For fans of Gone Girl ...

Where does Kiss Me First rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I've listened to a number of audiobooks and this fictional tale of suicide and deception was certainly different to my normal choice. However, I did enjoy slowly finding out what happened to Leila and Tess. The story was at the right pace for me, slowly revealing a bit more but not being bogged down in too much detail.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The most interesting parts were the lengths Leila and Tess went to in order to stop Tess's family from finding out the truth about her, I enjoyed the details that were given. The least interesting parts was some of the early details but once I got into the story I was hooked.

What does Imogen Church bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

By listening to the book I gained the different accents and the intonation that you don't get when you read it yourself. I thought the accents were good and they help when listening to the conversations between Leila and Tess.

Any additional comments?

In the review title I've likened this to Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Both books have a story about a disappearance told from different angles and the actual actions being slowly revealed to the reader. Personally I enjoyed this book but I could understand that the lightness in the way the subject of suicide is treated might not appeal to some people.

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Original story

What did you like most about Kiss Me First?

I really enjoyed listening to Kiss me first last summer.
The narrator had a pleasant voice and it felt true to the characters.
The story was gripping and kept me going until the end.
I have already recommended it to friends for its originality, it's well written. I wish there more entertaining books like this one.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Kiss Me First?

I really liked when the main character went to meet the guy at his work place and confronted him only to see that what you might get from behind the screen might not be what it really is in the real world.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

On the way to meet the man in the train. The main character sees the headline about the boss from the website who recruited her about him being on the run.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

That's a good question but I'm afraid I don't know.

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3 people found this helpful

A story with pathos

Leila is one of life's innocents, someone who doesn't quite fit in and sees life in her own way. Having recently lost her mother for whom she had been caring, she is drawn in to assuming an identity for someone who doesn't want her life anymore. This is the story of someone who lives too much on the internet, avoiding real human contact. I don't want to give too much of the story away, but you keep reading this book to find out what actually happened. The web gets more entangled but at the end it is left for you to decide. The book is well written and although at first I did not like the way the narrator was reading, I realised it was right for the character of Leila. I read this on holiday and it kept my interest well. Recommended.

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2 people found this helpful

Engaging and Fresh - a Thoroughly Modern Premise

Would you consider the audio edition of Kiss Me First to be better than the print version?

‘Kiss Me First’ is a thoroughly modern book centring on a girl called Leila, who is convinced by an internet cult leader to take over the online life of Tess, a suicidal woman who wants to disappear from the world without hurting her family. This might sound relatively fanciful, but in the skilled hands of debut author Lottie Moggach, the story becomes believable and engaging.

Of course there are fundamental questions about the plot – could this really happen? Wouldn’t your parents want to speak with you? Wouldn’t they experience exactly the same grief, just delayed? But ‘Kiss Me First’ is a work of fiction, and if one can just suspend their disbelief for a couple of days, it’s a very enjoyable work indeed.

The combination of a fresh, modern premise and a captivating, unique voice is a recipe for a spell-binding book. To my mind, Ms Moggach’s best skill is her character building. Leila is the very definition of an unreliable narrator; she is a lonely, fastidious figure with something of a social disability. Even from the little we see of her, we know Tess is impulsive and narcissistic. It is very easy to be drawn by them into the unusual but fascinating world of assisted suicide.

I listened to this book, so I was helped along the way by an excellent voice artist (Imogen Church), providing emphasis and tone which helped you understand that the narrator, Leila, was not wholly accustomed to the world the way you and I were. This is easy when listening to an audiobook, but takes real skill on the part of the writer to convey to those reading the traditional way.

That’s not to say that there weren’t a few gaps in the narrative. The ending itself was a little dissatisfying and there were a number of loose ends which felt hastily wrapped up, like a good editor had been heavy with the red pen. But on the whole it is an intelligent, insightful book written in a beguiling voice, and even without the heavy marketing budget the publishers seem to have allocated this book, I’ve no doubt it would been successful.

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Great Premise and Unique Thriller

This story is so unique and unlike any other book I have read (or listened to). It is beautifully narrated by Imogen Church and I found the lead character of Leila refreshing. At times I was very touched by her loneliness and social naivety but there were also times when I cringed at her behaviour - making her completely real and 'knowable'
Ultimately the premise of this book is what draws you in, but the authors ability to articulate such believable and unique characters that fill the subtlety suspenseful story keeps you listening (even when you should be working - I couldn't stop listening to this story!)
The loneliness which fuels the social media age and the false sense of empowerment that comes from accomplishing things online or getting "praise" from others, is very accurate and speaks volumes about the dark side of the online world. This story isn't trying to blind you with gory crime scenes or make you jump every few minutes - it isn't that type of thriller. Instead it is an expertly crafted character novel with a dark story at its heart.

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A fascinating creeper

Such an unusual thriller, one to listen to as it is a creeper, you need to relax into it - the performance is excellent. A fascination psychological study of three divergent personalities coping with very unusual circumstances.

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Kiss Me First

I enjoyed this book, but think that's mainly because I enjoyed the performance, I think it might have become a bit waring if I'd been reading it myself.
I liked the way the story unfolded, we knew everything about Tess while knowing very little about Leila, only learning small details towards the end of the book.

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1 person found this helpful

Strange Story

It did take quite some time to get into this story. Even though what the main character did was, in my opinion, totally wrong, the way it was told and written meant that I kept agreeing with the story, Even at the end still believing it was wrong, I felt as though I understood totally why she had done what she did.
I did in the end actually enjoy this book and felt that it was read brilliantly.
I dont think there should be a follow up to this book - it was a proper end to the story.

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Unexpected Hit!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes - it was totally unexpected and a breath of fresh air. I read the first chapter and thought it wasn't for me but before I knew it I was listening at every possible opportunity. the story totally grabs your attention and pulls you in

What did you like best about this story?

the way the story developed very organically it wasn't forced or false it was just new

Which character – as performed by Imogen Church – was your favourite?

The main character Leila is complex and you empathise with her situation which comes across well in the narration.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes! much as I thought it wasn't my type of book i loved it. Took me by surprise

Any additional comments?

great story, well read and for once the author hasn't given in and gone for the Hollywood ending where all of the ends are neatly tied up.

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Great performance by Imogen Church

If you could sum up Kiss Me First in three words, what would they be?

intriguing, compelling, unexpected

What other book might you compare Kiss Me First to, and why?

Patricia Highsmith's The Talent of Mr. Ripley, for the protagonist is living somebody else's life

Have you listened to any of Imogen Church’s other performances? How does this one compare?

It was the first time I listened to her - actually, this was my very first audiobook and I was kind of skeptical at first, but she's done an excellent job playing the different characters and different accents with such easiness. I loved the performance even more than the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I had to split it in more sittings but I guess one could read it all in one setting, yes. It's a pageturner.

Any additional comments?

Will the next audiobook's performance be as good as this one?

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