Jo has just moved to America with her mum. She's always been a fairly average girl – not a nerd but certainly never one of the popular kids. But on her first day in her new school, she seems to be adopted by the It girls – and is invited to one of their parties. There, she meets Jake Matthews, officially the hottest boy in school, and when they begin to play the kissing-in-the-closet game, Seven Minutes in Heaven, amazingly Jake picks Jo join him in the closet! She can't believe her luck. But the reality of being kissed and groped by Jake is not quite as great as the fantasy…Jo has a choice to make: should she carry on, kiss Jake and secure her position in the It crowd – or should she tell him where to get off and risk relegation back to the land of the ordinary …? At this moment – Jo splits. She's Josie the Cool – girlfriend of Jake, member of the It crowd. She's also Jo the Nerd – rejected by the It crowd, single …Will her two halves ever come back together again? Is Jake the guy she's meant to be with or could some of the other people she meets along her journey – Rachel the scary goth, David the misfit or Albie the rocker – be the answer?
I have mentioned before that I am relatively new to the world of YA fiction but, bloody hell, it's good!
I ordered Split by a Kiss because I was looking for something that might fall into the category of teen Chick Lit, and Luisa Plaja's first novel drew me in (just look at the above blurb – how could somebody not buy it!).
It was a really, really excellent read.
The first thing that got me about this novel was the voice of Jo, the protagonist. It was engaging, funny, and very true to life. Jo splits between two worlds (one as the nerd and one as the cool girl), and I found it very impressive that the voice of Jo was maintained so well, despite her being in such different situations.
The supporting cast of Albie, Tori, Rachel and David were all wonderfully written and entirely three dimensional. The character of stroppy goth, Rachel, was a particular favourite.
This book explores classic themes of life at an American high school with lots of originality, warmth and fun. It was a brilliant read and I can't wait for the sequel!
9/10
You can buy this book by clicking here, or take a look around Luisa's website