Evangeline is a 16 year old in search of the perfect kiss. Her efforts to renew her self image are fueled by a self help book found among her mother's things and a romance novel filled with unrealistic goals. Like most of us, Evangeline falls in love with the idea from the romance novel that one perfect kiss is what she needs to start new.

The chemistry in this book seems just about right for teens. The descriptions of each kiss encounter were a delight to read. I was disappointed with the lack of development between Evangeline and Brody. I felt that there was a missed opportunity to further that relationship between characters and convey to the reader the importance of really getting to know someone, and not just through email. I enjoyed the character's self discovery at the end of this extremely quick read. This was the most important lesson of the book.

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CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL KISSER is just the kind of light and sweet read that I want: plenty of straightforward cuteness without the melodrama and inanity. Evangeline's character, while seemingly simple, is actually delightfully well-rounded. Readers know at all times that deep down she is an optimistic sweetie with a love of music and absolute loyalty to those she cares about.

But CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL KISSER is more than just a girl searching for passion: it's also a story of loyalty and family. Evangeline's conflict with her father was extremely well done, and never threatened to overpower or quench the delightful wackiness of her boy problems. Instead, it added depth to what could've otherwise been a silly and shallow story.

Overall, CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL KISSER was a gem of a find. Younger teen readers will appreciate another strong novel from middle-grade favorite Wendelin van Draanen, and older readers who perhaps read and enjoyed FLIPPED back in the day will also be delighted with this different, but fun and touching, read.

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Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Imagine how life might change if you were cleaning under your mother's bed and discovered her stash of steamy romance novels and her latest self-help book. That is just what happens to Evangeline Logan.

Evangeline can sort of understand the presence of this collection of reading material since her father recently divorced her mother in favor of another love interest. Forgiving her father is something Evangeline has not even considered. She has watched the hell her mother has gone through and wants nothing more than to move on.

Normally, Evangeline wouldn't be interested in reading trashy novels, but one caught her eye and promptly changed her life. Now Evangeline is in search of "the crimson kiss." The way it is so romantically described, she knows her life will not be complete until she experiences it.

The problem starts when Evangeline begins feeling the need to kiss everyone. The fascination with finding this wonderful kiss leads her into some pretty horrible kissing situations. There are kisses with way too much pressure, kisses with more than enough moisture, and kisses that totally miss their mark. For Evangeline, this kissing experiment seems like a bit of fun, but when she mistakenly kisses her best friend's crush, she realizes that things have gotten terribly out of control.

Wendelin Van Draanen, author of SWEAR TO HOWDY and FLIPPED, will have readers laughing aloud when they read about Evangeline. But CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL KISSER goes farther than kissing and telling; it offers a serious side as Evangeline learns how to handle what life has thrown at her.

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