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Kiss the Morning Star

by Elissa Janine Hoole (Goodreads Author)

3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 · rating details · 311 ratings · 34 reviews

The summer after high-school graduation, a year after her mother’s tragic death, Anna has no plans – beyond her need to put a lot of miles between herself and the past. With forever friend Kat, a battered copy of Kerouac’s DHARMA BUMS, and a car with a dodgy oil filter, the girls set out on an epic road trip across the USA. Maybe somewhere along the way they’ll prove or di...more

Hardcover, 240 pages

Published May 15th 2012 by Marshall Cavendish

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2012 Debut Authors (Young Adult & Middle Grade)

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Feb 22, 2012 Trish Doller rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book stood a good chance from the start of being something I'd like because I'm a sucker for both road trips and Kerouac, but the writing is lovely and the characters so very real, making it much better than good.

8 likes · like · see review

Jun 21, 2012 Cat Hellisen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: beautiful-writing, lgbtqa

Anna and her father are both zombified after her mother's death, and when her best friend Kat convinces Anna to go on a Kerouac-inspired road-trip after the end of school, she does so with much reluctance.

Because Anna doesn't want to feel, and travelling across America with her best friend (but-maybe-more-than-that) in search of God or love or something like it could be the thing that forces her to move forward, to face who she is and what she feels.

The writing in this is glorious - there are pa...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Sarah Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Hoole has created a great work here that inspires its readers to either rethink the decisions they have made in the past or to look deeper at where they are going in the future. Therefore, this is a great novel for young adults. I also really enjoyed the theme of finding ones sexuality. In reading "Kiss the Morning Star," the reader can see what it is like to struggle with sexuality... be it straight or homosexual. The characters created in this novel are not only believable, but actually take u...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Reut (reutreads) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Originally reviewed on reutreads, a young adult book blog.

Sometimes, you guys, a book is good but you just can't pressure yourself to read it. This is totally the case with Kiss the Morning Star. Critically, the book is good, but it's almost too literary for me--it's hard for me to get into the mood to read it, much like I suspect most people feel about the classics or Shakespeare.

The storylines are good, the writing is absolutely gorgeous and insightful, in fact there were a few lines I'm going...more

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 26, 2012 Kat Heckenbach rated it 1 of 5 stars

This is ANOTHER supposedly YA book that does not feel YA. The writing reminds me of Suburban Strange by Nathan Kotecki, both in style and in story. Weak main character influenced by overbearing and overly-done friend who spews forth constant one-liners and societal observances. (My Observation: read both Hoole's and Kotecki's bios and you discover the stories came from real-life experiences. I wonder if maybe one should not try to fictionalize one's own life. Maybe it's not possible to be subjec...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Lynn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: travel, adventure-books, books-for-work, kid-s-books

My first completed book of the new year! Anna, the narrator, and Kat her best friend, have decided to celebrate high school graduation with a road trip ala Kerouac, Kat's idol. They read passages along the way from The Dharma Bums and try to recreate his trip while inventing their own. Kat is open and gregarious while Anna is emotionally sensitive due to her mother's death when the family's home was destroyed. Along the way, Anna deals with her Christian faith, her pastor dad and Kat who is clea...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 4 of 5 stars

In college, I took a history class on counterculture, which focused primarily on the Beats. What I learned above all was that I really do not like the Beat poets. Drugs and narcissism and the philosophies those inspire. Anyway, totally not for me. Of them, I did like Kerouac the best, but, still, I was not especially impressed. The quotes in this book from Kerouac definitely remind me why I didn't like them.

However, I do like this book, with its road trip inspired by Kerouac. Actually, I like it...more In college, I took a history class on counterculture, which focused primarily on the Beats. What I learned above all was that I really do not like the Beat poets. Drugs and narcissism and the philosophies those inspire. Anyway, totally not for me. Of them, I did like Kerouac the best, but, still, I was not especially impressed. The quotes in this book from Kerouac definitely remind me why I didn't like them.

However, I do like this book, with its road trip inspired by Kerouac. Actually, I like it a whole, whole lot. I actually haven't read too many road trip books, probably because I don't read too much realistic fiction, living mainly in the fantasy genre. At any rate, this one is definitely not like the ones that I've read so far, a lot darker and more messed up, but in a real life kind of way.

