[Review] The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss - Amy Noelle Parks

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Evie Beckham has always been too occupied with her love of math and frequent battles with anxiety to want to date. Besides, she’s always found the idea of kissing to be kind of weird. But by senior year, thanks to therapy and her friends, she’s feeling braver than before. Maybe even brave enough to enter the national math and physics competition or flirt back with the new boy. Meanwhile, Evie’s best friend, Caleb Covic, has always been a little in love with her. So he’s horrified when he is forced to witness Evie’s meet-cute with the new guy. Desperate, Caleb uses an online forum to capture Evie’s interest—and it goes a little too well. Now Evie wonders how she went from avoiding romance to having to choose between two—or is it three?—boys. (Pub Date: Jan 05, 2021)

A cute YA love triangle between two best friends and the guy who'll awaken her to the reason people kiss.

 

Evie has always lived by logic and math, along with all the times her mother triggers her into anxiety attacks. Caleb is always by her side, when he's no kissing half of their boarding school, and she knows she can trust him. But it is the new student who makes her think kissing a boy might be worth it. 

 

A 3.5 rounded up to 4. 

 

Caleb is in love with Evie for ever and the only thing he can do is count the almost kisses since she rejected one of his most forward attempts. He'd always thought she just wasn't into romance until she starts dating a boy. So maybe the problem was him? 

 

This book deals with a lot of science-y stuff I confess I understand nothing about but I still found it interesting and believable as far as layman me could tell. I have no idea why the writer went through that much trouble and that amazed me even more. Also, the conflict is believable. Evie and Caleb think they know each other very well, but they both hide this and that, small things that actually make a difference. The progression of their romance was neatly done, to a point maybe it was too slow.  

I do understand Evie needed some time to realize whom she really liked, but I'm not sure I had all that time to spare. I loved her journey looking back, but the slow rhythm got me while I was reading. Also although the Caleb and Evie are a good couple for each other, I didn't feel excited reading about them, but that could have to do with the slow rhythm too. In all, I think the romance, which was the main point of the story, was also its weakness.

 

Because there's a lot more to the story, especially Evie's journey to overcome her issues, I'm sure this is a book to recommend. But not to those who prefer more dynamic relationships in their romances. 

Honest review based on an ARC provided by Edelweiss. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Rating: 4 out of 5.