Never Been Kissed by Melody Carlson
From the Back Cover
New School = New Chance for That First Kiss
Summer is ending, and for once that doesn’t seem like such a bad thing to Elise. She’s hoping that starting fresh at a new high school will turn her first-kiss prospects around. New guys, new friends, and a new lease on life.
What she wasn’t counting on was all the new pressure–to hang with the right crowd, wear the right clothes, and date the right guy. Just when it seems she’s on top of the world, everything comes crashing down. Could one bad choice derail her future?
This book will be kind of nostalgic, reminding you how you felt when you were a young, insecure teenager. Elise has moved with her mother to a new town. When she meets the “in” crowd at school, sharing a lunch table with them, she feels that she’s on top of the world. Finally, it appears she’s being accepted. Wanting to elevate her feelings of self-worth, she lies to her young friend, who lives in her apartment building, telling the story about a fake boyfriend back at home and the booming social life that she used to have.
Now that she’s in a new school it appears that Asher, one of the most popular guys in the school, really likes her, however, his girlfriend keeps getting in the way, and Elise just wants them to break up so that she can be with him. When she starts receiving secret emails from Asher, telling of his true feelings, she hopes that things will work out between them.
However, things go awry when Elise is arresting for sexting. Stunned, she doesn’t know what to do. Her faith is tested as she comtemplates the worst.
I enjoyed this book. I think it should be recommended reading for all teenagers. I think they can learn a huge lesson from Elise’s experiences. Elise finds herself tried and almost convicted, barely giving her a chance to defend herself. The book also shows how seriously the law regards the crime of sexting. I think most young people may not be aware of the extreme nature of this offense, and by reading this book, it will make them more aware.
I highly recommend this book, especially if you have a teenager.
Many thanks to Baker/Revell for providing me with a free review copy.