The Rosie Project | Graeme Simsion

82/100

Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a “wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner. She will be punctual and logical—most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver.

Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent—and on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don's Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper.

+4 Cover Design

I actually really like this cover. If I saw it on a bookshelf, my eyes would be immediately attracted to it. The covers pops and there's really great contrast between the fonts and the cover. I have to say I really, really like it. 

+4 Writing Style

The writing style was above average, but not spectacular. It didn't hinder me from understanding the storyline but it didn't do anything to enhance my experience either. 

+3 Plot Development

Generally, I'm not much of a rom-com person, and while this book was hilarious, the plot had quite a few holes in it. I'm going to discuss this further in the spoiler-filled discussion but the plot developed almost too conveniently, to the point where it was unbelievable at some points.  

+4 Character Relations

While the relationship between Rosie and Don was fairly predictable, I really enjoyed the relationship between all of the other characters. Gene and his wife had a very interesting relationship that I'm going to explore in the spoiler-filled section. The interactions in this book were what made it a unique storyline. Combining this variety of people with a variety of beliefs, made for an interesting dynamic throughout the novel. 

+2 Character Development

Character development and predictability were the two biggest problems I had throughout this book. The fact that we knew exactly the direction of the character development made the story a lot less exciting. But there was also the fact that the development was a slow incline throughout the majority of the book and a steep increase in the last 20 pages. He literally changed overnight which was completely unbelievable and unrealistic to me. 

+3 Likability of Protagonist

In the case of this particular book, I'm pretty sure the protagonist wasn't supposed to be likable, at least not in the traditional sense. Throughout the entirety of the book I pictured him as Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory and though he didn't have the normal positive characters we typically look for, he wasn't a bad character at all. His lack of social presence gave him a comic edge that most of the other characters didn't have. 

+5 Necessity of Minor Characters

For me, it was the minor characters that made this book. Even those characters that didn't have names were phenomenal. Their interactions and reactions to Don were really entertaining and I feel like I was more invested in those lives and storylines than I was in the main plot. 

+3 Setting Description

I don't have anything exceptional to say about the setting. I could understand and visualize where they were, but it wasn't extraordinary. 

+3 Interesting Storyline

The storyline wasn't uninteresting. I figured going into it that it was a traditional rom-com so I wasn't too surprised at the lack of plot twists. The plot could have been a little more interesting, but it wasn't bad by any means. 

+1  Predictability

This was basically a typical love story: 

Girl meets Boy

Boy and Girl are not compatible 

Girl and Boy hang out a lot together 

Boy and Girl realize they like each other 

Boy and Girl become compatible 

THE END 

The "science" behind it was interesting but it didn't do too much to detract from the predictability behind the storyline. I will admit I didn't expect the ending at all, but most of that was because I missed a crucial point at the beginning so it was hard to deduce the ending. 

+50 Finished

I actually read this book as the first book in my college's official book club, so it wasn't something I picked up from the Internet. But I have to say I didn't hate it, it's a very cute, relaxing book to read. Definitely something good to read after a hard day at work or school. Going into it I recommend expecting a simple rom-com because other than the comedic scenes, that's really all there is. There are few poignant moments where they briefly touch on the idea of stereotypes, but it's not a central focus of the book. There is a sequel called The Rosie Effect but I honestly probably won't read it simply because I don't feel invested in the characters enough. And this was a good stand-alone novel, I feel like there's nothing more to expand on.

Final Total: 82/100 ; B-

Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between | Jennifer E. Smith

88/100

On the night before they leave for college, Clare and Aidan only have one thing left to do: figure out whether they should stay together or break up. Over the course of twelve hours, they'll retrace the steps of their relationship, trying to find something in their past that might help them decide what their future should be. The night will lead them to friends and family, familiar landmarks and unexpected places, hard truths and surprising revelations. But as the clock winds down and morning approaches, so does their inevitable goodbye. The question is, will it be goodbye for now or goodbye forever?

+3 Cover Design 

While this isn't the best cover I've seen, I absolutely love the font of the title. Any title with this font automatically gets some points. I also really like the color scheme of the cover, but the actual image of the cover seems a bit cliché.

+5 Writing Style

Smith does a fantastic job of weaving all the parts of the story together in a way that's interesting and deep.

+3 Plot Development

While the entirety of the book was more of an emotional journey over a physical one, a majority of the book had good plot development. I particularly loved the flashbacks where we got to see the development of their relationship. While I understood the indecision our protagonist was struggling through, near the end the problem less significant than it started.

+5 Character Relationships 

This entire book focused on relationships. Boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, father-son relationships, best friend-best friend relationships. And they were fleshed out so perfectly. Every interaction had some sort of significance, no dialogue seemed unnecessary and out of place. 

+3 Character Development

Since the span of the book is over the course of one night, we don't really see much development in the characters individually. But we do see a lot of development in their relationships with one another, which compensates for the lack of individuality of the characters.

+3 Likability of Protagonist

I have no complains about Clare or Aiden. I related a little more to Clare in her practicality of thinking, but I wasn't in love with her. I could see how Aiden is a fantastic boyfriend and individual, but again I didn't love him as much as I have with other characters.

+4 Necessity of Minor Characters

While the minor characters weren't necessary to the plot itself, they were extremely important in the development of different character relationships. These minor characters shaped the situation that set up the book, but didn't do as much for the storyline during the book. 

+5 Setting Description

A good chunk of this book focused on the setting since each particular place they stopped had a significant impact on their relationship. I really think that Smith did a fantastic job with giving us enough detail so we could realistically picture the scenes in our minds without being overloaded with unnecessary detail.

+4 Interesting Storyline

Personally I really enjoyed this book and I think a lot of it had to do with how close the scenes in this book hit home. While I'm not saying goodbye to a first love or anything like that, I am leaving for college soon and in the same way I have to say goodbye to all my friends. Like in the book I have friends staying right here and I have friends going as far as California.

+3 Predictability

I wasn't really looking towards whether or not Clare and Aiden would stay together. While I was reading it, I was more living in the moment of their relationship, not really worrying whether or not they were going to stay together.

+50 Finished

Final Total: 88/100; B+ 

This is more of an emotional book than an action-packed one. But it's a fantastic summer read and I definitely recommend it as a good way to feel nostalgic, especially if you're like me and about to start college.

Meant to Be | Lauren Morril

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question. 

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

I'm a sucker for cute contemporary love stories as much as any teenage girl, but I will admit I am a bit more critical of them. A good love story, in my opinion, is one of the hardest things to write. Every component has to be perfect. The characters have to be relatable and likable. The setting has to be realistic and believable. The romance itself has to be cute and natural. There's a very thin line between cute and cliché and it's so easy to cross that line.

As much as this book wasn't perfect, it was one of the better love stories. The characters were believable and real, the environment was beautiful, and most of the romance natural.