The Kissing Game

The variety of experimental formats, including scripts and letters, is refreshing, and teens will want to talk about the recurring themes of betrayal, violence, and shifting identities, and the fleeting moments of connection and mercy that can change a life's course

Gillian Engberg, Booklist USA

Aidan Chambers offers thought-provoking short stories for older readers in The Kissing Game. Playful or intriguing, each provides food for thought as he explores the nature of betrayal and revenge - wonderful stuff

Marilyn Brocklehurst, The Bookseller

Thoughtful, challenging reading for teens on the cusp of adulthood

Kirkus Review USA

Classy, thought-provoking, witty and always provocative

Jill Murphy, The Bookbag

Witty dialogue and ordinary situations gone awry abound . . . The selections are perfectly readable by middle schoolers, but more meaningful discussion and deeper understanding will only come from teens with more life experience, and there's real potential for possible use in high school English classes

Rhona Campbell, School Library Journal USA

Chambers has never lost that adolescent vulnerability and openness [so] that, now in his seventies, he still writes stories in which reflective adolescents will surely discover themselves . . . Five stars

Geoff Fox, Books For Keeps

Short stories are the perfect vehicle to capture the intensity of emotion experienced by teenagers on the brink of adulthood and there couldn't be a more rewarding and contemporary volume than this . . . Provocative and beautifully written, this little book packs a hefty punch

Sally Morris, Daily Mail

This collection from Chambers could be widely used in classrooms and on writing courses, particularly to inspire flash fiction

Armadillo

Here's a rare treat. There is care and quality in all his books, and The Kissing Game is a smart, challenging collection that teenagers may find themselves reluctant to leave

Patrick Ness, Guardian