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Kissing Kate

3.54 of 5 stars 3.54 · rating details · 3,367 ratings · 178 reviews

Kate was Lissa's best friend. They've shared everything for four years. Then one night at a drunken party, Kate leaned in to kiss Lissa, and Lissa kissed her back. And now Kate is pretending Lissa doesn't exist. Confused and alone, Lissa's left questioning everything she thought she knew about herself, and about life. But with the help of a free-spirit new friend, Lissa's

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Paperback, 198 pages

Published April 19th 2007 by Speak (first published April 14th 2003)

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Best YA Fiction with GLBTQQI themes / characters

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Feb 21, 2012 Cory rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult, coming-of-age

Dear Kissing Kate,

Why did you do that to me?

You gave me an interesting premise, decent main characters, and pretty good chemistry between the main couple (something I find majorly lacking in most YA books, especially YA LGBT), but you failed in one of the most important areas -- your subplots sucked ass. You're like that guy going down on his girlfriend who pulls away and refuses to continue, no matter how much she begs. What's your problem?

Your MC, Lisa, isn't bad. In fact, I kind of liked her....more

19 likes · like · see review

Apr 12, 2009 Melissa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbt, young-adult

This book had many great moments, but upon reflection, I am not sure if I really liked it. I was certainly hooked on it, and read most of it in one sitting, but I felt like I was just expecting it to get better, and I'm not sure it ever did. I felt that Lissa's emotions were incredibly genuine and well depicted, and her struggle with Kate seemed very real. Yet, at the same time, I was annoyed with the various subplots that I felt skewed the focus of the story. There were quite a few cliche momen...more

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Sep 17, 2008 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: q1-2008

So far, I like this book. I like realistic teen fiction, and this fits that genre exactly. Things get awkward with Lissa and her best friend, Kate, after a drunken night at a party. Though, Kate was the only one who was drunk during the kiss. It confuses me that on the back of the book, it says that Kate is pretending Lissa doesn't exist, when obviously Lissa is the one who doesn't want to have anything to do with Kate, except stalking her. Kate trys talking to Lissa, but Lissa just shruggs her...more

1 like · like · see review

May 19, 2013 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

(3.5 stars) I don't know why it took me so long to read this book (pub. 2003), but because it did, I was startled by how dated it felt. It's very much a coming-to-terms-I-might-be-gay-no-other-gay-people-in-sight kind of story. Nevertheless, Myracle's very reassuring as she narrates how Lissa, her main character, learns to accept her attraction to her long-time best friend Kate and to assert what she wants and needs out of their relationship. I can imagine how useful this book (still) might be f...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Astrid rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, could-jave-been-much-better, disappointed, facepalm-books, fingers-crossed, i-hope-its-as-good-sounds, i-need-my-cake-now, im-so-masochistic, not-sure-how-i-feel, oh-no-please-no, oh-please, oh-look-a-bunny, randomreads, selfish-wimpy-heroines, sigh, stupid-library-hold-line, why-did-that-just-happen, wait-what, worst-heroines, wait-theres-another-one, young-adult, you-on-probation, wow-that-sounds-interesting

