Reviews
"Lottie Moggach's very smart "Kiss Me First" is a moving coming of age story hidden within a harrowing mystery. Moggach explores a lot of dark territory--suicide, alienation, innocence betrayed--yet somehow she's managed to write an unexpectedly warm-hearted novel. The book is narrated by Leila, a modern day feral child, raised not by wolves or bears but the Internet. We watch as she makes her way in from her personal wilderness and teaches herself how to be human--how to know what love is, for instance, without first needing to Google it. The story's suspense will keep you reading, but it's Leila's surprisingly emotional journey toward selfhood that will stick with you long after you've finished this wonderful first novel." --Scott Smith, author of "A Simple Plan "and "The Ruins", "Moggach's debut draws the reader into a . . . bizarre game of chance and deceit. . . . Moggach has drawn a young woman who is convincingly naïve in the ways of the world and incapable of making good decisions. The story crackles with tension . . . A sexy psychological thriller." - Kirkus "Moggach's impressive debut, a gripping psychological thriller, is all the more disturbing for its plausibility. . . . Moggach's skill in plotting means readers won't anticipate the twists and turns built into the story, making for an intensely enjoyable reading experience. Memorable and fast-moving." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) " Kiss Me First has deft, expert writing, a startlingly original plot, and two central characters-cerebral, sheltered, obsessive Leila and charismatic, unstable Tess-who leap off the page. This is a dark, disturbing, needle-sharp exploration of how the internet age is transforming our idea of reality and identity." -Tana French, author of In The Woods and Broken Harbor "Lottie Moggach's very smart Kiss Me First is a moving coming of age story hidden within a harrowing mystery. Moggach explores a lot of dark territory-suicide, alienation, innocence betrayed-yet somehow she's managed to write an unexpectedly warm-hearted novel. The book is narrated by Leila, a modern-day feral child, raised not by wolves or bears but the Internet. We watch as she makes her way in from her personal wilderness and teaches herself how to be human-how to know what love is, for instance, without first needing to Google it. The story's suspense will keep you reading, but it's Leila's surprisingly emotional journey toward selfhood that will stick with you long after you've finished this wonderful first novel." -Scott Smith, author of A Simple Plan and The Ruins "With Leila, Lottie Moggach walks a wonderful line between sympathy and horror. Riveting and thought-provoking, Kiss Me First is the intelligent novel of the social media age I've been waiting for." -Emma Chapman, author of How to Be a Good Wife "Witty, suspenseful, satirical and bold. A Patricia Highsmith for the Facebook age." -Polly Samson, author of Perfect Lives "Unputdownable. A brilliant thriller." -India Knight, author of Comfort and Joy "A brave, poignant and humane novel about society's taboos-and the cost of breaking them. Lottie Moggach has put her finger to the pulse of our times." -Liz Jensen, author of The Rapture "I tore through Lottie Moggach's Kiss Me First. Gripping, quirky, twisty-quite a ride." -Harriet Lane, author of Alys, Always "A high-concept novel that really convinces and delivers. I was gripped from the first page, moved throughout, and swallowed the book whole." -Erin Kelly, author of The Poison Tree and The Burning Air , "Moggach's impressive debut, a gripping psychological thriller, is all the more disturbing for its plausibility. . . . Moggach's skill in plotting means readers won't anticipate the twists and turns built into the story, making for an intensely enjoyable reading experience. Memorable and fast-moving." --"Publishers Weekly" (starred review) ""Kiss Me First" has deft, expert writing, a startlingly original plot, and two central characters--cerebral, sheltered, obsessive Leila and charismatic, unstable Tess--who leap off the page. This is a dark, disturbing, needle-sharp exploration of how the internet age is transforming our idea of reality and identity." --Tana French, author of "In The Woods" and "Broken Harbor" "Lottie Moggach's very smart "Kiss Me First" is a moving coming of age story hidden within a harrowing mystery. Moggach explores a lot of dark