The Serious Kiss Author:Mary Hogan From Booklist — A San Fernando Valley girl and high-school freshman, Libby Madrigal is, like most teens, mortified by her family. Older brother Rif smokes on the sly, little brother Dirk drools, her mom is loud, fat, and relentlessly cheerful, their ancient Chihuahua yips constantly and poops in front of boys Libby likes, and her dad is an abusiv... more »e alcoholic whose disease is tearing their family apart. This is a somewhat disconcerting but ultimately effective look at alcoholism within a family. The initial lighthearted tone alternates with screaming parental fights and tense family meals, but the narrative eventually settles into the darker reality of Libby's despair and anger as her father's many failures force the family to move, to get counseling, and to begin the road back to some sort of functionality. The cover photo of a cringing Chihuahua with a huge lipstick kiss emphasizes the light side; readers anticipating comedy may be in for a shock.« less
ISBN-13: 9780060722081 ISBN-10: 0060722088 Pages:256 Reading Level: Young Adult Rating:
A fine first novel. The portrayal of a family's struggle in dealing with a father's alcoholism is touching. The ending is a bit rushed, but doesn't take away from the story. Recommended.