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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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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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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What am I supposed to listen to now?

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

Very high, I found it very easy to get into and soon I was taken in by the twisting, turning plot. It is scary it is how much information is out there on the internet about everyone. Yet still people continue to add more and more information about there lives, work and views. Just as I am now.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Apart from Leila, definitely Jonty. They are certainly an odd couple, Lottie Moggach and Imogen Church conjure up a great picture of these two polar opposites living is a small, onion smelling apartment. His breezy attitude to life, his sense of grabbing life is so different to Leila's closeted online view.

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

From Leila's perspective, Imogen creates a voice for Leila that allows you to easily slip into her computer generated world.Also, am impressed with the seamless accent changes between American, English and Welsh. Imogen manages to give each character a distinct voice without over doing it.

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

Yes - the tube journey for once wasn't long enough.

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5 people found this helpful

Clever, gripping thought provoking

Any additional comments?

This deceptively dark book tackles some interesting subject matter and themes, but never feels like it has to try. It is a novel you won't be able to put down with a clever premise. The central character is hard work to walk alongside but it is effort worth expending. It is thanks to great writing that the this characters actions, which are completely unbelievable, are somehow believable because her strange personality produces just enough moments you can sympathise with.

My main criticism is that the end is, perhaps inevitably, a little disappointing, but I can't imagine how else it could have ended.

This is a book well worth a listen, well read and well paced.

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Brilliant. Loved it

What made the experience of listening to Kiss Me First the most enjoyable?

The way the story unfolded ... Also the narrator was amazing.

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

Ended just how I hope it would.

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An outstanding debut

This is definitely a novel that lives up to the hype! Forget 'Gone Girl' - this is even better! I listened to this over 2 days on holiday and was absolutely gripped by it. The best audiobook I have listened to this year and I feel bereft now that it's finished. I did not guess where this was going and was mesmerised by the story, the character of Leila and the narration. It was the first time I had heard Imogen Church narrate and really wasn't sure at first. However, she narrated this book perfectly and made every character completely believable. Outstanding.

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15 people found this helpful