(Spoilers - varying from major to minor- ahead. Warning. Proceed carefully.)
When a book handles a dangerous,powerful, hard subject such as coming to terms with your sexuality - and accepting it - I feel as if it should be fantastic, should make me bawl or something along the same lines.
The premise was fascinating. It sounded real in a way that I can't imagine myself in, but can see other people having as a reality. The cover was pretty. And when I first met the main character, I sort of like he...more (Spoilers - varying from major to minor- ahead. Warning. Proceed carefully.)
When a book handles a dangerous,powerful, hard subject such as coming to terms with your sexuality - and accepting it - I feel as if it should be fantastic, should make me bawl or something along the same lines.
The premise was fascinating. It sounded real in a way that I can't imagine myself in, but can see other people having as a reality. The cover was pretty. And when I first met the main character, I sort of like her.
Besides that, the story could have been so..powerful, life changing. After all, it's dealing with a hard, coming of age topic that many adolescents deal with today. And it had the right protagonist to make it happen. The author had the right skills to pull it off- I have read her other novels.
And...despite everything in its favor...it did not. Did not what? Did not do anything. The main character is likeable enough and I have meet a few people who are just like her. Lissa is confused, broken, and trying not to look reality in the face. She wants to talk everything out- but that's hard, seeing as how the other main character, Kate, is on the "let's-pretend-that-never-happened" end of the relationship (Have you noticed, there's always one of those? There is the girl who wants to talk the situation out and face the truth, and the girl who pretends nothing happened and doesn't want to admit a thing.). Okay. Lissa wasn't exactly attempting to confront Kate at every turn, but that's what made her more likeable- the fact that, despite society and media making it seem otherwise, in real life, you probably would be shying away too. You'd want to confront your feelings, but really, if the other person isn't cooperating and is brutally giving you the cold shoulder, it's hard to work up the nerve. It makes you feel weak and as if you'll only make things worse to bring it up again. So, it was realistic for Lissa to feel that. And what Kate was feeling was realistic, too. So, focus on their relationship, past, and problems, and this SHOULD be a great book. Like I said, the two main characters were likeable enough.

That's just the thing. The two main characters, are hardly the "two" main characters. Yes, Lissa is the narrator and protagonist- but what about Kate, the other main character? She should be the focus on the story- she and Lissa. So why did I find myself skimming pages and snoring and rolling my eyes as I forced myself to read through pointless dialog, futile subplots, and two dimensional characters? I loved Kate and liked Lissa well enough. But there was NOT enough Kate and Lissa in this book. It was mainly Lissa driving around or/and talking with her "weird" friend, Ariel/Kimberly, who SHOULD obviously have been all deep and realistic, but was two-dimensional, annoying, unhelpfull, and...well, there was no need for her to be there at all. I feel as if the author was like, "I'm too afraid to write a book on such a powerful topic, so instead of actually dealing with it and trying to write a life changing, deep novel, I'm going to avoid attempting sucha feat and will just focus on random subplots that nobody will care to read about." That's what happened here. Ariel/Kimberly was in this book more than Kate, which was stupid because Kate, as I said, was the focus of the story along with Lissa. And Ariel didn't contribute to anything except lowering my rating of this book. Here's why I found the subplots and supporting characters so infuriating and random.

