the kissing booth book review

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THE KISSING BOOTH

by Beth Reekles ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2013

Lacking in everything but length. (Fiction. 14 & up)

Sixteen and never-been-kissed Elle is unprepared for the fallout from her brief stint working in a kissing booth.

When Noah turns up as her first and only customer at the carnival booth, their kiss is more than either could have predicted. Unfortunately, as her best friend Lee’s older brother, Noah is off-limits. Elle’s resolve to honor this quickly crumbles when Noah confesses his feelings for her. Determined not to hurt her friendship with Lee, Elle demands that their romance stay a secret. Naturally, their clandestine activity is soon discovered, resulting in hurt feelings all around. Furthermore, jealous, narcissistic and with a tendency toward violence, Noah is far from the perfect boyfriend that Elle envisioned. Cardboard characters, a predictable plot and painful dialogue are only a few of the problems plaguing this too-familiar story. While Elle and Noah’s romance is sufficiently steamy, readers will grow tired of the couple’s incessant bickering. Elle’s girl-next-door persona is endearing, but her continuing naïveté about Noah’s true nature in the face of mounting evidence is implausible. The overlarge cast of secondary characters doing their best to populate a featureless setting is confusing. Initially presented on Wattpad and picked up with much hoopla by Random House, this unfortunate debut from a young author is in desperate need of a firmer editorial hand.

Pub Date: May 14, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-385-37868-0

Page Count: 448

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2013

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

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IF HE HAD BEEN WITH ME

by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2013

There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.

The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.

Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.

Pub Date: April 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013

More by Laura Nowlin

BOOK REVIEW

by Laura Nowlin

More About This Book

SEEN & HEARD

IF ONLY I HAD TOLD HER

by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024

A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.

In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me , three characters tell their sides of the story.

Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781728276229

Page Count: 416

Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE

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The Kissing Booth series

The Kissing Booth

** read the book behind the smash-hit netflix film, starring joey king ** meet elle evans: pretty, popular - and never been kissed. meet noah flynn: badass, volatile - and a total player. when elle decides to run a kissing booth for the school carnival, she never imagines she'll sit in it – or that her first ever kiss would be with bad boy noah. from that moment, her life is turned upside down – but is this a romance destined for happiness or heartbreak if you love holly bourne and john green, then you will adore the kissing booth, the beach house, want to know what happened to elle and noah straight after the smash-hit netflix film the kissing booth elle evans always spends a perfect summer full of sun, sea and plenty of flirting at lee and noah's beach house. and she can't wait to hit the beach, even if this year, things are a little different... elle is now officially dating hotter-than-hot noah - it's amazing, and elle's never been happier. but noah's leaving for harvard at the end of the summer - and what will happen to them then meanwhile lee's new girlfriend, rachel, is joining them for the summer. elle and lee have always been bffs, but can everything stay the same with rachel on the scene - and with elle now dating lee's big brother can elle have one last perfect summer with her two favourite boys.

The Kissing Booth 2: Going the Distance

**the inspiration for the kissing booth 2 on netflix - out now** elle evans seems to have finally tamed hotter-than-hot bad boy noah flynn, but now they're facing a new challenge. noah's 3,000 miles away at harvard, which means they're officially a long-distance couple - and it's tough. after all, there's only so much texts and calls can satisfy - and when elle sees a post which suggests noah's getting friendly with another girl, she's devastated. on top of that, it's hard to ignore the new boy at school. he's gentle, sweet, cute - and definitely interested in elle. with her heart on the line, what's a girl to do join elle, noah, lee and all your favourite kissing booth characters for another amazing romantic story that's sure to have you swooning., the kissing booth: road trip, a super-fun romantic comedy short story, set in the world of the bestselling the kissing booth - written exclusively for world book day 2020 everyone knows it's tough having a long-distance relationship - especially when your boyfriend is as sizzlingly hot and exciting as noah flynn. elle's thrilled her bad-boy-turned good has made it into harvard, but being stuck back in los angeles isn't much fun without him. so there's only one thing for it . . . a road trip to visit and what could be better than packing up your best buddy's convertible sports car, heading out on route 66, and looking for fun and adventure along the way maybe only the person waiting for you at the other end . . ..

The Kissing Booth 3: One Last Time

INSPIRED BY THE KISSING BOOTH 3 - NOW A MAJOR NETFLIX FILM! It started with a kiss. It ends with a chance to rewrite the rules. For one last time, join Elle, Noah, Lee and all your favourite Kissing Booth characters for the conclusion to this incredible romantic story! Summer is here, and Elle can't wait to spend it with her two favourite boys: Noah and Lee! Better yet, they'll be chilling at the Flynn family beach home, where Elle and Lee discover the Beach Bucket List - their childhood wishlist of crazy things they swore they'd do together before going to college. Elle is determined to make this the best summer ever . . . because she's facing the hardest decision of her life. Should she move across the country to join Noah at Harvard, or fulfil her lifelong promise to go to college with Lee at Berkeley? Maybe it's time for Elle to stop thinking about what the boys expect . . . and decide which future she wants. Whose heart will break as The Kissing Booth trilogy comes to an end?

