After the Kiss

Chosen from Book Riot's 100 Must-Read YA Books in Verse.  One of the really neat things about my new job is that it is in the same town as a library, so I have been taking advantage of the interlibrary loan system.  Which meant that this year I would give this list a try as I A.) love lists and B.) love verse novels. 
A lot of my reading goals this year are about young adult literature, awards etc, and I thought I would fit in genre as well because my library has novels arranged by genre.  I had originally thought this might be placed in the romance category, but after I finished reading it this morning, I felt that it definitely was NOT. 

This story is about two girls who have been played by the same boy.  Camille (new girl in town) tells her story in enjambement:-

“the goal is to keep yourself moving, remember? don't linger. don't hover. you are not going to stay.” 

She moves around a lot (her fathers job) and it is really hard for her to make connections with people.  I like how her verse softens her and shows how she rigidly encases herself in a protective shell.

Becca (hometown girl with boyfriend Alec), is all over the place and her free verses reflect all of the inner turmoil of her life, her obsession with her boyfriend to the exclusion of everything else.  Then there is the catalyst, a car accident, which forces Becca to get a job to pay for repairs, and make Alec one sulky boy who is not getting all of her attention.  Before the kiss:-

“my own chocolate center has filled up with poison,
the roses he gave me all twisted black” 

Becca's life is full to overflowing with work, and her school (this is the last year before graduation) and when the inevitable happens (Alec kisses Camille at a party and it is photographed by one of Becca's friends), everythings falls into chaos for Becca and also for Camille. 

Becca of course is heartbroken, Camille confused and embarrassed.  Alec seems like a nice guy who makes up haiku off the cuff and is very intense which is appealing to both girls.  Really, what he did with Camille was just an impulse, she's a really nice and clever girl who gets his haiku...

"you seem you could use
  a little kind of surprise
  maybe some haiku?"

 Becca's free verse, with the occasional apology to other poets (she borrows from various poets and substitutes her own words) is amazing.  I love how the verse is chaotic and a little choppy, showing how deeply she feels, how hurt she is, but also how creative her personality is. 

I loved this book, all of the different types of verse was just brilliant.  I loved the two girls, each amazing in their own ways.  I especially love how they both dealt with the same situation (Alec).
Phew! Just 99 more books to go!