To start with, there were a thousand subplots. From Darlene (I think this was her name...she was really forgetable and, again, didn't contribute to...anything...) and her being forever alone and joining a dating group, to Finn and his infatuation (which was a case of random insta-love that come out of nowhere, which I could not understand. I liked Kate because she was real and I could understand her....now why did you like her, Finn? Tell me. I am begging.) with Lissa. The latter was meaningful enough - trying to date a boy can really make things clear for someone in the way of their sexuality. However, Finn was also two-dimensional. He and Ariel had the same voice/feel to me: all clean, all smiles, all good. I can't bring myself to care for those two, really. And the whole Darlene character and subplots? Please. Don't feed me your excuses about how Darlene's subplot was important for girl-empowerment to help Kate/Lissa, Myracle. I'm not buying that. The girl-empowerment group never helped Lissa, didn't make a noticeable impact. And everything else to do with Darlene was the same as Ariel and Finn; trivial, boring, pointless. Most of all, it just got in the way of the real plot. I felt like the REAL concept of the story was buried beneath all the random, annoying subplots, and by the end I had to idea what the big picture was, had no idea what was going on. Everything was blurry because the subplots kept eating away the plot until it was hardly there. There was maybe one scene focusing on Kate and Lissa, two minor scenes with them, and that's it. If you take those two minor scenes, one major scene, and one major flashback, you have a story that is more a novella than a book/novel. A lot shorter- and a LOT better, so much better that it hurts. I mean, really, the biggest problem was that Myracle seemed to lose the focus of the story and was too afraid to explore it. That bugged me. She, and I, didn't care about Finn or Ariel or Darlene or Beth or Jared or whatever the others were. They (except MAYBE Finn) did not help this story. They weren't even three-dimensional. They were all the same, nice, happy, smiley, neat. No flaws, no redeeing qualities, and ABSOLUTELY NO PERSONALITY. Ariel was supposed to be weird, but she was still flat and lacking of depth. And all she was actually good for was tugging the already-lost-and-broken Lissa around and telling her things like, "Guess what? You totally hate Kate. She treats you bad and you should ditch her. You are a great person and I like everyone. Move on and see the happiness of life. Now let's go giggle pointlessly and talk over strawberry smoothies, or maybe i can get on MY catering truck and you get on YOUR catering truck and we can drive around and communicate on loud walkie talkies. Ya know, the usual." That can summon everything about Ariel or Ariel/Lissa in one paragraph, rather than a whole darn book. All Ariel did was feed Lissa "you-go-girl", Life 101 lessons and control her life. Really, it seemed like Ariel was the one who tried to do everything. Which didn't bother me, because Ariel was just another random subplot, and didn't affect the story in anyway. If there's still a story beneath all that subplotting, that is. Oh- by the way, did anybody else hate the fact that Ariel kept telling Lissa how Kate treats/treated her like crap, despite the fact it was Kate who was Lissa's best friend and her only friend when everyone thought Lissa was weird. Kate, has NEVER treated Lissa like crap. Not in the flashbacks, not in the present, not in the future. If you call Kate having to deal with being gay and outing herself to society, which can be harsh, Kate "treating you like crap", then you have a serious problem, Ariel.

Moving on from Ariel/Kimberly/Pointless Girl/Darlene/Finn, we have...ah. Nothing. You see? Remove the supporting, two dimensional characters and their mini-stories, and there is nothing. Well, there is Beth. The little sister who is trying to fit in with her own friends. This, actually, COULD HAVE MATTERED IN THE STORY. Lissa could have realized that she, and Kate, are doing the same thing as Beth, on a larger scale- that they are trying to avoid their sexuality and the truth (as Beth is avoiding being herself) to fit in with Society, as Beth tries to fit in with the populars. However, Lissa makes no note of this, and neither does Myracle. So really, Beth's subplot also does not impact the story.

There was a kissing scene. And chemistry. And SO MUCH POTENTIAL. This kight've been a five star book, had the author actually focused on the problem at hand. Which she didn't. Proof of this is the fact that there was no solution to the problem. No climax, and no closure. We never find out what happens with Lissa and Kate. Lissa just sits with Ariel and smiles and DRINKS COFFEE/SMOOTHIES (forgot what it was.) AND SIGHS AND THINKS, "Maybe it will be all right." Okay- I could have worked with that...except for the fact that Kate WAS LISSA'S FREAKING BEST FRIEND. I have a hard time believing that if Lissa cares for Kate as much as she claims she does, she'll just one day wake up and be all peaceful and decide to drop Kate all together, just because Kate is having a hard time dealing with this. You had a hard time living with it, too, Lissa.

That was my basic problem with the book, really. Could have been five stars. Was only two. It was one of those books that could have been so much better.

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Dec 17, 2011 Christina (Reading Thru The Night) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, lgbt, ya-love, disappointing

I almost didn't want to write a review about this book because I didn't really enjoy it. Still, I'm trying to keep up with all of the books that I've read this year (I think that I've only missed a couple of reviews) so here it goes.

I. Didn't. Like. It.

Kissing Kate is the story of two best friends, Kate and Lissa. One night at a party, a very tipsy Kate approaches Lissa and kisses her. (In fact there's quite a bit of kissing going on and minor touching). When Kate's boyfriend and a couple of guy...more

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Aug 23, 2010 Patrice Sartor rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: friendship, love-sex-romance, lbgt, realistic-fiction

GENRE: Fiction: Realistic fiction, problem-solving, romance.