A note from the author, i began writing the kissing booth when i was 15 years old, uploading it one chapter at a time to story-sharing platform wattpad - it accumulated over 19 million reads before i was offered a 3-book publishing deal at age 17. this story and these characters have meant so much to me. they were a huge part of my life for ten years, and it's been thrilling to see them adapted for netflix. if you'd like to find out more about that, make sure to check out my blog posts in the archive. and, in case you were going to ask... no, there won't be a kissing booth 4..

thanks for all the love, Beth

Home » ‘The Kissing Booth 3’ review: The trilogy ends with a positive message all high school seniors should hear

‘The Kissing Booth 3’ review: The trilogy ends with a positive message all high school seniors should hear

The Kissing Booth 3 has it all: youthful abandon, whimsy, heartache and the stress that comes with making pivotal decisions in life.  We may not all be Elle Evans (Joey King), trying to choose between top-tier schools like Harvard and Berkeley, but there’s a universal understanding of what it means to make a decision that will impact the rest of our lives. If you’re looking for a simple, feel-good movie that makes you smile, try The Kissing Booth’s first two installments . If you’re looking for a sincere, more mature installment, The Kissing Booth 3 might make you shed unexpected tears.

The narrative of the film feels similar to the previous two movies: Elle and her best friend Lee (Joel Courtney) playfully enjoy life until they find an old bucket list they created as kids. Because Elle made up her mind to attend Harvard with her boyfriend Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi), his brother Lee is absolutely devastated. See, Elle and Lee were childhood friends, and the two planned on attending Berkeley together ever since they were kids. In order to make it up to Lee, Elle decides the two of them will complete every single thing on the list.

It’s amusing watching Elle and Lee accomplish all of their youthful hopes and dreams, from jumping off a cliff to starting a flash mob at a fancy, upscale restaurant, to drinking as many slushies as they can until they get brain freeze. All of these moments oddly reminded me of the Disney Channel Original Movies I watched as a kid, but after further reflection, all of that childlike fun in this movie feels intentional.

In a way, The Kissing Booth 3 takes the audience along as Elle and Lee and even Noah grow up.

The characters go from teenagers who just want to have fun to serious young adults ready to start a new chapter in their lives. And it was absolutely heart-wrenching to watch. The idea of getting older and venturing into the unknown can sound unsettling at first. The “unknown” may just be college to Elle and Lee, but it’s also putting their childhood behind them, moving away from everything they’ve ever known, and starting new lives for themselves.

Nostalgia is the foundation of Kissing Booth 3 . Not only does Elle have to make the choice between Harvard and Berkeley, but also the Flynn Beach house that Elle, Lee, and Noah practically grew up in is going up for sale. So, while Elle has to make a huge life-altering decision in her life, she also has to say goodbye to many aspects of the world she’s come to know: either Noah or Lee (Noah if she chooses Berkeley, Lee if she chooses Harvard,) and all of her heartfelt memories associated with the beach house. 

From cleaning up the toys, to showing the younger versions of Elle and Lee faded in the background as Lee drives off to college, to even the measuring height wall in the beach house, all of these small aspects of the movie add to the sentimental value.

But the movie is more than just nostalgia.

Elle fulfilling her bucket list with Lee complicates her relationship with Noah. Because Elle’s spending every minute she’s not working with Lee, she finds herself more distanced from Noah. Not to mention Marco’s in the area (Taylor Zakhar Perez,) the boy Elle kissed in The Kissing Booth 2, when she falsely thought Noah was cheating on her.

While Elle seems to be on the outskirts with Noah at one point in the movie, which was disappointing to see, we do see where their relationship stands in the final scene. As with Marco, I’m glad The Kissing Booth 3 explores this love triangle without leaving the viewer feeling unsatisfied, and Elle makes up her mind on who—or really, what —she wants.

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My favorite part of The Kissing Booth 3 is its mature message. Elle spends so much time worrying which school to pick—Berkeley for Lee or Harvard for Noah?—that she fails to recognize what she wants herself. Mrs. Flynn (Molly Ringwald,) Elle’s mother-figure, gives her some important advice: do what you want, not what others want you to do. 

The Kissing Booth 3 ends with a years-later epilogue. It would have been nice exploring both Elle and Lee’s college life in a fourth installment, but the epilogue pretty much makes that impossible now, since we know what paths all of the characters took. Elle certainly matures, and so does Lee and Noah. I’ve always liked epilogues in stories, so watching Elle and the rest of the characters get a proper ending was satisfying.

