A Thousand Boy Kisses

‘Rune pressed a kiss just below my ear and whispered, “Sleep, baby. I got you.” And he did. He had me. Just like I had him.’ Yet another genre and yet another winner from the supremely talented and versatile Tillie Cole. Not just a winner, but now our favourite of all her books and that’s no easy feat considering we have loved everything this author has written. From the funny to the gritty, from the emotional to the uncomfortable, we’re convinced there is NOTHING this lady can’t write and both agree when we say this is THE most beautiful, emotional and stunningly written love story we’ve ever read. This book is as special as special can be. ‘Kiss eight hundred and nineteen was the kiss that changed it all. The kiss that proved that a long-haired brooding boy from Norway and a quirky girl from the Deep South could find a love to rival the greats. It showed that love was simply the tenacity to make sure that the other half of your heart knew he, or she, was adored in every way. In every minute of every day. That love was tenderness in its purest form.’ We’ve enjoyed books, we’ve been moved by books and we’ve cried over books but never and we mean NEVER have we been left so emotionally wrought yet so completely satisfied after finishing a story. We found ourselves talking, sobbing and reliving every exquisite moment, of which there were numerous. And so it was with swollen eyes and overflowing hearts that we chatted into the early hours of the morning never wanting to relinquish our feelings for Poppy and Rune. ‘She knew she had me, just as much as I had her. We were all we needed.’ There wasn’t a page that wasn’t highlighted as this book penetrated our souls and left us feeling so unbelievably thankful and privileged to have experienced this unforgettable story of love in its most beautiful, searing and epic form. A book such as A Thousand Boy Kisses doesn’t come along often, so when it does, we possessively hold each word in our hearts and treasure every single emotion as we did with Rune and Poppy’s story. This story encompasses everything that makes us passionate about reading. “I used to know a boy, a boy I loved with my whole heart, who lived for a single moment. Who told me that a single moment could change the world. It could change someone’s life. That one moment could make someone’s life, in that brief second, infinitely better or infinitely worse” Poppy Litchfield and Rune Kristiansen created a bond of friendship at five years old that would blossom into a love story to rival the greats. They truly were two parts of one heart in every sense of the word. Despite their tender years, their love was extraordinary and it was epic and there is no doubt this came across in Tillie’s story as we lived and breathed the enormity of their feelings. “I’m half a heart. This, who I am now, was due to a life devoid of you. This darkness, this anger, was born from you not being by my side. Poppymin. My adventurer. My girl.” Tillie Cole doesn’t have to force emotions from us, they are elicited spontaneously from the natural fluidity of her writing. This lady writes from the heart and not only were our tears falling freely on the pages, but we also felt hers in every word as she brought us the sweetest girl; an old soul with a perception of life that belied her years, and the brooding boy who moved into her street and into her heart. She taught him what it was to love and feel and together they created something that went beyond mere love. Breathtaking doesn’t begin to describe their story. Heartbreaking is an understatement. Uplifting doesn’t do it justice. There really are no words to do this story justice. “Maybe we’re like the cherry blossom, Rune. Maybe we loved too much too young and burned so bright that we had to fade out.’ From the innocence and exuberance of childhood to the confusion and pain of youth, we lived it all. We fought their battles and lived through joy and heartbreak with them yet we haven’t even scratched the surface of their story, you couldn’t imagine for one minute how this story plays out. We know we didn’t. ‘I was going to do this for her. I was going to do my damnedest to make her happy. I’d win her back. I’d win her back as the Rune I was now. There was no choice. This was us. This was our new adventure. ‘ Told in dual POV for optimum effect, there is so much to experience in A Thousand Boy Kisses and we cannot stress enough that you must go into this story spoiler free and experience it all as the author intended. Don’t ask, just feel. We do love YA stories however we know some readers evade this genre. To those readers we would urge you to still pick this book up. The nature of the story and the delivery from this author is well worth putting those thoughts aside to experience something so positively beautifu

