Don't Kiss the Messenger

The Hook: Bryn unknowingly borrows from a classic play when she enlists CeCe, her snarky and unfortunately scarred teammate to help her land the hottest guy in school.  But CeCe’s words speak more to Emmett’s soul than whatever small talk Bryn can manage, and soon all three are caught in a confusing web of their own making.  CeCe knows that the big scar on her face practically guarantees that no boy will ever look at her the was Emmett (and every other male in school) looks at Bryn, but she can’t help wishing he’d realize it’s her text and emails he finds so fascinating…
 
The Verdict:  I absolutely LOVE this book!  Initially, I didn’t have a lot of hope for it.  In the past few days, I’d finished one of the best YA romances I’ve ever read, and that usually doesn’t bode well for the next couple of books I read.  But Don’t Kiss the Messenger by Katie Ray certainly surprised me.

First, I happen to love Cyrano de Bergerac (the play, not the historical figure).  I even enjoyed Roxanne, the somewhat silly modern movie adaptation of it.  It was that mention of CdB that prompted me to request a copy of Don’t Kiss the Messenger, and I’m sooooo glad I did!

CeCe’s face was disfigured in a terrible car accident when she was a kid, so she’s really never experienced romance first-hand.  She’s got plenty of friends, she’s a star on her volleyball team, and she’s smart as a whip.  But having a really obvious scar on her face through all her teenage years has meant the boys aren’t exactly lining up for her.  Emmett is the newly transferred football star and arguably the hottest guy on campus.  But he’s a bit of a brainiac as well, devoted to playing piano and composing music, and he’s intrigued by CeCe.  But like every other guy in school, he’s also drooling over Bryn, the drop-dead gorgeous teammate on CeCe’s volleyball team.

Bryn’s few brain cells go numb any time she’s around Emmett, so she begs advice from CeCe and enlists her help in talking to him — via text, of course, like any high school girl these days.  CeCe’s reluctant but gets roped in, and before she knows it, she’s pretty much helped Bryn hoodwink the guy who’s become a good friend to her.  And the more CeCe learns about Emmett, the more she falls for him.  Surprisingly, Don’t Kiss the Messenger isn’t all “woe is me” about CeCe’s scar, though it’s made clear that it’s very conspicuous, and some of the students attempt to make fun of her for it.  But CeCe’s also pretty comfortable with who she is, and she doesn’t let the idiots get her down.  What does get her down, though, is Emmett’s fawning over Bryn, a walking reminder that CeCe is not and will never be “the pretty one.”  Hell, at this point, she’d probably settle for just being “the plain one.”

I wanted to dislike Bryn immediately, especially since it seemed she was braindead half the time. But she really wasn’t a bad person; she just wasn’t at all right for Emmett, and it’s hard to dislike even the beautiful girl when she gets so nervous around a hot guy that she can’t think straight.  By no stretch of the imagination is Bryn super intelligent, but I got the feeling she just wasn’t interested in much more than pop culture and hot boys.  And while not ideal, that’s not exactly uncommon when it comes to teenage girls, is it?  She seemed to have a good heart, considered CeCe her friend almost instantly, and just enjoyed being pretty enough to get guys’ attention.  That’s certainly not a crime.

I was hooked on this book from the moment Emmett stood up to introduce “Sparkles” to the class, and the more his friendship with CeCe developed, the more I loved them both.  They spoke in song lyrics and literature quotes, and it wasn’t just a few phrases thrown in to make them sound cool.  They were truly geeks about what they loved, and even though Emmett though the words he was falling in love with were Bryn’s, it was pretty clear that he was falling for the friend he hung out and studied with as well.  They didn’t fall completely into geekdom, either.  Instead, they were in many ways just normal teens who obsessed a little about things they loved and wanted to be themselves.

The only thing I didn’t like about the story is that we got a little peek into a hot and heavy moment with a guy that turned out to be a mistake for CeCe, as well as some hormone-fueled musings from Emmett about swimming with Bryn.  It was all considerably clean for a romance, which is perfect for something aimed at a YA audience, but we really only got one heated kiss once things came together like they needed to.  I wasn’t looking for these two to rush things or head into adult romance territory, and I’m really glad things stayed PG, but I wish Katie Ray hadn’t made those moments the only ones like that in the book.  CeCe felt so long just knowing that boys weren’t really attracted to her, at least not when they were sober and in well-lit rooms, so it would have been nice to get some little peek into a moment between CeCe and Emmett like they’d each had with other people.

If you hated Cyrano de Bergerac, or the Life of an Expert Swordsman or Roxanne movies, this probably isn’t the book for you.  You’ll spend half the time wanting to scream because Roxane Emmett doesn’t realize Cyrano CeCe is the beautiful mind and heart behind Christian’s Bryn’s lovely face, and you’ll wonder how teenagers grow up to do anything worthwhile.  But if you’re a fan of classic lit and modern, teenage geeky-cool love, this just might be the perfect book for you.  And if I’m deciphering things correctly, it looks like this is just the first of a few books focused on the kids at Edgelake High School, so I’ve got my fingers crossed that there will be more romances to come. (And I would KILL for Tuba's story of finding love!)

