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mayris88's review
2.0
I'm so confused about this book. To be honest I don't know if I can explain myself but I'll give it a try.
I enjoyed the story, but I hated the characters, all but Sam. It's just that I don't even understand how all this girls ended up being "best friends" you know? That didn't make any sense, cause they're all mean to each other and wouldn't even apologize or acknowledge their mistakes. Definitely not a healthy friendship.
So I really don't know, I'm just confused. I didn't like it all that much but I didn't hate it either.
I enjoyed the story, but I hated the characters, all but Sam. It's just that I don't even understand how all this girls ended up being "best friends" you know? That didn't make any sense, cause they're all mean to each other and wouldn't even apologize or acknowledge their mistakes. Definitely not a healthy friendship.
So I really don't know, I'm just confused. I didn't like it all that much but I didn't hate it either.
bookbeaut's review
2.0
This book just didn't click with me. I found the voice repetitive & at times, boring. The emotional stakes in similar novels have been so much better established that I just didn't get invested here. Also, I know it's a small thing to most people, but I cannot stomach any YA that portrays a relationship between a minor & an adult, particularly one that's an authority figure, as consensual and okay. That small plot point is so dangerous and disgusting, and it's not okay with me.
thecozyreader's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this book.
The layout was very original. Just like the title suggests we get to experience Claire's firsts 17 kisses. The timeline switches between present time and her kisses, in order from 1 to 17.
The characters were pretty great. Claire is part of a group of girls, most of them cheerleaders and Claire is a sporty soccer player with more muscles than curves.
I liked Claire a lot. I can't say the same about her girlfriends. Then again most teenaged females that think they are hot stuff aren't the nicest people to be friends with.
Sam and Luke and the many other male characters are also great. I really enjoy Sam and wish we could have seen more of him. I had Luke pegged from the beginning and I wish I didn't. I really wanted him to be as awesome as he was portrayed.
Claire and her family go through some pretty terrible events. The major event is so terrible that I really had a hard time reading about it. As a mother, I simply can not even think about how I might react to the event that happened. If you are not a mother or don't have younger siblings or close family then the event may not affect you as much.
As for the ending, it was a little too vague and uneventful. I either wish it would have been a longer book to give the ending more detail or the ending should have happened a bit sooner because we are lead up to the end with a lot of events unfolding. The end should have been given a bit more satisfying detail. The only thing I can hope for is a follow-up book that comes back to Claire after she graduates college or maybe there will be a mid-book that covers her years of college. I really didn't enjoy seeing her lust for some random dude as soon as she moved into her dorm room and then BOOM, THE END.
Should there be more books I will definitely read it as well as anything else by Rachel Allen.
The layout was very original. Just like the title suggests we get to experience Claire's firsts 17 kisses. The timeline switches between present time and her kisses, in order from 1 to 17.
The characters were pretty great. Claire is part of a group of girls, most of them cheerleaders and Claire is a sporty soccer player with more muscles than curves.
I liked Claire a lot. I can't say the same about her girlfriends. Then again most teenaged females that think they are hot stuff aren't the nicest people to be friends with.
Sam and Luke and the many other male characters are also great. I really enjoy Sam and wish we could have seen more of him. I had Luke pegged from the beginning and I wish I didn't. I really wanted him to be as awesome as he was portrayed.
Claire and her family go through some pretty terrible events. The major event is so terrible that I really had a hard time reading about it. As a mother, I simply can not even think about how I might react to the event that happened. If you are not a mother or don't have younger siblings or close family then the event may not affect you as much.
As for the ending, it was a little too vague and uneventful. I either wish it would have been a longer book to give the ending more detail or the ending should have happened a bit sooner because we are lead up to the end with a lot of events unfolding. The end should have been given a bit more satisfying detail. The only thing I can hope for is a follow-up book that comes back to Claire after she graduates college or maybe there will be a mid-book that covers her years of college. I really didn't enjoy seeing her lust for some random dude as soon as she moved into her dorm room and then BOOM, THE END.
Should there be more books I will definitely read it as well as anything else by Rachel Allen.