As I sit here and think about the words accurate enough to describe how I feel about A Thousand Boy Kisses, I am positively stumped. Is this book amazing? Breathtaking and emotional? So beautifully-written I wish it hadn't ended? The answer is yes to all of the above but even those words can't describe the love and emotion Tillie Cole has written in this beautiful Young Adult novel. I typically don't read a lot of YA novels just because there are so many books out there to read but I'd always wanted to read a book by Tillie Cole and figured I would just take a chance on this one. My typical genres of books are contemporary romance, New Adult, and historical fiction but I've also read a handful of YA novels and I have to say this was one of my favorite YA books. While reading A Thousand Boy Kisses, I found myself thinking of John Green's "The Fault in Our Stars" and Nicholas Sparks' "A Walk to Remember," mostly because of the subject matter but also because of how emotional these books are written and how they teach us to live our lives to the fullest and love with our whole hearts. "'Maybe we're like the cherry blossom, Rune. Like shooting stars. Maybe we loved too much too young and burned so bright that we had to fade out.' She pointed behind us, to the blossom grove. 'Extreme beauty, quick death. We had this love long enough to teach us a lesson. To show us how capable of love we truly are.'" Poppy Litchfield is a five-year-old girl living in small-town Georgia when she meets Rune Kristiansen, a five-year-old boy whose family moves in next door from Norway. Within their first encounter, they are "best friends for infinity." Next we see Poppy and Rune at age eight when Poppy's mamaw (grandma) gives her the task of collecting one thousand boy kisses where her heart nearly bursts, writing each one down and putting them in a jar. We also see Poppy and Rune at age 15 but the majority of the book takes place when they are both 17 and have had a lot of changes and experiences that define their personalities and outlooks on life. No matter what, Poppy is still her happy, positive self and even with her devastating and life-changing news, she still manages to enjoy every minute of every day and experience joy in even the smallest of things. "'Because in that moment I experienced the love my mamaw sent me on this adventure of a thousand boy-kisses to find. That moment when you know that you are loved so much, that you are the center of somebody's world so wonderfully, that you lived...even if it was only for a short time.'" Even after writing this review, I still don't feel that I've accurately conveyed the beautiful love and emotion in this book. Some parts of the book are a bit slow but I feel that's the "lull" before the storm and the rest of the story is so emotionally-packed that it's so hard to put it down. If you choose to read this book, which I highly recommend, be sure you have a box of tissues with you because you will need them. Because this book is categorized as a young adult novel, the romance is very clean and understated. I loved this book so much that I'm already looking into purchasing other books by Tillie Cole. While reading this book, you will smile. You will feel sad. You will experience joy. You will cry. But, most of all, you will experience Poppy and Rune's once-in-a-lifetime teenage love where they share their one thousand kisses, moonbeam hearts and sunshine smiles.

Ma fille adore. Emballage soigné

I forgot how many boxes of tissues were wasted on this

Really moving book, that made my heart to pieces. The very sweet prologue immediately gave me a big smile, but then, in each chapter, I found something that made me cry. Because the story of Poppy and Rune is, first of all, the story of an epic love, of an all-encompassing, infinite, eternal love. It is the quintessential love story and it becomes difficult for anyone to compare. The story of Poppy and Rune begins when, at the age of 5, he moves to America with his family. Rune is a grumpy child, sad to have left Norway, his home and friends, but he just needs to meet his new neighbor, a very sweet little girl with a muddy dress, to find out how nice it will be to stay in Georgia. But it will be at the age of 8, when they are now two inseparable best friends, that their most important adventure begins, that of a lifetime. Poppy, at the suggestion of her adored grandmother, will have to fill a jar with a thousand hearts, one for each kiss she will give and will be given. But only the special kisses, the ones that will almost make her heart explode, will have to be inserted to become her best memories. And that's where Rune comes in, because she can't let, now or ever, anyone else kiss her Poppymin. It will be he and only he who will give her all the thousand kisses she deserves, and even more. It is no secret that this is a difficult story to read, extremely intense and shocking. And it is also true that, given the topics covered, it is not a story for everyone. As many assumptions can be made, however, the plot doesn't reveal much and I won't either, because it would mean ruining the pleasure of reading for those who haven't done it yet. But I also understand those who would like to be prepared, so my advice is to inform you first, if you are not sure you can tackle a certain type of reading. In any case, it will be an intense read for everyone, for better or for worse, because it is impossible to remain indifferent to a story that releases love and pain, joy and sadness on every page. And if someone manages not to let himself be touched, then don't tell me how he does it, because living a book so intensely is the most beautiful joy of reading. The ending is definitely the sore point, what most disagreed with the readers. I didn't share some details, that's for sure, but I'm also convinced that it's the right ending. Anything else wouldn't have truly done justice to the great love between Poppy and Rune. You may like it or not, but Tillie Cole has managed not to disappoint and to be daring at the same time, she has made the easy decision, but also the most difficult one. And even if this reading has left me swollen eyes, the lump every time I think about it and has taken a part of my heart that I will never get back, it is a book that I would read again for the first time without any doubt. I want to remember all the kisses, all the sweet words, all the romantic gestures and it will always remain a special book, like only what special things can be. And finally my heart burst.