territory--suicide, alienation, innocence betrayed--yet somehow she's managed to write an unexpectedly warm-hearted novel. The book is narrated by Leila, a modern-day feral child, raised not by wolves or bears but the Internet. We watch as she makes her way in from her personal wilderness and teaches herself how to be human--how to know what love is, for instance, without first needing to Google it. The story's suspense will keep you reading, but it's Leila's surprisingly emotional journey toward selfhood that will stick with you long after you've finished this wonderful first novel." --Scott Smith, author of "A Simple Plan "and "The Ruins" "With Leila, Lottie Moggach walks a wonderful line between sympathy and horror. Riveting and thought-provoking, "Kiss Me First" is the intelligent novel of the social media age I've been waiting for." --Emma Chapman, author of "How to Be a Good Wife" "Witty, suspenseful, satirical and bold. A Patricia Highsmith for the Facebook age." --Polly Samson, author of "Perfect Lives" "Unputdownable. A brilliant thriller." --India Knight, autho, "With Leila, Lottie Moggach walks a wonderful line between sympathy and horror. Riveting and thought-provoking, "Kiss Me First" is the intelligent novel of the social media age I've been waiting for." --Emma Chapman, author of "How To Be a Good Wife" "A brave, poignant and humane novel about society's taboos--and the cost of breaking them. Lottie Moggach has put her finger to the pulse of our times." --Liz Jensen, author of "The Rapture" ""Kiss Me First" has deft, expert writing, a startlingly original plot, and two central characters--cerebral, sheltered, obsessive Leila and charismatic, unstable Tess--who leap off the page. This is a dark, disturbing, needle-sharp exploration of how the internet age is transforming our idea of reality and identity." --Tana French, bestselling author of "In The Woods" and "Broken Harbor" "Witty, suspenseful, satirical and bold. A Patricia Highsmith for the Facebook age." --Polly Samson, author of "Perfect Lives" "Lottie Moggach's very smart "Kiss Me First" is a moving coming of age story hidden within a harrowing mystery. Moggach explores a lot of dark territory--suicide, alienation, innocence betrayed--yet somehow she's managed to write an unexpectedly warm-hearted novel. The book is narrated by Leila, a modern day feral child, raised not by wolves or bears but the Internet. We watch as she makes her way in from her personal wilderness and teaches herself how to be human--how to know what love is, for instance, without first needing to Google it. The story's suspense will keep you reading, but it's Leila's surprisingly emotional journey toward selfhood that will stick with you long after you've finished this wonderful first novel." --Scott Smith, author of "A Simple Plan "and "The Ruins", " Kiss Me First has deft, expert writing, a startlingly original plot, and two central characters-cerebral, sheltered, obsessive Leila and charismatic, unstable Tess-who leap off the page. This is a dark, disturbing, needle-sharp exploration of how the internet age is transforming our idea of reality and identity." -Tana French, bestselling author of In The Woods and Broken Harbor "Witty, suspenseful, satirical and bold. A Patricia Highsmith for the Facebook age." -Polly Samson, author of Perfect Lives "Lottie Moggach's very smart Kiss Me First is a moving coming of age story hidden within a harrowing mystery. Moggach explores a lot of dark territory--suicide, alienation, innocence betrayed--yet somehow she's managed to write an unexpectedly warm-hearted novel. The book is narrated by Leila, a modern day feral child, raised not by wolves or bears but the Internet. We watch as she makes her way in from her personal wilderness and teaches herself how to be human--how to know what love is, for instance, without first needing to Google it. The story's suspense will keep you reading, but it's Leila's surprisingly emotional journey toward selfhood that will stick with you long after you've finished this wonderful first novel." -Scott Smith, author of A Simple Plan and The Ruins From the Hardcover edition., "It's the story's everyday believability that makes Kiss Me First so chilling. . . . As Leila becomes more and more fixated on her Internet persona, Moggach sucks us into the rabbit hole of her dangerous obsession with deftly timed twists and memorable characters." - Entertainment