Infinite Satellite

Summary: One day Evangeline finds her mom's secret stash of romance novels and, fueled by the steam-filled pages of "A Crimson Kiss," embarks on a quest to find a perfect kiss of her own. In no time flat, she's kissed more boys than she thought possible, but none of them are right. Plus, people are starting to talk, her number is showing up in men's bathrooms, and her BFF is furious with her for accidentally lip-locking her boyfriend-to-be. On top of that, her mother is starting to mend fences with her two-timing father. Evangeline will never forgive him for the callous way he treated them...but is she acting more like him than she wants to admit?

Verdict: Marginally cute, good premise, strange, sloppy ending.

Positive: I love the concept of the book and the look it takes at how casual romantic behavior of all kinds can really hurt people. Evangeline's quest starts out innocently enough, but she winds up hurting herself, her best friend, and some of the boys she kisses. Her eventual wake-up moment was rewarding, as was the fact that she realized she had to make amends. I also liked that she didn't find her one true love through her kissing extravaganza, because that would have wrecked the book's message.

Negative: The writing isn't her best. It tries for humor but falls short. Also, the ending is a mess. I felt like the book needed to devote more space to Evangeline's relationship with her father, rather than suddenly hone in on it in the finale.