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A review by tazisbooked
My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth
5.0
Raise your hand if you have ever felt personally victimized by a male STEM teacher.
As someone who was the only girl in her AP Physics class and whose teacher definitely treated the boys better in that class, wow this book hit HOME. But beyond the story line that follows women in STEM and the misogyny that is faced on the daily, the intersection of feminism portrayed in this 300-something page book while still being a fluffy, adorable romance blew my mind.
MY MECHANICAL ROMANCE (which, as a lifelong MCR fan, this title had me chortling) follows Bel, a bright and kinda nerdy senior in college who… has no idea what she wants to do with her life. When she’s basically forced into joining her high school’s robotics team, she meets Teo, who sees immediately how smart Bel is but is frustrated by seemingly little she cares. These two argue a lot (a true academic rivals to lovers plotline) but with Nationals looming, these two are going to have to get on the same page – academically and romantically.
This story DELIVERS. The characters really shine in this story – not just Bel and Teo, but their families and friends. They are complex and interesting for a multitude of reasons. Dash and Neelam especially were personal favorites. The dynamics between the robotics team as well was engaging and cute and this really captures the uncertainty that haunts every high school senior during the whole college application (and waiting!) process.
Additionally, watching the character development in Bel and Teo was incredible – they really bring out the best in each other and strive to push each other to do better. Teo adopts some of Bel’s laissez-faire attitude, which is sorely needed as a privileged boy who seems to believe he needs to carry the expectations of the world (or just his wildly successful tech bro father) on his shoulders and Bel, conversely, begins to critically think about the space she occupies – the space she deserves. She stops letting life happen to her and begins to assert her desires and opinions.
Neelam played a large role in Bel’s development and she is a prickly character that is unlikeable at first but gives Bel a well-needed wakeup call that she (Bel) can’t expect everything in life to happen for her. She’s been lucky so far and she’s talented, yes, but she needs to also WORK to dismantle the misogyny she will be facing in a career in STEM. Brown women are the unsung heros, truly.
I loved how this book tackled the struggles of being a woman in a male-dominated field. I loved how nuanced it was (which is impressive because, again, it’s only 300-something pages long!). I loved how it tackled privilege and the intersectionality of identity in your struggles. I also loved how realistically it portrayed how dismissive male STEM teachers are of girls in their classes. This book was fantastic and I sincerely think it will help a generation of young girls assert themselves in STEM.
I also really want to shout out the Holi scene – it was so fun for me to read as it brought back some really fond memories of college Holi parties – down to the competition and flirting.
Special thanks to Holiday House and Netgalley for sharing this advance reader’s copy with me in exchange for an honest review!
As someone who was the only girl in her AP Physics class and whose teacher definitely treated the boys better in that class, wow this book hit HOME. But beyond the story line that follows women in STEM and the misogyny that is faced on the daily, the intersection of feminism portrayed in this 300-something page book while still being a fluffy, adorable romance blew my mind.
MY MECHANICAL ROMANCE (which, as a lifelong MCR fan, this title had me chortling) follows Bel, a bright and kinda nerdy senior in college who… has no idea what she wants to do with her life. When she’s basically forced into joining her high school’s robotics team, she meets Teo, who sees immediately how smart Bel is but is frustrated by seemingly little she cares. These two argue a lot (a true academic rivals to lovers plotline) but with Nationals looming, these two are going to have to get on the same page – academically and romantically.
This story DELIVERS. The characters really shine in this story – not just Bel and Teo, but their families and friends. They are complex and interesting for a multitude of reasons. Dash and Neelam especially were personal favorites. The dynamics between the robotics team as well was engaging and cute and this really captures the uncertainty that haunts every high school senior during the whole college application (and waiting!) process.
Additionally, watching the character development in Bel and Teo was incredible – they really bring out the best in each other and strive to push each other to do better. Teo adopts some of Bel’s laissez-faire attitude, which is sorely needed as a privileged boy who seems to believe he needs to carry the expectations of the world (or just his wildly successful tech bro father) on his shoulders and Bel, conversely, begins to critically think about the space she occupies – the space she deserves. She stops letting life happen to her and begins to assert her desires and opinions.
Neelam played a large role in Bel’s development and she is a prickly character that is unlikeable at first but gives Bel a well-needed wakeup call that she (Bel) can’t expect everything in life to happen for her. She’s been lucky so far and she’s talented, yes, but she needs to also WORK to dismantle the misogyny she will be facing in a career in STEM. Brown women are the unsung heros, truly.
I loved how this book tackled the struggles of being a woman in a male-dominated field. I loved how nuanced it was (which is impressive because, again, it’s only 300-something pages long!). I loved how it tackled privilege and the intersectionality of identity in your struggles. I also loved how realistically it portrayed how dismissive male STEM teachers are of girls in their classes. This book was fantastic and I sincerely think it will help a generation of young girls assert themselves in STEM.
I also really want to shout out the Holi scene – it was so fun for me to read as it brought back some really fond memories of college Holi parties – down to the competition and flirting.
Special thanks to Holiday House and Netgalley for sharing this advance reader’s copy with me in exchange for an honest review!