Weekly , A- "As Moggach's debut chillingly demonstrates, the virtual world is scant protection from messy, utterly human emotions." - People "Moggach's debut draws the reader into a . . . bizarre game of chance and deceit. . . . Moggach has drawn a young woman who is convincingly naïve in the ways of the world and incapable of making good decisions. The story crackles with tension . . . A sexy psychological thriller." - Kirkus "Moggach's impressive debut, a gripping psychological thriller, is all the more disturbing for its plausibility. . . . Moggach's skill in plotting means readers won't anticipate the twists and turns built into the story, making for an intensely enjoyable reading experience. Memorable and fast-moving." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) " Kiss Me First has deft, expert writing, a startlingly original plot, and two central characters-cerebral, sheltered, obsessive Leila and charismatic, unstable Tess-who leap off the page. This is a dark, disturbing, needle-sharp exploration of how the internet age is transforming our idea of reality and identity." -Tana French, author of In The Woods and Broken Harbor "Lottie Moggach's very smart Kiss Me First is a moving coming of age story hidden within a harrowing mystery. Moggach explores a lot of dark territory-suicide, alienation, innocence betrayed-yet somehow she's managed to write an unexpectedly warm-hearted novel. The book is narrated by Leila, a modern-day feral child, raised not by wolves or bears but the Internet. We watch as she makes her way in from her personal wilderness and teaches herself how to be human-how to know what love is, for instance, without first needing to Google it. The story's suspense will keep you reading, but it's Leila's surprisingly emotional journey toward selfhood that will stick with you long after you've finished this wonderful first novel." -Scott Smith, author of A Simple Plan and The Ruins "With Leila, Lottie Moggach walks a wonderful line between sympathy and horror. Riveting and thought-provoking, Kiss Me First is the intelligent novel of the social media age I've been waiting for." -Emma Chapman, author of How to Be a Good Wife "Witty, suspenseful, satirical and bold. A Patricia Highsmith for the Facebook age." -Polly Samson, author of Perfect Lives "Unputdownable. A brilliant thriller." -India Knight, author of Comfort and Joy "A brave, poignant and humane novel about society's taboos-and the cost of breaking them. Lottie Moggach has put her finger to the pulse of our times." -Liz Jensen, author of The Rapture "I tore through Lottie Moggach's Kiss Me First. Gripping, quirky, twisty-quite a ride." -Harriet Lane, author of Alys, Always "A high-concept novel that really convinces and delivers. I was gripped from the first page, moved throughout, and swallowed the book whole." -Erin Kelly, author of The Poison Tree and The Burning Air From the Hardcover edition., "Lottie Moggach's very smart Kiss Me First is a moving coming of age story hidden within a harrowing mystery. Moggach explores a lot of dark territory--suicide, alienation, innocence betrayed--yet somehow she's managed to write an unexpectedly warm-hearted novel. The book is narrated by Leila, a modern day feral child, raised not by wolves or bears but the Internet. We watch as she makes her way in from her personal wilderness and teaches herself how to be human--how to know what love is, for instance, without first needing to Google it. The story's suspense will keep you reading, but it's Leila's surprisingly emotional journey toward selfhood that will stick with you long after you've finished this wonderful first novel." -Scott Smith, author of A Simple Plan and The Ruins, "Moggach's impressive debut, a gripping psychological thriller, is all the more disturbing for its plausibility. . . . Moggach's skill in plotting means readers won't anticipate the twists and turns built into the story, making for an intensely enjoyable reading experience. Memorable and fast-moving." