KISS & BLOG
Alyson Noel
St. Martin’s Griffin
Fiction
ISBN-10: 0312355092
ISBN-13: 9780312355098
240 pages

Winter and Sloane have been best friends for eight years. Even after Sloane’s mother marries a wealthy man and moves them to a much bigger house, the girls vow to remain friends.

Winter is tired of being ignored. The entire summer wages earned at her mother’s organic hippie café are spent on products and clothes to turn her sophomore year into the year of popularity. Sloane has been practicing with her, and both are ready for an unforgettable year.

When school starts, the girls bring out new hair colors, hairstyles and outfits, though Sloane’s are designer while Winter’s are carefully chosen knock-offs. Soon they’re going to cheerleading tryouts and attempting to fit in. The problem is that Sloane fits in while Winter doesn’t. Soon, Sloane seems embarrassed by Winter and begins making her feel fat and unwanted.

When Sloane steals Winter’s cheer idea and makes it to the squad, Winter flees to New York City to stay with her dad for a few days. There she gets dark and funky clothes that say much more about her and enjoys meeting a hot guy from a performing arts school. She’s ready to return to the phoniness and cliques of her own Laguna Beach high school with a few new experiences under her belt.

New guy Rey is weird but fun. At least he sits with her at lunchtime, when Winter watches Sloane with her new A-list friends and boyfriend. Rey has his own music and brings his guitar everywhere. His website gives Winter the idea to start an anonymous blog about Princess Pink (Sloane), where she tells all the secrets she can think of about Sloane from their eight years of friendship. It’s the perfect revenge.  How long will Sloane stay popular if people know she made out with her cousin, for example?

When the blog gains momentum, Winter continues to spy on Sloane and writes about her backstabbing A-list friends and her new slutty reputation. In between she hangs out with Rey and his band, and finds herself falling for him even while he dates a girl from another high school.

Will Winter’s obsession with Sloane keep her from moving forward with her own life and love? Will Sloane find out what she has done? Revenge stops feeling sweet when Winter realizes that Sloane’s desertion will not keep her from being happy.

KISS & BLOG is funny and full of surprises, and readers will sympathize with Winter while hoping she comes to her senses. Alyson Noel demonstrates an understanding of queen bees and the meaning of friendship.

      --- Reviewed by Amy Alessio

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