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3.2 AVERAGE
3.2 AVERAGE
One of my coworkers picked up this book at TLA and thought I'd enjoy it. They were right. I didn't go to work until 10 this morning so my early morning was spent in my home library reading this book. I continued it at lunch and then didn't do anything but read when I got home. I've missed the feeling of finishing a book in a single day. It's so nice.
I really enjoyed this book. Goldstein does a great job of creating an interesting plot as well as solid characters. There really wasn't a time I didn't believe the characters existed. She did a great job with creating a book that's diverse and different. It's nice to see a book where the main character is totally in love with math and science. I think a lot of authors write books about their own passions and those usually aren't math and science. This book shows young teens that it's cool to like math and science, and there are others out there that do.
I also really loved the diversity. Maya's best friend is gay, her aunt is bisexual and married to a woman, there's a wonderful diverse set of religions and regions of birth. I adored how much she managed to get into this book. Not once did any of it feel forced either. It was all really natural and felt like real life.
The science portions of this book area really interesting. I enjoyed getting to see Maya's ethical battle with herself. I really enjoyed getting to see the scientific side mixed with the romance and break-up stuff. It was an interesting mix. Goldstein also does a great job with the topics of death and grief.
There's a lot of great things in this small book. I'm really glad I pulled it out of my stack of ARCs from TLA to read.
I really enjoyed this book. Goldstein does a great job of creating an interesting plot as well as solid characters. There really wasn't a time I didn't believe the characters existed. She did a great job with creating a book that's diverse and different. It's nice to see a book where the main character is totally in love with math and science. I think a lot of authors write books about their own passions and those usually aren't math and science. This book shows young teens that it's cool to like math and science, and there are others out there that do.
I also really loved the diversity. Maya's best friend is gay, her aunt is bisexual and married to a woman, there's a wonderful diverse set of religions and regions of birth. I adored how much she managed to get into this book. Not once did any of it feel forced either. It was all really natural and felt like real life.
The science portions of this book area really interesting. I enjoyed getting to see Maya's ethical battle with herself. I really enjoyed getting to see the scientific side mixed with the romance and break-up stuff. It was an interesting mix. Goldstein also does a great job with the topics of death and grief.
There's a lot of great things in this small book. I'm really glad I pulled it out of my stack of ARCs from TLA to read.
Loved the setting (just across the Charles from me) but... the plot is so predictable. BFFs (the new "girl and gay boy" configuration), a break-up/broken heart, the idea of getting the guy back. Sigh. Introducing STEM was great, but (no spoilers) the project? Again, sigh. Still, as a summer Dessenesque read, teens won't really care.
ARC provided by publisher.
ARC provided by publisher.
Content warnings: death of a parent (prior to the novel), manipulation
Maya's just been broken up with and she desperately wants to get her boyfriend back. She stumbles on her mother's research notes from before she died detailing her experiments surrounding love and attraction. Maya is intent to continue on the research in hopes of getting Whit back.
Honestly, this book was just not what I was expecting. I was thinking it would be a cute contemporary about understanding love through chemistry and whilst there was a little of that it was a bit messier and there was some really questionable behaviour by the MC.
Continue my review here: https://kirstyreadsblog.wordpress.com/2018/08/27/chemistry-lessons-by-meredith-goldstein
Maya's just been broken up with and she desperately wants to get her boyfriend back. She stumbles on her mother's research notes from before she died detailing her experiments surrounding love and attraction. Maya is intent to continue on the research in hopes of getting Whit back.
Honestly, this book was just not what I was expecting. I was thinking it would be a cute contemporary about understanding love through chemistry and whilst there was a little of that it was a bit messier and there was some really questionable behaviour by the MC.
Continue my review here: https://kirstyreadsblog.wordpress.com/2018/08/27/chemistry-lessons-by-meredith-goldstein
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
I had a really hard time getting through this book. It just didn't flow right for me. I received this book as an ARC.
started okay and i really liked the family dynamics (and Bryan!!) but the MC and the writing felt so flat & unrealistic.overall a quick easy read,that could have been great but was not quite there.2.5 ⭐️
* I got this book from the publisher for my honest thoughts*
This was a great book to kick off my summer reads season. I really loved how this book was focused on both grief but also science and experiments with love twist. I really found the self discovery path in this story to be super strong. I also really realated to the female/male friendship dynamics because that was something that defined my high school experience. I also liked how this book tackled grief but in a unique way. I flew through this book and really think that was because the structure of this book made the pacing of this book super well crafted. I also really loved all the side characters and the lead boy made me smile. I would def read more by this author in the future.
This was a great book to kick off my summer reads season. I really loved how this book was focused on both grief but also science and experiments with love twist. I really found the self discovery path in this story to be super strong. I also really realated to the female/male friendship dynamics because that was something that defined my high school experience. I also liked how this book tackled grief but in a unique way. I flew through this book and really think that was because the structure of this book made the pacing of this book super well crafted. I also really loved all the side characters and the lead boy made me smile. I would def read more by this author in the future.
I just felt like the book was a little slow and juvenile. Might pick it up again at some point, but not soon.
Maya is a girl still recovering from her mother's death. She interns at the lab her mother ran at MIT and she's got a small but good group of friends. She also had a boyfriend, Whit. That is until he unexpectedly broke up with her.
While visiting her aunt, she's lead to go through her mother's research paperwork in their attic. After discovering her mother was secretly working on a way to manipulate pheromones, she gets the idea to get her boyfriend back. It appears her mother was trying to keep the spark going, to recreate the rush of falling in love. That's perfect to Maya, which means it's going to spell disaster, and hence, our book is laid out.
Maya sets out on a mission with Ann, the woman who was her mothers assistant, hoping to continue the secret research of her mother. Ann tasks her to 3 different men. An acquaintance, a friend, and lastly her ex, and of course, things don't go as Maya envisioned.
I don't feel like this book is overly scientific like some people are saying. Sure she interns in a lab and is excellent in Math in Science, but it's not prevalent. The core of this book is her journey through this sketchy and morally questionable "research".
Her relationship with her father is commendable and gave me all the feels towards the end of the book. I enjoyed her best friend Bryan and I would have liked to go deeper with his character. Watching Maya traverse enticing 3 men was interesting. Her first interaction with Witt after the breakup went as expected, but I was proud of her growth. Overall, Chemistry Lessons was a good read.
While visiting her aunt, she's lead to go through her mother's research paperwork in their attic. After discovering her mother was secretly working on a way to manipulate pheromones, she gets the idea to get her boyfriend back. It appears her mother was trying to keep the spark going, to recreate the rush of falling in love. That's perfect to Maya, which means it's going to spell disaster, and hence, our book is laid out.
Maya sets out on a mission with Ann, the woman who was her mothers assistant, hoping to continue the secret research of her mother. Ann tasks her to 3 different men. An acquaintance, a friend, and lastly her ex, and of course, things don't go as Maya envisioned.
I don't feel like this book is overly scientific like some people are saying. Sure she interns in a lab and is excellent in Math in Science, but it's not prevalent. The core of this book is her journey through this sketchy and morally questionable "research".
Her relationship with her father is commendable and gave me all the feels towards the end of the book. I enjoyed her best friend Bryan and I would have liked to go deeper with his character. Watching Maya traverse enticing 3 men was interesting. Her first interaction with Witt after the breakup went as expected, but I was proud of her growth. Overall, Chemistry Lessons was a good read.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes