The Kissing Booth and Rolling Dice by Beth Reekles

   So I saw this adorable movie on Netflix and then I realized that it was based on a book.  Then I heard the story BEHIND the book - written by a 17 year old girl on Wattpad - the winner of a contest which included the netflix movie.   I wanted to check it out to see if the book closely followed the movie.  

Here's what I found.   It didn't.   All the best aspects of the movie - the rules, the background stories,  etc  were added to the  movie.  In fact, in my opinion, the book had a lot of other things that actually detracted from the way I felt about the story.   

I wondered if seeing the movie colored the way I felt about the writing, so I decided to check out Roll the Dice.   It confirmed everything I thought before though, I will say, it was better than the Kissing Booth. 

Here's what's clear - they are very clearly written by a 17 year old girl.  The stories are simplistic and flat - again with the Dice book having much more depth than the first.   I guess if I were 12, i would probably feel differently about the books, but I'm not.   

S.E. Hinton was 16 when she wrote the Outsiders.  It basically created a new genre of novels.  It changed people.  So age doesn't determine someone's ability or inability to write well.   Still Beth Reekles has done something I haven't - written a book.  But unfortunately, I think her age  gave her a lot of leeway and forgiveness that it shouldn't have necessarily.   

Cute movie.  The book - both of them were a pass for one dimensional, simplistic writing.  Just my opinion.  Two stars.