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The Kissing Game by Aidan Chambers (view source)
Revision as of 14:28, 13 February 2011
, 14:28, 13 February 2011Created page with '{{infobox |title=The Kissing Game |sort=Kissing Game |author=Aidan Chambers |reviewer=Jill Murphy |genre=Teens |summary=Lovely collection of short stories from a master of prose.…'
{{infobox
|title=The Kissing Game
|sort=Kissing Game
|author=Aidan Chambers
|reviewer=Jill Murphy
|genre=Teens
|summary=Lovely collection of short stories from a master of prose. Including some tiny flash fictions and dialogue only entries, they will incite, surprise and stimulate. Recommended.
|rating=4.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|hardback=0370331974
|pages=224
|publisher=Bodley Head
|website=http://www.aidanchambers.com/
|date=March 2011
|isbn=0370331974
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0370331974</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>0810997169</amazonus>
}}
You don't see that many short story collections in YA circles. But when they do appear, you often wonder why there aren't more of them. And this is absolutely the case with ''The Kissing Game''. Ranging from short pieces of flash fiction to "proper" short stories, each one will incite, surprise and stimulate.
The title story is a tale of the unexpected featuring two isolated adolescents - one stammers because of a traumatic humilation by a girl in the playground at primary school, the other hides away in her aunt's house because of an equally traumatic event that is much more recent. Kindred spirits, so you'd think? Well, perhaps you should think again.
I loved ''Cindy's Day Out'', in which a put-upon sibling finally takes control of her life. And ''The Scientific Approach'', which deals with sexual jealousy and social approval, and bit me right in the bum at the end with such a surprise that I actually applauded - in a room on my own. There's ''Toska'' which focuses on adolescent anomie to great effect, and there's ''Thrown Out'', which develops this theme through an environmental twist. ''Kangaroo'' - featuring a girl in a summer job as an animal character at a theme park - did make me laugh, but had something very serious to say about man as beast.
The form is quite disparate - short flash fictions to true short stories, but also little dialogues and letters. And the prose is elegant, precise, witty and elegant. Tying it all together is a coming-of-age theme - how we feel in adolescence, the things we discover during that time, the defiance and opposition we put up, and the estrangement we feel.
''The Kissing Game'' is classy, thought-provoking, witty and always provocative. It's recommended by Bookbag.
My thanks to the good people at Bodley Head for sending the book.
There are lots of great story collections for children and teens. [[Red Spikes by Margo Lanagan]] is both challenging and unsettling, just as you'd expect. [[Counting Stars by David Almond]] is absolutely gorgeous and will give lots of background to Almond's wonderful novels. Youngers ones will enjoy [[Across the Wall by Garth Nix]]. [[The Ribbajack and Other Curious Yarns by Brian Jacques]] will appeal to fans of the horror and suspense genre. And let's not forget [[Singing for Mrs Pettigrew by Michael Morpurgo]]. Oh! And of course, the wonderful [[Losing It by Keith Gray|Losing It]] - a collection of stories about virginity from some of our best writers. Perhaps there are more volumes of YA short stories than I realised!
{{amazontext|amazon=0370331974}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=7873352}}
{{commenthead}}
[[Category:Short Stories]
|title=The Kissing Game
|sort=Kissing Game
|author=Aidan Chambers
|reviewer=Jill Murphy
|genre=Teens
|summary=Lovely collection of short stories from a master of prose. Including some tiny flash fictions and dialogue only entries, they will incite, surprise and stimulate. Recommended.
|rating=4.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|hardback=0370331974
|pages=224
|publisher=Bodley Head
|website=http://www.aidanchambers.com/
|date=March 2011
|isbn=0370331974
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0370331974</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>0810997169</amazonus>
}}
You don't see that many short story collections in YA circles. But when they do appear, you often wonder why there aren't more of them. And this is absolutely the case with ''The Kissing Game''. Ranging from short pieces of flash fiction to "proper" short stories, each one will incite, surprise and stimulate.
The title story is a tale of the unexpected featuring two isolated adolescents - one stammers because of a traumatic humilation by a girl in the playground at primary school, the other hides away in her aunt's house because of an equally traumatic event that is much more recent. Kindred spirits, so you'd think? Well, perhaps you should think again.
I loved ''Cindy's Day Out'', in which a put-upon sibling finally takes control of her life. And ''The Scientific Approach'', which deals with sexual jealousy and social approval, and bit me right in the bum at the end with such a surprise that I actually applauded - in a room on my own. There's ''Toska'' which focuses on adolescent anomie to great effect, and there's ''Thrown Out'', which develops this theme through an environmental twist. ''Kangaroo'' - featuring a girl in a summer job as an animal character at a theme park - did make me laugh, but had something very serious to say about man as beast.
The form is quite disparate - short flash fictions to true short stories, but also little dialogues and letters. And the prose is elegant, precise, witty and elegant. Tying it all together is a coming-of-age theme - how we feel in adolescence, the things we discover during that time, the defiance and opposition we put up, and the estrangement we feel.
''The Kissing Game'' is classy, thought-provoking, witty and always provocative. It's recommended by Bookbag.
My thanks to the good people at Bodley Head for sending the book.
There are lots of great story collections for children and teens. [[Red Spikes by Margo Lanagan]] is both challenging and unsettling, just as you'd expect. [[Counting Stars by David Almond]] is absolutely gorgeous and will give lots of background to Almond's wonderful novels. Youngers ones will enjoy [[Across the Wall by Garth Nix]]. [[The Ribbajack and Other Curious Yarns by Brian Jacques]] will appeal to fans of the horror and suspense genre. And let's not forget [[Singing for Mrs Pettigrew by Michael Morpurgo]]. Oh! And of course, the wonderful [[Losing It by Keith Gray|Losing It]] - a collection of stories about virginity from some of our best writers. Perhaps there are more volumes of YA short stories than I realised!
{{amazontext|amazon=0370331974}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=7873352}}
{{commenthead}}
[[Category:Short Stories]