wordsaremyforte 's review for:

Kiss Number 8 by Colleen AF Venable
4.0

This story hit some hard topics, such as sexuality, family acceptance, reckless behavior as a teen, etc., and most of this was handled extremely well. the characters all came to life with not only the amazing art style, but the witty/serious dialogue that molded perfectly to the tone of each scene in a realistic fashion.
Actions had consequences in this story, and betrayals of trust were not just swept under the rug as in a 'the ends justify the means' situation. Even though it was heart-breaking to see these characters (especially Amanda and her immediate family) struggle through rifts created not only by past occurrences, but by situations present in their everyday life, I appreciated that wrongdoings and missteps were not forgotten about. Amanda's family in general was very relatable for me (strict grandparents and religion, tv and video game marathoning, the mistake of favoring one parent over another, it's all there), and I was able to really connect with them for this reason.
SpoilerI loved the last few pages: how Amanda's young love-life could basically be wrapped up in just a few photos is at once unsettling and heart-warming. You never know if relationships will last, but as long as you were led to the right person in the end, it was all worth it. (That's my take anyway)