Carlota (Lots) and Elizabeth (Bets) are best friends but totally different. Bets, the sensible, steady one, is always in Lots’ shadow. Lots is a super-confident, dymanic, size sixteen. As the book begins, Bets is in denial. She’s missed a period and her long-term boyfriend hasn’t phoned. Lots has an almost equally awful problem. She thinks – no, she knows – that Bets’ boyfriend is cheating. Lots comes up with the plan of using their favourite magazine to steer the two around London in a game of chance. As the day goes on, both Lots and Bets learn more about themselves. In the course of a single day, their friendship is tested to its limits. By the time 24 hours have passed, it’s no longer clear who is the stronger of the pair.

Luisa Plaja’s books have a wonderful way of  ending with a sense that there are ways to recover from tragedy. They look sympathetically at real problems that teenage girls face, and address them in a non-judgemental and forgiving way. The message of Extreme Kissing is that one bad decision need not be allowed to ruin your life. I think this is a really positive message to send to teenagers, who naturally tend to feel that they are under a spotlight, and for whom every experience is new and raw. It is easy for a teenager to feel that every mistake is irretrievable. Extreme Kissing offers them hope.

The book raises lots of topics that are relevant to teenage girls, and which could lead to fruitful and energetic discussion with a class. Many girls will recognise the pattern of friendship that Lots and Bets fit into, where one, seemingly more confident, girl dominates and the quieter one tags along. Lots is described as gorgeous and attractive as well as a size sixteen (though the jacket sadly lets the book down on this point). This could lead to discussion of body image and its representation by the media. The jacket image’s contrast with the words could even become a critical part of the discussion. Self esteem is a very important topic for girls, and the book offers great opportunities to discuss this with relation to the characters of both Lots and Bets. I would recommend it to teachers looking for a book that will really engage their female KS3 and KS4 students, not only for reading pleasure but also for personal development.

2009-07-03