Information
Book Title: A Thousand Boy Kisses
Author: Tillie Cole
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publish Date: June 14th 2016
Genres: fiction, contemporary, romance, young adult
Moods: emotional, sad
Pace: medium paced
Synopsis
“A Thousand Boy Kisses” by Tillie Cole is about Rune and Poppy, two childhood friends who grow up with a strong connection. As they get older, life pulls them apart, but their bond never really fades. The story explores how their relationship changes over the years, with Rune trying to figure out his place in the world after being separated from Poppy. Both characters face difficult challenges and have to deal with their pasts. It’s a story about love, memories, and how sometimes the most important connections are the hardest to hold on to.
Personal Thoughts
Note: This section includes spoilers
I honestly don’t know where to begin with A Thousand Boy Kisses—it was more like a thousand reasons to DNF (did not finish). I thought I had read bad books before, but this one made me realize just how wrong I was. Not only was the writing bad, but it was also unrealistic, cringeworthy, and boring. The plot felt weird from the start, especially the relationship between two eight-year-olds, which I just couldn't take seriously. But even that wasn't the worst part. There were so many things about this book that were so far-fetched, I couldn't help but laugh. For example, Rune acts like he’s met his soulmate at the age of 15 (or even 8) and then completely shuts himself off from his entire family because his dad had to move for work. Seriously, who does that? It was embarrassing to read.
If I wasn’t so stubborn about finishing books I start, I would have saved myself a lot of time and disgust. In fact, "disgusting" is the best word to describe this book—it was just that bad. The characters were unrealistic, and I felt no attachment to any of them. The one character I actually cared about was Rune’s dad because he was such a nice guy, and yet his son treated him horribly. If I were Rune's parent, I would have never put up with that kind of behavior, but that's beside the point. Another thing that irritated me was the inconsistency in the language. Sometimes the characters would curse, and other times they'd say something like "fricking"—it was as if the book was written by a 17-year-old trying to find a middle ground between being edgy and keeping it clean. Another inconsistency was the fact that sometimes they sounded like 40-year-old philosophers and other times they sounded like 8-year-olds talking.
Everything about this book felt off, and I’m definitely not going to read the next book about Poppy's sister. Honestly, I won’t be reading any more Tillie Cole books. I have better things to do with my time, and this overused "girlfriend has a terminal illness" trope with poor writing will not be in any future books I read.
Another thing that really bothered me was how the book felt borderline misogynistic. Near the end, Poppy says the only reason she ever smiled was because of her boyfriend. That kind of message—implying that a girl’s happiness is solely dependent on a guy—really didn’t sit well with me. It's a strange and unhealthy mindset that this book seemed to promote.
In conclusion, A Thousand Boy Kisses was a waste of my time, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a meaningful or well-written story.
Book Rating
★★☆☆☆ (2/5) stars
Note: This section includes spoilers
I gave this book 2 stars. Originally, I would've given it one star. But two things made me change my mind. The first thing was that this book was so bad that it made me laugh. And honestly, laughing is good, so I'm glad that I was able to laugh. It was more of a "laughing at you, not with you" thing, but at least I laughed. The other reason was that at the end of the book, there was a playlist, and I think that's actually a really cute idea. So overall, I don't recommend this to anybody. If you enjoyed this book, I’d recommend The Fault in Our Stars—at least that book does the terminal illness trope much better, and John Green's writing is really good. But honestly, I’d suggest reading books with better writing overall, like maybe picking up a modern classic.
Favorite Quote
It showed that love was simply the tenacity to make sure that the other half of your heart knew he, or she, was adored in every way. In every minute of every day. That love was tenderness in its purest form.
Sources, Credits & Links
Mood, genre and pace via The Storygraph
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