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shybookstagramer's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
A cute romance that unfolds in high school robotics.
I liked that this story revolved around characters in STEM and there was a cute romance. I loved that it wasn't the typical nerdy girl changing herself to fit some popular girl stereotype. Bel was just who she was the whole time. I enjoyed the alternating POVs between Bel and Tao, I think it helped move the story along and really show the two sides of the blossoming romance.
audio-specific: There were two narrators, one for Bel and one for Tao. I liked Bel's narrator a lot, but Tao's seemed to be a little slow for my taste. He was still good but just wish it had been picked up a little bit in the pacing.
overall an enjoyable romance in the world of STEM.
T hank you to NetGalley for the free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review
I liked that this story revolved around characters in STEM and there was a cute romance. I loved that it wasn't the typical nerdy girl changing herself to fit some popular girl stereotype. Bel was just who she was the whole time. I enjoyed the alternating POVs between Bel and Tao, I think it helped move the story along and really show the two sides of the blossoming romance.
audio-specific: There were two narrators, one for Bel and one for Tao. I liked Bel's narrator a lot, but Tao's seemed to be a little slow for my taste. He was still good but just wish it had been picked up a little bit in the pacing.
overall an enjoyable romance in the world of STEM.
T hank you to NetGalley for the free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
roshanreads's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House Books for the eARC!
If there’s one book you should read this year, this is it. I love this book. It’s definitely one of my favourites this year, possibly ever. My Mechanical Romance has everything I possibly could have wanted in a book; dual POV, girls in STEM, a diverse cast, and characters that fail sometimes, and quite badly. Once I picked this book up, I could barely put it down. Obviously, it was a five-star read without hesitation, and that’s a rating I don’t usually give to romance novels.
My Mechanical Romance is the story of Bel Maier as her talents for robotics and doing her homework the day it's due lands her in an advanced physics class and gets her a place on the school robotics team. She’s not particularly happy with either of those events, which is understandable considering the less than warm reception from some of the other robotics team members. However, over the course of the book, she finds her place and her natural talents begin to shine as the team prepares for the biggest robotics competition of the year.
I have so many good things to say about this book that I almost don’t know where to start, but that doesn’t help convince people that they should read the book (you really should, by the way). I loved this book so much I basically forgot to make notes because I was so focused on finding out what was on the next page and what was going to happen.
Bel and Teo are so cute. I love how they worked together as rivals and when they didn’t see eye to eye, and then still competed with each other after they were together. They talked to each other about the problems they were having, and they worked so well as a team! Also, how could I not ship them after reading the line ‘Because wherever I am, I want her close by’? It would be literally impossible. Spoiler time, even when they broke up, they still cared about each other and believed in each other.
Now, time for even more spoilers because I want to talk about everything that happened in this book to whoever will listen.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, read this book. You won’t regret it at all. This book alone makes me want to auto-buy anything and everything Alexene Farol Follmuth writes. I gave it a five-star rating, and it’s the reason I made a 2022 Favourite Books list. Read My Mechanical Romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, and Vomit
Moderate: Infidelity and Violence
Minor: Classism, Sexual content, and Cultural appropriation
booktribe's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book is a teen romance between two members of a battle-bot-building team. If that doesn’t make you want to read this book then I don’t know what will! The cover immediately drew me to this book, but when I read the synopsis I just knew I had to read it!
There were so many great things about this book. Yes this book is a romance, but it also tackles all the misogyny that girls and women in STEM have to go through. I really loved that this book touched on that because so many young girls that will read this book need to know that it happens and that they can and will overcome it! And although that was a part of the story, the novel never lost its fun and lighthearted flow. I also found the descriptions of all the robot information, including the battle bot fights, very easy to follow. There was technical talk, but I never got confused. Another thing I loved about this book was Bel, the female main character! She was so likable and I just wanted the best for her in life. The character development in this story was great, even with the characters I disliked, I understood them and their motivations.
However, speaking of characters I didn’t like, I didn’t like Teo, the male main character. He was very arrogant and self centered. Though his character did improve eventually, I would’ve enjoyed the story better if the romance had been between Bel and Dash, Teo’s best friend. Put Dash in the forefront and make Teo a side character and this could’ve been a five star read for me. I also didn’t like Neelam, the only other girl on the robotics team. I wanted to love her, but I’ve never been a fan of the “this character is rude, but only because they’re misunderstood” trope. Like I said previously, I understood every character’s motivations, I know that her character was meant to show that a lot of times women and girls in STEM have to have a guard up to protect themselves from the overwhelming misogyny, but there was no excuse for her to be continually rude to Bel when Bel never did anything to her.
