Necklace of Kisses is a
young adult novel by
Francesca Lia Block. It was published in hardcover in August 2005 by
Harpercollins. It is sort of an "unofficial" sixth book in the
Dangerous Angels series because it is about
Weetzie Bat and her family many years after the first books, but it is not written in the same way or the same reason. The style is much more cohesive and "regular" than her usual books, and while I love her poetic style, it's also nice to know that Ms. Block
can write in a traditional way and still tell a magical story.
The book has a different feeling from the first five and explores different themes entirely. The tone is still poetic but less wandery and indistinct, which allows the storyline to explore the themes in a more mature way. This one is focused on Weetzie Bat's mid-life crisis as she enters her fortieth year. Feeling a lack of kisses in her life, she withdraws to the Pink Hotel in search of the kisses she never received when she was a teenager, and ends up learning about love, intimacy, and family from various fantastic characters sharing her stay. Weetzie's family's reaction to her disappearance is also touched upon, and the book contributes to a deeper understanding of who everyone--especially Weetzie--really is.
This book is about healing and magic and where we as people get our wholeness from. It also shows that even though love can hurt in both its presence and its absence, we all need to reach for it because we do need it.