Kiss It

Juno's spunky voice, crossed with Garden State's search for self.

Chastity is a high school senior with nowhere to go but up and out of her nothing town. The guys in Milton are either nasty or pitiful, and Chaz wants to expand her possibilities... and break away from her parents and their small town notions.

One night at the beginning of Christmas break, a guy comes into the restaurant where Chaz works, and catches Chaz's eye. He's mysterious, different (no Carhartt contractor jacket!), and above all, sexy. His name is Sebastian, and he's staying with his dad for the holidays. Chaz's interest in Sebastian is at first purely sexual (Chaz is not a technical virgin, but she has yet to do it in any real way, and she unabashedly wants to with Seb), but over winter break, he will change Chaz's life. He helps her come to terms with her dad's newly-diagnosed cancer and her best friend's accidental pregnancy, and opens the door for Chastity's entrance into very real sex.

Kiss It combines elements of Garden State or Juno with American Pie: It's a smart, funny, and empowering coming-of-age story about sex, relationships, and the unexpected thrills of regular life.

About The Author

Erin Downing is a one-time book editor who now works at Nickelodeon. She spent a few months as a cookie inventor (but had to quit after she ate too many). Erin has lived in England, Sweden, and New York City, and now resides in her native Minnesota.