___bethhhxx's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
hmoser15's review
4.0
This was a real quick read & super cute! It was really funny, while also taking on some serious topics. I really enjoyed this!
mar555's review
1.0
I saw this book back in June, and the cover and the title and the summary totally got me, but lately so much crap has been published that I knew I had to check the reviews before buying it. I saw a couple of bad ones and thought whatevs, I'm gonna read it anyway.
So I read it.
And gosh, I'm so glad I borrowed it and didn't spend any money on it.
There were several random/not so random things that bugged me out of my mind, and I think it all made sense when I read the About Author part. But all in good time.
Note that this book has annoyed me on a sort of personal note, so this is all MY perspective.
I've highlighted the sentences that annoyed me the most and I'm gonna go through all of them, plus the things I don't have a sentence for.
annoying quote number 1:
I'm sorry, but I'm latin and soccer is super huge and super common here, and that line is what I call Trying Too Hard. Okay, so now we know Claire is basically perf and a total pro at soccer. Cool. Also, and I don't have a quote for this, but it was in the same part so I'll go anyway.
I almost ditched the book when Luke got all cocky while saying he "at least got to spend middle school in Germany." Why does he have to be cocky about it. I know plenty of people my who have lived all over, and none of them sound cocky when they talk about the places they've lived in.
annoying quote number 2:
Now, that line I had to double check. Because if obnoxiousness were measured on a 1-10 scale, that would be an 11. Because who says that. Seriously. That's all I've got to say about that. Now we also know that Claire is like, totally smart too. And modest.
annoying quote number 3:
Can I just ask, did Allen really necessitate that word? Did she really have to use it? I can only laugh at that sentence. It seems just so ridiculous. If the writing of the book had been consistently like that, I might've tolerated that word. But it wasn't. It was written the way simple chick-lit is written. And simple chick-lit, or any kind of book really, should not drop fancy vocab like that. It's just a huge no-no.
Moving on.
annoying quote number 4:
Megan says that so lightly. Because talking about giving blow jobs at 17 the same way you'd talk about food or watering plants is just so normal, right? It's so fucked up it's ridiculous.
annoying quote number 5:
Sam is in AP calc during his senior year and he doesn't know how to do derivatives. I'm useless at math, and believe me when I say there is nothing better than derivatives. If he doesn't know how to do them then he has no business in AP calc. How are we supposed to buy this?
annoying quote number 6:
Because everyone is a skank or a slut or a whore or a hoe in this book but perf little Claire.
annoying quote number 7:
Please tell me this dialogue doesn't sound pathetic only to me. Y'know, for a book where everyone is so comfortable getting sexual with other people, they sure make kissing a big deal. I'm seventeen, like Claire, and I just can't picture myself hanging out or even tolerating people my age who talk like that.
annoying quote number 8:
Nuff said.
annoying quote number 9:
Because it's not like Megan has stolen Claire's boyfriend before. Hello.
annoying quote number 10:
He really did use that line. And Claire's mom really did buy it. As if the fact that he jumped from her best friend to her in less than two days and the way he talked about her with Claire weren't enough, now you've got that line too.
annoying quote number 11:
Claire is always talking about not understanding this girl code, and now suddenly she knows what it says. Whatever, it's not like anyone in this book even knows what the girl code is about.
annoying quote number 12:
This, like many other lines, is so out of character. Claire is zero funny, zero sarcastic, zero teasing. Once again, trying too hard.
annoying quote number 13:
dafuq. Honestly. The only "bad thing" I recall them doing is the really bad phone prank, and that should be proof that Claire is awesome at being a dramaqueen as well.
annoying quote number 14:
Oh. My. God. Here we go with modesty again. Also, not only is Claire super good at soccer and incredibly intelligent, she's also got a rocking bod. HOW COOL.
AND FINALLY
annoying quote number 15:
Yup.
This book is awful in so many levels. I found grammar mistakes, I couldn't relate or even like any of the characters, all the relationships were beyond messed up, the main character was an obnoxious pretentious little shit, the writing was terrible and inconsistent.
I did like the dictionary-like entrances, but that's about it.
I couldn't make up my mind about Megan, because half of the time she was the worst excuse of a best friend ever and the other half she was totally sweet.
There is so much slut shaming it's embarrassing that a young woman dedicates her time to writing sexist shit aimed for teenagers.