Some road trip novels are fluffy, fun little journeys full of misadventures. This one has misadventures, but they're definitely of a more intense, dangerous variety: attacks by strangers, bears, experiments with sexuality, and drugs. I spent a lot of the book completely horrified, trying to talk the girls out of blundering into yet another terrible position. Of course, they didn't listen to me.

Anna's really messed up, and that's why this works. Her mother's death has pretty much destroyed Anna and her father. With her father, a preacher's retreat into himself, Anna's left to her own devices and lives a sort of half-life. She has lost her faith and neglected friends. Katy proposes the trip as a way of trying to help Anna find herself and her faith again. That's why I loved this book. It's so full of introspection and Anna trying to find her way, even though it's painful and she kind of doesn't want to. She made me so incredibly angry, but, seeing from her perspective, it was also hard to judge her, especially since she already had that under control.

I loved the format of the novel. Each chapter begins with a Kerouac quote, which, though I don't like Kerouac much, I appreciate, given that the whole novel was on some level inspired by his writing. Next comes a brief snippet from Anna's journal, which is cool, because she has a really interesting writing style and includes more reflection than the bulk of the chapter. Then there's the main part of the chapter, which depicts the latest happenings on their road trip. My favorite part, though, were the lists at the end of most of the chapters. These also come from Anna's journal, and are both funny and make me feel really connected to Anna's character, since they're her way of understanding and coping with the world.

The writing was also really beautiful. Although I'm not a big poetry fan, I liked the haikus she threw in now and again. There were so many amazing quotes in this novel that it was rather difficult to choose just one. I definitely recommend this to people who like to read dark stories that confront some serious issues, or people interested in the 1960s/1970s (even though this is modern) culture.

Also, I have what I think is an amazing idea for a companion novel: I would love to read a story about someone who found one of Katy's Good Lock drawings. Whether that happens or not, I look forward to reading more from Hoole!
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May 28, 2012 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved the idea of going on a road trip with two barely adult girls with only Kerouac's Dharma Bums as their road map. Kiss the Morning Star reminded me of the time right after college my good bud and I traveled to Quebec City armed only with an atlas but no time piece. (this was pre cell phones) I loved getting caught up in the spirit of adventure and the unpredictable way road trips take shape. I also really liked the way that girls discuss the existence of god and where to find it. It's rare...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Kate rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-teen-tween-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 05, 2012 Britta rated it 3 of 5 stars

Road trip books are just one of those types of things that will never grow old. In some areas, Kiss the Morning Star lived up to the other books in the genre, in others it was laking bit. Overall, the novel was able to forge strong connections and personal revelations.

What I thought was comparable to other great road trip books was the adventure. There was definitely some weird interactions! But in a good way - the journey was fun and unique. What added depth was that the characters did not laun...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, ya-fiction

There were things I really liked -- Anna and Katy's relationship felt so real, intense, and honest -- and I liked the slow reveal of Anna's grief. But I found the writing to be weak, the threads not tied together well enough, and the condescending way the girls could treat each other outside of their romantic moments (seems weird since I liked their relationship on the whole, but there were aspects of it that grated on me, including the pet name Katy will not stop using for Anna).

The road trip f...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Lucia The Loyal Book rated it 3 of 5 stars

