Kiss, Date, Love, Hate by Luisa Plaja

Synopsis:

What if you could change your friends' lives and loves through the settings of a computer game...?

Lex Murphy's group of friends have all dated, hated, ignored and lusted after each other for the last few years. If only there was a way of matching people perfectly to avoid all the unrequited love, dumping and drama! Then Lex's friend George is given a mysterious Sims-like game by his software-testing dad which involves building character profiles in the categories of Life, Looks and Love. Lex and George populate the game with avatars for all their mates, making a few 'wishful thinking' adjustments to the settings - and find that the next day these tinkerings have come true! But how long can this new calm, loved-up atmosphere continue?

Review:

OK, it's official. My favourite book by Luisa Plaja has been replaced by this one! I love everything about it. The comedy, romance, magic, mystery. Over the period of time I read this it I couldn't stop. This involved lots of late nights and homework with no effort, but it was worth it... :D

Lex Murphy feels like she doesn't fit in. Her world is falling apart around her - her boyfriend, Matt, left her for her worst enemy, her best friend is deserting her for schoolwork and nobody understands her. Apart from Drew, the mysterious bad boy. But she wants Matt back, right? Just as more problems delve into Lex's life, her friend George introduces her to a new video game. At first they play around with their avatars: for example; they make Lex's hair longer, make all the girls swoon for George, and - best of all - Lex can get revenge.
  Lex and George wake up the next day and find out that all their changes have come true. As perfect and exciting as it all seems, they begin to regret it.

I think all the ideas in this novel are very unique and the ending is very unpredictable. In some chapters I am laughing my head off and in some I want to tear the book apart (but then stick it back together of course).

All the characters are brilliant. The difference between them all make all the different relationships interesting. Which leads onto another thing.. love triangles! I could go on for ages about how all the relationships are amazing and gripping but then I'd be writing pages....! They are relateable and I particularly liked the nerdiness involved in this book for some reason. This is probably for the fact that I love films and the whole concept of them. My only criticism of the characters is the number - there are lots of characters of which some only say a few lines. In my opinion, I think they were quite pointless. I also don't know which four characters are on the cover - Lex, Drew George, Gemma? Lex, Drew, Matt, Jess? Hmm...

Another of my favourite things about this book is the brilliant message it sends out to a lot of teenagers. At some point in our lives, almost everyone has wanted to change something about the way they look. I know several girls at my school that think they're ugly and fat so slaver layers of make-up on themselves. At the end of the book, Lex learns to accept the way she is. Even though we may not want to admit it, we have all wanted something different with our life and Luisa has grabbed that concept and drawn it into an amazing book.

I 100% definitely recommend this book. I would happily read it again and again and I am sure I speak for many. All of Luisa's books are perfect for any kind of teenage girl - she tops it every time.

RATE: 5/5

Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Publication date: 2nd February 2012

Pages: 278

Edition: Paperback

Source: Gift
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