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) " Kiss Me First has deft, expert writing, a startlingly original plot, and two central characters-cerebral, sheltered, obsessive Leila and charismatic, unstable Tess-who leap off the page. This is a dark, disturbing, needle-sharp exploration of how the internet age is transforming our idea of reality and identity." -Tana French, author of In The Woods and Broken Harbor "Lottie Moggach's very smart Kiss Me First is a moving coming of age story hidden within a harrowing mystery. Moggach explores a lot of dark territory-suicide, alienation, innocence betrayed-yet somehow she's managed to write an unexpectedly warm-hearted novel. The book is narrated by Leila, a modern day feral child, raised not by wolves or bears but the Internet. We watch as she makes her way in from her personal wilderness and teaches herself how to be human-how to know what love is, for instance, without first needing to Google it. The story's suspense will keep you reading, but it's Leila's surprisingly emotional journey toward selfhood that will stick with you long after you've finished this wonderful first novel." -Scott Smith, author of A Simple Plan and The Ruins "With Leila, Lottie Moggach walks a wonderful line between sympathy and horror. Riveting and thought-provoking, Kiss Me First is the intelligent novel of the social media age I've been waiting for." -Emma Chapman, author of How to Be a Good Wife "Witty, suspenseful, satirical and bold. A Patricia Highsmith for the Facebook age." -Polly Samson, author of Perfect Lives "Unputdownable. A brilliant thriller." -India Knight, author of Comfort and Joy "A brave, poignant and humane novel about society's taboos-and the cost of breaking them. Lottie Moggach has put her finger to the pulse of our times." -Liz Jensen, author of The Rapture "I tore through Lottie Moggach's Kiss Me First. Gripping, quirky, twisty-quite a ride." -Harriet Lane, author of Alys Always "A high-concept novel that really convinces and delivers. I was gripped from the first page, moved throughout, and swallowed the book whole." -Erin Kelly, author of The Poison Tree and The Burning Air From the Hardcover edition., "Moggach's impressive debut, a gripping psychological thriller, is all the more disturbing for its plausibility. . . . Moggach's skill in plotting means readers won't anticipate the twists and turns built into the story, making for an intensely enjoyable reading experience. Memorable and fast-moving." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) " Kiss Me First has deft, expert writing, a startlingly original plot, and two central characters-cerebral, sheltered, obsessive Leila and charismatic, unstable Tess-who leap off the page. This is a dark, disturbing, needle-sharp exploration of how the internet age is transforming our idea of reality and identity." -Tana French, bestselling author of In The Woods and Broken Harbor "Lottie Moggach's very smart Kiss Me First is a moving coming of age story hidden within a harrowing mystery. Moggach explores a lot of dark territory--suicide, alienation, innocence betrayed--yet somehow she's managed to write an unexpectedly warm-hearted novel. The book is narrated by Leila, a modern day feral child, raised not by wolves or bears but the Internet. We watch as she makes her way in from her personal wilderness and teaches herself how to be human--how to know what love is, for instance, without first needing to Google it. The story's suspense will keep you reading, but it's Leila's surprisingly emotional journey toward selfhood that will stick with you long after you've finished this wonderful first novel." -Scott Smith, author of A Simple Plan and The Ruins "With Leila, Lottie Moggach walks a wonderful line between sympathy and horror. Riveting and thought-provoking, Kiss Me First is the intelligent novel of the social media age I've been waiting for." -Emma Chapman, author of How To Be a Good Wife "Witty, suspenseful, satirical and bold. A Patricia Highsmith for the Facebook age." -Polly Samson, author of Perfect Lives "Unputdownable. A brilliant thriller for anyone who's ever been online." -India Knight, author of Comfort and Joy "A brave, poignant and humane novel about society's taboos-and the cost of breaking them. Lottie Moggach has put her finger to the pulse of our times." -Liz Jensen, author of The Rapture "A high-concept novel that really convinces and delivers. I was gripped from the first page, moved throughout, and swallowed the book whole." -Erin Kelly, author of The Poison Tree and The Burning Air From the Hardcover edition., "Moggach's debut draws the reader into a . . . bizarre game of chance and deceit. . . . Moggach has drawn a young woman who is convincingly naive in the ways of the world and incapable of making good decisions. The story crackles