Kiss the morning star si presenta come la storia di due ragazze che, dopo il diploma, decidono di intraprendere un avventuroso viaggio in macchina attraverso gli Stati Uniti. A far loro da guida è una copia del libro di Kerouac, I vagabondi del Dharma, che diventerà una specie di Bibbia e mappa del loro vagabondare. Le protagoniste sono Anna e Kat, amiche da una vita, che nell'ultimo periodo si sono allontanate.
Anna, figlia di un pastore che sembra aver perso la fede, ha dovuto affrontare la mo...more
Kiss the morning star si presenta come la storia di due ragazze che, dopo il diploma, decidono di intraprendere un avventuroso viaggio in macchina attraverso gli Stati Uniti. A far loro da guida è una copia del libro di Kerouac, I vagabondi del Dharma, che diventerà una specie di Bibbia e mappa del loro vagabondare. Le protagoniste sono Anna e Kat, amiche da una vita, che nell'ultimo periodo si sono allontanate.
Anna, figlia di un pastore che sembra aver perso la fede, ha dovuto affrontare la morte in un incendio della madre, il conseguente crollo psicologico del padre, la perdita della sua casa e l'infrangersi delle sue illusioni. È diventata sempre più chiusa e scorbutica, ha allontanato le persone che le vogliono bene e si ritrova senza sapere veramente cosa fare della sua vita. Per questo l'effervescente Kat, sempre pronta a buttarsi in un'avventura, le propone questo viaggio e Anna accetta, se non altro per allontanarsi dal padre e dal suo passato.
Un viaggio in macchina è di per sé un'esperienza emozionante e Anna e Kat ben presto si trovano a dover fronteggiare diversi imprevisti: ragazzi ubriachi in un campeggio, un orso in un parco, l'incontro con un paio di ragazze che le derubano, problemi alla macchina, un pulmino pieno di ragazzi diretti a un raduno. E non solo: Anna e Kat si trovano a dover fare i conti con la propria fede, la propria sessualità e la propria fede in Dio. Tutto ciò le porta a conoscere meglio se stesse e le persone che sono loro accanto e alla fine di questo viaggio, entrambe sono molto cambiate e guardano la vita attraverso nuovi occhi.
La mia prima impressione è stata "Un viaggio in macchina! Una specie di libro di formazione! Bello!" perché le premesse sembravano davvero molto carine, ma forse le mie aspettative erano totalmente errate. Per prima cosa, non sono riuscita a farmi veramente piacere nessuna delle due protagoniste. Mi è piaciuto come, nel corso della storia, venga rivelato il dolore di Anna, le sue paure e i suoi problemi, mi è sembrato molto realistico, ma non è scattata nessuna scintilla che mi ha fatto immedesimare in lei. Stessa cosa per Kat, che mi è sembrata un po' 'eccessiva'. Una ragazza che si porta dietro una pistola e che la tira fuori senza pensare troppo alle conseguenze? Non so, Kat, a differenza di Anna, mi è parsa molto meno reale e di sicuro meno razionale.
In questo libro si parla molto di fede, di ricerca di Dio e di come si può incontrarlo nella vita di tutti i giorni. Il tema è affascinante, ma non mi è piaciuto come è stato affrontato e lo stesso discorso vale per la sessualità delle protagoniste. Anna e Kat hanno sentimenti molto profondi l'una per l'altra e finiscono insieme (nonostante Anna decida anche di provare a vedere se le piacciono i ragazzi), ma il tutto mi è parso affrettato, forzato. Anche Anna, che cede alla tentazione di una notte e via con un ragazzo carino incontrato durante il viaggio, mi è sembrata superficiale nel suo affrontare l'argomento.
La narrazione avviene dal punto di vista di Anna: lo stile narrativo è piacevole, anche se a tratti un po' scollegato. Il problema principale di questa storia è che vuole trattare troppi temi tutti in una volta e che quindi sia difficile godersi la storia nel suo insieme. Concentrarsi su problemi importanti quali la religione, il sesso, il capire la propria strada, il rapporto con i genitori, il modo di affrontare la vita non è semplice e farlo tutto in un unico libro lo è ancora di meno.
In definitiva, un libro carino, ma che forse non fa proprio per me.
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Sep 14, 2012 Will rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: die-die-die-in-a-fireeee, what-the-bleep-did-i-just-read, snoozefest, read-2012

**WARNING - BAD LANGUAGE USED THROUGHOUT THIS REVIEW**

What the fucking fuck did I just fucking readddddd!!!??!

I am sososososo mad I read this. Which you can tell because of the gifs, mmkay?

This book has not one good thing going for it. NONE. ZERO. ZIP. ZILCH.

I'm not entirely sure what the whole point of the plot was for this book. On numerous occasions, I was going 'What?' 'Huh?'
It's all over the place, there are various scenes that the author has just decided to insert randomly that, in my opin...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Rose rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-or-galley, coming-of-age, contemporary, netgalley, tbr-challenge, young-adult, tough-subjects, romance, glbt, realistic-fiction, chick-lit

What to say about Elissa Janine Hoole's "Kiss the Morning Star"? It had all the promise in the world from the blurb. Road trip story, coming of age format, crazy adventures on the road and potentially meeting up with some colorful characters along the way. Yet it didn't deliver for me at all. There were moments I could say that I liked, though not enough for me to give it above a single star. The vast majority of the book was a struggle to get through, and my attention kept wandering constantly...more What to say about Elissa Janine Hoole's "Kiss the Morning Star"? It had all the promise in the world from the blurb. Road trip story, coming of age format, crazy adventures on the road and potentially meeting up with some colorful characters along the way. Yet it didn't deliver for me at all. There were moments I could say that I liked, though not enough for me to give it above a single star. The vast majority of the book was a struggle to get through, and my attention kept wandering constantly for some fairly annoying factors that kept rearing their heads in the book's duration. It's a relatively short YA read, all things considered, but it took me far longer to get through than I expected. It's unfortunate, because I could definitely see the merits in a story like this, but those factors really killed the reading experience for me - even considering it draws upon Jack Kerouac's writings.

