Kissing in Italian

Gr 8 Up—Violet continues the journey she began in Flirting in Italian (Delacorte, 2012), hoping to discover why she looks nothing like either of her parents and exactly like the portrait of an 18th-century Italian noblewoman. In search of this information, Violet is spending the summer with three other teenage girls, theoretically learning about Italian culture and language but, in fact, learning more about Italian boys. A romantic development between the main character and Luca began in the first book, causing some confusion in this sequel, because "something" happened to thwart the course of their true love. After a great deal of teen angst and backbiting, as well as subplots that come out of nowhere, Violet discovers her ancestry, and love ultimately triumphs. Adult figures are flat, and the portrayal of the teen characters is stereotypical—particularly the Italian boys. The sequel doesn't really stand on its own, but girls who enjoyed the thrilling excitement of the first novel will doubtless want to know the outcome of the romance. The ending hints at the possibility of further drama.—Sharon Grover, Hedberg Public Library, Janesville, WI