I do not and cannot understand how the mother of a six year old can fall into that kind of depression and ditch her child like that, or how the father can allow that to happen and not do anything about it either.
The characters are all dumb as fuck. Everyone loves and adores Claire for some reason, and nobody seems to notice how horrible she actually is.
Claire is the most obnoxious main character I have ever come across. She's vain, self-centered, annoying, a bad friend, conceited, and so full of herself. I had to let myself cool down for a few days after finishing the book so that I could write a decent review, but just thinking about that goddamn awful character pisses me off. She's just so stupid. She's a stupid character disguised as a smart one. And I just cannot stand that kind of trickery.
Allen really does have no idea how teenagers really behave or interact, and it makes me so mad that clueless adults makes us seventeen year olds sound so pathetic.
But then I read the About the Author part it all made sense. Because Rachael Allen sounds just about as pretentious and annoying as Claire. "Lives in Atlanta, GA, where she's working furiously on her PhD in neuroscience. When she's not doing science or writing YA, you can find her chasing after her toddler and her two sled dogs." I really don't wanna be mean, but you cannot be good at everything. And choosing to put that on your book is just so urgh. Pretentious pretentious pretentious.
Honestly, it seems like Allen is just so full of herself she has written this book based on her perfect life.
Now, my life isn't bad at all so don't get the idea that I'm jealous. I'm just pissed because this book is horrible, and I now I feel like I've just read a bibliography disguised as contemporary YA.
But if none of this bothers you, then go ahead and read the book.
It is one of the worst books I have ever read.
So I read it.
And gosh, I'm so glad I borrowed it and didn't spend any money on it.
There were several random/not so random things that bugged me out of my mind, and I think it all made sense when I read the About Author part. But all in good time.
Note that this book has annoyed me on a sort of personal note, so this is all MY perspective.
I've highlighted the sentences that annoyed me the most and I'm gonna go through all of them, plus the things I don't have a sentence for.
annoying quote number 1:
"This guy may be cute, but the true test is how he performs in this soccer game."
I'm sorry, but I'm latin and soccer is super huge and super common here, and that line is what I call Trying Too Hard. Okay, so now we know Claire is basically perf and a total pro at soccer. Cool. Also, and I don't have a quote for this, but it was in the same part so I'll go anyway.
I almost ditched the book when Luke got all cocky while saying he "at least got to spend middle school in Germany." Why does he have to be cocky about it. I know plenty of people my who have lived all over, and none of them sound cocky when they talk about the places they've lived in.
annoying quote number 2:
"It's a big deal that Sarah got in--school isn't easy for her like it is for me."
Now, that line I had to double check. Because if obnoxiousness were measured on a 1-10 scale, that would be an 11. Because who says that. Seriously. That's all I've got to say about that. Now we also know that Claire is like, totally smart too. And modest.
annoying quote number 3:
"Shorty's has the kind of pizza that necessitates the use of a knife and a fork."
Can I just ask, did Allen really necessitate that word? Did she really have to use it? I can only laugh at that sentence. It seems just so ridiculous. If the writing of the book had been consistently like that, I might've tolerated that word. But it wasn't. It was written the way simple chick-lit is written. And simple chick-lit, or any kind of book really, should not drop fancy vocab like that. It's just a huge no-no.
Moving on.
annoying quote number 4:
"I didn't have sex with Chase." ... Megan cups her hands over his ears like earmuffs. "...I just gave him a blow job."
Megan says that so lightly. Because talking about giving blow jobs at 17 the same way you'd talk about food or watering plants is just so normal, right? It's so fucked up it's ridiculous.
annoying quote number 5:
"Now, teach me how to do derivatives."
Sam is in AP calc during his senior year and he doesn't know how to do derivatives. I'm useless at math, and believe me when I say there is nothing better than derivatives. If he doesn't know how to do them then he has no business in AP calc. How are we supposed to buy this?
annoying quote number 6:
"I subjected myself to their skankover."followed by,
"This so isn't me."
Because everyone is a skank or a slut or a whore or a hoe in this book but perf little Claire.
annoying quote number 7:
"I kissed him," I say. "I kissed all your friends."