SUBJECT/THEMES: Homosexuality, lesbians, friendship, accepting who you are, breaking up.

SUMMARY: Kate and Lissa have been best friends for four years, doing everything together. Then one night at a party, a drunken Kate kissed Lissa, who reciprocated. After that, they ignored each other for weeks. Lissa was a wreck. She was confused over her feelings for Kate, and was struggling to understand what had happened between the two of them. W...more GENRE: Fiction: Realistic fiction, problem-solving, romance.

SUBJECT/THEMES: Homosexuality, lesbians, friendship, accepting who you are, breaking up.

SUMMARY: Kate and Lissa have been best friends for four years, doing everything together. Then one night at a party, a drunken Kate kissed Lissa, who reciprocated. After that, they ignored each other for weeks. Lissa was a wreck. She was confused over her feelings for Kate, and was struggling to understand what had happened between the two of them. When they finally do speak, it is clear that Kate wants to move on and be friends again, and not discuss the kiss at all. Lissa expands her friendship base, and starts to learn a lot about herself over the course of working through the issue with Kate.

EVALUATION: I liked all of the characters in Kissing Kate; each of them seemed realistic and believable to me. This is a quick read, which covers a couple of months in the life of Lissa, whose point of view the story is told from. Lissa goes through a great many emotions while she comes to terms with her new feelings for Kate. I liked her slow progression of acceptance throughout the book. After having a somewhat failed date with a boy, Lissa heads over to Kate’s house. From that confrontation, Lissa sees things more clearly, and begins to change how she feels about herself and others.

WHY I WOULD INCLUDE IT: This book is a realistic depiction of what some teenagers go through; an attraction to a close friend. I want to ensure that any teenager that feels confused about their sexuality has access to fictional and non-fictional books that may help them better understand their feelings. Reading about characters that are experiencing things they are going through helps teenagers feel more ‘normal’.

Although it may be controversial, during the week of the Gay Pride Parade in San Francisco, this title and other ones which discuss young adults coming to terms with their homosexuality and bisexuality could be set up on a display together.

ITEMS WITH SIMILAR APPEAL:
• Dare Truth or Promise, by Paula Boock.
• Pages for You: A Novel, by Sylvia Brownrigg.
• Annie on My Mind, by Nancy Garden.
• Keeping You a Secret, by Julie Anne Peters.
• Empress of the World, by Sara Ryan.
• Girl Walking Backwards, by Bett Williams.

AWARDS:
• ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 2004.
• Booklist Top-Ten Youth Romance, 2004.
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Oct 10, 2011 Jessica RiffeKincaid rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

High school is probably the main point in a young woman's life when she is just beginning to understand who she really is and who she really wants to become in the future. Growing up with your best friend, all the time spent together, laughing, playing, sharing secrets and discovering themselves together.

One night, while enjoying themselves at a high school party, these two girls whom have done nearly everything together decide to escape to more private settings. During their moments and confes...more

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Mar 17, 2009 Courtney rated it 3 of 5 stars

Kissing Kate
Lauren Myracle
Penguin Group, 2003, 198 pages, $7.99
Friendship, Homosexuality, Lesbians, Identity
978-0-14-240869-8

One summer night at a party, Kate, a drunk 16 year old, kisses her best friend Lissa. After awkward weeks of avoiding each other Kate tries to reconnect with Lissa and pretend like nothing has happened and just be friends. Lissa tells Kate she wasn't drunk and isn't sure how she feels about Kate or herself. Kate tries to talk Lissa out of being a lesbian, but Lissa's new f...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Clementine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, re-reads

I must have been about 11 or 12 the first time I read this book, and I really loved it then. Now, though, I'm more critical, and I definitely don't love it.

