Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Saccharine-sweet romantic tragedy for escapist fans only.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
Based on 13 kid reviews
Kids say that this book is a deeply emotional read that combines romance and drama, making it both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Many reviewers highlighted the strong character development, the impactful themes of love and loss, and the ability of the story to evoke intense feelings, including tears, while also conveying uplifting messages about life.
- emotional depth
- character development
- love and loss
- uplifting themes
- tear-jerker
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
A THOUSAND BOY KISSES is the story of the love shared by Poppy and Rune, who meet and instantly fall in love at the age of 5, when Rune moves in next door to Poppy. They aren't romantic about it until they're 8, when Poppy's grandmother charges her with documenting 1,000 heart-bursting kisses from her true love, and Poppy and Rune promise that their lips are only for each other, forever. Everything's wonderful, and many kisses are documented in the mason jar full of hearts Poppy's grandmother gave her, until when they're 15 and Rune's family has to move out of the country. The young couple are heartbroken, of course, but a few months after he moves away, Poppy ghosts Rune, and for the next two years he knows absolutely nothing about her. Until he and his family move back in next door to Poppy and her family. After two years of agonizing heartbreak, can they love each other again?
Is It Any Good?
This is a cloyingly sweet romantic tragedy that fans who enjoy an escape from reality may find swoon-worthy. But A Thousand Boy Kisses is not for those looking for realistic characters in believable situations. The dialogue between the young couple is a bit formal and stilted, with an emphasis on possession ("you're mine," "I'm yours," etc.) that just doesn't ring true. The premise of an 8-year-old promising a dying grandmother to collect 1,000 heart-bursting kisses is equally hard to believe and adds a completely unneeded race-against-time element to a story with—spoiler alert—a main character whose days are already numbered.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the importance of kissing in A Thousand Boy Kisses. Is it realistic that it starts so young? Does kissing need to be in a romance novel? Why, or why not?
Does reading about romance affect your ideas, dreams, or expectations about your own romantic life? How? Are the effects positive or negative?
Why are romances so popular? What do we love about them? What are some of your favorites?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Bloom Books
- Publication date : August 29, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 313
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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