"Kiss the Morning Star" showcases the story of Anna and Katy, two teens taking on a road trip. Anna's coping with quite a few issues, including the death of her mother from a house fire, her father's increasing distance, and coping with aspects of her sexuality. But Anna is a fairly insufferable protagonist, and this is disheartening because she's the narrator. When I wasn't turned off by her (and ultimately the book's) constant references to religion/non-religion and what turned her off about it, Anna was just crude to her friend Katy (who had too many versions of her name peppered into this book - the author should've just stuck with one so I didn't end up confused.)

I found it really hard to get into the heads of the characters or the overarching story because of the way it was told. Anna's unlikable for certain measures of her grief (which was palpable in spurts), but I felt it was told more than shown and the way that Anna lashes out often seems more than what it should be. Katy (Kat, Katherine, etc.) is more likable and friendly, and I saw aspects of her character that I liked, but I found it difficult to connect - again - because of the way the story was told. I did think Katy coming to terms with her own grief was worth seeing, and in spells, the dynamic between Katy and Anna was presented well (more in terms of their intimate moments). But I did not like the heavyhanded nature of the story and how slow the overall narrative was. This is coming from someone who loves slice of life fiction and can deal with randomness in plot points. But if you don't have characters or situations to care about, it can be very hard to follow.

For those who enjoy coming of age road trip stories in YA fiction, it may be best to look elsewhere. Those who like Kerouac's writing might find parts of this to enjoy, but for me it didn't quite click.

Overall score: 1/5

Note: I recieved this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Marshall Cavendish.(less)

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Mar 25, 2012 E. Anderson rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love a good road trip book. KISS THE MORNING STAR, a debut novel from Elissa Janine Hoole is just that -- a road trip book, heavily influenced by Jack Kerouac. Hoole's characters are taking a tip from DHARMA BUMS and heading on a "last hoorahs" trip the summer after college. The girls, Anna and Katy, are best friends, have known each other their whole lives -- and yet, something's off. Anna knows why -- the loss of her mother has left her guarded, quiet, scared. And Katy probably knows why, to...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Jen (A Reading Daydreamer) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-arc

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT http://wordslikesilver.com/2012/04/05...

Prior to reading Kiss the Morning Star, I found out that it was a road trip book. I was like, “HECK YES GIMME THAT BOOK”. I absolutely ADORED Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, which is also about a road trip. I just had to read this one. I read the synopsis and it sounded like a fun, self-realization type of read. It turned out to be kind of theopposite, in fact. It was, yes, a self-realization type of read, but it was also way-over-the-t...more ORIGINALLY POSTED AT http://wordslikesilver.com/2012/04/05...

Prior to reading Kiss the Morning Star, I found out that it was a road trip book. I was like, “HECK YES GIMME THAT BOOK”. I absolutely ADORED Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, which is also about a road trip. I just had to read this one. I read the synopsis and it sounded like a fun, self-realization type of read. It turned out to be kind of theopposite, in fact. It was, yes, a self-realization type of read, but it was also way-over-the-top religious (for the first half of the book), and a bit depressing. Kiss the Morning Star gave me something that I unexpected, which turned out to be something I didn’t enjoy, because of multiple reasons.

First, the plot. Anna’s mother recently died in a fire, and she is still getting over the fact that her mother has left theearth. Anna’s best friend Katy, (Kat,Katherine, whatever you want to call her) decides to go on a road trip with Anna to find God’s faith. Why? Because Anna lost faith in God after her mother’s death. So Katy uses DHARMA BUMS to decide where in America they’re traveling to next. The story kicks off from there. Throughout their journey, many unfortunate events occur and they meet good and bad people. Alright, the first half of the book made sense. They’re on a road trip to find answers from God. But then all of a sudden, the second half of the book was all about Anna & Katy’s relationship, how they start like-liking each other and all. The whole point of the road trip, the whole religious aspect, is pretty much forgotten. I was all, “What?”. The main point of the story sort of just wandered off into theunknown. For me, the plot was all over the place. The series of events that happened were random as well. It didn’t flow together, at all.