Please tell me this dialogue doesn't sound pathetic only to me. Y'know, for a book where everyone is so comfortable getting sexual with other people, they sure make kissing a big deal. I'm seventeen, like Claire, and I just can't picture myself hanging out or even tolerating people my age who talk like that.
annoying quote number 8:
"Four girls who are the less-hot equivalent of me and my friends glare at me with their arms crossed. ... 'Yeah', says the blonde with a flip of her ponytail. 'Y'all may not be the queens of the school for much longer.'"
Nuff said.
annoying quote number 9:
"Because she doesn't understand how you could do something like this to Megan. Don't expect anyone to be on your side."
Because it's not like Megan has stolen Claire's boyfriend before. Hello.
annoying quote number 10:
"Wow, you don't look old enough to be Claire's mom," Luke says.
He really did use that line. And Claire's mom really did buy it. As if the fact that he jumped from her best friend to her in less than two days and the way he talked about her with Claire weren't enough, now you've got that line too.
annoying quote number 11:
"I don't care that, per girl code, I'm supposed to make him say it first."
Claire is always talking about not understanding this girl code, and now suddenly she knows what it says. Whatever, it's not like anyone in this book even knows what the girl code is about.
annoying quote number 12:
"His surprise is so sweet and unbelievably romantic that I'll only tease him a minimal amount for bringing over a heart-shaped waffle maker."
This, like many other lines, is so out of character. Claire is zero funny, zero sarcastic, zero teasing. Once again, trying too hard.
annoying quote number 13:
"Megan frowns. 'Wha--' 'No. You know what, I'm going to stop you right there. Some things are too big to be sorry for.'"
dafuq. Honestly. The only "bad thing" I recall them doing is the really bad phone prank, and that should be proof that Claire is awesome at being a dramaqueen as well.
annoying quote number 14:
"It's perfect. It shows off my legs and how tiny my waist is, but it has this ruching across the chest that makes my boobs look huge (for me)."
Oh. My. God. Here we go with modesty again. Also, not only is Claire super good at soccer and incredibly intelligent, she's also got a rocking bod. HOW COOL.
AND FINALLY
annoying quote number 15:
"I smile. I'ts good to know I'm irreplaceable."
Yup.
This book is awful in so many levels. I found grammar mistakes, I couldn't relate or even like any of the characters, all the relationships were beyond messed up, the main character was an obnoxious pretentious little shit, the writing was terrible and inconsistent.
I did like the dictionary-like entrances, but that's about it.
I couldn't make up my mind about Megan, because half of the time she was the worst excuse of a best friend ever and the other half she was totally sweet.
There is so much slut shaming it's embarrassing that a young woman dedicates her time to writing sexist shit aimed for teenagers.
I do not and cannot understand how the mother of a six year old can fall into that kind of depression and ditch her child like that, or how the father can allow that to happen and not do anything about it either.
The characters are all dumb as fuck. Everyone loves and adores Claire for some reason, and nobody seems to notice how horrible she actually is.
Claire is the most obnoxious main character I have ever come across. She's vain, self-centered, annoying, a bad friend, conceited, and so full of herself. I had to let myself cool down for a few days after finishing the book so that I could write a decent review, but just thinking about that goddamn awful character pisses me off. She's just so stupid. She's a stupid character disguised as a smart one. And I just cannot stand that kind of trickery.
Allen really does have no idea how teenagers really behave or interact, and it makes me so mad that clueless adults makes us seventeen year olds sound so pathetic.
But then I read the About the Author part it all made sense. Because Rachael Allen sounds just about as pretentious and annoying as Claire. "Lives in Atlanta, GA, where she's working furiously on her PhD in neuroscience. When she's not doing science or writing YA, you can find her chasing after her toddler and her two sled dogs." I really don't wanna be mean, but you cannot be good at everything. And choosing to put that on your book is just so urgh. Pretentious pretentious pretentious.
Honestly, it seems like Allen is just so full of herself she has written this book based on her perfect life.
Now, my life isn't bad at all so don't get the idea that I'm jealous. I'm just pissed because this book is horrible, and I now I feel like I've just read a bibliography disguised as contemporary YA.
But if none of this bothers you, then go ahead and read the book.
