Book Log: Kissing Kate, Be More Chill, The Boy in the Basement

43. Kissing Kate, by Lauren Myracle

Lissa and Kate have been best friends for the last four years, but all that changes when, while drunk at a party, Kate kisses Lissa - and Lissa kisses Kate back. Now, there is an awkward tension and silence between them, the kiss hanging heavy and unmentioned over their friendship. While Kate keeps trying to pretend it never happens, Lissa is struggling to understand what the kiss meant to her - and what it means for her relationship with Kate. As Kate pushes her further and further away, Lissa must turn to a new unlikely friend to help herself sort out what she really feels and what she really wants.

First of all, I hate books where the protagonist claims that their ex-best friend isn't talking to them anymore since they had a fight, but it's patently obvious that the protag themselves is the one avoiding the best friend. Especially when Lissa is waiting desperately for Kate to call her, so they can talk after a week of awkward silence, even though Kate told her straight up "we need to talk - please call me." This is an awkward book that had the potential to be so much more. The relationship between Lissa and her younger sister Beth is beautiful, and I wish it had been explored more, along with their family dynamic (the girls are raised by their bachelor uncle; their parents were killed in a plane crash.) Lissa just shuts Kate out, while Kate keeps trying to work things out - yet Lissa repeatedly blames Kate for their distance. And even though the narrative keeps insisting that Lissa and Kate were insperable for so long, we don't even understand thier friendship during Lissa's frequent flashbacks. Kate is such a one-dimensional character that it's hard to understand how Lissa could feel so strongly about her. And towards the conclusion, Kate's denial of her newfound sexuality and desperate attempts to cling to the platonic friendship they once had is painted as cowardice - which strikes me as unfair. Just because Lissa can deal with her newfound sexuality so easily doesn't mean that Kate should - and how can it be wrong for Kate to miss her friendship.

This book ends so abruptly that I was left trying to remember if I had finished it only a couple of hours after I had.

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44. Be More Chill, by Ned Vizzini

Jeremy Heere knows how the world works. He know that in high school, the most important thing is to be Cool. Being Cool determines if teachers like you, if you get a girlfriend, if you get a good job - and it's not something you can learn. Either you have it or you don't - and Jeremy doesn't. What Jeremy does have is a huge crush on Christine, and no chance of getting her to like him back. That's when Jeremy hears about the squips. A squip is a tiny supercomputer in pill form, that, when swallowed, can make a person succesful. Jeremy managed to score a squip, and instantly, his life changes. The squip tells him what clothes to wear, what catchphrases to use, and who to insult - in fact, the squip makes Jeremy Cool. Life is good - better than ever before. But Jeremy soon learns that sometimes, listening to his squip is not a good idea at all.

This is a high school sucks book, and the first half of it is almost painful to read. Jeremy gets insulted, humilitated, and generally acts like a moron and brings it upon himself, until you want to turn away and not watch his humiliation. But once he gets the squip, it's interesting to see him adapt, to see what changes the squip makes in his behavior - and what works and doesn't. The moral ambiguity of the squip is never really brought into play at all, which I'm kind of sad about - I would have liked to see some more of that. Generally, it's an interesting social commentary on high school behavior. A good, quick if sometimes painful read.

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45. The Boy in the Basement, by Susan Shaw

Charlie lives in the basement, because Charlie was bad. Father has decreed that Charlie must stay in the basement, and so Charlie does. At night, when Father is asleep, Charlie sneaks upstairs and has some bread and peanut butter and water from the tap, and he opens the back door to pee. One night, Charlie accidentally locks himself out, and confused and delirious, he wanders until somebody finds him and takes him to the hospital. There, Charlie struggles with hallucinations, terrors and illness, and when he recovers, he is placed in a loving foster home. But while Charlie may have physically recovered from his illness, mentally and emotionally, he has a long way to go.

This is a powerful and sometimes horrifying story of extreme child abuse and recovery. Charlie's abusive father looms as a powerful and terrifying figure in Charlie's mind. Father has effectively cut Charlie off from the world, telling him that if he ever went outside, he would be ruined, and so Charlie literally knows nothing of the world. Large outdoor spaces frighten him, and he has never heard of Christmas, Halloween, soccer, or love. While parts of this book are difficult to read, Charlie's recovery and slow reintroduction to the world is inspiring.