I enjoyed this book! The end was very satisfying for me! Though, I would’ve enjoyed it more if I liked the male main character. But, I found it very enjoyable and can’t wait for young girls in STEM to read it!
Thank you Holiday House and NetGalley for this arc. All opinions are my own.
TW: misogyny, parental divorce, cultural appropriation
There were so many great things about this book. Yes this book is a romance, but it also tackles all the misogyny that girls and women in STEM have to go through. I really loved that this book touched on that because so many young girls that will read this book need to know that it happens and that they can and will overcome it! And although that was a part of the story, the novel never lost its fun and lighthearted flow. I also found the descriptions of all the robot information, including the battle bot fights, very easy to follow. There was technical talk, but I never got confused. Another thing I loved about this book was Bel, the female main character! She was so likable and I just wanted the best for her in life. The character development in this story was great, even with the characters I disliked, I understood them and their motivations.
However, speaking of characters I didn’t like, I didn’t like Teo, the male main character. He was very arrogant and self centered. Though his character did improve eventually, I would’ve enjoyed the story better if the romance had been between Bel and Dash, Teo’s best friend. Put Dash in the forefront and make Teo a side character and this could’ve been a five star read for me. I also didn’t like Neelam, the only other girl on the robotics team. I wanted to love her, but I’ve never been a fan of the “this character is rude, but only because they’re misunderstood” trope. Like I said previously, I understood every character’s motivations, I know that her character was meant to show that a lot of times women and girls in STEM have to have a guard up to protect themselves from the overwhelming misogyny, but there was no excuse for her to be continually rude to Bel when Bel never did anything to her.
I enjoyed this book! The end was very satisfying for me! Though, I would’ve enjoyed it more if I liked the male main character. But, I found it very enjoyable and can’t wait for young girls in STEM to read it!
Thank you Holiday House and NetGalley for this arc. All opinions are my own.
TW: misogyny, parental divorce, cultural appropriation
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Cultural appropriation
livinthebubble's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
This was a fun read, although at times it was a little too young for me.
Characters
Teo (I'm going to be honest, every time I read his name, I first read Tuna) - He was a wholesome character. I really liked how he noticed small details about Bel.
Bel - In the beginning, she kind of annoyed me. "And girls aren't usually into robots." Says who? It's 2022, can we please not. She obviously changes her stance on that by the end of the novel, but just having that, in the beginning, gave me the ick. Although, I appreciated having the representation of women in STEM, especially a "girly" girl.
Mrs. Voss - love her, we all need a Mr. Voss in our lives.
Dash - loved him, felt bad for him when he got rejected by Bel
Jamie - loved her, very quotable:
Characters
Teo (I'm going to be honest, every time I read his name, I first read Tuna) - He was a wholesome character. I really liked how he noticed small details about Bel.
Bel - In the beginning, she kind of annoyed me. "And girls aren't usually into robots." Says who? It's 2022, can we please not. She obviously changes her stance on that by the end of the novel, but just having that, in the beginning, gave me the ick. Although, I appreciated having the representation of women in STEM, especially a "girly" girl.
Mrs. Voss - love her, we all need a Mr. Voss in our lives.
Dash - loved him, felt bad for him when he got rejected by Bel
Jamie - loved her, very quotable:
"..she does not like boys. (She's just unfortunately attracted to them.)"
"Jaime: omg I hate you so much and also I ship it so hard
(...)
Jaime: enemies to lovers
Jaime: the perfect ship
(...)
Jaime: enemies to academic colleagues to lovers"
I enjoyed most of the characters, although the side characters were kind of better than the main two, in my opinion.
Romance
It was a little too YA for me, I think. Although I really liked the academic rivals to lovers trope, and the romance was mostly cute, it was also a little cringey.
Ending
The ending was cute and realistic, I guess, so I can't really complain.
Sexism
Most, if not all, of the male characters said or did misogynistic things to their female counterparts. I got a little annoyed that their behaviour was not fixed/addressed. Mac did say that he learned something from Bel but I still feel like it should have been more addressed. (Although I did like the scene at the end with the sister)
Struggles of the average highshcooler
I liked to see how high schoolers are put under a lot of pressure, family expectations and not knowing what to do. Deciding on what you're going to do for the rest of your life is hard (I say when I still don't know and am in my 20s).
