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A review by lau3rie
The Chemistry Test by Georgina Frankie
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I had a great time with it nonetheless.
It's a very sweet coming of age dual POV romance where we follow Penny and CJ negotiating the challenges of student life and the boundaries of their relationship. They're both dealing with some significant challenges beyond the typical ones - Penny is living with EDS and POTS, and CJ is struggling with grief and depression, as well as managing dyslexia and a secondary career.
This seems like a very heartfelt and personal piece of writing for the author, and it definitely comes across in the writing. The disability representation feels very earnest, for the most part it's a very organic part of the story but there are one or two times where it felt like the author had a message she really wanted to convey but couldn't get it to flow naturally.
Although there is a thread of relationship building and romance that runs through the story, it's not purely a romance. Personally I like this approach, and it feels authentic to the experience of being a student, even if you're falling in love during your first year you're going through a million other things as well. While I appreciate the broader scope, it's quite a short book and while I wouldn't say the story feels rushed, there are definitely elements that could have been given more time to breathe or expanded upon.
It does seem like this is a conscious choice by the author to keep the narrative accessible to a wider range of readers and audiences, and while I personally might have wanted something a bit more I do appreciate why she wrote in the way that she did.
Overall this was a solid debut, if imperfect, and I'm definitely curious to see what she comes out with next.
This wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I had a great time with it nonetheless.
It's a very sweet coming of age dual POV romance where we follow Penny and CJ negotiating the challenges of student life and the boundaries of their relationship. They're both dealing with some significant challenges beyond the typical ones - Penny is living with EDS and POTS, and CJ is struggling with grief and depression, as well as managing dyslexia and a secondary career.
This seems like a very heartfelt and personal piece of writing for the author, and it definitely comes across in the writing. The disability representation feels very earnest, for the most part it's a very organic part of the story but there are one or two times where it felt like the author had a message she really wanted to convey but couldn't get it to flow naturally.
Although there is a thread of relationship building and romance that runs through the story, it's not purely a romance. Personally I like this approach, and it feels authentic to the experience of being a student, even if you're falling in love during your first year you're going through a million other things as well. While I appreciate the broader scope, it's quite a short book and while I wouldn't say the story feels rushed, there are definitely elements that could have been given more time to breathe or expanded upon.
It does seem like this is a conscious choice by the author to keep the narrative accessible to a wider range of readers and audiences, and while I personally might have wanted something a bit more I do appreciate why she wrote in the way that she did.
Overall this was a solid debut, if imperfect, and I'm definitely curious to see what she comes out with next.