THE KISSING GAME

British author and Printz Award winner Chambers (Postcards from No Man’s Land, 2002) returns with a provocative and varied collection of shorts for teen readers. The author isn’t one to shy away from the more sinister aspects of life, nor is he heavy-handed in his treatment of them. Touching on a wide scope of topics, his spare, succinct prose prods readers out of complacency and gets them thinking critically on a varied number of issues: death, sex and violence, among them. Whether asking readers to ponder the meaning of life and religion in the almost Beckettlike “The God Debate,” re-evaluate their own attitudes toward the planet and our increasingly use-once-and-dispose attitude in “Thrown Out” or consider the harsh realities of human trafficking that permeates all walks of life with “Sanctuary,” he introduces readers into the chaotic and often ugly world of adulthood. His sophisticated yet simple style is perfectly suited for an exploration of the new form of flash fictions—multi-genre drabbles that top out at 1,000 words—as well as standard short-story form. Thoughtful, challenging reading for teens on the cusp of adulthood. (Short stories. 15 & up)