Overall, a fun read, I would recommend it to a younger audience rather than to someone in their 20s.
This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Minor: Misogyny and Sexism
solouncapitulomas's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"Sometimes I think I'd rather be forty and wondering where my life went instead of seventeen and relentlessly hounded about my future."
This is one of my favorite authors so you can imagine how I felt when I got approved by Net Galley for the arc I LITERALLY SCREAMED and decided to drop my cr (sorry Jane Eyre, I'll be back now) and pick up this one (which I read in one sitting, y'all)
My Mechanical Romance tells us the story of Bel and Teo, opposites in every sense but complementary (btw they are ACADEMIC RIVALS, I will say no more about that; but if you know you know) I was laughing the whole time reading this and even tho it is a funny and entertaining read it also goes into some topics that should be ALWAYS discussed, like misogyny in STEM and the effects of divorce on children, how parents can make their kids (even if they are not kids) take sides and the toxicity of it all. Oh and btw, it is dual pov, DUAL POV.
Bel is such an amazing characters and so it's Mateo but we also get amazing secondary characters (including a girl that I could only define as Paris Geller from Gilmore Girls, she is the kind of "mean girl" you cannot help but love and truly enjoy, the embodiment of female rage) also I really loved Dash, he is hilarious and such a great friend and Jamie is basically how I wanted to be when I grew up.
I think Alexene does a great job of showing us how the stress of "figuring out the future" can drive one crazy, it is ACTUALLY realistic and the fact that we get Taylor Swift reference and Lizzo like c'mon THIS IS GREAT CONTENT (the girls that get it, get it) I will read everything this author publishes, truly. EVEN A COOKING BOOK.
I'm glad that we truly get to see the depth of the characters, not just a superficial conflict but we say their day to day struggles and become a part of it with them.
I hope this review was helpful and that y'all give it a read, it comes out this 31st of May and I am telling you it is a 100% worth the read.
Here are some quotes I really liked to see if I can convince you:
"And now I understand how Rome was able to distract everyone from destitution and starvation with gladiators. There's a real trill to carnage, even if it's just metal parts"
"It's probably really stupid how much it unravels me to look at her right then, but I've never seen eyes that make me think about the mysteries of the universe the way hers do."
"Collect all the keys, pass Go" (reminded me of Alone With You in the Ether)
songs that I thought about while reading: Enchanted & The Man by Taylor Swift
PD: the chapters have TITLES, BRING BACK BOOKS WITH TITLED CHAPTERS
'kay, I'm out
Bye
This is one of my favorite authors so you can imagine how I felt when I got approved by Net Galley for the arc I LITERALLY SCREAMED and decided to drop my cr (sorry Jane Eyre, I'll be back now) and pick up this one (which I read in one sitting, y'all)
My Mechanical Romance tells us the story of Bel and Teo, opposites in every sense but complementary (btw they are ACADEMIC RIVALS, I will say no more about that; but if you know you know) I was laughing the whole time reading this and even tho it is a funny and entertaining read it also goes into some topics that should be ALWAYS discussed, like misogyny in STEM and the effects of divorce on children, how parents can make their kids (even if they are not kids) take sides and the toxicity of it all. Oh and btw, it is dual pov, DUAL POV.
Bel is such an amazing characters and so it's Mateo but we also get amazing secondary characters (including a girl that I could only define as Paris Geller from Gilmore Girls, she is the kind of "mean girl" you cannot help but love and truly enjoy, the embodiment of female rage) also I really loved Dash, he is hilarious and such a great friend and Jamie is basically how I wanted to be when I grew up.
I think Alexene does a great job of showing us how the stress of "figuring out the future" can drive one crazy, it is ACTUALLY realistic and the fact that we get Taylor Swift reference and Lizzo like c'mon THIS IS GREAT CONTENT (the girls that get it, get it) I will read everything this author publishes, truly. EVEN A COOKING BOOK.
I'm glad that we truly get to see the depth of the characters, not just a superficial conflict but we say their day to day struggles and become a part of it with them.
I hope this review was helpful and that y'all give it a read, it comes out this 31st of May and I am telling you it is a 100% worth the read.
Here are some quotes I really liked to see if I can convince you:
"And now I understand how Rome was able to distract everyone from destitution and starvation with gladiators. There's a real trill to carnage, even if it's just metal parts"
"It's probably really stupid how much it unravels me to look at her right then, but I've never seen eyes that make me think about the mysteries of the universe the way hers do."
