Kiss Number 8 received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly, who respectively called the novel a "rare blend of tender and revolutionary"[6] and a "queer coming-of-age story that earns its powerful emotional impact."[7]
The New York Times's Jen Doll wrote, "Venable's frequently heartbreaking recollection of the abuse and torment that people went through for being 'different' — and the fact that it still happens all too frequently — is a powerful reminder of how far we still have to go."[8]
School Library Journal called the book "thought-provoking" and a "solid addition to YA shelves."[9]
In 2019, the New York Public Library included Kiss Number 8 on its list of the best books for teens published that year. The following year, the book was included on the Texas Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List[10] and the TAYSHAS Reading List.[11]
In the summer of 2021, at a Leander Independent School District board meeting, a parent complained about In the Dream House, a memoir by Carmen Maria Machado, which led to a review of all the books on the district's Language Arts Reading List. Eight books, including Kiss Number 8, were ultimately removed.[16]
In August 2022, 62% of Jamestown Charter Township residents voted to defund their public library system after librarians refused to remove three books from the library's shelves: Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, Kiss Number 8, and Spinning by Tillie Walden.[17] Community activists claimed that the presence of these books in the library's young adult and adult sections meant the library was trying to "groom" young children.[18] According to Library Board President Larry Walton, without fund renewal, "the library will run out of money in 2023, jeopardizing its existence."[17] Despite not wanting to close the library, Walton has stated that the board refuses to ban the books.[17]
