Kiss & Blog by Alyson Noel

Publication Date: 5-15-2007

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Pages: 240

Format: Paperback

Source: Purchased

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Goodreads Summary:

What's the best revenge when your best friend ditches you for the popular crowd?  Alyson Noël reveals all in her hot new young adult novel. As freshmen at Ocean High last year, Winter and her best friend Sloane thought they could ditch their nerdy past, launching from invisible to cool.  But after another miserable year of standing on the sidelines they make a pact to do whatever it takes not to go unnoticed in their sophomore year, promising each other that whoever makes it into the cool group first will bring the other along.  Once Sloane gets a taste of life on the A-list, she slams that door in Winter's face.  Suddenly cast out of her former best friend's life, Winter takes revenge the modern way: by announcing all of Sloane's dirty little secrets on an anonymous blog.  Then the blog becomes more popular than she ever dreamed and Winter must decide if her retaliation is really worth the consequences--and if the price for popularity is one she's willing to pay.  Once again, Alyson Noël navigates the tricky waters of the high school social scene with the heart and humor her readers have come to love.

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Winter and Sloane were best friends throughout their childhood.  They were best friends as freshmen in high school.  They were best friends at the beginning of sophomore year.  Winter and Sloane made a promise to each other that they would try their hardest to become part of the popular crowd at school.  They were going to wear all the right clothes, say all the right things, and become popular.  Part of this promise included each friend not leaving the other behind if they became "cool".  Of course, how high school drama works, Sloane left winter behind.  

Sloane stopped acknowledging that Winter even existed.  She ignored her in the lunch line and if she saw her anywhere else.  Winter decided to take revenge.  She started an anonymous blog that laid all of Sloane's dirtiest secrets on the table.  These are secrets that not a single soul knew besides Winter.  One, for example, is that Sloane kissed her cousin for "practice."  

Every time Sloane does something mean or hurtful towards Winter, there are more secrets divulged on the blog.  Sloane eventually finds out, but what will happen?  Will Sloane stay popular?  Will Winter become even more popular because of her blog?

Alyson Noel hits the jealous aspect of high school dead-on.  Girls are often willing to do anything to become popular.  This could mean getting rid of great friends or practically selling your soul.  On the other end of the spectrum is revenge.  This is another topic that isn't talked about much, but happens a lot.  When someone does wrong to you in high school you're likely to seek some type of revenge.  I think Winter took a route not tread upon by many others.  
  
I enjoyed reading Winter's story of her sophomore year.  She went through ups and downs.  This included losing her best friend, losing the guy who she liked so much, and losing a lot of other things as well.  Through the losses she was able to experience new things and find the love and happiness she was looking for...without being part of the "popular" crowd.  Winter did some growing-up in this book.  I wouldn't say I support the revenge she sought against her friend, but it helped Winter get through the situation and come out the other end a better person.  Sloane may not have learned anything, but at least she might consider her friendships more important in the future than a bit of popularity.