But what really gives the novel it’s gripping and chilling power is the character of Leila. Reminding me the entire way through of one of Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirrorepisodes, it’s a fantastic portrayal of today’s obsession with how we portray ourselves online. It works well to ask yourself ‘what awful thing has happened here?’

The mystery of the story works from the way in which Leila’s account of her relationship with Tess is written about in the more present tense – she writes the account in hindsight with references to what know is going to come, i.e mentioning being interviewed by the police. The story takes a hugely sinister twist as the plot thickens and includes a strangely cringe inducing yet heart breaking love story element when Leila becomes infatuated with being ‘Tess’ and starts to fall for one of her ex-boyfriends, blurring the line between fiction and real life. The idea is that Tess will commit suicide but Leila will study her life and then take over from her, impersonating her online for her friends once she’s gone. It’s online that Leila comes across a psychological forum site called ‘Red Pill’, who’s leader, Adrian Dervish, a charismatic man, convinces Leila to meet his friend Tess. Bi-polar but seemingly fun-loving, outgoing, erratic and popular Tess calls on Leila to help her ‘slip away from the world without hurting her friends and family’. The voice of the book is Leila, and we discover early on (it’s no spoiler to say) that she is a young woman who spends most of her time online – choosing to fraternise with World of War Craft players rather than with her Topshop loving 23 year old peers. Lottie has created the perfect anti-heroine in her character of Leila.

I almost didn’t want to review this book for you as I don’t want to give too much away – so I’ll try and keep it short and sweet. Lottie draws on her own experiences in the novel, using the real life story of her grandma’s imprisonment for helping her friend commit suicide, as the genesis of her fantastic fiction debut… There’s a new literary talent in the form of Lottie Moggach and her debut novel has smashed into the literary world – her utterly absording Kiss Me First.The story centres around two completely dysfunctional women – Tess and Leila. I was glued to this book, reading last thing at night and first thing in the morning and even on the 10 minute walk to the station, bumping into people all the way along and not minding one bit! You know when you find a book you quite literally can’t put down? Well, I’ve just finished Kiss Me Firstin a mere 48 hours.

Kiss me first book