Paisley Hanover Kisses and Tells by Cameron Tuttle

Pleasant Hill High has probably never seen anything like Paisley Hanover or her snarky alter ego Miss UnPleasant. Whether she knows it or not, this girl is a mover and shaker—and she’s just turned the entire social scene at Pleasant Hill High upside down in her quest to defy the rules (both official and Un) by becoming sophomore class president. Of course, when things go a big haywire, Paisley needs a new plan of attack. Good thing she’s got some really good friends and a whole army of UnPops behind her. Together they’ll fight for justice and equality at Pleasant Hill high through a series of strange protests and creative pranks. Now if only Paisley could keep her mind on the prize instead of on those two gorgeous guys she’s crushing on, things would be perfect. Or not.

Paisley Hanover Kisses and Tells is, as Paisley would say, totally “hilario.” All of Paisley’s quirky comments, ridiculous ideas, and amusing distractions kept me giggling throughout the book. Everything about Paisley, and subsequently this book, is a bit manic. There is really no such thing as subtlety here; everything is done over the top, from the drama Paisley and her friends have to deal with to the smear campaign against Paisley to the sheer amount of OMGs. While this does make for a very entertaining read, it doesn’t, however, set it up to be very meaningful. Tuttle touches on a lot of interesting topics relevant to teens in her strange creation of Pleasant Hill High, such as staff favoritism (working both ways), the clash between the “popular” and “unpopular” people, reputation ruining scandals, and loyalty. She does not elaborate on these topics, though, choosing to merely mention them. For me, it felt that although Paisley and her UnPop friends were fighting for justice, it really never was served. And even if all this drama can be chalked up to high school in general, it makes me wonder what the point of this book really is. Don’t get me wrong: Paisley Hanover Kisses and Tells is a fun read, but serves more for light entertainment than anything else.

Although I haven’t read the Paisley Hanover Acts Out, the prequel to Paisley Hanover Kisses and Tells, I’m sure it’s as much as a laugh as this book is. I recommend this novel to fans of Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern, The ABC’s of Kissing Boys by Tina Ferraro, and So Not Happening by Jenny B. Jones.

Rating: 3.5

Review copy from publisher Penguin