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readingspells's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really don't know anything much about this book going in. I kept seeing it on Borrow Box and the cover (the one with coloured blocks) would catch my eye. In the end I decided I just listen to it and I am so glad I didn't look at the reviews before I did because I probably wouldn't have bothered and I would have missed a rather lovely reading treat.
This books is not your standard romance at all. Maybe that is the reason for the reviews but it is way more than that. It is about sibling relationships, mental health, autism, grief and yes absolutely love and I found it really just all rather beautiful.
I did struggle with Art to start with. He is hard to like and I found myself getting really mad with him but as time goes on and his world starts to crumble a little bit I started to feel real sympathy for him.
As for Frank. Argh, I do wish authors would stop writing male romance characters who are a bit stalkerish as OK. Also when she confronts him about his lies he twists that so she ends up believing that her lie, which she cleared up early on without having to be confronted as actually the main problem not his constant fibs and pretence. I hates Frank. I thought he was an utter douche and it because the author failed to kick him to the curb but redeemed him this book only gets 4 stars.
Otherwise it would have been a 5 star book for me because it hit so many of those important marks. Not really read anything like this before, combining grief and mystery and siblings and Maths. The writing is really bloody good. I could absolutely picture moments and places and emotions. I cried multiple times at the end. Their parents story is heartbreaking. There is some LGBTQ+ rep which just kind of unfolded within the wider plot and it just worked so well.
Yeah, I bloody enjoyed this one. Even awful Frank because it was all part of a story that kept me completely hooked. I hope this author writes something more and if she does I will defo be reading it.
This books is not your standard romance at all. Maybe that is the reason for the reviews but it is way more than that. It is about sibling relationships, mental health, autism, grief and yes absolutely love and I found it really just all rather beautiful.
I did struggle with Art to start with. He is hard to like and I found myself getting really mad with him but as time goes on and his world starts to crumble a little bit I started to feel real sympathy for him.
As for Frank. Argh, I do wish authors would stop writing male romance characters who are a bit stalkerish as OK. Also when she confronts him about his lies he twists that so she ends up believing that her lie, which she cleared up early on without having to be confronted as actually the main problem not his constant fibs and pretence. I hates Frank. I thought he was an utter douche and it because the author failed to kick him to the curb but redeemed him this book only gets 4 stars.
Otherwise it would have been a 5 star book for me because it hit so many of those important marks. Not really read anything like this before, combining grief and mystery and siblings and Maths. The writing is really bloody good. I could absolutely picture moments and places and emotions. I cried multiple times at the end. Their parents story is heartbreaking. There is some LGBTQ+ rep which just kind of unfolded within the wider plot and it just worked so well.
Yeah, I bloody enjoyed this one. Even awful Frank because it was all part of a story that kept me completely hooked. I hope this author writes something more and if she does I will defo be reading it.
misslaura89's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
katykelly's review
5.0
Sibling love. Parental love. Romantic love. And maths.
Maybe I shouldn't write a review straight after finishing a book, as a couple of glistening tears are still drying under my eyes. But I didn't expect to be as moved as I was when I begun this. I thought I was getting more of a Rosie Project comedy.
Not that I mind. This turned into a deeper look at the nature of love, guilt and responsibility. Adult siblings Art and Mimi live together, Mimi having given up her own ambitions after the death of their parents 13 years ago to stay with her mathematical genius brother as he works on problems that could change the world.
Now in their thirties, Mimi braves opening up and saying she wants to look for love. Art agrees - if she in turn will agree to follow a mathematical formula for finding someone suitable. As we can all guess, love and formulae are not likely to go hand in hand, and Mimi meets Frank outside of her brother's agreed schedule, setting and sums.
What readers think is going to be a story about adults finding their paths and letting go, well, it's more than that and revelations are dropped into the mix like pebbles into water causing ripples to the burgeoning and established relationships.
I enjoyed the love story (quite romantic at times, and also realistic in its portrayal of a couple struggling to move together despite Mimi's guilt towards her brother), loved Art and Mimi, felt Rey (Mimi's friend) was a little underused. I liked the movement between the two siblings as narrators (though the formatting was poor in the proof edition I read, with no gaps between, or even changes in font for texts, making it slightly awkward to spot the changes).
This was so moving, by the end and the final facts coming to light I was sobbing just a little bit. But a beautiful resolution and a very affecting story, would recommend. Not enough maths to put anyone off who's not a fan, but it was well integrated into the plot.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
Maybe I shouldn't write a review straight after finishing a book, as a couple of glistening tears are still drying under my eyes. But I didn't expect to be as moved as I was when I begun this. I thought I was getting more of a Rosie Project comedy.
Not that I mind. This turned into a deeper look at the nature of love, guilt and responsibility. Adult siblings Art and Mimi live together, Mimi having given up her own ambitions after the death of their parents 13 years ago to stay with her mathematical genius brother as he works on problems that could change the world.
Now in their thirties, Mimi braves opening up and saying she wants to look for love. Art agrees - if she in turn will agree to follow a mathematical formula for finding someone suitable. As we can all guess, love and formulae are not likely to go hand in hand, and Mimi meets Frank outside of her brother's agreed schedule, setting and sums.
What readers think is going to be a story about adults finding their paths and letting go, well, it's more than that and revelations are dropped into the mix like pebbles into water causing ripples to the burgeoning and established relationships.
I enjoyed the love story (quite romantic at times, and also realistic in its portrayal of a couple struggling to move together despite Mimi's guilt towards her brother), loved Art and Mimi, felt Rey (Mimi's friend) was a little underused. I liked the movement between the two siblings as narrators (though the formatting was poor in the proof edition I read, with no gaps between, or even changes in font for texts, making it slightly awkward to spot the changes).
This was so moving, by the end and the final facts coming to light I was sobbing just a little bit. But a beautiful resolution and a very affecting story, would recommend. Not enough maths to put anyone off who's not a fan, but it was well integrated into the plot.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
dragoneye's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
that1handyman's review
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
librarygirlreads's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
caseyflemingo's review
3.0
I really enjoyed all the math in this, made me happy. The story and characters were interesting, but none of them were very likable to me.
shanicepilky's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
roelia's review against another edition
5.0
It was the title of the book, as well as the colourful cover-art that grabbed my attention. I was keen to see how this links to Stephen Hawking’s masterpiece “The Theory of Everything”. This renowned series of lectures about the universe and the origin thereof was ground-breaking at the time, especially in it’s effort to make quantum physics more accessible to the Joe Public. This also immediately indicated to me that this is probably not just a fluffy romcom, but a book that is more complex than meets the eye.
This book is the debut novel by South African-born British author, Kara Gnodde. I didn’t realise this until I read the references to our country and decided to make Google my best friend – as always.
Art and Naomi (Mimi) moved with their parents from what seems to have been, a relatively carefree childhood. Making a new living in the UK, as “outsiders”, only tightened the family bond, but it also changed the family dynamics. Moving countries and homes can be quite traumatic and takes some adjustment. Change isn’t easy.
After the unexpected and tragic passing of their parents, the sibling’s relationship turned to co-dependency, united in guilt, grief, and sadness. Their shared history also seems to have had a different impact on them as individuals.
Mimi always saw Art as the ‘favourite’ sibling. All the focus was on his genius and quirks, while she settled into taking up less space and being the dependable one. Although she is the younger of the two, she settled into taking care of the more ‘mundane’ tasks, like preparing the meals, etc. so that he can focus on his work.
Due to Art’s neurodivergence, he is extremely uncomfortable with change and very rigid in his thoughts and actions. His life’s obsession is with solving what seems to be an unsolvable mathematical equation. He is painfully logic, believes that life can be measured by algorithms and although it isn’t clearly stated I did get the idea that he possibly is on the autism spectrum. (I have to admit, Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory did come to mind a couple of times while reading this book).
Now, years after their parents’ passing, they still live together in the same house. With the support and cheerleading of Rey, Mimi’s best friend, she is now ready to be more independent, and to find a romantic partner. Even with this, Art gets involved, presenting a mathematical equation for Mimi to find romance on a dating website.
But as sometimes happen in real life, love comes Mimi’s way in a way she least expected. She meets Frank at an awards ceremony. And low and behold, he is also a mathematician! Personality wise, he could not be more different from Art though – he is kind, tender, a bit messy and has got a great sense of humour. And it seems to be love at first sight. But, Mimi isn’t 100% truthful, she lies about her surname and doesn’t disclose her family connections to Frank, in fear that it will intimate and scare him off.
And here starts an interesting ‘relationship’ triangle. Due to the nature of Art and Mimi’s connection, this new love interest does cause some conflict and tension. Art doesn’t trust Frank, is he who he says he is? Is his logic correct? Or is it only because Frank doesn’t fit into Art’s “dating” equation?
