Review: Kiss It by Erin Downing

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Format: Paperback
Released: June 15th, 2010
Grade rating: B


Amazon summary:

A girl's gotta do who a girl's gotta do.

Chastity Bryan has never been shy about going after what she wants. And when sexy, mysterious, so-not-from-this-town Sebastian walks into Chaz's life, she knows in an instant that what she wants next is him. Chaz has no intention of playing for keeps—but she most definitely has intentions. Who needs true love when you've got true lust? Sebastian has no idea what he's in for—but maybe neither does Chaz?

Review:

I really enjoyed Kiss It, mostly for its bluntness and hilarious dialogue. I laughed my way through the first half of the book, before things got a little more serious, and reveled in Chaz's no-nonsense attitude to boys and sex. She was a girl who wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted, and I liked that. That's the kind of personality trait I wish I possessed more of (confidence, not chasing boys) but alas, I don't.

Chaz started off as a bit of an enigma. I got that she didn't think sex was a huge deal, and that she would happily engage in some extracurricular activity with even the dorkiest boy, but I didn't understand why she was like that until much later in the book. Downing explored her character fantastically and, I must admit, wrote a couple rather hot scenes à la Jennifer Echols (Who, by the way, is the undisputed master of YA hotness).

Chaz's relationship with new boy Sebastian was one of growth and self-discovery, and realising that, yes, it is possible to escape your small town and experience a life elsewhere, and with different people. Sebastian really opened her eyes to this idea, and showed her that you don't have to do what people expect you to do. Life's a decision you have to make, and Downing does a great job of showing just that. Chaz's friendship with her best friend Sadie was also very well written and, coupled with Chaz's dad's story, provided more of the novel's serious side. I did find Sadie quite irritating, though, and pretty forgettable. The only characters that really stood out for me were Chaz and Sebastian, and the rest of the just kind of fell by the wayside.

Kiss It does include some explicit sexual content and bad language, so if that definitely isn't your thing, I'd probably recommend giving this one a miss. However, if you're looking for a book with clever (occasionally frustrating) characters, witty writing and the ability to make you laugh, this just might be the one for you.