7.20.2010

After the Kiss

After the Kiss
Terra Elan McVoy
Simon Pulse, 2010

The cover caught my attention on this one. Well, the cover and the title itself. I'd seen several reviews for it, and they all led me to believe it'd be a cute, easy summer read. That part is definitely true - what they did not tell me was that it's a novel in verse.

The basic premise is that the book follows two girls, who do not meet or technically know each other. I say technically, because their stories overlap. Drastically. Dramatically.

Each girl is allowed to tell her own story ... Camille writes in free-verse, almost stream-of-consciousness, but in third person. It allows for a singular perspective: you're getting to see inside her - as much as she allows herself to look inward, anyway - but you also get to see the dynamics of her world. Becca writes in a variety of poetic forms ... from tributes to Browning and Williams to a very cleverly done villanelle.

Overall, I think the form works - I just wish I'd had a little forewarning. I was caught blindsided and was therefore a wee bit confused. That quickly dissipated, it just took a moment or two of adjusting.

Book provided by my local library.

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