Another problem I had was with the characters. Anna was supposed to be recovering from the grief of her mother’s death throughout the story. She is weak, and keeps to herself. Three quarters into the book, she is still weak, and still keeps to herself. I felt like she never slowly progressed into recovery. It wasn’t until the VERY END that she is suddenly alright. LIKE BAM. Correct me if I’m wrong but.. aren’t people supposed to recover with gradual progression? Then there was Anna and Katy’s relationship. It was.. awkward. I mean I understand how they are transitioning from best friends to a couple, but…they never agreed on anything, and Anna was never honest with Katy. There were so many secrets that were hidden, that I felt like their relationship was never THERE. Goodness, I just didn’t feel it.

Also the DHARMA BUMS book–I got a little annoyed with it. It seemed super random that they would use that as a way to decide where in America to go next. I never really understand the reasoning behind it.

The only thing that kept me reading was Elissa’s writing. I do have to say that I loved it. The descriptions and metaphors, I did adore those.

All in all, Kiss the Morning Star was a big letdown for me. I expected so much more out of it, and just didn’t get what I wanted.(less)

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Apr 30, 2012 Nicci rated it 3 of 5 stars

I fell in love with the cover of this book, which made me want to read it without even reading the summary. When I reread the summary, after I began reading the book, I was rather surprised that I had signed up for this tour. It is not the type of book that I usually enjoy, and it deals with some thing that are a bit outside of my comfort zone. However, I did end up enjoying this book, although I did not love it.

Anna irritated me a lot. I get that her family life absolutely sucked, but I felt li...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Hannah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

I wanted to love this book, I really did. The premise sounded awesome - I love road trips (especially if they're set in the summer after high school), I love grief (well, obviously I don't love grief; but I love reading about grief), and I love romance. So I thought I would automatically love Kiss the Morning Star. But it just didn't work.

Kiss the Morning Star, at least the first half, focuses a lot on religion. I guess the description kind of says so - "Maybe somewhere along the way they'll pro...more I wanted to love this book, I really did. The premise sounded awesome - I love road trips (especially if they're set in the summer after high school), I love grief (well, obviously I don't love grief; but I love reading about grief), and I love romance. So I thought I would automatically love Kiss the Morning Star. But it just didn't work.

Kiss the Morning Star, at least the first half, focuses a lot on religion. I guess the description kind of says so - "Maybe somewhere along the way they'll prove or disprove the existence of God." - but I didn't realize that beforehand. To me, that sentence seems so random, like it's just supposed to show that Anna and Kat have no real plans; that anything can happen. So I just kind of overlooked that aspect, and was surprised at how much talk of religion and God there is in this book - Anna's dad is a pastor, so the whole family is Christian, but ever since her dad died, Anna isn't sure whether she can still believe in God. She goes on this road trip to try to find God again.

I can't explain why - the way religion is handled in this book just didn't sit right with me. The message, religion-wise, is kind of confusing. I figured since her dad is a pastor, Christianity would be seen at least sort of positively, but that's not the case - Anna's view of Christianity, throughout the book, is very negative. I understand it must be hard to believe after losing someone close to you, but I don't know, I thought it was strange how negative her view on believing in general is, considering she went on a road trip just to find God. The book shows some pretty radical beliefs - there's a scene where they're on a bus and the bus breaks down right on the train tracks and a train is coming, and instead of getting out of the bus as fast as possible, the people pray to God to make the bus start again - and Anna is very outspoken on what she thinks of that. I didn't mind that part, since, well, I agree with her there, but it bugged me that there's nothing about how not all belief is like that, how it's not all bad - which surprised me, given Anna's family background. And then, in the second half of the book, belief doesn't even come up again - the whole topic just kind of disappears. I just thought that was very, very weird.