Having read Myracle's Shine this year, I couldn't help but compare the two books a bit. They really aren't very similar, but they both had the unfortunate quality of having a fantastic premise involving LGBTQ characters that I didn't feel was explored in nearly enough depth.

With Kissing Kate in particular, I just never felt like Myracle reall...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Andrea Blythe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, fic-young-adult

During a party one night, Lissa is surprised when her best friend Kate leans in to kiss, but even more surprised by Kate's reaction when Lissa kisses her back. Now abandoned by her best friend, Lissa has to try to figure out what that kiss meant and what it means about who she is now.

Kissing Kate is a simple and sweet story. Lissa is kind of lost, without really realizing just how lost she is, because she doesn't wallow in it. She doesn't rage or become rebellious; she doesn't turn to drinking...more

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Jul 02, 2009 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, chick-lit, glbt

The Little Bookworm

One night at a party, Lissa's best friend leans in for a kiss and Lissa kisses her back. Now Kate is ignoring Lissa and pretending nothing happened while Lissa is angry and confused. The two friends use to mean everything to each other and one kiss is getting in the way. But Lissa knows it must mean something. As she experiments with lucid dreaming, Lissa tries to come to terms with what kissing Kate means.

I've only read a couple of things by Lauren Myracle, but I've enjoyed t...more

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Jun 29, 2010 Lyly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: advisory-2011

I though the book was okay. BUT, i didn't know this was a lesbian book until i read the book.This book was about and girl named Lissa and her life. She was best friends with a girl named Kate ever since they were little. And they still were as they grew up. But one day, Lissa and Kate life turn upside down when they were at a party. During the party, Kate got drunk and she kissed Lissa. Lissa didn't hate it and she went and kissed her back.!!(Lissa was not drunk at that time.) Now, they don't ta...more

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Dec 08, 2010 Karen Galvan rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read Kissing Kate by Lauren Myracle in a really short period, but to me it just wasn't a good book compared to when i read The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Euleberg. There were alot of differences between the books, like the fact that Kissing Kate was about a girl named Lissa that started to get feelings for another good friend of her's named Kate. As in The Lonely Heartsn Club it was about a group of girls that decided to put an end to guys for good or at least until they were out of high...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Abby rated it 2 of 5 stars

Kissing Kate was okay. I loved the idea of the story. I loved the main character but it really did not go any where for me. I understand Lissa was coming to terms with her sexuality and trying to be happy, I guess, but it wasn't enough...Gay? for me. :P I don't know. It just wasn't much. Its a good story for people trying to find their way with who they are. Personally it wasn't my favorite. Not to mention the ending was blah. I was looking forward to more romance. To me this book just didn't qu...more

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Nov 19, 2012 7703tahiyat rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is about 2 girls Kate and Lissa who have been best friends for years. But at a party Kate was drunk and kissed Lissa and she kissed her back. Now Kate is ignoring Lissa and pretending nothing happened. Lissa left confused not knowing what to do has to go through the decision of what Kate really means to her. My favorite part was when there wasn't a part that I really liked but that doesn't mean that I hate the book. I thought the book was very enjoyable and very realistic since a lot...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Jenni French rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: age-5-grades-9-12, lgbtqia-lit

Kate and Lissa shared a kiss at a party over the summer. Kate was drunk at the time, and now she is humiliated and won't speak with Lissa. Lissa doesn't understand why Kate won't speak with her anymore or why she is so insistent that the kiss was a complete accident. As Lissa struggles to come to terms with herself and her sexuality, she also is struggling with her friendships, both with Kate and with her new friend Ariel.

This book was a very quick read, and like many of the books published by P...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Jamie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen, for-school

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

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Apr 20, 2010 kenpen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, young-adult, library

Lauren Myracle spoke at event near me. Even though I had never picked anything of hers up, I recognized ttyl and other books of hers. In the blurb about the event, I saw that she was high on the banned books lists. This, of course, made me even more curious.

So, I picked this book up at the library without reading the summary on the cover. As soon as I started reading, I could see why there had been objections to her books.