"Collect all the keys, pass Go" (reminded me of Alone With You in the Ether)
songs that I thought about while reading: Enchanted & The Man by Taylor Swift
PD: the chapters have TITLES, BRING BACK BOOKS WITH TITLED CHAPTERS
'kay, I'm out
Bye
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Classism
rensreading's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-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? Yes
3.25
this e-arc was provided to me by netgalley
it took me quite a while to actually pick up this book. not because i was busy but because i wasn’t in the mood for a high school romance until about mid-april. im not a fan of stem and this book had a lot of that to go around. i took a small break about halfway through this book to tear through another and then came back because i couldn’t leave bel and teo alone for too long.
i really liked them both individually and together as a couple. they were very honest and straightforward with each other when it really came down to it. bel was funny and weird and teo was besotted by her weirdness bc his best friend, dash, is the exact same lmaoi definitely thought they’d break up after high school though. i didn’t really buy that they were in love, especially not when they confessed that to each other. it just didn’t feel like it was developed well enough to reach that point at the time that it did is all.
teo trying to look the other way when it came to the misogyny and sexism that surrounds bel and neelam really annoyed me though. and mac? still hate him. bel should not have “forgiven” him so quickly. just because she gained the approval of a man who was being such a passive-aggressive misogynist towards her for most of the school year doesn’t mean he actually realizes all the wrong he did. and neelam? i wanted to like her character but i couldn’t. the bitter, fiercely intelligent woman in stem trope? drag it out back and take it out of its misery already. i’m not saying she had to be all happy-go-lucky though. she just didn’t need to act so much like that that others didn’t seem to like her even one bit. it’s so easy for people to say you’re difficult to work with when you truly are difficult to work with and are too jaded by the environment to try and change that.
the complicated relationships with parents was a nice touch though. i still don’t like teo’s dad. i feel like the author was trying to cook up a specific angle about teo’s relationship with his dad and then decided to turn off the heat just as it was beginning to sizzle. a lot of the book felt like that by the third act to be honest. not to say this was awful, it just wasn’t groundbreaking or life-changing is all.
oh, and luke? has my whole heart. hope he’s thriving!
it took me quite a while to actually pick up this book. not because i was busy but because i wasn’t in the mood for a high school romance until about mid-april. im not a fan of stem and this book had a lot of that to go around. i took a small break about halfway through this book to tear through another and then came back because i couldn’t leave bel and teo alone for too long.
i really liked them both individually and together as a couple. they were very honest and straightforward with each other when it really came down to it. bel was funny and weird and teo was besotted by her weirdness bc his best friend, dash, is the exact same lmao
teo trying to look the other way when it came to the misogyny and sexism that surrounds bel and neelam really annoyed me though. and mac? still hate him. bel should not have “forgiven” him so quickly. just because she gained the approval of a man who was being such a passive-aggressive misogynist towards her for most of the school year doesn’t mean he actually realizes all the wrong he did. and neelam? i wanted to like her character but i couldn’t. the bitter, fiercely intelligent woman in stem trope? drag it out back and take it out of its misery already. i’m not saying she had to be all happy-go-lucky though. she just didn’t need to act so much like that that others didn’t seem to like her even one bit. it’s so easy for people to say you’re difficult to work with when you truly are difficult to work with and are too jaded by the environment to try and change that.
the complicated relationships with parents was a nice touch though. i still don’t like teo’s dad. i feel like the author was trying to cook up a specific angle about teo’s relationship with his dad and then decided to turn off the heat just as it was beginning to sizzle. a lot of the book felt like that by the third act to be honest. not to say this was awful, it just wasn’t groundbreaking or life-changing is all.
oh, and luke? has my whole heart. hope he’s thriving!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Vomit, and Misogyny
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Sexual content
the sexual content isn’t graphic, just two separate mentions of sex being something thatjanakbe's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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? No
4.75
Ummm…This book was everything I wanted and more!
I mean:
- Women in STEM
- POC representation
- opposites attract/ academic rivals to lovers
- Dual POV
- Cute pet names
- TAYLOR SWIFT!
- funny and cute banter
- big friend group
I gotta admit, I had high expectations for this book when I saw that it was written by the same Author as The Atlas Six (which is published under her pen name Olivie Blake). I WAS NOT disappointed! Also, I am almost 22 years old and I think this YA romance healed something in me.
What I liked/loved:
- Bel‘s struggle to find her passion in life is something I think a lot of teenagers can relate to. It felt really impactful and important to me that this was such a big part of the book. Making decisions and trying to meet everyone‘s expectations is very hard. Bel‘s journey showed that you don’t have to have your whole life figured out when you are 18!
