January 3, 2012
Available from Walker Childrens
Trade Paperback: ISBN 9780802723185
Hardcover: ISBN 9780802723581
Four Best Friends…
Piper, Cassidy, Mei and Izzy are the misfits of Paris, Texas. Too artsy, too determined, too smart and too hip to fit in with the rest of their classmates, they’ve spent most of their sixteen years determined to escape the stifling fishbowl of life in their small Texas town.
One Mean Girl…
Enter Germaine Stewart, mean girl extraordinaire and undisputed queen of Paris High School. Head cheerleader and girlfriend of the coolest guy in school, she’s made it her life’s mission to torture Piper and her friends…a mission that leads, among other things, to Piper kissing a pig in front of the entire school—in her underwear.
Ten Million YouTube Hits…
When the Kiss the Pig video hits YouTube and Facebook there’s nowhere in the entire state of Texas—or America—that Piper can hide. Desperate to escape the pig noises that follow her every waking moment, she becomes an exchange student to the real Paris. Only her friends can’t let her go alone and soon Piper, Mei and Cassidy are heading to different countries for the adventures of their lives, while Izzy is stuck at home.
The International Kissing Club Facebook Page…
To make their time abroad more interesting—the girls form the International Kissing Club, a Facebook fan page where they record each boy they kiss while abroad—or at home, in Izzy’s case (one point for a regular kiss, three for a “transcendent” one).
Too Many Kisses to Count…
But while each girl meets a guy who curls her toes, their twelve weeks on their own teach them a lot more about themselves and their friendship than they ever expected.
Read an Excerpt
“So, I’ve been thinking about the whole Facebook page. Do we have all the rules for the International Kissing Club laid out?”
“I’m pretty sure,” Cassidy said. “I mean, how hard is it? Kiss a boy, get a point.”
“Don’t forget the three points for a really good kiss,” Izzy added.
“Can I just say how much I absolutely love that?” Piper commented. “Three points for a transcendent kiss.”
Cassidy coughed. “Transcendent? I’m not expecting an out-of-body experience, Pipes. It’s just a kiss.”
“Just wait,” Izzy said. “When you get a really great kiss, you’ll thank us.”
“Absolutely!” Piper said. “I can’t wait!”
Mei scrolled through their page, until she found the rules, then asked, “Are there bonus points?”
“Bonus points?” Cassidy asked incredulously. “For what?”
“I don’t know. I just thought I’d ask.”
“Of course there are bonus points!” Piper nearly bounced out of her seat as an idea occurred to her. “You get five extra points if you kiss two different guys in the same week. Ten if you kiss three.”
“Three guys in a week?” Cassidy shook her head. “I thought you were trying to escape Germaine, not become her.”
“Oh, Please,” she said. “I think I have a little more class than that.”
“I don’t know,” Mei said. “You kiss that many guys, things are bound to get messy pretty fast.”
“Right,” agreed Izzy. “I think we should get bonus points for kissing the same guy twice, too. Or five times. Whatever.”
“Why would you want to waste your ten weeks abroad kissing the same guy when the world is filled with super-hotties?”
“Amazingly, Piper, there are many other things to do in Europe besides kiss hot guys,” Mei said with a shake of her head.
“I know that. It’s not like I’m planning on kissing 24/7. But what’s the point of getting stuck with the same guy for ten weeks? This is probably our only trip out of Paris before graduation and I don’t plan on wasting a second of it.”
“I think Piper’s right,” Cassidy said out of the blue.
“You do?” Izzy asked, incredulously.
“Absolutely. I definitely have no plans to get serious with a guy. Do you two?”
“What would be the point? We’re going to be there less than a semester,” said the eminently practical Mei.
Piper leaped on her friend’s words. “Exactly! That’s what I’m saying. We only get points for kisses from new guys.” She giggled. “I can’t wait.”
“I think I’ve figured out your going away present,” Cassidy smirked. “I’m getting you a giant box full of Chapsticks.”
The Official Rules and Guidelines for the International Kissing Club
- Kiss and be kissed often
- One point per kiss. Three points if it really makes you shiver…
- Bonus points: Five points for two guys in one week and ten points for three
- Kiss and tell