First Kiss (Then Tell): A Collection of True Lip-Locked Moments

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First Kiss (Then Tell): A Collection of True Lip-Locked Moments

3.54 of 5 stars 3.54 · rating details · 243 ratings · 52 reviews

Twenty-five bestselling authors for teens recount the story of their first kiss. Whether hilarious, heartwarming, dramatic, or regrettable, there’s something for every reader to relate to. Quotes, facts, advice, and artwork round out the collection.

Paperback, 224 pages

Published December 26th 2007 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens (first published December 1st 2007)

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Nov 06, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

Author Cylin Busby has brought together some of young adult's funniest and most talented authors to reminisce about their real-life first kisses (or the second, or the third, or the twenty-fifth). In a collection that ranges from funny to bittersweet, from cringe-worthy to downright disgusting, this is one anthology that is guaranteed to have you laughing out loud.

A slimy first kiss that wasn't even wanted, the breathless anticipation of a first kiss that never...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Sisi Nzambi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fist kiss(Then tell)is a collection of true lip-locked moments. It's a shor book of 212 pages, the book is edited by Cylin Busby. The book has 25 authors for teens telling the story of their first kiss. Some stories might make you cry, authers will make you laught. The stories are funny and cute, but sometimes it's awkward or gross. It just fun to relive funny memories of first kisses. I like and enjoyed read Fist Kiss(Then Tell) because I think one of the most interesting things about this boo...more Fist kiss(Then tell)is a collection of true lip-locked moments. It's a shor book of 212 pages, the book is edited by Cylin Busby. The book has 25 authors for teens telling the story of their first kiss. Some stories might make you cry, authers will make you laught. The stories are funny and cute, but sometimes it's awkward or gross. It just fun to relive funny memories of first kisses. I like and enjoyed read Fist Kiss(Then Tell) because I think one of the most interesting things about this book is the fact that they are featured in multiple forms. Some are short stories, others are poems, and it's all about their first kiss.

My favorite story in the collection is written by Amy Kim Gante. "Ever since i was little, i'd daydream about my firs kiss." I guess every girls always dream about their firs kiss. How is it going to be and where? With who is it going to be? Is it going to be perfect? We ask ourselves thos questions. " After those 2 fist kisses, i thought maybe love wasn't real. Maybe the fairy tales were wrong." Fairy tales made people believe that everything has a happy ending,specially to little girls. In a little girl's world everything is perfect, they think life is like a fairy tales, and nobody can make them change their minds about it, they change their own mind by growing up, face hard things and realize that life is not that perfect than they thought of fairy tales, and finally end up by asking themselves if fairy tales was real.

"In case the last name didn’t give it away." It's written by Shannon and Dean Hale who are married authors.The two were friends in high school and college. Both tell their side of the story when it comes to their feelings about one another as well as their first kiss. " Will one kiss ruin everything?" Have you ever kiss your bestfriend and don't know if it's right or wrong? one kiss can ruin everything between bestfriend or else make things better than it use to be. It's just depend on a situation. It's amazed me to see how the female and male mind differ and makes you wonder whether or not we over think one too many things.

If you're looking for a quick and short book, this collection is a perfect choice. by reading it you have a chance to read about different kind of stories about first kisses. Whether random, romantic, funny, heartwarming,or sad. Reading this collection will leave you happy and satisfied seeing as many have had the same love, heartbreaking, and even embarrassing first kiss experiences.I really like this book, it's the first one that i have ever like to read and it catches my attention. I can read this book over and over again without getting bored by it.

(less)

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May 19, 2011 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-lit

I just LOVED these stories. They were funny and cute, but sometimes just downright awkward or gross. It just was fun to relive funny memories of first kisses (and be glad I am not there anymore!). The book is a compilation of authors writing a small story of a first kiss, or even a last first kiss (that one was sad). I think that really any girl would love this book, its just the cutest.

Warning: I have to add this..or someone will be mad at me. Well almost all of the kisses, with the exception...more

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Jan 31, 2010 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-reads, nonfiction

Rating: C-

Review: This is your typical short story collection. Some good, some bad, some redundant.

My favorites were:
-"Bad Reputation," by Cecil Castellucci (with implications regarding the influence of friends on the kissing dynamics);
-"Yeah, I Know," by Jon Scieszka (a down-to-earth guy's perspective that tells it like it is... smelling rubberbands?); and
-The she said/he said, "Our First Kiss (with each other)" by Shannon and Dean Hale.