The Kissing Booth 3 wraps up its storyline well.

We got all of the answers needed from Elle, Lee, Noah, and all of the other minor characters. We learn the fate of Lee and Rachel’s relationship, which was a little rocky at times, and Elle gets a conclusion befitting her arc over all three films, finally having clarity in what she wants in her future life.

Ultimately, these stories have been all about friendship, and that’s remained true until the very end. Life may not have turned out the way these characters expected, but it was enjoyable seeing Elle succeed in her future endeavors. What started off as a fun, youthful movie on Netflix turned into a touching, tear-inducing story. If you like heartfelt movies with a bunch of romance, The Kissing Booth 3 may be the perfect film for you.

The Kissing Booth 3 will start streaming on Netflix Aug. 11. Check out the official trailer here .

Chelsie Derman

Chelsie Derman studies journalism and professional writing, as well as creative writing, at The College of New Jersey. She also serves as the Arts & Entertainment Editor at her school newspaper, The Signal. When she isn’t writing reviews or anything pertaining to entertainment, you will find Chelsie either writing her novel or watching anything fantasy related.

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The Third 'The Kissing Booth' Book Actually Comes out After the Movie

Aug. 17 2021, Published 1:50 p.m. ET

Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for The Kissing Booth 3 .

Now that The Kissing Booth 3 is finally out on Netflix, we can lay The Kissing Booth series to rest. But there’s actually one piece left of the trilogy — the third book. That’s right, the third book is coming out after the movie is released, so fans of the movie series are wondering if it’s worth diving into the book series.

Not only that, but for fans of series like Harry Potter and Twilight, we (unfortunately) know how challenging it can be to adapt a book series to film. So, how did The Kissing Booth do in comparison to the book series it’s based on?

‘The Kissing Booth’ movies are based on Beth Reekles' books.

We love a story of young forbidden love, and nothing does it better than The Kissing Booth (well, except for maybe Titanic ). Regardless, we can’t help but enjoy watching Elle and Noah deal with the ups and downs — and all the drama —of their forbidden, secret relationship throughout the series. Of course, they have their obstacles, but by the end of The Kissing Booth 3 , they seem to work it out.

So does that match up with the book? Well, funnily enough, the third book in the series is actually based on the movie. The first book, The Kissing Booth , was published in 2012 by 26-year-old Beth Reekles , and when Netflix optioned it as a film in 2018, she was overjoyed.

On the heels of the first movie's success, Beth began working on a sequel, The Kissing Booth: Going the Distance , which was published in January 2020 ahead of the second movie.

But the third movie was on the road to production before the third book could be finished. Beth worked directly with Netflix on the plot and script for The Kissing Booth 3 , which should correspond directly with the third book in the series, The Kissing Booth: One Last Time . The third movie was released on Netflix on Aug. 11 but the third book doesn’t come out until Aug. 17.

There are some differences between ‘The Kissing Booth’ books and movies.

Although Beth worked directly with Netflix on the third movie, she didn’t have much input on the first two. “I wouldn’t have been anywhere near qualified enough to be involved in creating [the movies],” she explained to USA Today . The Kissing Booth was her first book series, so it makes sense that she felt that way. But we disagree! It’s her series, so she has every qualification necessary.

Luckily, she did get some input. “With the films, I did have a call with Vince [Marcello, the films’ writer/director] and got to give feedback on the scripts,” she revealed. Regardless, there were still a lot of differences.

The first worth mentioning: In the books, there are no “rules” between Lee and Elle. Part of Lee’s frustration with Elle and Noah’s relationship is just the fact that she hides it from him in the first place.

In addition, there’s a bit more drama in the movies when it comes to characters taking advantage of Elle. In the movie, both Warren and Tuppen make unwanted advances on her, but in the books, that doesn't happen.

One of the best things about the books is the ability to more fully develop and define the characters and their growth. In the movies, we don’t have that luxury, so it’s much harder to get a sense of the characters’ development throughout the series. But one thing the movies do get right? The overall fun, flirty, and youthful vibe.

The movies still manage to convey the characters' personalities, even if they miss out on the subtlety behind some of their decisions.

Author Beth even said herself, “I knew there were a lot of differences from the book, but at the same time it still kept the characters and kind of the core of what was going on.” And that’s all we can ask for!

The entire The Kissing Booth trilogy is now available to stream on Netflix.

