Book Review: Last Kiss by Jon Ripslinger

Last Kiss by Jon Ripslinger
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Release Date: Available Now
Publisher: Flux
Pages: 288
Received From: Store Bought

Summary: Billy O’Reilly, a farm boy in rural Iowa, has been secretly dating Lisa Wells, the popular, wealthy daughter of the president of the local college. It’s a complicated relationship: people of HER class don’t associate with people of HIS class. Her controlling father does not approve of the relationship, her “real” boyfriend is growing suspicious, and her troubled stepbrother is adding to the drama by stirring up trouble. Billy’s life is thrown into turmoil when Lisa breaks up with him and then is found murdered the next morning. A series of circumstantial evidence points directly to Billy who, along with his best friend, Windy, launches his own investigation to clear his name and find out what really happened to the girl he loved. This gritty, fast-paced teen mystery will appeal to both reluctant and dedicated readers.

My Review: Last Kiss had an interesting premise and was very well written. I enjoyed the characters, especially Billy. He was very smart and likable, it wasn't hard to warm up to his personality. The negative aspect occurred when I reached the middle of the book, I got a little bored and kept putting it down. Fortunately, towards the end it took a turn for the better. The shocking twist was crazy, I would of never expected the outcome of Lisa's murder. Overall, it was an okay read, it's light yet dramatic. The summary just didn't live up to my expectations, I wanted more romance with Lisa and Billy, but I didn't get it.

My Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Author's Info:


Jon Ripslinger (Davenport, Iowa) is a writer and a former high school English teacher. He was a participant in the University of Iowa Writer's Workshop and is the author of several published short stories and two other novels for young adults.