I enjoyed this book. It was interesting--and good--to see gay issues bro...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Harshini WatchMeRead rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, school, shoujo, ya, library

This book was just okay in my opinion. The things that were happening was really good, could have been a 4-star book. But the story lacked something, I felt as if everything was not explained properly. It was a bit choppy and we didn't exactly see how every relationship in the book turned out.

This book had it's funny moments, and some really good parts and awesome characters. For example Darlin would have to be my favourite character, she was such a sweet lady. But our main character seems like...more

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Nov 23, 2011 Kathryn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: not-sffh

I'd sum up the plot, but the blurb does it perfectly and I wouldn't want to take away from that. This review will have some spoilers, so consider yourself warned.

Kissing Kate is, in my view, a bit of a strange book. It feels to me that it takes aspects of Define "Normal" by Julie Anne Peters and mixes them with the excellent Nancy Garden novel, Kissing Kate, but the result is a good book that never quite hits the same notes. I can't really describe it any other way.

I felt the message was that mi...more I'd sum up the plot, but the blurb does it perfectly and I wouldn't want to take away from that. This review will have some spoilers, so consider yourself warned.

Kissing Kate is, in my view, a bit of a strange book. It feels to me that it takes aspects of Define "Normal" by Julie Anne Peters and mixes them with the excellent Nancy Garden novel, Kissing Kate, but the result is a good book that never quite hits the same notes. I can't really describe it any other way.

I felt the message was that mistakes can lead to positive things, and that's very true, but I felt none of the passion from Garden's book, nor any of the deep introspection from Peters'. Everything fits together a little too neatly, even when you consider that Lissa loses her best friend - although she gains two more in the process, and then they're two of the "freaks" from her school, one of whom is very spiritual and "hippy", and the other has a deformed arm. The internal monologues and this positioning, to me, inadvertently make it seem that being gay means being a freak.

That seems harsh, but I think it's a valid point to make. There's only a couple of positive gay representations, and they're brief. They add to the feeling that this book was only half-baked, it's like many avenues were closed off for little reason. There was little of Lissa's thoughts, little of her actions, it felt as if she was repeating the same few actions until we got to the end. We're never given any real insight as to what Lissa thinks of boys, and the discussion with Ariel (her new friend) towards the end sums up the problem with the book. It's never clarified what Lissa may be. Surely she would see other women and think they're attractive, or be repulsed by men, or something. It misses so many opportunities to add depth and any sense of a connection with the main character, and I wonder if this book could have been much better if things had been explored more.

It's not a bad book, though, far from it. It's a quick, engaging read that speeds along and before you know it, you're done. It could easily be done in a night without exhausting you or taxing your mind too much, because it doesn't really seem to have too much substance. This book won't answer your questions or alleviate the confusion too much, but it does entertain and tell a fairly good story.(less)

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Oct 08, 2008 Toni rated it 1 of 5 stars

I picked up this book hoping for a teen girl struggling to figure out her sexuality. Instead, I get a book about lucid dreaming, which I have no interest in. There is barely any mention of her questioning her sexuality.

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Jan 05, 2010 Michelle Rocha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, gay-lesbian, relationships, divorce

In my limited knowledge of the gay-lesbian experience, this book seems to capture the angst that a teen would go through when coming to terms with her lesbian sexuality. I appreciate that the physical aspect isn't sensationalized and that the author, instead, delves into the inner turmoil and confusion that Lissa, the protagonist, experiences after her best friend kisses her at a party. Thought Lissa's ruminations ring true, some of the plot choices Myracle makes seem a bit contrived. Mom and Da...more

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May 03, 2012 Kristine Pratt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

I enjoyed this book and appreciate the hard task of tackling such a tough subject as teenage homosexuality. I appreciate what the author did with it and would definitely read more of her books.