Unlike Elle Evans in 'The Kissing Booth,' Actress Joey King Is in a Solid Relationship

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Latest The Kissing Booth News and Updates

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The Kissing Booth #3: One Last Time Paperback – August 17, 2021

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Book 3 of 3 The Kissing Booth
• Print length 384 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Ember
• Publication date August 17, 2021
• Grade level 9 - 12
• Reading age 14 - 17 years
• Dimensions 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.25 inches
• ISBN-10 0593425650
• ISBN-13 978-0593425657
• Lexile measure HL750L
• See all details

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About the author, excerpt. © reprinted by permission. all rights reserved..

Chapter One

Dad cleared his throat, tossing the mail onto the counter. A thick envelope slid its way over to me.

“What’s that?” I asked, my mouth full of Cheerios.

Instead of answering me, he said, “Hey, Brad, why don’t you go clean up your room, huh, before you head over to Benny’s.”

There was no room for buts, though, because Dad just hauled Brad, my little brother, up from his stool at the breakfast bar with a grunt and set him on his feet. “Go on, bud, and I’ll let you off doing the dishes with Elle this morning.”

I was immediately suspicious. This summer, Dad had decided to give Brad more responsibility around the house. I’d already shown him how to fold laundry and how to make pasta. Dad had shown him how to mow the lawn properly on the weekend, and we’d just gotten into a routine where he helped one of us do the dishes. Dad said it was because Brad was in middle school now and getting old enough to help out, but we all knew the real reason: I’d be starting college in the fall and wouldn’t be around to do all those kinds of things anymore.

My stomach twisted at the thought of it. In a few months, once I was in Berkeley, everything would change so much. It wasn’t like the house totally fell apart without me—­it was always fine when I spent a couple of weeks at the Flynns’ beach house every summer. But still. I was kinda worried about leaving them to fend for themselves.

Just a few days ago, I’d been on top of the world, walking across that stage to get my high school diploma, tossing my cap into the air with everybody else. . . . I’d gotten into UC Berkeley with my best friend in the entire world, Lee Flynn, just like we’d always planned, ever since we were old enough to understand what college was. We’d spent our whole lives together, and we’d be starting this next chapter of life as college students together, too. It was so perfect. It was exactly the way it was meant to be.

We had said senior year was going to be our year—­and sure, it had been . . . a little bumpy sometimes, but it had still been awesome. And college would be, too. As apprehensive as I was about how different everything would be, it was still exciting to think about.

“What’s going on?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at the envelope and then at my dad. I shoveled down the last of my cereal, wiped the back of my hand across my mouth, and pushed aside the bowl.

Dad took Brad’s empty stool, tapping the envelope near me. “Maybe you’d like to tell me what’s going on. This came for you.”

I picked up the envelope and turned it over.

Ms. R. Evans

It was marked with the Harvard University logo.

My Cheerios threatened to make a reappearance and my heart was somewhere in my throat as I fumbled to open the envelope. This wasn’t happening. This was not happening. A couple of months ago, I got a letter telling me I was wait-­listed, and that was supposed to be the end of it. Except . . . apparently it wasn’t.

I shook the letter out and laid it flat on the counter to read it.

. . . delighted to inform you . . .

My head snapped up, my mouth hanging open. “I . . . I . . .”

I could not get my words out.

Impatient, his eyes looking a little crazed behind his glasses, my dad snatched the letter up to read for himself. I watched his eyes dart over the words a few times before he let out a hoot of laughter and shook his head.

I winced, knowing what would come next, and headed him off with a groan, slumping forward to bury my face in my arms. “Please don’t say it. Please don’t say it.”

“You got into Harvard! My little girl got into Harvard! You—­” Then he cleared his throat again. “Honey, you didn’t tell me you’d even applied. Is this . . . Is this because of Noah?”

I groaned again.

This was not supposed to happen.

The first college I’d applied to had been Berkeley—­because, duh, of course it was. And then I’d applied to safety schools. Of course I had. That’s what you did, right? That’s what my guidance counselor told me to do. So, obviously, Lee and I had tried to pick all the same safety schools.

Lee had talked about applying to Brown when his girlfriend, Rachel, had applied there, and . . . 

Maybe, sort of, in a moment of madness, I’d . . . sent off an application to Harvard. Where my boyfriend, Lee’s older brother, Noah, had been for the last year.

It was madness, because I was not supposed to get in. I never thought I would. I mean, sure, I worked hard at school, and my grades were good, and I had a couple of extracurriculars, and I’d done well on the SATs . . . but . . . it was Harvard, you know? It wasn’t supposed to be the kind of place you got into on a whim; it was the sort of place you spent your entire high school career working toward.

It was madness because they were never supposed to say yes.

“Kind of,” I told my dad now. I lifted my head just a little, grimacing as I caught his eye. Ugh. He looked so damn proud of me. I wished he’d stop that. “I just . . . I dunno. I thought it might be nice. Like how Lee wanted to apply to Brown because that’s where Rachel’s going. I never mentioned it to anybody—­”

“Wait—­Lee doesn’t know about this?”

