A Thousand Boy Kisses

 October 29th, 2023

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"Kiss 1000 with Poppymin.

When she returned home.

My heart completely burst."

-Tillie Cole "A Thousand Boy Kisses"

I read this book in 3 days, and I wish to god, that I never picked it up at all. My entire soul broke. I didn't even know that I had a soul, until I read this book! Thank You So Damn Much, Ms. Cole!! I am not a spiritual person by any means necessary but this book, has me believing that there is something beautiful awaiting us all after death. Death is only the beginning, right?

 Diving right in, we are introduced to 5-year-old Rune Kristiansen. He and his family had just moved from Oslo, Norway to Georgia. (Makes you wonder what company his father is from that would make him transfer to freaking Georgia!) Rune is upset and unwilling to accept that this is where they live now. He so desperately wants to go back to Oslo. That was until he saw a little girl in a dress in yellow rain boots, with a big white bow in her hair, climb out her bedroom window and run up to Rune. She introduces herself as Poppy.

Poppy says that she goes on adventures, but she wants a friend to come on adventures with her, claiming that they are not meant to be just with one person. She grabs Rune by the hand and asks him if he is a Viking. And feeling the pride in who he is and where he comes from, Rune puffs up his chest and says "Ja." Poppy then declares them best friends. Rune and Poppy. Forever and Always, Infinity. 

 By the way this book starts, you think it's going to be a happily ever after. (In a way it is, but I will get to that soon.) But oh no, would you look at that, Heartbreak strikes, Poppy's Mamaw dies and leaves her a giant glass jar filled with a thousand heart shaped pieces of paper inside. She tells poppy that the thing she loved most about her life was the kisses she got from papaw. Not just any kiss, but the kisses that were extra special, made to feel like your heart could burst any second. She wants Poppy to fill this jar with extra special kisses. 1000 boy kisses. Yeah, you know what I am going to say next, her grandmother dies. 

 Poppy takes the Jar and runs to her favorite spot, the cherry blossom grove, and Rune is not far behind her. Poppy tells Rune, that she is sad, that Mamaw was her best friend and that she does not want her to leave Poppy behind on this adventure, but that she must stay behind, because where her grandmother is going Poppy cannot follow. Rune takes Poppy hand and tells her, that she will always have a best friend for adventures and that he will never leave her, when Rune notices the jar. Poppy tells him, that her grandmother gave her this jar to collect a thousand boy kisses, but not just any boy kiss, extra special kisses, the ones that want to make your heart burst. Rune immediately does not like this. 

 He tells Poppy that she is his. His "Poppymin". Which in Norwegian means " My Poppy." He tells her that the only boy that will be giving her 1000 boy kisses is him. And then he takes Poppy's hand (Rune for the win!) and asks her, "Poppymin, can I kiss you?" My heart at this point was so torn. Torn between heartbreak and torn between enchantment. Rune and Poppy had me captive at this point in the game. 

 Fast forward to 15-year-old Rune and Poppy. They are together now, and they are so completely in love, and enthralled with one another, you would think that this book, is destined to be one of the greatest love stories ever written (which it is). Poppy plays the cello; her dream is to go to Julliard and to one day play in a world-famous Orchestra. Rune is naturally gifted with Photography, always knowing when to capture the perfect moment, his dream is to be accepted into Tisch and become a world renown photographer. Rune and Poppy, in New York, together, Forever and Always, Infinity.

Seems like everything is perfect, nothing can go wrong, and then it does.

 Rune's father is being transferred back to Oslo. And they leave the next day. Only getting one night to spend with Poppy, they make promises, to stay in contact, and stay in love, and they will be together again before they know it. And with those promises being made, they make love for the first time. (Young love, right?)  Rune is completely beside himself; he doesn't want to leave Poppy. His home is in Georgia, his home is with Poppy. He is so heartbroken and pissed off at his dad, that he quits talking to him. They return to Oslo, and Rune just crumbles, he doesn't want to be there. He becomes this sullen, mad, heart-broken shell of the teenager he was. And even Poppy can tell. 

 Remember that promise they made to each other? To stay in touch, write letter, call and what not. After two months Poppy quits calling, writing and just up and ghosts everyone. Her and her family up and move out of Georgia. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking oh my god Poppy is pregnant, and they are making her give the baby up for adoption. Aren't you glad I'm here to tell you that your assumptions are wrong?

Fast forward 2 years later, 17-year-old Poppy and Rune are both back in Georgia. No longer together, no longer speaking. No more Forever and Always, Infinity. In the last two years Rune has drastically changed. He no longer takes photos, he in fact threw his camera away. He smokes, and drinks, and has the largest attitude on the planet, and Rune and his father no longer talk. If they interact at all, it is hostile on Rune's half of it anyway. Poppy is the same girl she has always been. The quiet one, loves her life and is full of joy. The only difference with Poppy is she and her family are holding onto a secret that will change everything.

When I told you, that this is perhaps one of the greatest love stories ever told, I wasn't lying. We have all read The Notebook, Romeo and Juliet, A Walk to Remember. etc. But, A Thousand Boy Kisses, belong in that category. Funny though, I thought that I would get a reprieve from reading books that would break my heart, turns out, I wasn't given that reprieve at all. Reader's warning: you will need at least 3 boxes of tissues and your favorite hoodie and blanket, and perhaps your favorite stuffie, because this book does not stop breaking, not even at the end.