The story is told by both Mimi and Art. This paths the way for the reader to develop a strong emotional connection with the two characters. We are getting insight into Art’s compelling mind and the way he sees the world. Mimi’s strive for independence and to be freed from guilt, while also loving her brother and being loyal to him – is more of a ‘with heart’ thinker.
This in a unique and exceptional take on sibling relationships, as well as the complexities of love and loyalty.
It is off-beat, quirky and intelligent, full of likeable, candid, and delightful characters. I was so invested in the complex and very original plot, the solid character development and relatable themes.
Maths is at the centre of this book, and it is obvious that a lot of research went into this. The author presents it in a way that isn’t tedious or haughty though. The pace starts off on the slower side, but it turns into a real page-turner. I found this book profound, emotional and totally unexpected.
A thoroughly enjoyable and original debut, I can’t wait to see what comes next from Kara Gnodde!
With thanks to Exclusive Books for the opportunity to read this book. It also features on this month’s #EBRecommends list, highlighting all the ‘must read’ recent releases.
If you like reading about neurodiverse characters, also check out “The Maid” by Nita Prose!
This book is the debut novel by South African-born British author, Kara Gnodde. I didn’t realise this until I read the references to our country and decided to make Google my best friend – as always.
Art and Naomi (Mimi) moved with their parents from what seems to have been, a relatively carefree childhood. Making a new living in the UK, as “outsiders”, only tightened the family bond, but it also changed the family dynamics. Moving countries and homes can be quite traumatic and takes some adjustment. Change isn’t easy.
After the unexpected and tragic passing of their parents, the sibling’s relationship turned to co-dependency, united in guilt, grief, and sadness. Their shared history also seems to have had a different impact on them as individuals.
Mimi always saw Art as the ‘favourite’ sibling. All the focus was on his genius and quirks, while she settled into taking up less space and being the dependable one. Although she is the younger of the two, she settled into taking care of the more ‘mundane’ tasks, like preparing the meals, etc. so that he can focus on his work.
Due to Art’s neurodivergence, he is extremely uncomfortable with change and very rigid in his thoughts and actions. His life’s obsession is with solving what seems to be an unsolvable mathematical equation. He is painfully logic, believes that life can be measured by algorithms and although it isn’t clearly stated I did get the idea that he possibly is on the autism spectrum. (I have to admit, Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory did come to mind a couple of times while reading this book).
Now, years after their parents’ passing, they still live together in the same house. With the support and cheerleading of Rey, Mimi’s best friend, she is now ready to be more independent, and to find a romantic partner. Even with this, Art gets involved, presenting a mathematical equation for Mimi to find romance on a dating website.
But as sometimes happen in real life, love comes Mimi’s way in a way she least expected. She meets Frank at an awards ceremony. And low and behold, he is also a mathematician! Personality wise, he could not be more different from Art though – he is kind, tender, a bit messy and has got a great sense of humour. And it seems to be love at first sight. But, Mimi isn’t 100% truthful, she lies about her surname and doesn’t disclose her family connections to Frank, in fear that it will intimate and scare him off.
And here starts an interesting ‘relationship’ triangle. Due to the nature of Art and Mimi’s connection, this new love interest does cause some conflict and tension. Art doesn’t trust Frank, is he who he says he is? Is his logic correct? Or is it only because Frank doesn’t fit into Art’s “dating” equation?
The story is told by both Mimi and Art. This paths the way for the reader to develop a strong emotional connection with the two characters. We are getting insight into Art’s compelling mind and the way he sees the world. Mimi’s strive for independence and to be freed from guilt, while also loving her brother and being loyal to him – is more of a ‘with heart’ thinker.
This in a unique and exceptional take on sibling relationships, as well as the complexities of love and loyalty.
It is off-beat, quirky and intelligent, full of likeable, candid, and delightful characters. I was so invested in the complex and very original plot, the solid character development and relatable themes.
Maths is at the centre of this book, and it is obvious that a lot of research went into this. The author presents it in a way that isn’t tedious or haughty though. The pace starts off on the slower side, but it turns into a real page-turner. I found this book profound, emotional and totally unexpected.
A thoroughly enjoyable and original debut, I can’t wait to see what comes next from Kara Gnodde!
With thanks to Exclusive Books for the opportunity to read this book. It also features on this month’s #EBRecommends list, highlighting all the ‘must read’ recent releases.
If you like reading about neurodiverse characters, also check out “The Maid” by Nita Prose!
pinenut's review
emotional
sad
slow-paced
3.0
This was a heavy book. There are a lot of potential triggers (cancer, death of parents, suicide, mental illness) so I would recommend making sure this is a book for you before starting.