Some of the pride started to dim in his expression. Good, I thought. A little parental disappointment was the least I deserved for keeping a secret from my best friend. The last time I’d done that was when I’d started dating Noah and I’d been worried about Lee finding out and taking it badly. And that hadn’t exactly gone too great when he did find out, even if he forgave me in the end. . . . 

“It’s not like I was trying to hide it from him,” I tried to explain. “This wasn’t like . . . you know, when I started dating Noah. I just never thought I’d get in, so I didn’t see the point in scaring him. I didn’t think . . .” I let out a sigh. “I got wait-­listed. Which I thought was kind of cool, you know? But people who get wait-­listed for Harvard don’t actually get in.”

“Looks like they do.”

“Yeah,” I muttered.

A grin split my dad’s face and he came around the count­er to hug me. “Well, whatever you decide to do, I’m so proud of you, Elle. Harvard! I know I’ve had my reservations about you dating Noah, but, hey, if this is the kind of influence he’s having on you . . .”

“I didn’t just apply because of Noah, you know. I mean—­it’s Harvard. Who wouldn’t want to get into Harvard?”

“He’s just the reason you picked that over, say, Yale.”

“Yeah,” I admitted. “And I figured . . . I mean, I sort of . . . wanted to see if I could get in, you know?”

“Well, you kept it pretty quiet! Didn’t even tell your old man!” He laughed as he sat back down opposite me, but then I watched his forehead crease and the smile slip from his face. He tapped the letter again. “So, uh . . . you didn’t tell Lee. Or Noah either, I’m guessing?”

“No. Nobody knows about it. I didn’t want to get Noah’s hopes up, and I didn’t want Lee to think . . . I didn’t want to hurt him. Make him think I didn’t want to go to Berkeley.”

“Have you accepted your place there yet?”

I shook my head. I’d meant to. I just hadn’t gotten around to it yet.

Maybe part of why I hadn’t was because I’d held out some little, tiny piece of hope that I’d get off the wait-­list at Harvard, but . . . 

One afternoon over the phone, Noah had mentioned, flippantly, that maybe I should apply—­he’d said it’d be nice to have me around and to spend more time together and that he missed me so much. He hadn’t meant for me to take it seriously, and I knew that, but . . . 

It stuck. And I honestly had wanted to see if I could do it.

Harvard. I got a place at Harvard. Me—­Elle Evans!

My mouth was dry and my stomach had coiled itself into knots.

“Any idea what you’re going to do?”

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ember; Media tie-in edition (August 17, 2021)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593425650
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593425657
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 14 - 17 years
• Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ HL750L
• Grade level ‏ : ‎ 9 - 12
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.25 inches
• Best Sellers Rank: #204,177 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books )

About the author

Beth reekles.

Beth Reekles is a rom-com author best known for her bestselling YA series THE KISSING BOOTH (now also a hit trilogy on Netflix). Her tenth book and debut adult novel, LOVE, LOCKED DOWN was published in February 2022.

Originally sharing her work on story-sharing platform Wattpad, Reekles signed a three-book publishing deal with Penguin Random House aged 17 before completing a degree in Physics at Exeter University. She was named one of TIME Magazine's Most Influential Teens in 2013.

A self-confessed nerd, she is now a full-time author and enjoys uploading movie reviews to Instagram and learning languages in her spare time.

Find Beth Reekles on:

Twitter @Reekles

Instagram @authorbethreekles

TikTok @bethreekles

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Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, the kissing booth 3.

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Picking up where “ The Kissing Booth 2 ” left off, Vince Marcello ’s second sequel answers a few lingering questions on the minds of Elle ( Joey King ) and her fans. Will she follow her boyfriend Noah ( Jacob Elordi ) to Harvard or keep her promise to her best friend (and Noah’s brother) Lee ( Joel Courtney ), and go with him to UC Berkeley? Why are Marco ( Taylor Zakhar Perez ) and Chloe ( Maisie Richardson-Sellers ) back in the picture if not to complicate matters? Can Elle ever make everyone in her life happy?

These questions and more are unceremoniously wrapped up in the final entry to its namesake saga, “The Kissing Booth 3.” To Marcello and and co-writer Jay S. Arnold’s credit, there are a handful of surprises that defy some of the more expected youthful rom-com tropes. But the rest is a lot of the same teenage romantic tribulations we’ve seen before. If “The Kissing Booth 2” was overstuffed with high school drama, its successor reaches to make the most of old tensions over the summer break. Noah is once again threatened by Marco, and Lee is once again acting like a child because his best friend, who is also holding down a job and taking care of her young brother, isn’t paying enough attention to him. It’s so tiresome, that when Elle finally stands up for herself, it’s an all-too-brief reprieve from the boys’ antics. 

