Kiss Crush Collide (review)

Leah expects that, like her older sisters, she will be valedictorian, homecoming queen, and the girlfriend of a boy who drives an expensive car. Then she meets the boy who parks cars at the country club and falls for him, taking off with him periodically for adventurous interludes. His presence in her life, which is entirely predicated on the electricity between them—they find out on the third rendezvous that they don't actually know each other's names—causes her to question the path she's on. Leah's also plagued by Valerie, a girl who sees herself as competition for valedictorian even if Leah does not, Leah's snobby confidence convincing her that Valerie is beneath her notice in all ways. Valerie, it turns out, has motives that are almost altruistic; her concern for Leah mirrors Leah's own worries that she is not expected or even able to step out from her sisters' shadows, and she just wants to help. The golden-cage problem is, as usual, an intriguing one, and Leah's erratic steps toward self-definition are understandable. Despite Leah's self-awareness that her life is privileged and she shouldn't complain, though, she can be a hard character to like or relate to, and Porter and Valerie serve more as excuses for rebellion and reflection, respectively, than fully fledged characters; even though she finally considers them a boyfriend and a friend, the emotional connection hasn't been established for readers in a credible way. Rachel Vail's Avery sisters trilogy (Lucky, BCCB 6/08, etc.) is therefore a better look at a fortunate-sister trio undergoing some reexamination, but there's still plenty here for readers to relate to (or wish they could). Those feeling confined by family and looking for a little bad-boy breakaway action will get some vicarious thrills here.