shyness and, possibly, talk to Zee, her super hot team mate who has sorta kinda been flirting with her lately. Things go horribly awry at the party. Kids are drinking and smoking, but Sam, in training, does not. Zee acts like he's interested in her until another girl shows up to stake her claim. Frustrated, Sam ends up kissing his best friend, Alex, who promptly keels over breathless and dies. The cause of death is suspected to be anaphylactic shock, brought on by a severe peanut allergy. Sam had a peanut butter sandwich before going to the party and now she must find some way to go on living with the guilt and remorse and a murderous reputation. Kids at school are mostly mean and unfriendly, adding to her misery.
Although it's contrived and emotionally manipulative, no doubt teen girls who like star crossed romance wil eat this one up. Sam is not entirely likeable as she seems a little aloof and closed off before the accident and definitely more after. Her journey though is honest and she makes a couple of wrong turns along the way, but ultimately remains grounded and rooted by her family. Drinking, marijuana, and sex earmark this for older teen readers.
Although it's contrived and emotionally manipulative, no doubt teen girls who like star crossed romance wil eat this one up. Sam is not entirely likeable as she seems a little aloof and closed off before the accident and definitely more after. Her journey though is honest and she makes a couple of wrong turns along the way, but ultimately remains grounded and rooted by her family. Drinking, marijuana, and sex earmark this for older teen readers.
I read this book a long time ago and I had to pick it up and reread it because I remember it being so good. It still holds up. What a unique concept for a young adult novel! I absolutely loved the heart and soul poured into the story and the characters. I know kids myself who would get sick from secondhand allergen contact so this isn’t too far off. The ending made me tear up.
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.
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.
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.
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.