- LOVED the women in STEM representation! It really showed all the misogyny young girls who are passionate about male-dominated topics like mechanics/robotics have to face. Why do girls have to work 3 times harder to accomplish what their male classmates get practically served on a silver platter?
- I actually LOVED Neelam (there is more enemies to friends between her and Bel than between Bel and Teo) and Dash !
- Teo is such a cutie and I get why all the girlies at school have a crush on him. He is so attentive and always trying his best to help others (and his Team!)
- All the family dynamics! This felt so realistic to me and all the side characters (Bel‘s siblings, the parents) did not fall flat but were actually fleshed out charcters.
- Mrs Voss was EVERYTHING! I which I had a teacher like her when I was in high school…
- The conflicts were believable and actually added to the story and the characters (especially Bel!)
What I didn‘t like:
- There is only one thing that I would critique…I expected there to be more rivalry between Bel and Teo in the beginning. Yes, they got off on the wrong foot and there was some animosity at first, but there was never a time when they hated each other. I was really hoping for all the ANGST about falling for the enemy
Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny
ashylibrarian's review
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
**Thank you to NetGalley, author Alexene Farol Follmuth, and Holiday House for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.**
My Mechanical Romance is a story that brings together family, friendship, women in STEAM, and learning how to explore the future without fear. Told through a dual perspective, readers are immersed in the senior year of Bel and Teo, along with their friends, as they navigate friendship, college applications, and budding romances.
Bel moved schools for her senior year and is not eager nor excited to be thinking about the future. AP courses? Only if she has to. Filling out college applications? Yeah right. Joining clubs? No thank you.
It is not until Bel's physics teacher, Ms. Voss, gives her the ultimatum of receiving a poor grade on a project that Bel neglected or moving up to AP physics and joining the robotics team that Bel realizes she might actually be able to enjoy her knack for building and tinkering as a future career. With the encouragement of Ms. Voss, Jamie (Bel's best friend), and Lora (Jamie's friend), Bel enters both AP physics and the robotics team…with a few reservations.
Robots, romance, regret, and restart. Those are the words I think of after reading My Mechanical Romance.
Much of this book is focused on young women in STEAM and the realities of having to fight for space in a male-dominated field. Author Alexene Farol Follmuth intertwines the intricacies of wanting to take up space in this field while also earning that space among other women.
At the beginning of the novel, Ms. Voss (an underrated character whom we need more of in the real world) tells Bel that she needs to be confident and bold. That she has the talent, smarts, and determination to succeed in what she wants but she needs to apply it. Ms. Voss tells Bel, "Take up your own space, Bel. Don't let other people tread over it." (29). Yes! We can use more characters who will encourage women, historically marginalized groups, minorities, and those less confident to - Take. Up. Their. Own. (Deserved.) Space. It takes Bel most of the novel, and a raw heart-to-heart with a teammate, to really take and truly understand this advice. But once she does, Bel’s character grows and expands in wonderful ways.
The female characters in this novel are all so independent of eachother and take up their own space in the storyline. This was really refreshing to read and made the underlying theme of empowerment naturally powerful. The relationship between Bel and Neelam was one of my favorites because they both had their minds set on accomplishing a similar task, however, they approached things differently. Neelam, through tough conversations, helped guide Bel to be a better version of what she (Bel) wanted.
I wanted to also touch on the fact that Teo’s character, though not my favorite young adult love interest, was a strong representation of what pressure, stress, and societal expecatations can do to young people. Multiple times throughout the novel, readers are reminded of everything Teo is expected to be - a leader in robotics, the team captain of the soccer team, the MIT early admittant, and a perfect, loyal son. These expectations were set forth on him by many adults, including his father and his teachers. Interestingly enough, however, it was his friends and peers who noted that he does not have to be perfect, he does not have to be the leader of everything, and he is allowed to take a break. Though I didn’t love the way Teo’s “break” was written into the story (without spoilers, it just felt a bit rushed and random, almost), I am glad it happened to show him that he can trust in others and doesn’t need to be at the center of everything all the time.
I really enjoyed the addition of the epilogue in this story and felt that it wrapped the robots and romance up nicely. I am happy I read this one and will keep it in mind for future recommendations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny
Moderate: Cultural appropriation and Vomit
Minor: Infidelity and Classism
fiwwa's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
When I found out that this book had a STEM romance with academic rivals to lovers trope, I read it right away and it did not disappoint!! This was a wholesome lighthearted read with an interesting plot, you’ll be surprised when you found out how fun robotics can be.