This review will not be publicly posted until March 29.

CeCe Edmonds is used to people not being able to see past the disfiguring scar that runs down the side of her face. She's used to the staring, the pointing, and the taunting. To protect herself she's hidden behind a thick emotional armor and a witty talent for self-deprecation. She spends so much time focusing on her classes and her varsity volleyball team at her prep school, Edgelake, in Madison, Wisconsin that she can almost forget that she never gets asked out on dates and guys usually don't want more than a hook-up from her. Almost.

Enter the incredibly hot new quarterback, Emmett, who captures CeCe's attention while playing classical music while CeCe is on her way to class. Emmett first lays eyes on the bold girl with the scar when he arrives late to his Shakespeare English class and he doesn't seem at all bothered by the scar. Could Emmett finally be the guy who could look past CeCe's scar and appreciate the girl underneath?

CeCe doubts it because when Emmett spots Bryn, the Volleyball team's newest member and Edgelake's other new transfer student he instantly is attracted to her model-like looks and CeCe casts herself into the role of matchmaking best friend. But Emmett is looking for more than good looks, he wants someone he can talk to as well, and Bryn enlists CeCe's help to break the ice. 

Like a modern-day Cyrano de Bergerac, CeCe swoops in and soon she's exchanging emails and texts with Emmett, pretending to be Bryn. CeCe quickly learns that Emmett is anything but a dumb jock and he could be just the guy she's been waiting for all this time. But Emmett thinks he's falling for Bryn - who sounds witty in her emails but acts completely different in person. Will Emmett figure out who he's really talking to? And if he does, can he look past CeCe's looks and actually love her for herself? Or will CeCe lose the first guy she's been able to be carefree with? The guy she's starting to love?

When I first picked up Don't Kiss the Messenger I was expecting a light, breezy, quick read but it is so much more than that. It's a breathtaking story about learning to love yourself and people looking past exterior beauty to get to know the person inside. 

This book had me laughing out loud one moment and nearly crying the next because of how raw and relatable it is. Anyone who's ever thought themselves to have any sort of flaw will be able to see pieces of themselves in CeCe and be rooting for her the whole way through. Emmett was an amazing character, the rare type of guy that you hope actually exist in real life. And Bryn - OMG, I loved Bryn! She was the ditzy friend I always wished I had! 

Overall, I loved everything about this book. The writing was absolutely beautiful! Perhaps it caught me at precisely the right moment, the moment I needed a story like this most. This is definitely a feel good book and I'm so glad I got to read it!

I received a copy of this book from netgalley for review.

What I loved most about this book was CeCe.   Her intelligence and strength covered how vulnerable and sweet she really was.  I know she was guarded because of her scar, but I do believe it made her who she was.  I loved Emmett, too.  Bryn made me crazy.  I know I was probably supposed to like her, but she was shallow and clueless.  Not my favorite qualities.

I loved the music and the writing in this book.  The chapter with the chemistry experiments was my favorite.  

This quote really stood out to me: "But if you think about it, science and music are pretty similar," she said.  "They're both just mixing different elements together, hoping to make a new discovery.  Something fresh.  Something inspiring.  Or maybe it's just and answer to a question."   I'm definitely going to be reading more books from the author.

I loved this story. It felt real, with a good pace and an amazing plot that kept me reading to the point where I devoured the book in one sitting. I loved the characters: they were realistic, raw, so intelligent and I would love to have them as friends. Good writing, good cast, good chemistry, I enjoyed it a lot!

I loved this modern day take on Cyrano de Bergerac. The writing is stellar, the characters jumped off the page, and Katie Ray captured the true essence of what it's like to be a teen with unrequited love. Highly recommend this book. Can't wait to buy it and discuss it in our mother-daughter book club.

A modern version of "Cyrano de Bergerac" that will have readers swooning. Heroine CeCe Edmonds has lived with a disfiguring scar on her face since she and her mother were in a car accident. The scars on her confidence and psyche are less noticeable than the scar on her face but just as impactful. She's lived her life feeling as if everyone is judging her and thinking less of her because she feels she isn't beautiful or perfect with the scar marring her face. When new kid and new quarterback of the football team, Emmett Brady, enters her life CeCe is intrigued. Her hopes are seemingly dashed when Brady shows interest in the hot and beautiful transfer student, Bryn DeNeuville. Cece's fear that beauty is all that matters in life and love seems to be confirmed when Brady starts pursuing Bryn. Bryn is beautiful and a talented athlete but fairly shallow. She thinks Brady is hot but she gets tongue tied around him and asks CeCe to help her communicate with him via text and email messages. Will helping Bryn win Brady's heart mean losing her own? Readers will be eager to find out. Definitely recommend!