More tiresome are some of the shenanigans that these Gen Z kids get into. The annoying list of friendship rules are back with an addendum: a list of random summer activities essentially cooked up by Elle to make Lee happy. For reasons I cannot explain, this includes a contest to see who can drink the most frozen drinks the fastest and survive the ensuing brain freeze, a helium-induced karaoke number that somehow brings the house down, and orchestrating a choreographed flash mob, which feels like a blast from the past decade—which could be said for many of the movie’s needle-drops. The only set piece that manages to be more creative than exhausting is a go-kart race based on the video game "Mario Kart," but only if you’re alright with the fact the kids, as they do in the game, throw items to make their competitors crash. Gentlemen, learning a TikTok dance was right there. 

King, who normally tries her best to sell Elle’s growing pains of young love, looks a little more checked out this time. She's left behind the wide-eyed optimism of the previous chapters for an Elle who seems so tired by it all, she can do little more than cry or snap at the new woman dating her dad. Elordi’s cool hot boyfriend shtick also seems similarly tired. His character’s macho posturing is less about connecting with Elle than being too insecure with her. Courtney seems to be the only one fully committed to his character, which unfortunately, doesn’t seem to have matured much from when he first protested over his best friend dating his brother. Even perennial scene saver Molly Ringwald , as the boys’ mother Mrs. Flynn, isn’t around for most of the movie to smooth over ruffled feathers and bruised egos.  

It’s hard to believe the cinematography of these movies could get worse, but believe me, it does. Likely due to the pandemic or a tight schedule, a number of close-ups of Elle, Lee, and Noah clearly have green-screened backgrounds, looking about as unnatural as many things in the story. There’s one climatic showdown, set in front of the Hollywood Hills sign, that really defies any sort of reason. It’s not so much spectacle or camp, it's just silly. For this last go-around, Marcello committed to the series’ cheaply saccharine premise and only half-heartedly tried to make it look better than an old Aéropostale from the aughts, focusing his camera on mostly white young people (except for Marco and Chloe) against the backdrop of a coastal sun-soaked California. “The Kissing Booth 3” has about as much depth as one of those ads. After the sand has been shaken out of shoes and final smiles have been pointed at the camera, there’s not really much more to the movie. Just a boy, a girl, and the looks they trade with each other.

On Netflix today.

Monica Castillo

Monica Castillo is a critic, journalist, programmer, and curator based in New York City. She is the Senior Film Programmer at the Jacob Burns Film Center and a contributor to  RogerEbert.com .

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Film credits.

The Kissing Booth 3 (2021)

111 minutes

Joey King as Elle Evans

Jacob Elordi as Noah Flynn

Joel Courtney as Lee Flynn

Molly Ringwald as Mrs. Flynn

Taylor Zakhar Perez as Marco Peña

Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Chloe Winthrop

Meganne Young as Rachel

• Vince Marcello

Writer (based on the "The Kissing Booth" books by)

• Beth Reekles
• Jay S Arnold

Cinematographer

• Anastas N. Michos
• Paul Millspaugh
• Patrick Kirst

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‘The Kissing Booth 3’ Review: Last in the Pecking Order

In this Netflix trilogy’s bland finale, teenagers tick off elaborate bucket-list items during their summer before college.

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By Natalia Winkelman

Like a scoop of vanilla ice cream atop scoops of chocolate and strawberry, “The Kissing Booth 3” rounds out the sugary teen trilogy with a fitting, if bland, finale. The story picks up after high school graduation, as Elle (Joey King) and her bestie, Lee (Joel Courtney), gear up for college. In “The Kissing Booth” extended universe, this means moving into an oceanfront mansion and spending days ticking items off an elaborate summer bucket list. (If Elle and Lee were on TikTok, Hype House would have some competition.)

As Elle’s ever-dreamy beau, Noah (Jacob Elordi), watches from the sidelines, she and Lee initiate a flash mob, splash down a waterslide and, in the movie’s most cartoonish set piece, organize a real-life Mario Kart-like competition with go-karts speeding around a racetrack. A medley of scheduling stresses, family angst and relationship triangles ignite minor growing pains. But among lengthy montages of fun in the sun, worries are brief.

As in the first two movies, wish fulfillment characterizes “The Kissing Booth 3,” which displays the ultimate aspirational teen lifestyle: adoring hunks, luxury pool parties, white-sand “California” beaches (all three movies were filmed in South Africa). But when it comes to gender dynamics, the director Vince Marcello makes significant strides. By the story’s conclusion, Elle breaks away from the surrounding men. She develops a sense of self and some career ambitions. Nobody would call it a seminal moment for feminism. But at least there’s not another kissing booth.