There were two other good stories, but (because they were...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Veronica rated it 5 of 5 stars

It was all about some of the authors that had their 1st kiss.

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Jul 10, 2009 Mary Coliet rated it 5 of 5 stars

A cute collection. I picked this up after reading the author's memoir, and the introduction to this short story collection was really a nice little "PS" to her memoir. At least we know she did turn out okay in her teenage years after all! (The memoir THE YEAR WE DISAPPEARED doesn't tell you how they end up).
This is for young girls (or boys) and I find it so sad that so many homophobes have come here to review this sweet, innocent collection (there is nothing even PG-13 rated in here!) But I gue...more

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Apr 01, 2011 Tami Daniel rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 21-30

I thought that this book was funny but lacking in plot. There were too many author inputs.What's facinateing about this book is that ther authors are well known, for example there are writers such as: Scott Westerfield,David Leviathan, and Amy Ganter. I do warn that there are some scenes that may seem inapropiate. I would recommend this book to young teens who experience anxiety for their first kiss.

This book is a collection of stories of author's experiences with their first or second kiss. Som...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Victoria Frias rated it 4 of 5 stars

First kiss
The book first kiss is about many different kisses good ones,bad ones,sloppy ones,scary ones,hurtful ones, and the number one kiss the one that makes u tingle from head to toe. the book first kiss has 23 different stories and all different authors. my favorite one is about a boy and a girl. the girls name is Jessica and boys name is Jacob.the girl secretly likes the boy they never talk or make eye contact but one day after school the girl hears her door bell ring and she runs down sta...more First kiss
The book first kiss is about many different kisses good ones,bad ones,sloppy ones,scary ones,hurtful ones, and the number one kiss the one that makes u tingle from head to toe. the book first kiss has 23 different stories and all different authors. my favorite one is about a boy and a girl. the girls name is Jessica and boys name is Jacob.the girl secretly likes the boy they never talk or make eye contact but one day after school the girl hears her door bell ring and she runs down stairs opens the door and sees Jacob she stands there with silence saying "hey" and then he says hey lets go play outside but the boy really takes her to an island that's in the middle of the street and they sit on a rock and he leans in to kiss her she goes along with it because she really likes him. than after he kisses her it gets akward and he says well see you tomorrow she thought he men't at school she waited the whole day for him to say anything but she didn't even get a hello. she goes back home again and hears the door bell ring it was Jacob again they did the same thing they did the day before. It actually became a routine she new that nothing more was going to happen just a kiss everyday after school and she was fine with it because it was like she was getting her first kiss everyday but over and over again. the other books on first kisses were actually a whole lot different about how bad a first kiss would be and how they wish they could take there first kiss back. one of the stories was actually funny it was about a girl and she had about 20 first kisses if she didn't like the kiss she would try and erase it from her memory and say it wasn't her first kiss until she finaly got a good enough kiss to say it was her first kiss and it was magical. the book first kiss was wierd it was interesting it was a whole lot of different stories and all very interesting it makes me want to have a first kiss all over again but try it the way all the stories were some were sad some were funny but some also had love to them.(less)

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Jan 29, 2009 Mimi rated it 3 of 5 stars

this book was so cute! my favorite was especially scott westerfeld's who decided to do a haiku:

halfway to Bio
my tongue tip glides the metal
just behind your lips

HILARIOUS! for a man wrote writes some good kissing in books, he had so little to say of his own first experience. some of the first time kissing accounts were mortifying and made me wonder how they werent traumatized for life. then some were really sweet, and some heartbreaking. made me reminiscent of mine...

A Haiku:
*clears throat*

Hard t...more

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Jun 25, 2010 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, non-fiction

First kisses are mysterious to the young and romanticized by many. In the hands of YA authors like Scott Westerfield and Shannon Hale this book does a wonderful and varied job of shining a proverbial literary flashlight into the dark corners of the first kiss by having these master story tellers write about their first kiss.

An incredibly short and fast read; I loved it. There were times I was laughing, smiling, and even gagging. A terrific idea that will sure to captivate all 7th grade readers,...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars

His name was Mike. I was old-- 15 and 3/4, and dreading turning sweet-sixteen-and-never-been-kissed. I agreed to play spin the bottle, hoping no one would be able to guess at my inexperience. I almost instantly regretted not holding out for someone I truly and genuinely liked.

