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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 thatashylibrarian'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
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
dlrosebyh'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? Yes
5.0
Women in stem. Need I explain more?
Firstly, I’d like to thank NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of My Mechanical Romance in exchange of an honest review.
The cover was the first thing that drew me into this book. Then there's the synopsis. See, I'm not a big fan of science. Actually, if I'm being completely honest, I despise science, especially physics. That being stated, I was undecided about whether or not to request this book. At the end of the day, I was fortunate to pick this up.
Teo Luna and Bel Maier are two "nerds" who are compelled to work together in My Mechanical Romance. Teo has been the robotics club's captain for several years. He has a reputation for being serious, studious, and a nerd. Not just any nerd, but a really attractive one. Bel, on the other hand, is a new student who is working hard to maintain her GPA in preparation for her future.
This book covers misogyny, sexism, and racism all at the same time, which are important topics. To be honest, it's rare to come across a romance book that tackles these issues without relying on preconceptions, so kudos to Follmuth for that.
The romance in this novel made me laugh, cry, and scream all at the same time. To avoid spoilers, I'm not going to say much more— but academic rivals to lovers and forced proximity? Excellent tropes. Did I mention Teo memorized Taylor Swift's discography in order to make Bel laugh?
In terms of the characters, each one is relatable in their own manner. Bel is the character with whom I have the most in common. Her academic aspirations, her love for Taylor Swift, and her Filipino heritage? Yes, she is unquestionably one of the most relatable protagonist.
Overall, I love this book. Please don't mind if I start using it as my main personality right now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny
Moderate: Infidelity, Violence, and Vomit
Minor: Classism and Cultural appropriation
kestrel's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
What a cute little book!
First of all, I want to say how much I like the cover and all the small details it has. Now, concerning the content of the book, the writing was the familiar Olivie Blake's witty writing style (Yes, Alexene Farol Follmuth is also Olivie Blake, in case you didn't know). The romance was very cute, and I appreciated the feminist message overall, even though it didn't always feel organic to me. I happy that this book exists and GIRLS IN STEM RULE!
**Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.**
First of all, I want to say how much I like the cover and all the small details it has. Now, concerning the content of the book, the writing was the familiar Olivie Blake's witty writing style (Yes, Alexene Farol Follmuth is also Olivie Blake, in case you didn't know). The romance was very cute, and I appreciated the feminist message overall, even though it didn't always feel organic to me. I happy that this book exists and GIRLS IN STEM RULE!
**Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.**
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Infidelity and Vomit
Minor: Cultural appropriation
jadebear's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I would have liked the diversity of the two leads' backgrounds in terms of race and religion explored a bit more. It seemed more like costumes for the characters to wear, rather than something that informed their characters or how they act. Maybe Teo could wrestle with some Catholic guilt, and that's why he has trouble agreeing to do too much. Because of past guilt when he didn't. Maybe Bel could have been conflicted about siding with her white dad over her Philipino mom, not just who had infidelity and caused the marriage to end. It just seems like a wasted opportunity, when only a few lines here and there could have been added to make the book not just about misogyny and teen romance, but also racism. But maybe it was there and got edited out because it's a YA book and the editor(s) wanted to simplify it. I still found it funny, engaging and I learned a lot about competitive robotics clubs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Vomit, Cultural appropriation, and Infidelity
viillanelle's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.25
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism and Misogyny
Minor: Infidelity, Vomit, and Classism
bookwormbullet's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Vomit and Infidelity
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