Except for the point where she gets to date the cutest geek in school, I relate so much to Bel's character. She's bright and compassionate, but she does have one flaw: she struggles to see the best in herself, which is... one reason why I relate to her. I'm not going to say much about Teo, but my my my, he's an absolute dream guy to date. Intelligent guys is my weakness, and Teo is certainly one of them.
The supporting characters are also excellent. Especially Ms. Voss, she’s a very supportive teacher, I believe we all need someone like her in our lives. And Dash?? Oh my God, that man brings the comedy to this romcom. It was hard for me to like Neelam at first but then I realized she's just like Paris Geller.
TeoBel’s romance is SUPER CUTE!! through the dual pov chapters, we can see how they both developed feelings for each other and secretly crushing, just how I imagined my high school romance would go if I ever had one. But despite the use of the word "romance" in the title, I like how this book was not only about teenage angsty drama. There was a lot more than that: about figuring out what you want and overcoming the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated field. the feminism is wonderfully portrayed.
The diversity and representation in this book is a amaaazing!! characters with various backgrounds, the chatter, the cultural foods and events?? I’ll let you find out yourself but my favorite scene is cheerful and colorful.
And I love how the STEM topic is actually highlighted and portrayed, instead of just having characters with STEM background or interest.
Thank you Netgalley, HolidayHouse, and the author Alexene Follmuth for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!
Except for the point where she gets to date the cutest geek in school, I relate so much to Bel's character. She's bright and compassionate, but she does have one flaw: she struggles to see the best in herself, which is... one reason why I relate to her. I'm not going to say much about Teo, but my my my, he's an absolute dream guy to date. Intelligent guys is my weakness, and Teo is certainly one of them.
The supporting characters are also excellent. Especially Ms. Voss, she’s a very supportive teacher, I believe we all need someone like her in our lives. And Dash?? Oh my God, that man brings the comedy to this romcom. It was hard for me to like Neelam at first but then I realized she's just like Paris Geller.
TeoBel’s romance is SUPER CUTE!! through the dual pov chapters, we can see how they both developed feelings for each other and secretly crushing, just how I imagined my high school romance would go if I ever had one. But despite the use of the word "romance" in the title, I like how this book was not only about teenage angsty drama. There was a lot more than that: about figuring out what you want and overcoming the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated field. the feminism is wonderfully portrayed.
The diversity and representation in this book is a amaaazing!! characters with various backgrounds, the chatter, the cultural foods and events?? I’ll let you find out yourself but my favorite scene is cheerful and colorful.
And I love how the STEM topic is actually highlighted and portrayed, instead of just having characters with STEM background or interest.
Thank you Netgalley, HolidayHouse, and the author Alexene Follmuth for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Cultural appropriation
beca_reads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
3.5
Thank you Netgalley and Holiday House for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was like a breath of fresh air, and there are very few books like it in young adult literature. My Mechanical Romance focuses on what it is like to be a women in STEM, especially through school, and the misogyny and sexism women face. The book also manages to capture the feeling of what it is like to come to the end of education and that loss and grief you feel, I thought that was done very well. The book is told through dual perspective of Bel and Teo. We follow Bel who has just transferred to a new school, and is spotted by her teacher as having a natural gift for engineering. Bel is put forwards to try out for the robotics team and Teo the president of robotics club instantly takes a liking to her but that doesn't last long. Bel and Teo clash over a lot of things, but over time they come to like each other's company and maybe something more. We watch as the robotics club work together to get to nationals in a hope to win. This book is filled with friendship, love and teamwork, and is a must read.
This book was like a breath of fresh air, and there are very few books like it in young adult literature. My Mechanical Romance focuses on what it is like to be a women in STEM, especially through school, and the misogyny and sexism women face. The book also manages to capture the feeling of what it is like to come to the end of education and that loss and grief you feel, I thought that was done very well. The book is told through dual perspective of Bel and Teo. We follow Bel who has just transferred to a new school, and is spotted by her teacher as having a natural gift for engineering. Bel is put forwards to try out for the robotics team and Teo the president of robotics club instantly takes a liking to her but that doesn't last long. Bel and Teo clash over a lot of things, but over time they come to like each other's company and maybe something more. We watch as the robotics club work together to get to nationals in a hope to win. This book is filled with friendship, love and teamwork, and is a must read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Vomit