While I thought this book did a good job at pulling out the different emotional aspects that Lissa is going through, I felt like it never went quite far enough or did enough. The resolution felt smudged and somewhat awkward. We'd like to think that Lissa is going to be OK, but you're left with the feeling...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Sophie N rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was interesting. In the end, I was left hanging and I felt that the issues weren't resolved. Kate and Lissa never really made up, and they never really had that one final fight. Then I thought a little bit. Maybe the main conflict wasn't Kate and Lissa's relationship; as friends or something more, but about how Lissa felt about who she was. I felt like some of the good in this this book were Lissa's date with Finn and Lissa talking to Ariel's cousin. She discovered that she was okay wi...more

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Oct 09, 2012 77mswoods rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction

Lauren Myracle is one of my favorite authors. That being said, I don't absolutely love this book the way that I love the "Winnie Years" books and the "TTYL" trilogy. This IS Lauren Myracle's first book, so I'll be a little flexible, and who knows? YOU might LOVE it!

The book is slow to start, and, in my opinion, has too many grown-up characters interrupting the main character (Lissa's) conflict. That being said, I'm glad this book focuses on the feelings of confused adolescents who are starting...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Idalia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kissing Kate was an interesting and revealing story. The book is about two girls who have been best friends since elementry school. From the moment Lissa met Kate she was intrigued by her confidence and her freindly personality. Kate and Lissa are opposites but like they say opposites attract. Kate and Lissa are now in high school and the girls who have been best friends for so many years, can't even look at each other now. This was triggered by a kiss that was shared between the two best friend...more

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Dec 05, 2011 Carol Velasquez rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fluff, lgbt, ya-lgbt, kindle

There were some great moments in this book. And those moments were when we actually got glimpses into the relationship between Lissa and Kate. I thought the progression of thier relationship was well done and the main character, Lissa, was interesting and funny. I felt that some of the supporting characters took away from the story sometimes and I didn't care much for the lucid dreams stuff. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I liked the parts in this book that actually dealt with Lissa's se...more

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Aug 05, 2009 Bunker rated it 3 of 5 stars

Since middle school, pretty and popular Kate and funny and unique Lissa thought nothing could come between them. What they didn't know is that the bond that bound them together as friends could be the catalyst to their separation. When inebriated Kate kisses sober Lissa, Lissa can no longer repress and deny her attraction to Kate. Kate, however, cannot bring herself to acknowledge her attraction to Lissa. At the intersection of love and friendship, these two teens must find their own directions...more

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May 30, 2009 ♔ Jessica Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: lgbt

I really enjoyed reading Kissing Kate. The book is a look into the lives of two best friends whose friendship ends when the two girls share a kiss. Lissa discovers that she has always been in love Kate, while Kate precedes to pretend Lissa does not exist. This causes more problems than meets the eye because everyone at school knows them as "Kate & Lissa" and Lissa doesn't believe she has the charisma or the confidence to survive in high school on her own.

It is true that there could more char...more

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About Lauren Myracle

Lauren Myracle is the author of numerous young adult novels. She was born in 1969 in North Carolina. Lauren Myracle holds an MA in English from Colorado State University and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. she has written many novels, including the famous IM books, ttyl, ttfn, and l8r, g8r.

Her first novel, Kissing Kate, was selected as one of ALA's "Best Books...more

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Quotes from Kissing Kate

“Just because you're into Kate...well, it doesn't necessarily mean you're gay. Although it's okay if you are. But if that's what's worrying you...' Ariel sighed. 'God. It shouldn't be so hard to talk about this stuff. All I'm saying is maybe you're gay and maybe you're not. Maybe you're bi. Or maybe it's totally a Kate thing. Maybe you'd want to be with her whether she was a girl or a boy.'
I blinked. I didn't know if what she said made things better or worse.” — 12 people liked it

“You can rèmove a tattoo; it's just difficult. And supposedly it's pretty painful. Some things, on the other hand, can't be undone.” — 4 people liked it

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Kissing Kate

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