Popular authors for teens reveal the stories of their first kisses - first kiss ever, first kiss with a new person, first LAST kiss at the end of a relationship...the memoirs, by the likes of Jon Scieszka, David Levithan, C...more

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Apr 19, 2009 Nicole rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: absolutely no one

Shelves: essays-short-stories, biography-ish

With a title like that, I knew I'd be horrified by the actual stories. And I was. Let me give you a glimpse into this collection: In her bio, the editor "claims she had her first kiss at age 14 (but in reality it was dangerously close to her 15th birthday)". Dangerously close? As though a bomb was about to go off but she saved the day by locking lips with a guy just in the nick of time. Barf.

And speaking of guys, almost all of the stories featured hetero kisses. Only 2 stories had gay boys and n...more With a title like that, I knew I'd be horrified by the actual stories. And I was. Let me give you a glimpse into this collection: In her bio, the editor "claims she had her first kiss at age 14 (but in reality it was dangerously close to her 15th birthday)". Dangerously close? As though a bomb was about to go off but she saved the day by locking lips with a guy just in the nick of time. Barf.

And speaking of guys, almost all of the stories featured hetero kisses. Only 2 stories had gay boys and nary a baby dyke to be found. When I saw the list of contributing authors, I had hopes that David Levithan and Naomi Shihab Nye might balance out the pretty pink fluff writers. Sadly, I was wrong. Mini skirts were hiked up and tube tops were donned. No really, they actually were. Barf.

There were a couple of sweet Bonne Bell moments but there was also the story that began with the line "Can you believe she's a virgin?" Ugh. More offensive than discussions of virginity was the part in the first story, by Deb Caletti, where she explains that she was "taught to be nice. I am the one that helps the retarded boy reach his coat". You were taught to what???!! I skipped the rest of the story after reading that line and almost put the book down altogether.

To be fair, I enjoyed the graphic writing contributions. Shannon and Dean Hale wrote a lovely 2-sided piece. And Paul Ruditis was a pleasant surprise.

Clearly, the editor requested that the authors do their damnedest to be hip. This led Donna Jo Napoli to abandon her usual lyrical prose and urge her readers to "download" an Elvis song immediately. Hip, indeed. Jon Scieszka, thank god, was able to resist the editor's urgings and wrote a genuine recollection of his first kiss featuring a girl who tasted faintly of rubber bands. Not necessarily hip, but real and funny and didn't induce my gag reflex.

Is this really the story we want to share with young people? That if you're not kissed by the time you turn 15 you are a loser for life? That girls can only kiss boys? That squeezing into a tube top and kissing a guy just because he's there is the best course of action? Talk about f*ed up societal expectations. Horrifying doesn't begin to describe my feelings on this matter.(less)

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Jul 18, 2008 Robbie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Read more at rowijo.void-star.net!

* Reading level: Young Adult
* Paperback: 224 pages
* Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books [December 26, 2007]
* ISBN-13: 978-1599902418

Usually I feel that short story collections are not very popular with young adults, due to the use of short stories as a teaching medium in English classes. However, First Kiss (Then Tell): A Collection of True Lip-Locked Moments is an innovative anthology that breaks down barriers. Along with short stories, it also has p...more

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Nov 25, 2008 Snorkle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, read-2008, review-on-blog

A collection of true first kiss stories.

The idea of this book was very intriguing to me, I found it equally interesting that famous authors wouldn't mind sharing their personal experiences with the masses. Being the nosy person that I am, I was totally for hearing their stories. This book had a wide range of stories, some were grotesque, disgusting, sweet, pathetic, weird, sloppy, and all were unforgettable. I liked most of the stories, I thought that they portrayed reality instead of the fantas...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Allison rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-stories, memoir, teen-ya

A bunch of authors' memories of their first kiss(es)... I didn't really identify with any of them SINCE THEY WERE ALL LIKE THIRTEEN. I don't know if I'm just weird, but I don't remember anybody really talking about kissing in middle school in my group of friends. All four of us. Okay, maybe I'm not the target audience. But I can at least weigh in that some of the stuff between stories was suuuuuuuuuuuuper lame advice. Did that sound like a thirteen year old?

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May 23, 2012 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, short-stories, young-adult, romance

The book was bettter than I thought it was going to be. The stories are short - as in some are 3 pages long! They are the true stories of YA authors' first kisses. As a fun twist, there are kissing facts and trivia found throughout the book. Quotes from celebrities are also placed here and there. Some of the authors sharing their stories include: Deb Caletti, Cecil Castellucci, Lauren Myracle, Jon Scieszka, and Scott Westerfeld. 21 in all!

