The Fateful first kiss in a good book...and the disappointment when it's done badly

I am finding it increasingly difficult to deal with kissing scenes in YA books. Cassandra Clare does them perfectly. I don’t read a scene with Jace and Clary or Will/Jem/Tess and cringe in to my chair for the next three hours, nor have I ever felt this way reading  books in the past. I love YA, and teen romance is all “gosh does he or doesn’t he want to kiss me”. Teenagers as a general rule do not feel ‘ravenous hunger‘, not unless they can‘t be bothered to make something to eat. In fact most teens are thinking “Am I doing this right” “Does my breath smell okay” “Are my hands clammy”. They are not thinking about how his eyes looked like they would ravish her, neither are they thinking about how pale his skin is.

This is even more so the case when for the entire book we’ve heard how shy our protagonist is, and how she has never kissed a boy. Unless the girl has had a few drinks for Dutch courage she isn’t suddenly going to turn in to a harlot. I’m not talking about any book in particular though this rant was inspired by a book I actually really enjoyed yesterday, but left me feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed for the author because of how badly the smooching scenes were handled. In fact it was on par with Harry and Choo in the Order of the phoenix.

So back to the main point of this little rant. I think authors should definitely put more thought and effort in to the first kiss because if it isn’t handled well then it ruins an otherwise decent book. This is kind of my way of saying I read YA not Mills and Boon for a reason. 

I could have made a list of the worst ones I've read but I'd much rather hear yours. So read any truly cringe worthy kissing scenes recently?

Amy

Ashes Review Ilsa J Bick

Ashes

Ilsa J Bick
Quercus

Synopsis

"No, she thought. No, please, God, I'm not seeing this

Seventeen-year-old Alex is hiking through the wilderness when it happens: an earth-shattering electromagnetic pulse that destroys almost everything.

Survivors are divided between those who have developed a superhuman sense and those who have acquired a taste for human flesh. These flesh-hunters stalk the land: hungry, ruthless and increasingly clever...

Alex meets Tom, a young army veteran, and Ellie, a lost girl. They will fight together and be torn apart, but Alex must face the most difficult question of all:
In such a vastly changed world, who can you trust?

A story of high-wire tension, gut-wrenching twist, and burgeoning love, Ashes will leave you breathless." Goodreads

Review

I wasn't sure about Ashes at first as it isn't something that I'd usually go for. That being said I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any one. Especially fans of the zoooombie.

The characters have depth and an intricate back story which is important, as I find this lacking in a lot of YA books that i've read recently. People react in certain ways because they have evolved to do this, not just for the sake of an obvious plot device. This was not a problem with Ashes. Although I did find the -we just all happened to be hiking at the same time thing- a little predictable. 

Alex the protagonist can be quite stubborn and yet she is very caring, even when I found myself wondering if it was in her situation would I not just run off. Tom is also brooding and very sweet, so if you like that kind of thing then he'll be just the love interest for you. I'm still not sure whose team I am to be honest. There are still two more books to go. 

The prose is well written and engaging. It was not overly descriptive, although I wouldn't have minded more in certain parts of the book. I do enjoy some gruesome details if you're trying to set a scene of horror. Ashes reminded me when reading it of a few of my favourite books. Sabriel, Plague 99 and Hands of Forrest and Teeth but it also was very original. 

This is the first in the series and I don't want to go in to too much detail in case I ruin it. So I will leave you with this. If you like zombies, gore, adventure and a gripping love story this is the book for you.

I give Ashes four out of five bags of milky way magic stars.

Follow Friday 14 (Happy belated thanks giving)

Q: It’s Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. so we want to know what you are Thankful for – blogging related of course! Who has helped you out along the way? What books are you thankful for reading? 

I am thankful for the kindness and respect that I have received from bloggers over the past few months. I am also thankful to Cait @ Cait Files for pushing me to blog, and get me started. 

The books I am most thankful for are the Wicca series (Sweep in the US). I read these when I was an awkward moody 13 year old. They really helped that transition period. Along with the Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles. Last but not least I am thankful for Harry Potter because that was the series that got me truly hooked on reading when I was kid. 

What about you?

Follow Friday 11.11.11

Q: In light of 11.11.11 and Veteran’s Day tell us about your favorite soldier and how he or she is saving the world. Fictional or real life.

That's a very difficult question for me to answer personally. I don't have a favourite soldier. They're all special, and we should remember what they sacrifice/ed for or it's all in vain. 

In my Mailbox

This month in my mail box

What's in yours?

My First Follow Friday in a while

Q: Today’s Question is something new, an activity. We want to see what you look like! Take a pic with you and your current read! Too shy? Boo! Just post a fun pic you want to share.