Lips Touch: Three Times: Laini Taylor: Young Adult Fantasy Review

Book: Lips Touch: Three Times
Author: Laini Taylor (blog)
Illustrator: Jim Di Bartolo
Pages: 272
Age Range: 12 and up 

Background: When I reviewed Laini Taylor's Silksinger, I included an extensive disclosure of my background with Laini, so I'll not repeat that here. Suffice it to say that Laini is a friend from past Kidlitosphere conferences. I want her books to do well because I like her as a person. But I love her books and enjoy reading them because she's an amazing writer. An important distinction.

Review: Lips Touch: Three Times is a collection of three short stories (or perhaps novelettes would be more accurate - the longest is about 135 pages). All three are paranormal romances, united by the fact that a kiss plays a major role in each story.

In the first story, Goblin Fruit, a human teen named Kizzy is targeted by, lured by, a goblin. In the second story, Spicy LIttle Curses, a girl is cursed at birth with a voice so beautiful that it will kill anyone who hears it. In the third and longest story, Hatchling, a human girl escapes from imprisonment by demons, only to find, years later, her daughter at risk. Although all of the stories feature supernatural elements, each story is largely about romance and longing and what people will do, and risk, for those they love.

All three stories have an old-fashioned feel. They are dark, like un-Disneyfied fairy tales, populated by goblins and devils, set in exotic locales. There is suspense over the fate of each character, and heartbreak over evils that have already befallen them. These stories will keep teens eagerly turning the pages.

There are also universal elements that will resonate with modern teens. Particularly in the first story, in which Kizzy is targeted by goblins because of her yearning to be pretty. She hates herself, and wishes that she could be part of the mainstream at her school, rather than an outsider from an odd family.

But what makes Lips Touch special is the sheer brilliance of Laini Taylor's prose. All three stories are filled with lyrical, descriptive passages. It's the kind of writing that makes you stop and think "Wow! How does she do that?". She clearly loves words. Here are my favorite examples from each story:

"She opened her eyes. A swan feather drifted past her face, twirled when her breath caught it, sat up, blinked again. The room was asift with swan feathers. They were settling to the floor as if she had just missed the strange storm that had deposited them here." (Page 42, Goblin Fruit)

"Down in Hell, the Englishwoman known in Jaipur as "the old bitch" was taking tea with a demon. She was silver-haired, straight-backed, and thin-lipped, with a stare that could shoot laughter from the air like game birds. She was not at all liked by her countrymen, but even they would have been shocked to see her here." (Page 70, the opening passage to Spicy Little Curses)

"They were both small and beautiful with long, long hair as red as persimmons. They laughed alike and moved alike, and they thought the same thoughts as completely as if a butterfly traveled back and forth between their minds, bearing ideas on its legs like pollen." (Page 146, first page of Hatchling).

I mean, "asift with swan feathers"? Thoughts traveling back and forth like a butterfly? Amazing stuff!

Lips Touch is also a physically gorgeous book. Each story begins with a wordless graphical overview of the tale, with drawings by Jim Di Bartolo (Laini's husband). Jim's drawings are lush, brooding, and darkly beautiful, the perfect complement to Laini's prose. The headers and page numbers on each page are rendered in a burnt orange color, reminiscent of the flames from the eye-catching cover. This is a small thing, but one that speaks to the publisher's investment in the book. (An investment that paid off -- Lips Touch was a short list title for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature (see Laini's recap of the event here).)

Lips Touch is not to be missed by fans of fantasy or romance, teens and adults. It's a book that casts a spell over the reader, drawing him or her into worlds that feel real, yet are light-years away from ordinary. Highly recommended, and an excellent holiday gift for high-school girls.

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Publication Date: October 1, 2009
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher
Other Blog Reviews: Book Nut, Colleen Mondor, and Becky's Book Reviews (see lots of other reviews linked at Becky's). See also Shelf Elf's interview with Laini from the Winter Blog Blast Tour

© 2009 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. All Amazon links in this post are affiliate links, and may result in my receiving a small commission on purchases (with no additional cost to you).

Comments

[PJ Hoover]

Okay, second comment today, but I really enjoyed this one. I especially loved the whole concept of the last story. I would have loved to see an entire novel in this world.
And so pretty.

[Jen Robinson]

Nice to know someone's reading, on this quiet Sunday, Tricia. I'm not usually a short story person at all - but I couldn't resist this one, and I'm quite glad I read it. I agree - the concept of the last story was fascinating - I didn't want to talk about it too much, because I think it's fun for the reader to figure out what's going on, but I thought it was very creative.

[Kim Kasch]

Jim and Laini are wonderful people from Portland !!!

And who wouldn't love a magical story such as Lips Touch?

Great review.

[Mary Ann]

You captured this book so well, and it's not an easy book to convey in a nutshell.

I absolutely agree - Laini is a brilliant writer, who drew me into these fascinating worlds and situations, using beautiful, poetic writing. I was also amazed at how she interwove folktales, Hindu religious beliefs and historical settings.

My question: how do you think 8th graders will react to this? I think they'll be drawn to it, but will they be able to make sense of it?

[Jen Robinson]

Thanks for the feedback, Kim and Mary Ann. And I think you captured much of the feel of the book with "interwove folktales, Hindu religious beliefs and historical settings."

As for 8th graders, I think it would be worth a try. Kids are pretty sharp these days. I'd start them out with the first story and see how that goes, and then move on to the other two. I think that the first one is the most accessible for teens.

[Melissa (Book Nut)]

The sheer brilliance of her prose? Totally with you there. Laini is a brilliant writer. Great review.

[Jen Robinson]

Thanks, Melissa!

[the1stdaughter]

I have seen this around so much, and to be honest the cover really turned me away. Besides that I hadn't read any reviews that made me want to run out and pick it up, until yours. Thanks so much for the well written review! I think I will pick it up on my next trip to the library.

[Jen Robinson]

I'm so glad to hear that, 1stdaughter. I hope you like it! Thanks for taking time to let me know that the review helped.