It is one of the worst books I have ever read.
foreveryoungadult's review
Graded By: Mandy W.
Cover Story: Rapture-ous
BFF Charm: Natalie Imbruglia
Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Talky Talk: Kiss Countdown
Bonus Factors: Frenemies
Anti-Bonus Factors: Julie Taylor Syndrome
Relationship Status: Unintentional Bait and Switch
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Rapture-ous
BFF Charm: Natalie Imbruglia
Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Talky Talk: Kiss Countdown
Bonus Factors: Frenemies
Anti-Bonus Factors: Julie Taylor Syndrome
Relationship Status: Unintentional Bait and Switch
Read the full book report here.
andiabcs's review
3.0
I guess for me 17 First Kisses was a slight disappointment. I didn’t hate it, but I also didn’t love it. What started out as a fun story with a good friendship and interesting back story and a creative way to tell the story of the first kisses, quickly became kind of muddled and in the end turned out to be just okay. Instead of being blown away when I was done I was just left thinking what my next book was going to be.
17 First Kisses is about Clair, a high school senior, that is a tomboy at heart but also a little boy crazy. She’s got her best friend Meghan and her other two close girl friends, but she is still looking for the boy of her dreams. But with family problems and the same group of boys always around Clair has basically given up. That’s until Luke shows up. As Clair gets to know Luke a crush begins but with this crush is a problem, Meghan likes him too. And for as long as Clair and Meghan have been friends Meghan always gets what she wants.
The book really started off great. I liked how the story was being told. I liked the first kiss stories and how one kiss lead to Meghan and Clair’s friendship. I liked getting background information that way. It made it seem new and different as it wasn’t a flashback, but a natural part of the story. But I guess my problem was Meghan and Clair. It was hard to understand why they were friends when they seemed more like frienemies. I mean for me this could be because I never understood the concept of the frienemy. The Serena and Blair’s of the world never really made sense to me. But I found the competition between the two of them to be kind of cumbersome and a tad too much. There were moments when I liked their friendship and it seemed genuine, but I think what made this book just okay was that there weren’t enough of those moments to fill a whole book and that bugged me. I did really like the friendship that Clair had with Sam. That was a true friendship and I wish there was more focus on that. And I also really liked the stuff happening with Clair’s family. I almost feel like that would have been a better focus than the friendship as it had a deeper feeling to it.
All in all 17 First Kisses was a quick read that kept me interested enough but I felt just missed the mark. It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t amazing either. It had some great parts and some not so great parts that made me roll my eyes. The characters are interesting enough to keep you engaged so I wouldn’t shy away from telling you to pick it up and give it a go yourself.
17 First Kisses is about Clair, a high school senior, that is a tomboy at heart but also a little boy crazy. She’s got her best friend Meghan and her other two close girl friends, but she is still looking for the boy of her dreams. But with family problems and the same group of boys always around Clair has basically given up. That’s until Luke shows up. As Clair gets to know Luke a crush begins but with this crush is a problem, Meghan likes him too. And for as long as Clair and Meghan have been friends Meghan always gets what she wants.
The book really started off great. I liked how the story was being told. I liked the first kiss stories and how one kiss lead to Meghan and Clair’s friendship. I liked getting background information that way. It made it seem new and different as it wasn’t a flashback, but a natural part of the story. But I guess my problem was Meghan and Clair. It was hard to understand why they were friends when they seemed more like frienemies. I mean for me this could be because I never understood the concept of the frienemy. The Serena and Blair’s of the world never really made sense to me. But I found the competition between the two of them to be kind of cumbersome and a tad too much. There were moments when I liked their friendship and it seemed genuine, but I think what made this book just okay was that there weren’t enough of those moments to fill a whole book and that bugged me. I did really like the friendship that Clair had with Sam. That was a true friendship and I wish there was more focus on that. And I also really liked the stuff happening with Clair’s family. I almost feel like that would have been a better focus than the friendship as it had a deeper feeling to it.
All in all 17 First Kisses was a quick read that kept me interested enough but I felt just missed the mark. It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t amazing either. It had some great parts and some not so great parts that made me roll my eyes. The characters are interesting enough to keep you engaged so I wouldn’t shy away from telling you to pick it up and give it a go yourself.