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Mar 16, 2008 Marissa rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read this book because Shannon Hale (a young adult author I really like--who is LDS and shares my birthday) has a small story in here where she and her husband share their first kiss.

The book was kind of strange because really, do I want or even need to know the personal experiences of people I don't even know? How voyeristic is that? I felt a little odd about reading some of the stories (especially the homosexual first kisses--particularly the homosexual who loves all first kisses because of...more

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Jul 02, 2010 Cassie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

With a lovely mix of embarrasing stories, to romantic stories, everything fit together just perfectly. I enjoyed every story. However, skipped the one that told me to if I had a weak stomach. I know all in do time, I will bring myself to read that one was well. Thank's to all the author's for spilling what most people would keep to themselves.

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Jan 19, 2011 Marina Ouranitsas rated it 3 of 5 stars

I picked “First Kiss Then Tell” at the bookstore with my friend. I read the blurb and I instantly wanted to read it. It’s filled with a bunch of stories about kisses. It is funny, cute, and interesting. My favorite story was the second one it was so funny. It was about this girl who says she’s going to tell the story about her second kiss but ends up telling about her first kiss, which was offal. There are quotes and advice, poetry, also some comics so you get a mix of different styles of writin...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Jill rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read this book because an author I enjoy wrote a story in it. First off, I thought he wrote more than just one. And his story was co-written and happened to be a graphic novel. Did I mention I dislike graphic novels. I deemed this book two stars only because I let out a chuckle here and there. Would I recommend it? Maybe to a tweenie.

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Mar 14, 2009 Eliza Brittni rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: girls

Recommended to Eliza Brittni by: my friend Chelsea

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

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Jan 31, 2009 Marian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, readit

There's pretty much something for everyone, whether your first kiss was recent, hasn't happened, or it's been more than a decade. Some stories play on your emotions, some gross you out,and some would probably inspire fears I never would have thought of on my own.

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Feb 26, 2009 Courtney rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

I read this on valentines day. what a sucker. i enjoyed this from a voyeuristic standpoint, particularly reading about shannon and dean hale's first kiss. in between diary-like stories of first kisses, the editor compiled kissing advice/trivia for young readers. i strongly dislike that aspect of the book.

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Dec 09, 2010 Caitlinsullivent rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was boring. And really lame, i felt obligated to read it since i started it. But it was just a bunch of lame excepts from "other great authors" about their first kiss's

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Nov 02, 2008 Nikki rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 13-, 14- and 15-year-olds

Shelves: young-adult

I borrowed this from one of the writers who was part of it. At first, admittedly, I thought the idea was hokey--who would want to buy a book with just quick true stories about kissing? But considering that I want to write books for teenagers, this was actually a very helpful read! It was cool to read about motivations especially--whether they wanted to kiss their one true love or just really wanted to get a first kiss over with to say they'd been kissed. Plus, I never read this kind of stuff as...more

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Aug 17, 2010 Ginny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, short-stories

These were fun stories, poems, haikus, comics, recipes, etc all about the first kiss. Some were icky, funny, sad, and sweet. Fully recommended!

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Sep 17, 2009 Astrid rated it 2 of 5 stars

this book is about peoples first kiss or there second chance to having ..ok... first kiss. If you want a about about awkward, funny, and aww first kiss this is a book i recommend.

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Aug 06, 2012 Liz Lenz rated it 2 of 5 stars

Its cute but that is really all there is to say about it. It wouldnt be something I would pull off the shelf and give to someone.

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May 21, 2009 Wanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

A fun short read. Remember what it was like to be a young unkissed teen...giggle.

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Nov 21, 2009 Katya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: omg-nonfiction, anthology

This was cute. Not particularly memorable, but cute. Worth a read.

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About Cylin Busby

Cylin Busby is the author of several teen books and numerous articles as well as the acclaimed young adult memoir, THE YEAR WE DISAPPEARED. A former editor with Teen Magazine, she now lives in Los Angeles with her family.

More about Cylin Busby...

Books by Cylin Busby

The Year We Disappeared: A Father - Daughter Memoir

The Campfire Crush: A Choose Your Boyfriend Book

Date Him or Dump Him? The Dance Dilemma: A Choose Your Boyfriend Book

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