I Kissed Alice is the WLW YA rom-com you've been waiting for. AND IT DEFINITELY LIVED UP TO THE HYPE I SET MYSELF UP WITH.


I Kissed Alice
by Anna Birch
with illustrations by Victoria Ying 

For fans of Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda and Fangirl, I Kissed Alice is a romantic comedy about enemies, lovers, and everything in between.

Rhodes and Iliana couldn't be more different, but that's not why they hate each other.

Hyper-gifted artist Rhodes has always excelled at Alabama’s Conservatory of the Arts despite a secret bout of creator's block, while transfer student Iliana tries to outshine everyone with her intense, competitive work ethic. Since only one of them can get the coveted Capstone scholarship, the competition between them is fierce.

They both escape the pressure on a fanfic site where they are unknowingly collaborating on a graphic novel. And despite being worst enemies in real life, their anonymous online identities I-Kissed-Alice and Curious-in-Cheshire are starting to like each other...a lot. When the truth comes out, will they destroy each other's future?


Came for the romantic comedy; stayed for the swoon-worthy story and illustrations. Dang! I Kissed Alice was so much fun, I'm feeling like I might be smiling from it for the rest of the year. It goes without saying that I positively adored this book and the tropes and relationships at the center of it.

Give me all the romantic comedies that showcase a competitive, enemies to lovers relationship. No, seriously. I'm making grabby hands here and if I had any shame I'd, well, feel shame. But I don't. So, here we are. This is what this story has reduced me to: I want more, more, more and I'm making weird hand gestures at my laptop.

It's nearly midnight, Jessica, go to bed.

I Kissed Alice is a breath of fresh air amongst the angsty books of late and honestly I'm here for it. I mean, all coming of age stories have a bit of angst and I Kissed Alice isn't all that different in that regard, but this book takes it and runs with it in a way that is entertaining and humorous. I genuinely loved so much about this book--the setting, the characters, the sprinkles of art school and so much more.

(Not spoiling it is so freaking hard. Quick, someone read this and gush about it with me!)

That being said, the comparisons to Fangirl aren't all that far off and in so many ways, I definitely think fans of that modern day classic will appreciate the vibes that I Kissed Alice possess. It runs with the same energy and humor. Ultimately, of course, I Kissed Alice is entirely its own delightful story. It is beautifully written, smartly woven, and utterly swoon-worthy.