So something about the way religion is portrayed in Kiss the Morning Star didn't sit right with me. Sorry for sort of going off on a tangent there, I promise I'll talk about the other stuff in the book, too! Anyways, I think the book just wanted to include too many topics - there's religion, there's the road trip itself, there's Anna's grief, there's the Dharma Bums stuff, there's Anna's relationship with her dad, and then there's the whole Kat-and-Anna's-friendship-turning-into-more storyline. I think I would have preferred if the author had left one or two of those topics out - the way it is, it all felt kind of jumbled together, and none of the issues are dealt with in a way that satisfied me as a reader,

The Dharma Bums aspect didn't work for me. The girls use the book Dharma Bums as their itinerary - they open a page at random and let one paragraph decide for them where to go or what to do next. I actually like that idea, but I would have liked to know more about the actual book, what happens and what it's about. And I would have liked to know why they chose that book - I know Kat's dad gave it to them, but it still seems like a very random choice for two girls who just graduated high school.

The grief storyline is okay. I liked reading about Anna's grief and her memories of her mother, but I wanted it to go deeper. I also like the dynamics between Anna and her father, how they're described in the beginning - Anna's father is dealing with his own grief, doesn't preach anymore, and barely gets out of bed. I really liked that set-up. But there's one scene where Anna pocket-dials her dad and he overhears a conversation he shouldn't have heard, and there's a bit of a fall-out. And then after that... it's never addressed again. I wanted there to be more, wanted more development in that relationship, but the storyline just kind of stopped.

Kat and Anna's relationship didn't ring true to me. I know there's supposed to be all this sexual tension, but I just didn't feel it. They seemed more like best friends than anything else, if I'm being honest - I just didn't buy these two as a couple. I never got Kat as a character, either.

The actual road trip is the only storyline I really liked. I liked reading about all the places they go and all the unusual things they do, the people they meet.

Wow, my review has gotten longer than I intended. I give you props if you've stuck with me this long! I loved the premise of Kiss the Morning Star, and each storyline held a lot of promise. but I thought there were too many of them for any one to be fully developed. I wanted there to be more of everything; for all of the storylines, characters, and relationships to be more fleshed-out and deeper. I'm pretty disappointed, because like I said, this book held a lot of promise. The way it is, though, it just didn't work for me.

Reviewed at http://www.paperbacktreasures.blogspo...(less)

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Jun 03, 2012 Nina rated it 3 of 5 stars

I will go ahead and say it; I’m a sucker for road trip stories. I’ve never found one I didn’t like as there’s something about being out on the open road (or reading about someone who are) with no real plan or schedule that makes a great setting for stories. Kiss the Morning Star is no exception: I loved the road trip part of the story, even if I had some problems with other parts of it.

I had a hard time connecting with Anna, the main character. She completely shut down after her mother died, and...more I will go ahead and say it; I’m a sucker for road trip stories. I’ve never found one I didn’t like as there’s something about being out on the open road (or reading about someone who are) with no real plan or schedule that makes a great setting for stories. Kiss the Morning Star is no exception: I loved the road trip part of the story, even if I had some problems with other parts of it.

I had a hard time connecting with Anna, the main character. She completely shut down after her mother died, and hasn’t really talked to her dad, a minister who lost some of his faith when his wife died, or her best friend Kat, the girl she used to share everything with. It’s not that I didn’t like Anna, it’s just that I couldn’t understand many of the choices she made on her trip. There was something almost self-destructive about her, but luckily she had Kat. Kat was without question my favorite part of the book. She’s got this fun, bubbly personality, always eager to try new things, and she’s trying so hard to help Anna. Definitely a great best friend! The relationship between the two girls, as friends and possibly something more, was so heartfelt and real, and they had this mix of insecurity and complete and utter faith in each other that I loved.

Some of the things the girls experience on their road trip I could have been without. It felt a little too convenient for the story that they run into “predatory men and buffalo” on their very first camping stop, and the trip is pretty crazy from there on out. I found myself questioning how much bad luck two girls really can have on one trip, because I’ve sure as heck never experienced a road trip like this one. Then again, it’s fiction. I did like how all these experiences brought up topics like dealing with grief, finding something to believe in, and most importantly finding your own way.

