Collect Kisses and Hearts

Spoiler Alerts: A couple of quotes and attempts to dissect some of the scenes in the book. Read at your own discretion.

Kiss Collector by Wendy Higgins is such an adorable, quirky read that left my heart feeling like it was a marshmallow over a campfire.
"I'm taking back my life, one kiss at a time" (Higgins 76). (For those unfamiliar with MLA formatting its the author's last name and the page number.)
It is astounding reading Zae's growth as a person throughout the novel, and in a way, she does take her life back while also having it spiral out of control at the same time. I just love that quote because it signifies what Zae thinks she needs to do to take back control after her boyfriend cheats and her parents' marriage unravels around her.
And y'all should read page 306 middle paragraph and try to not act all girly like I did upon reading it. There are so many significant parts in the novel that I cannot find at the time, but you should read this book.
I loved watching each character grow and reading them fall in love while Zae was still struggling with her male angst. Not like I begrudge Zae and her unfortunate moments, but it was fascinating seeing how they react, and I mean seeing because I could picture it so clearly in my head especially the country concert scene with the girls flirting with the cowboys from afar.
I wish my high school were like that, but I was lucky to keep any friends I made because it turns out girls can be really catty with each other sometimes, and I wound up being the one who got the short end of the stick.
This novel is phenomenal, and I am jealous of Zae's and her friends' relationships with each other and how they always found a way back to each other. I also adore that it is not a vast book where the cheerleader gets everything handed to her in the story and Zae had to work for everything she got, in the end, no matter how terrified it made her.
My only critique was that there was a lot of crying going on in the novel.
But y'all should read it and trust me when I say that it is worthy of every read because I cannot stand contemporary novels and this was one of those I need it for the cover book.
I could have finished it in one day if I had not tried to make it my going to the college travel book.
5 out of 5 stars.