A Thousand Boy Kisses

A Thousand Boy Kisses is a young adult romance novel by author Tillie Cole. A Thousand Boy Kisses was initially published independently in 2016 and then released through Bloom Books in 2023. Though A Thousand Boy Kisses is listed on Cole’s website as a standalone romance, a sequel to the novel, titled A Thousand Broken Pieces, was published in 2024. Cole is known for her wide following on TikTok, boasting over 75,000 followers. A Thousand Boy Kisses initially appeared with the subtitle “The Unforgettable Love Story and TikTok Sensation,” and it is commonly referred to as a BookTok fan favorite.

Cole primarily writes YA and adult romance novels, ranging into erotica and romantic comedy. There are some controversies surrounding Cole as an author, such as the seventh book in her Hades Hangmen series, titled Darkness Embraced, in which the main love interests belong to the Ku Klux Klan and a Mexican cartel, respectively. This controversy reflects broader issues in the sphere of BookTok, as well as in publishing overall.

A Thousand Boy Kisses falls into a subgenre of YA literature commonly called “sick lit” or YA illness literature, in which one or more characters have an illness that defines the narrative. A Thousand Boy Kisses centers on the romance between Rune Kristiansen and Poppy Litchfield as Poppy navigates terminal Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The novel explores themes of The Intensity of Young Love, The Fleeting Nature of Life and the Importance of Memory, and Emotional Resilience in the Face of Loss and Mortality, using Poppy’s illness as a way to drive forward an overarching message of seizing the day and relishing every moment.

This guide uses the 2016 self-published Kindle edition of the text.

Content Warning: This work contains discussions of death and illness involving children; the guide also briefly references suicide.

Plot Summary

At five years old, Rune Kristiansen moves to Blossom Grove, Georgia, from Oslo, Norway, with his family. He meets Poppy Litchfield, also five years old, and they strike up an immediate friendship. The two go on adventures around their neighborhood, often with Poppy’s grandmother, “Mamaw.” When Poppy is eight years old, Mamaw dies, giving Poppy a jar of paper hearts to fill with 1,000 boy kisses. Rune is upset at the idea of Poppy kissing boys, so he kisses her, beginning their young relationship.

By the time Poppy and Rune are 15 years old, their relationship is progressing, and they attract attention at school with their dedication and affection. Poppy resents another girl, Avery, who expresses interest in Rune. Poppy’s friend Jorie is supportive, as are Rune’s friends Deacon and Judson. They hang out with friends, go to the beach, and spend a lot of time in the blossom grove by their homes. At night, Rune sneaks across their lawns to Poppy’s bedroom, where they sleep side by side. They do not have sex, though they both feel they want to soon. Poppy is an accomplished cellist, while Rune is developing a passion and talent for photography. Rune attends all Poppy’s performances, and he constantly takes pictures of Poppy. They add their most memorable kisses to the jar of boy kisses.

Rune’s father, Erik, tells him they need to move back to Oslo for Erik’s job. Rune is distraught, and Erik reports that they need to leave in a matter of days, giving Rune no time to spend with Poppy. Rune vows to hate his father forever, and his mother, Adelis, tries to comfort him. Rune sneaks to Poppy’s room and they have sex, understanding that they do not have much time. Rune leaves with his family, and they expect to return to Georgia in one to three years.

In Oslo, Rune is always angry and sad, but he talks with Poppy every day. After two months, Poppy stops returning Rune’s calls, and he befriends people who party, drink, and smoke. His parents worry about him, and he breaks and throws out his camera. In Georgia, Poppy feels ill after Rune leaves, and her family discovers that she has Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Poppy’s doctors expect she will only live for two years. This is why Poppy cuts contact with Rune; she hopes to save him from the pain of knowing she is dying.

After two years, Rune’s family moves back to Blossom Grove. At first, Poppy and Rune assume they hate one another, as Poppy thinks she hurt Rune and Rune fears Poppy regrets that they had sex. When Poppy sees Avery almost kiss Rune at a party, they finally talk and reunite. Rune and Poppy grow closer, undoing the damage done by their time apart, and Poppy eventually tells Rune that she is dying. Rune is distraught, but he becomes determined to enrich Poppy’s final months. They quickly resume their old relationship, and Rune plans special dates and events for them. They go to the beach, and Poppy gives Rune back his old camera, which Rune’s father repaired. Rune takes pictures of Poppy, and Poppy assures Rune that she believes in heaven. Poppy says they will meet again when Rune dies, which she calls “going home.”

Rune and Poppy’s aunt plan an extravagant trip to New York City. Rune and Poppy visit tourist attractions, and Poppy brings Rune to Tisch, an art school at NYU, for a photography exhibition. Rune arranges for Poppy to fulfill her dream of performing at Carnegie Hall, though without an audience. They have sex, and Rune breaks down, overwhelmed by the sadness of Poppy’s impending death. When they return to Georgia, they struggle to live life normally as Poppy’s condition deteriorates.

One day, doctors put Poppy in a coma to help her fight an infection. Rune knows Poppy will not die because she promised him she would make it a little while longer. While Poppy is in a coma, Rune does not leave her, showing her parents and his family how much he loves her. When Poppy wakes up, she is weak, and Rune pushes her around in a wheelchair. Rune fulfills another of Poppy’s dreams by taking her to see the cherry blossoms, and his friends move up prom so Poppy can attend. After prom, Poppy asks Rune to take her to the beach, where she says she is ready to die. Rune takes Poppy home, and her family gathers to say goodbye. As Poppy dies, Rune and Poppy share kiss 1,000, fulfilling Poppy’s dream to collect 1,000 boy kisses.

After Poppy’s death, Erik reveals that he and Poppy applied on Rune’s behalf at Tisch, and Rune got in. Poppy leaves Rune letters explaining how she wants him to live his life for both of them, including a jar of 1,000 blank hearts—girl kisses for Rune to collect. One year after Poppy’s death, Rune returns to Georgia and organizes a Chinese lantern celebration for Poppy. The lanterns represent the 1,000 kisses he and Poppy shared, and the town releases them to Poppy in heaven. After the ceremony, Rune has dinner with Poppy’s family and discovers that Poppy’s sister, Savannah, is not coping with Poppy’s death well. He commiserates with Savannah and tries to make her feel better. Rune returns to the blossom grove and lies by Poppy’s grave, where he dreams that he and Poppy talk about life in New York.

Ten years after Poppy’s death, Rune dies and goes to Poppy in heaven. He explains to Poppy how he enjoyed 10 years of perfecting his photography, though he never made a connection with another woman. He says his 1,000 girl kisses were the same as Poppy’s 1,000 boy kisses, so he did not need to find someone else to kiss.