Never Been Kissed

Title: NEVER BEEN KISSED
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: Revell
January 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8007-3259-2
Genre: Inspirational/young adult

Elise and her mom have just moved to a new apartment. Her single mom is claiming tight funds, and needing to find cheaper housing. So, now Elise is facing her junior year at a new high school with zero friends—except a fourteen year old neighbor girl.

There is a boy at the highschool, Asher, that Elise thinks is kind of cool, and he seems to be kind of into her too. Elise is really flattered when Asher starts emailing her. And introducing her to the in-crowd at her new school. But just as she begins to find her footing, the world comes crashing down around her—and her whole future might be derailed as a result.

NEVER BEEN KISSED is the newest young adult book by Melody Carlson. Ms. Carlson is known for writing edgier young adult books that apply to the modern world teenagers live in now. I have never heard of issue Ms. Carlson addresses in this book (though that might make me sound naïve) and found it horribly disturbing, but believable that teens might do something like this. My nine-year-old was waiting to read this book as was my fifteen year old, but I’m thinking I’ll tell the older girl to keep it out of her sister’s reach for a few years.

Ms. Carlson did an excellent job developing the characters and even the secondary characters were totally real and believable. I want to say that I enjoyed this book—and I did—it was just that the topic was so disturbing. I’m giving it 4 out of 5 stars, but only due to my naivety. $9.99. 220 pages.