I think what brought Kiss the Morning Star down to 3 stars for me was all the talk of religion and believing. I have a problem with religion (all religions) in that it really just makes me uncomfortable to talk/read/think about, and this book definitely brings up some big questions about God, faith and believing. Do not let that turn you against reading this book though, I really liked the story a lot, but some times personal issues get in the way for me. Religion aside, Kiss the Morning Star is a beautiful story about two girls finding their own way while rediscovering their friendship, and is a must-read for fans of road trips!(less)

1 like · like · see review

Apr 16, 2012 Jessi (Reading in the Corner) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-debuts

When Anna and Kate set out on their post-high school road trip, the destination is unknown but that makes it all the more exciting. They'll camp and backpack and find their way across the country with little guidance besides a map and Jack Kerouac's Dharma Bums to guide their way. As their journey continues, it hits numerous road bumps (and some road blocks) that give them shaky moments, but along the way they also discover that their journey is as much about discovering themselves as it is abou...more When Anna and Kate set out on their post-high school road trip, the destination is unknown but that makes it all the more exciting. They'll camp and backpack and find their way across the country with little guidance besides a map and Jack Kerouac's Dharma Bums to guide their way. As their journey continues, it hits numerous road bumps (and some road blocks) that give them shaky moments, but along the way they also discover that their journey is as much about discovering themselves as it is about finding God, happiness, friendship, and love.

Art should be important. Art should...change things.
-p7, eARC

This book, with it's fantastic road trip storyline, was destined from the start to be either a love or hate book for me and it most definitely fell solidly into the love category. The road trip itself is so well done that it gave me the urge to pick up a copy of Kerouac's Dharma Bums and set off across the country. Things aren't perfect along the way, but the girls always seem to make it work. I loved that the openness of the road trip setting also paved the way for the novel to explore lots of other topics, from organized religion to drugs and sexual identity to grief. I'll admit that there's a lot going on in this novel, but it worked for ME. I liked the grappling with issues because it gave it a realistic feel. It had that overwhelming feeling that I remember quite clearly (and still experience sometimes to this day) where everything is happening all at once and you're not quite sure what to do with everything.

You know when you step in the mud with boots on, and there's that satisfying sound? A squish, my mom used to call it--the way it tugs at your boot when you try to lift your foot, but not in a scary way like you might lose your book forever--that nice little tug that reminds you you're solid. That's how I imagine it would feel to sit in the middle of the woods and close my eyes and do nothing but breathe and listen and let myself squish right into the world. Solid but now scary. Along but not lonely. Missing but not lost.
-p31, eARC

I always have to comment on the characters because that's a big factor in whether or not I enjoy a book and I have to say that I wasn't at all disappointed in Kate and Anna. Anna is dealing with a lot of lingering grief over the death of her mother and attempting, in baby steps, to recover her relationship with her father and Kate. I also liked their relationship. It's shaky and uncertain and the attempt to make the move to more than "just friends" could be the end of them, but they're exploring and trying anyway.

Ugliness is just a preface to true beauty.
-p162, eARC

Overall, Kiss the Morning Star is a book that I think deserves a spot on many bookshelves and in many libraries. I anticipate that some readers will find the story overwhelmed by the issues it tackles, but readers such as myself will immerse themselves in the uncertainties and experiences(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jul 18, 2012 Rabiah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-contemporary-challenge, 2012-standalone-challenge, 2012-debut-author-challenge

Originally posted at: http://iliveforreading.blogspot.in/20...

As far as road-trips in YA go, this one is quite unique. It's got the usual ingredients: a car, a map, some romance, and some crazy situations. However, the way in which Elissa Janine Hoole has mapped out this road trip to self-discovery is amazing. Granted, this book is also somewhat religious, but not in the way you'd expect. I love how that this is an unplanned trip (hence the uniqueness) and they use a book, Dharma Bums in order t...more Originally posted at: http://iliveforreading.blogspot.in/20...

As far as road-trips in YA go, this one is quite unique. It's got the usual ingredients: a car, a map, some romance, and some crazy situations. However, the way in which Elissa Janine Hoole has mapped out this road trip to self-discovery is amazing. Granted, this book is also somewhat religious, but not in the way you'd expect. I love how that this is an unplanned trip (hence the uniqueness) and they use a book, Dharma Bums in order to find out where to go next. It really does make us question whether there's such a thing as fate, because wherever they go, something seems to bring Anna and Kat closer together, and learn more about themselves.

