Title: Kissing Ted Callahan (and other guys)
Author: Amy Spaulding
Series:
Recommended for: 9th grade on up (16 year-olds having sex, although not graphic at all)
Pages: 309
Call Number/Link: TEEN FICTION SPAULDING, A.
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-olds Riley and Reid make a pact to pursue their respective crushes and document the experiences in a shared notebook they call “The Passenger Manifest.”
My Review: This book brought me back to high school on so many levels. That teen angst over everything just came flooding back. The main characters are in a band, so that was a bit out of my realm, but I remembered the notes in the hallway and trying to tell all-important information to friends while you were passing in the halls. The waiting for a boy to text (for me it was a phone call) or ask you to hang out all rang pretty true, as well as the tension between best friends when things happen. There is sex, but it was handled very quickly and was not described in any detail (except that they were safe). The story is primarily told from Riley’s point of view, but Reid’s thoughts are documented as well. I liked that they were good friends without there being any romantic feelings between them.
I enjoyed the book, and read almost all of it in one sitting. I am hesitant to recommend it to anyone too young because of the 16 year-olds hooking up. Even though I think it was handled well, and these things happen all the time, I am not sure how I would handle it from an RA stand point. Hopefully someone else will read it and give some guidance!
