Kissing Lessons

Gr 10 Up–Nolan Martin and Hayden Vargas are well known in their community. Nolan is the trusted, handsome athlete, while Hayden is the spontaneous, sexy girl from the wrong part of town. Throughout most of their lives their paths have not crossed; so when the two are thrown together by Nolan’s younger sister, their long-standing assumptions are all they have to go on. Following the death of his father, Nolan vows to look out for his quiet and nerdy younger sister, Emmaline, and is suspicious of Hayden’s sudden interest in friendship with her. But in confronting Hayden about her intentions, he comes to discover his own prejudices. As the unlikely friendship between Nolan and Hayden develops, Emmaline’s feelings for Nolan’s best friend, Beau, are becoming more obvious. Like Hayden, Beau is from the less affluent side of town and has a reputation for being a player. Emmaline and Beau find themselves facing the same issue as Hayden and Nolan: Will their relationship be accepted by the people around them? The story is told from the viewpoints of Nolan, Hayden, Emmaline, and Beau. The plot moves along at a readable pace and readers will be eager to find out more. However, the resolution is rushed, and Hayden’s reactions are inconsistent with her character development throughout the story.