❝"Let's stay up all night," Kat whispers. "Let's wait for the moon to kiss the morning star"❞

I liked Anna's character enough. I like that she has the guts to go on this quest, to defy what her family has brought her up to be, and learn things on her own. What I didn't like was the constant worrying which went for ages on and on, although in a way that made me like Anna because she was the more sensible and mature one. Kat on the other hand...
I didn't like her too much, because she dragged Anna into things that she didn't want to do. I found her too outward, too forward. I know if I was Anna in this situation, I would rather go home than do completely crazy things. I hated how irresponsible Kat was sometimes, but she DID add some humor to the story. *Sighs* I hate how conflicted I am about the characters in this novel.
I also love the people along the way which they meet. Obviously, not all of them are good, but I loved Shaggy, Seth and Leroy– they all added that "umph" to the trip, and definitely spiced it up.

As I mentioned before, this book has some religious tones. It's not completely filled with it, but initially, this road trip is a quest for faith in the end. It all really comes down to that. But on the final line, Kiss the Morning Star is definitely one to pick up. It's a short read, but one not to be taken so lightly. Hoole has written a novel which teens will adore, and I can't wait to read more from her in the future.(less)

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Apr 03, 2012 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012debut, challenge-dac2012, challenge-ccc2012

Review originally posted on my blog http://hobbitsies.net/2012/04/kiss-th...

I really enjoyed Kiss the Morning Star by Elissa Janine Hoole. I’ve read a bit of Kerouac, and while I certainly won’t be running off to emulate his adventures, I do love books featuring road trips and oodles of self discovery, which basically describes Kiss the Morning Star to a T.

I loved learning about Anna and Kat as they learned about themselves and each other. The issues of sexuality and friendship and death and gri...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Aleeeeeza rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-release, arc-netgalley-galleygrab, road-trip-slash-travel, 2012-read

things i did not expect to be in this book:

1) so much discussion about faith. wow. it is mostly general and focuses on the MC trying to rediscover her faith, but sometimes the discussions got a bit too heavy for my tastes.

2) the road trip to be so...lame. and you can't blame me for thinking so. the summary claims that the road trip is 'epic' but after reading it the only destinations i can remember are gilette, wyoming and a tiny bit of vancouver. what what, dude? that is not my defition of epic...more

1 like · like · see review

May 14, 2012 Janina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, contemporary, on-my-kindle, road-trip, young-adult-fiction, death-loss-grief, lgbt, read-in-2012, best-friends-falling-in-love

I wouldn't have guessed from the blurb what this book would be about - although the hints are definitely there. Now I can't say that's the reason for me not really enjoying the story. Surprises are sometimes a welcome distraction. What I can say, though, (and this is definitely very much a thing of personal preferences) is that I had not expected this book to focus so heavily on religion and faith - a topic that I usually shy away from.
Yet, I would say the book mostly suffers from trying to foc...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 28, 2012 Claire rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbtq, ya, rev

The writing here is pretty exquisite. That said, the whole thing read as somewhat aimless and pretentious to me. It's an homage to Kerouac, and as such, it works, plus there are a lot of interesting and compelling ideas floating around the book, but at the end of the day I just don't like Kerouac and this was never going to work for me. Bottom line, if you don't respond to that style of narrative, this is not your book.

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Sep 18, 2012 Ericka rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great quick read. A book for young adults, but also a perfect book for me. I felt the same loss Anna did when I lost my mother. I was able to relate to her loss, confusion, self doubt & reinvention of love & friendship.

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Jul 27, 2012 Carmen marked it as to-read

The classic finding your way into the world by taking off in a long road trip across the U.S. with your BFF. I see.

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Sep 23, 2012 Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: lesbian, female-authors, lgbt, contemporary, ya, female-centric

The romance was p sweet but the god/spirituality stuff wasn't really my cup of tea

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Mar 02, 2011 Vahini Naidoo marked it as to-read

One of my most anticipated books of 2012. I know I'm going to adore this one :)

1 like · like · see review

Apr 08, 2013 Anime June rated it 4 of 5 stars

Beautifully written. Abrupt ending.

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About Elissa Janine Hoole

I'm a YA writer, teacher, and incorrigible daydreamer. Author of KISS THE MORNING STAR and SOMETIMES NEVER, SOMETIMES ALWAYS, coming fall 2013 from flux.

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Quotes from Kiss the Morning Star

“Let's stay up all night,' Kat whispers. 'Let's wait for the moon to kiss the morning star.” — 6 people liked it

“I wonder if it hurts, being carved out like this, one grain of sand at a time. I wonder if the rocks realize that for every part of themselves they lose, they gain something beautiful” — 3 people liked it

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