with tension . . . A sexy psychological thriller." --"Kirkus" "Moggach's impressive debut, a gripping psychological thriller, is all the more disturbing for its plausibility. . . . Moggach's skill in plotting means readers won't anticipate the twists and turns built into the story, making for an intensely enjoyable reading experience. Memorable and fast-moving." --"Publishers Weekly" (starred review) ""Kiss Me First" has deft, expert writing, a startlingly original plot, and two central characters--cerebral, sheltered, obsessive Leila and charismatic, unstable Tess--who leap off the page. This is a dark, disturbing, needle-sharp exploration of how the internet age is transforming our idea of reality and identity." --Tana French, author of "In The Woods" and "Broken Harbor" "Lottie Moggach's very smart "Kiss Me First" is a moving coming of age story hidden within a harrowing mystery. Moggach explores a lot of dark territory--suicide, alienation, innocence betrayed--yet somehow she's managed to write an unexpectedly warm-hearted novel. The book is narrated by Leila, a modern-day feral child, raised not by wolves or bears but the Internet. We watch as she makes her way in from her personal wilderness and teaches herself how to be human--how to know what love is, for instance, without first needing to Google it. The story's suspense will keep you reading, but it's Leila's surprisingly emotional journey toward selfhood that will stick with you long after you've finished this wonderful first novel." --Scott Smith, author of "A Simple Plan "and "The Ruins" "With Leila, Lottie Moggach walks a wonderful line between sympathy and horror. Riveting and thought-provoking, "Kiss Me First" is the intelligent novel of the s, "With Leila, Lottie Moggach walks a wonderful line between sympathy and horror. Riveting and thought-provoking, Kiss Me First is the intelligent novel of the social media age I've been waiting for." -Emma Chapman, author of How To Be a Good Wife "A brave, poignant and humane novel about society's taboos-and the cost of breaking them. Lottie Moggach has put her finger to the pulse of our times." -Liz Jensen, author of The Rapture " Kiss Me First has deft, expert writing, a startlingly original plot, and two central characters-cerebral, sheltered, obsessive Leila and charismatic, unstable Tess-who leap off the page. This is a dark, disturbing, needle-sharp exploration of how the internet age is transforming our idea of reality and identity." -Tana French, bestselling author of In The Woods and Broken Harbor "Witty, suspenseful, satirical and bold. A Patricia Highsmith for the Facebook age." -Polly Samson, author of Perfect Lives "Lottie Moggach's very smart Kiss Me First is a moving coming of age story hidden within a harrowing mystery. Moggach explores a lot of dark territory--suicide, alienation, innocence betrayed--yet somehow she's managed to write an unexpectedly warm-hearted novel. The book is narrated by Leila, a modern day feral child, raised not by wolves or bears but the Internet. We watch as she makes her way in from her personal wilderness and teaches herself how to be human--how to know what love is, for instance, without first needing to Google it. The story's suspense will keep you reading, but it's Leila's surprisingly emotional journey toward selfhood that will stick with you long after you've finished this wonderful first novel." -Scott Smith, author of A Simple Plan and The Ruins From the Hardcover edition., "It's the story's everyday believability that makes "Kiss Me First "so chilling. . . . As Leila becomes more and more fixated on her Internet persona, Moggach sucks us into the rabbit hole of her dangerous obsession with deftly timed twists and memorable characters." --"Entertainment Weekly," A- "As Moggach's debut chillingly demonstrates, the virtual world is scant protection from messy, utterly human emotions." --"People" "Moggach's debut draws the reader into a . . . bizarre game of chance and deceit. . . . Moggach has drawn a young woman who is convincingly naive in the ways of the world and incapable of making good decisions. The story crackles with tension . . . A sexy psychological thriller." --"Kirkus" "Moggach's impressive debut, a gripping psychological thriller, is all the more disturbing for its plausibility. . . . Moggach's skill in plotting means readers won't anticipate the twists and turns built into the story, making