The Kissing Booth 3 Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 52 minutes. Watch on Netflix .

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These Movies & TV Series Are Based on Wattpad Stories

W hen Fifty Shades of Grey rose to infamy, it was slammed for its depiction of romanticized unhealthy relationships, its wacky portrayal of BDSM, and, most laughably, the fact that it was once a piece of Twilight fan fiction. Despite the years spent revising the fan fiction story into an original novel, many could not let go of its origins, drawing parallels between Fifty Shades ' Anastasia Steele and Twilight 's Bella Swan. Even so, the Fifty Shades trilogy was brought to the big screen and skyrocketed the careers of its lead stars, Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan. Despite how polarizing the Fifty Shades of Grey films were, they proved that everything and everyone has to start somewhere.

To this day, stories once written as fan fiction, or specifically on the writing platform known as Wattpad , have become the source material for major movies and TV shows. While a large portion of today’s media seems to be adapted from previous material, stories have been taken from page to screen for decades. Given that Wattpad tales are often altered into tangible novels, it’s no surprise they are added to the forever-growing list of book to film adaptations . As such, here’s a list of Wattpad books and stories that were turned into movies and TV shows.

Updated December 21, 2023: This article has been updated with even more information about movies and TV shows based on Wattpad stories.

After Series (2019 – 2023)

Based on the series by anna todd, after everything.

Release Date 2023-09-13

Director Castille Landon

Cast Benjamin Mascolo, Louise Lombard, Mimi Keene, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Josephine Langford, Stephen Moyer

Genres Drama, Romance

Anna Todd’s fan fiction series, After , amassed a combined total of over one billion amorous Wattpad readers, each one eager to see what was in the disorderly, yet addicting worlds of Tessa Young and Hardin Scott. The stories were picked up by Simon & Schuster to become a bestselling series, which includes four books, one prequel, and two spin-off novels. Readers follow the journey of Tessa and Hardin from the day they meet in college to the future versions of themselves, with the film's plot following a similar progression.

In 2019, the first After movie premiered, followed by three sequels: After We Collided, After We Fell, After Ever Happy, and After Everything. The latest film in the series, After Everything , was released in September 2023. Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes Tiffin thoroughly brought life to the characters, embodying their fictional counterparts in a way that imitates perceiving the book in motion right before your eyes.

After Everything marked the official end of the After film series, bringing the once-annual institution of romance and drama to a close. Castille Landon, who directed the latter films in the After series, would later write and direct Summer Camp. The composer of After Everything , George Kallis, was also attached to the latter After films alongside Landon. Stream the After series on Netflix .

Cupid’s Match (2018)

Based on the story by lauren palphreyman.

Cupid’s Match gained tens of millions of readers on Wattpad, and was later turned into a book by Lauren Palphreyman. The novel tells the story of Lila, a dejected high school student who uses Cupid’s Matchmaking Service in search of love, only to be matched up with Cupid himself.

What appears to be a quintessential romance is actually a supernatural fantasy, with Lila entering a mythological world overflowing with supernatural wonder. What's even more fantastical is that the original Cupid himself wants to reciprocate Lila's feelings. Though it was turned into a full-length pilot for The CW in 2018, it didn't receive a full-length season.

Michel Janse, who played Lila in the pilot, currently has no recent credits attached to her name. She was previously featured in a pair of Idiotsitter episodes. Robert Palmer Watkins, who played Cupid, would continue his acting career with roles in projects like The Walking Dead: World Beyond and S.W.A.T. Prior to his involvement in Cupid's Match , he also had an extended stay in General Hospital as Dillon Quartermaine. Cupid's Match is not available on streaming.

Explained: What is Wattpad (& Why Studios Are Turning to the Platform for Movie Ideas)

The kissing booth trilogy (2018 – 2021), based on the works of beth reekles, the kissing booth.

Release Date 2018-05-11

Director Vince Marcello

Cast Chloe Williams, Jack Fokkens, Caitlyn de Abrue, Lincoln Pearson, Megan du Plessis, Stephen Jennings

Genres Romance, Comedy

In 2018, Netflix released The Kissing Booth with Joey King taking the lead role as the quirky, lovable Elle Evans. This high school rendezvous was originally written by Beth Reekles, who published the story chapter by chapter online when she was 15-years-old.

The Kissing Booth follows the classic “best friend’s brother” trope, with Elle falling for Noah (Jacob Elordi), the sibling to her especially codependent best friend, Lee (Joel Courtney). Though the film saw negative reviews, it made a tremendous impact among general audiences, likely due to the popularity of its source material.

