Kissing in America by Margo Rabb is a travel and coming of age novel. Eva’s father tragically died in a plane accident two years ago. To deal with the loss, she reads romance novels. She has a strained relationship with her mother because her mother wants to forget about her father and move on, but Eva doesn’t.
Eva meets Will who understands her grief because he has been through similar pain. They have a short-lived romance before Will moves across the country to L.A. Eva is heartbroken. She signs her best friend, Annie, up for the quiz show The Smartest Girl in America so her mother will let her go to L.A.
Eva and Annie encounter many crazy relatives and family friends along the way. This includes an aunt whose outfits resemble various vegetables, a soon to be step-grandmother who has changed religions multiple times, and cute cowboys.
They learn the true meaning of love and grief and how they can exist in many forms. It also focused on the importance of a mother/daughter relationship which I think was a great aspect. I think the author portrayed these messages perfectly.
Eva did not treat her best friend well at all. She used her and wasn’t there for her when she needed her most.
At times, I think Eva acted childish for her age. I think her romance with Will was rushed and a little unrealistic.
I loved the road trip aspect of the book. It was interesting to read about Eva and Annie’s adventures on the road. They encountered many ups and downs. The various settings were described vividly and made me feel like I was actually there.
Some readers may not be satisfied with the ending but I think it was suitable and realistic. I recommend this book to anyone who is 14 years and older, and wants to read a road trip novel.
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