for an intensely enjoyable reading experience. Memorable and fast-moving." --"Publishers Weekly" (starred review) ""Kiss Me First" has deft, expert writing, a startlingly original plot, and two central characters--cerebral, sheltered, obsessive Leila and charismatic, unstable Tess--who leap off the page. This is a dark, disturbing, needle-sharp exploration of how the internet age is transforming our idea of reality and identity." --Tana French, author of "In The Woods" and "Broken Harbor" "Lottie Moggach's very smart "Kiss Me First" is a moving coming of age story hidden within a harrowing mystery. Moggach explores a lot of dark territory--suicide, alienation, innocence betrayed--yet somehow she's managed to write an unexpectedly warm-hearted novel. The book is narrated by Leila, a modern-day feral child, raised not by wolves or bears but the Internet. We watch as she makes her way in from her personal wilderness and teaches herself how to be human--how to know what love is, for instance, withoutg, "Moggach's impressive debut, a gripping psychological thriller, is all the more disturbing for its plausibility. . . . Moggach's skill in plotting means readers won't anticipate the twists and turns built into the story, making for an intensely enjoyable reading experience. Memorable and fast-moving." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) "With Leila, Lottie Moggach walks a wonderful line between sympathy and horror. Riveting and thought-provoking, Kiss Me First is the intelligent novel of the social media age I've been waiting for." -Emma Chapman, author of How To Be a Good Wife "A brave, poignant and humane novel about society's taboos-and the cost of breaking them. Lottie Moggach has put her finger to the pulse of our times." -Liz Jensen, author of The Rapture " Kiss Me First has deft, expert writing, a startlingly original plot, and two central characters-cerebral, sheltered, obsessive Leila and charismatic, unstable Tess-who leap off the page. This is a dark, disturbing, needle-sharp exploration of how the internet age is transforming our idea of reality and identity." -Tana French, bestselling author of In The Woods and Broken Harbor "Witty, suspenseful, satirical and bold. A Patricia Highsmith for the Facebook age." -Polly Samson, author of Perfect Lives "Lottie Moggach's very smart Kiss Me First is a moving coming of age story hidden within a harrowing mystery. Moggach explores a lot of dark territory--suicide, alienation, innocence betrayed--yet somehow she's managed to write an unexpectedly warm-hearted novel. The book is narrated by Leila, a modern day feral child, raised not by wolves or bears but the Internet. We watch as she makes her way in from her personal wilderness and teaches herself how to be human--how to know what love is, for instance, without first needing to Google it. The story's suspense will keep you reading, but it's Leila's surprisingly emotional journey toward selfhood that will stick with you long after you've finished this wonderful first novel." -Scott Smith, author of A Simple Plan and The Ruins From the Hardcover edition., ""Kiss Me First" has deft, expert writing, a startlingly original plot, and two central characters--cerebral, sheltered, obsessive Leila and charismatic, unstable Tess--who leap off the page. This is a dark, disturbing, needle-sharp exploration of how the internet age is transforming our idea of reality and identity." --Tana French, bestselling author of "In The Woods" and "Broken Harbor" "Witty, suspenseful, satirical and bold. A Patricia Highsmith for the Facebook age." --Polly Samson, author of "Perfect Lives" "Lottie Moggach's very smart "Kiss Me First" is a moving coming of age story hidden within a harrowing mystery. Moggach explores a lot of dark territory--suicide, alienation, innocence betrayed--yet somehow she's managed to write an unexpectedly warm-hearted novel. The book is narrated by Leila, a modern day feral child, raised not by wolves or bears but the Internet. We watch as she makes her way in from her personal wilderness and teaches herself how to be human--how to know what love is, for instance, without first needing to Google it. The story's suspense will keep you reading, but it's Leila's surprisingly emotional journey toward selfhood that will stick with you long after you've finished this wonderful first novel." --Scott Smith, author of "A Simple Plan "and "The Ruins"