The Kissing Booth would later receive a pair of sequels, The Kissing Booth 2 and The Kissing Booth 3 , which were released in 2020 and 2021 respectively. Joey King and Joel Courtney would reprise their roles for each of these sequels. King would later go on to star in a pair of 2022 action films, Bullet Train and The Princess , with the latter eventually being pulled from streaming in 2023. Courtney, meanwhile, would appear in Peacock's exclusive pandemic-themed thriller Sick . Jacob Elordi also got his start with The Kissing Booth , though Elordi's comments about The Kissing Booth movies left some fans feeling a little miffed. Stream The Kissing Booth series on Netflix .

Light as a Feather (2018 – 2019)

Based on the story by zoe aarsen, light as a feather.

Release Date 2018-00-00

Cast Haley Ramm, Liana Liberato

Genres Documentary

This fantastic Hulu original series was, yet again, based on an original Wattpad story. Zoe Aarsen wrote the story of Light as a Feather and acquired over three million views before the series was made. Currently, it’s up to almost five million.

After a group of friends messes with a supernatural board game, brought upon them by the new girl Violet (Haley Ramm), they mysteriously begin dying one by one, exactly as Violet’s game predicted. The lead character, McKenna (Liana Liberato), grows suspicious and recruits her neighbor Trey (Jordan Rodrigues) to get to the bottom of everything. It debuted on Hulu in 2018 and ran for a total of 26 episodes before going off the air in 2019.

With names like Peyton List, Brianne Tju, and Brent Rivera, the show had many familiar faces in its impressive cast. The series was nominated for 10 Daytime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Young Adult Program and Outstanding Writing for a Digital Drama Series, though it never secured any wins.

Liana Liberato later went on to star in Peacock's Based on a True Story , in addition to having roles in Prime Video's Totally Killer and Scream VI . Stream Light as a Feather on Hulu .

Perfect Addiction (2023)

Based on the story by claudia tan, perfect addiction.

Release Date 2023-04-14

Cast Nicholas Duvernay, Bree Winslow, Matthew Noszka, Manu Bennett, Kiana Madeira, Ross Butler

Genres Drama, Romance, Action

Perfect Addiction , originally written by Claudia Tan , follows 18-year-old Sienna (Kiana Madeira), whose perfect world is turned upside down when she discovers her boyfriend, Jax (Matthew Noszka), has been cheating on her with her sister. While still a romance, Perfect Addiction is a sports drama, as Sienna works in a local gym and soon comes face to face with Kayden (Ross Butler), the moody boxer that her boyfriend famously defeated in the ring. Despite their ill feelings towards each other, the two team up and learn that, maybe, they don’t actually hate one another. The original story earned 85 million reads online and won the People’s Choice Award at the Wattpad competition, The Wattys.

The film released in April 2023 to mixed reception, though praise was directed towards the film's high production values and the rivalry between Ross Butler and Matthew Noszka . Interestingly, Castille Landon, who was previously involved with the After series, also directed this Wattpad adaptation. Buy or Rent Perfect Addiction on Prime Video or Apple TV.

15 Movie Adaptations the Author of the Book Said They Loved

Turn on (2021 – 2023), based on the story by tiara wales.

Turn On , originally written by Tiara Wales, is about an affluent tech executive, Andreas (Giorgino Abraham), who forms an unlikely bond with Maria (Clara Bernadeth), a girl next door struggling to make ends meet. The first season of this Indonesian series launched on Vidio in January 2021, running for a total of eight episodes before quickly being renewed for a second season. Similar to the first season, the second go-around featured eight episodes and originally premiered in June 2023. The original Wattpad story continues to draw in new readers to this day, with nearly 20 million unique reads total. Stream Turn On on Vidio .

Through My Window (2022)

Based on the story by ariana godoy, through my window.

Release Date 2022-02-04

Director Maral Fors

Cast Pilar Castro, Julio Pea, Clara Galle

Rating TV-MA

Genres Drama, Romance, Comedy

Originally published in Spanish, Ariana Godoy’s A Través de Mi Ventana , or Through My Window , earned a combined total of 400 million reads between its original language and the English adaptation. The story follows Raquel (Clara Galle) and the apple of her eye, Ares Hidalgo (Julio Peña), a boy whom she literally stalked before becoming his girlfriend. Raquel was head-over-heels for the boy next door, and once she finds him using her Wi-Fi password, she is finally given a chance to make her move. Little did Raquel know, however, that Ares had always returned those feelings, and with a little drama, passion, and canoodling, their crushes might turn into something more.

The story was brought to Netflix in 2022 to mixed reception. However, a total of two sequels were quickly planned out following Through My Window 's debut on streaming. Through My Window: Across the Sea , the first of these sequels, officially debuted on Netflix in June 2023. A second sequel is still in development, currently slated for release in 2024. Until then, there are plenty of other movies like Through My Window on Netflix in order to get your romance fix. Stream Through My Window on Netflix.