Monday, 5 April 2010

Great YA Kisses

The fabulous ShabbyGeek asked me to write a post about my favourite scenes in YA. I considered it and it just didn't seem possible. Too many books swim in and out of my head for me to pin any one scene down. Instead I thought I would present my three favourite snogs in YA. Please add your own as I am always partial to some YA romance.

In no particular order:

MELINA MARCHETTA's Jellicoe Road
"When I turn around, he cups my face in his hands and he kisses me so deeply that I don't know who is breathing for who, but his mouth and tongue taste like warm honey. I don't know how long it lasts, but when I let go of him, I miss it already."
The tension that exists between Taylor and Jonah is intense to a degree that will seep into your blood stream and shake you to your core. Jonah is my favourite male character in YA...bar none. He's a fantastic love interest but Jellicoe Road would be a great tale even if it were presented from his point of view. He's a no nonsense, testosterone fuelled, loyal guy who says wonderful things like this -
'I'm here because of you. You're my priority. Your happiness, in some f*%$ed way, is tuned in to mine. Get that through your thick skull. Would I like it any other way? Hell, yes, but I don't think that will be happening in my lifetime.'
It's not poetry but it's swoon worthy.

SIMONE ELKELES' Perfect Chemistry

This title is fresh in my mind as I read it last week. Nobody can argue that the sexual tension and longing that permeates this novel isn't incredible. The kiss is highly charged, hot, steamy and toe curling good.

From garage make outs to car make outs, the reader is hooked into the fiery combination of Brittany and Alex with scary intent.

JENNIFER ECHOLS' Going Too Far

I've always wondered about the whole reasoning that a man in uniform is hot. I didn't really get it....until John After. Never has a police car seemed like such a good place to snog a guy. Meg and John's simmering attraction and witty repartee leads to some great kissing. One snog in particular happens on a beach and will forever be ingrained in my psyche.

I have to add that a great snog is in great part about the great chemistry between the two characters. What are your favourite YA snogs?

11 comments:

Tye said...

Great post!

Possibly my favorite ever snog that sticks in my head is the not quite kiss between Nora and Patch in Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush. I have edited out bits because its too long but it begins on page 126 through to page 128.

"Suddenly he lifted me onto the counter. My face was level with his. He fixed me with a dark inviting smile...I scooted to the edge of the counter, my legs dangling one either side of him. Something was telling me to stop-but I swept that voice to the far back of my mind. He spread his hands on the counter, just outside my hips. Tilting his head to one side, he moved closer. His scent, which was all damp dark earth, overwhelmed me...'You should go,' I breathed. 'You should definately go.' 'Go here?' His mouth was on my shoulder. 'Or here?' It moved up my neck. My brain couldn't process one logical thought. Patch's mouth was roaming north, up over my jaw, gently sucking at my skin...."

Of course then her phone rings and the moment is lost...BUT. Sigh. I loved this scene.

That and the scene on the lawn at Wayland Manor in City of Ashes... :)

Audrey; (AyC) said...

I've read all these books, and have to admit, the one in Jellicoe takes the cake. Maybe cause (I feel) Jellicoe Road has more substance, and thus the kiss was used to further enrich the story, while in PC and going too Far, 85-ish% of the novel is sexual tension.
Or maybe it's because Jellicoe is one of my favourite books ever. =P

And I agree with you on Jonah Griggs. I loved that quote of his, it's just so... him.

great post :) Excellent choices!

LovesSam said...

You just made me want to read On The Jellicoe Road so much more badly than I already do, because that kissing scene is HOT.

And yes, Going Too Far made me realise the fascination a lot of people seem to have with boys in uniform. Plus, like you said, the thing for me that makes the kiss that much more hotter is because when they are so fleshed out and real you feel like you've invested your time in them, and actually want good things like love to happen to them.

One kiss that sticks in my mind is the kiss between Regina and Micheal in Some Girls Are. I think because you can't quite figure it the lust between them is fuelled by hate, or understanding, or affection, you just know that this intense thing is happening. Those kind of kisses give me goosebumps.

Also, the kiss between Kaniss and Gale was so not that hot and hardly anyone can remember it, but even if I can't recall the details, I know it happened. And I care because I want them to be together, even though they are lacking in some serious steamy action, I want them to kiss because they have to be together.

If that makes any sense at all :-)

Pam said...

Oh I haven't read any of these. Feels a bit out of the loop!

Ladybug said...

I loved this post so much I could kiss it LOL

I haven't read any of this novels so I really need to to find out if the kissing scenes really is as good as you say :)

emilyandherlittlepinknotes.com said...

I love this kind of posts and I often decide my reading lists based on them. Perfect Choice! I really enjoyed those three kissing scenarios. I absolutely adore the Diary of a Crush trilogy by Sarra Manning, first kiss it goes like this:
"Then he surprised me by pushing the camera away and kissing me.
I knew then that nothing else mattered because I wanted to die from Dylan's kisses. He did things to my mouth that made me realise what it was for. All the time I'd been using it to eat and talk and blow bubbles from wads of Hubba Bubba and instead its sole purpose in life was to be the place where Dylan's tongue stroked along my teeth and the insides of my cheeks and danced with mine"

Brenny said...

All of these books are now on my list. I've been lurking on your site for about a week and my 'Too Read' list has grown exponentially. How wonderful to find a website dedicated to YA reads. Love it.

For my kissing scene contribution, I'm adding an encounter that has stuck with me for years -- Scott and Jen in Meg Cabot's Teen Idol. From the intense camp fire talk, to walking into the woods discussing books, to the first kiss, to tasting marshmallows -- it's stuck with me. Considering some of the reads discussed here, the book is pretty fluffy and innocent, but that scene for some reason stuck with me.

Angiegirl said...

Well, you know I agree wholeheartedly with all three of your choices. *swoon* I'm thinking it's time to re-read JELLICOE ROAD for the first time. I always savor that first re-read. :)

And LovesSam, that is a great call with the kiss from SOME GIRLS ARE. So, so very much good...

I'd add Alanna & George from Tamora Pierce's Lioness series, Lennie & Joe Fontaine from THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE and Seth & Ash from WICKED LOVELY.

GreenBeanTeenQueen said...

Elizabeth Scott writes great kissing scenes. There are many swoon-worthy moments in her books. Meg Cabot is also good, but it depends on how much I like the characters.

PC and GTF are both very sexy reads. I'd also vote for the pretend kissing but really I'm saving you scene from Hearts at Stake with Lucy and Nicholas.

Fer said...

One of my favorite kissing scenes is in North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley. Terra and Jacob finally kiss 3/4 through the book and it's magic, especially the description of how he cradles her face. *sigh*

A.J. said...

Still need to read Perfect Chemistry & Going too Far, but omg Jonah & Taylor... *¬*