Como describir este libro? La mejor lectura que he tenido este año. La forma en que se describe el amor infinito entre Poppy y Rune es algo que a muchos nos gustaría poder experimentar. Las interacciones entre los personaje y como se desarrollan cada uno, desde la relación Poppy- Rune hasta de de Rune con su familia, simplemente bello. Hubo muchas veces en que no podía continuar, era un mar de lágrimas que no podía ver lo que leía. El libro es muy emocional y si eres alguien como yo que fácilmente derrama lágrimas, te recomiendo sentarte con pañuelos a la mano.

So this is what it feels like to be broken into tiny, little pieces....Well done, Tillie Cole. Well done. I've learned during this read that I must be a masochist. That's the only explanation I have of why I would pick up a book that made every reader cry. Why I would continue reading after the first tears were spilled at only eleven pages in. But, as the masochist I am, I loved it. Despite the heartache, despite the pain this book caused, I couldn't and wouldn't stop. Honestly, it's not hard for books or movies to bring me to tears, but 'A Thousand Boy Kisses' by Tillie Cole was a whole new level. I cried for and with these fictional characters as if they were real people whom I know and love. I went fetal, wrecked by gut-wrenching sobs, drowning in my own tears. And yet, through the destruction of my heart, I felt love, hope and even happiness and joy. I was thrilled about the extra-ordinary love Poppy and Rune shared. I can't tell you much about the story without giving too much away. And I don't want that. Why should your heart break any less than mine? But what I can say is that despite all the sadness and tragedy, despite the pain and heart-ache, this book was nothing short of beautiful. It was life-affirming, sweet and while it wrecked havoc on my emotions, it was also heart-warming in its own way. Tillie Cole not only created characters whom I love, but she wrote a story of pure, intense and all-encompassing love. A love so deep and profound, it doesn't only change Poppy and Rune's life and who they are, but also touched and changed me too. Rune and Poppy meet when they are five and from that moment on they are inseparable. They are one. Instead of their love waning while growing up, it grows stronger, fiercer and deeper. And it's their love that carries them through, even when it's put to the biggest test. From the start of the book I was invested in their story. Rune and Poppy stole my heart. It's no easy feat to write characters in a way that makes me care about them so deeply. A way that allows fictional characters to have such a profound effect on my soul. Rune moves to Georgia from Norway with his parents at the age of five. Though solemn and broody, he is also incredibly sweet. Especially when it comes to Poppy. She's the one who brings out his lighter side and it was beautiful to witness. I loved the way he loved Poppy - completely, unapologetically, irrevocably. Even in his darkest moments, his love for Poppy shines. While being more closed off than Poppy, I still could feel every bit of the emotions churning inside of him. They consumed me along with him. Even thinking about it makes my eyes swim with tears. I've never broke down and fell apart alongside a character - until Rune. Beautiful, brooding Rune. I felt the same for Poppy. She is such a beautiful soul. Adventurous, optimistic and not only in love with Rune but with life. There wasn't a single thing about her I didn't love. She has a heart of gold, shedding light on anyone who comes in touch with her. No wonder Rune is so in love with her. She's gentle, kind and wise beyond her years. And she's able to reach Rune when noone else can. I admire her strength and ferocity. And I can't help but think that if I ever have to face any challenges similar to hers, I hope to do it with the grace and love she shows at all times. I dare you to read this and not fall in love with this amazing story. 6 as-special-as-special-can-be stars.