The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss

October 1, 2020

Gr 7 Up-Parks's YA debut is a romantic comedy about brainy women, romance, and lovestruck boys mixed with mathematics and physics. Seventeen-year-old Evie Beckham has never been interested in dating until she meets Leo, a handsome, blue-eyed, floppy-haired, soccer player who is a new transfer to Newton Academy. With the help of her best friend Bex and her therapist, Anita, Evie conquers her anxiety and starts dating Leo. Caleb Covic, Evie's childhood friend who is in love with her, becomes dismayed when he finds out about Evie's relationship with Leo. Desperate, Caleb creates Milo, an online persona to capture her interest. Parks introduces a strong female lead who deals with drama from her parents when she is chosen to present at a prestigious physics competition. Told in the alternating voices of Evie and Caleb, who are white, the characters cover the topics of math, physics, and mental illness. Fans of YA rom-coms will have a new favorite. VERDICT A heartwarming tale of two childhood friends facing challenges in their platonic relationship...and maybe more. Recommended for young adult collections.-Angelina Bair, Lakewood P.L., OH

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2020
Caleb Covic has almost kissed Evie Beckham 14 times. Caleb and Evie have been best friends since kindergarten. From offering comfort during her panic attacks to understanding her difficulty with interpreting feelings, no one can reach Evie the way Caleb can. As unquestionably passionate as Evie is about mathematics, Caleb is certain that when she is ready for romance, she will return his love and choose him. But Caleb doubts himself when Leo McGill, their charming fellow classmate at Newton Academy, a prestigious STEM boarding school, shows interest in Evie and she reciprocates. For her part, Evie cannot imagine her life without Caleb and fears losing their friendship if they were to become romantically involved--and besides, sparks fly between her and Leo, so going out with him makes sense. But after she grows attached to an anonymous boy she meets in an online forum, she begins to wonder if it's possible to have feelings for more than one person. Parks shows the benefits of therapy through Evie's growth in overcoming her anxiety and standing up to her overly protective psychologist mother; the mother-daughter relationship is movingly portrayed. She also touches on the lack of diversity in math and sciences and the pressure Evie and her best friend feel as girls in a male-dominated field. Alternating points of view allow readers to truly understand the depth of Caleb and Evie's relationship from both sides. Most characters are White. A charming friends-to-lovers romance. (Romance. 12-18)

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January 1, 2021
Grades 8-11 Ever since they met as five-year-olds, Caleb and Evie have been best friends. A brilliant, beautiful mathematics student who suffers from anxiety, panic attacks, and an overly intrusive mother, Evie is working with a therapist to manage stress. Caleb has always been the person in her life who knows how to help. But during their senior year at an elite math-and-science boarding school, when she first becomes interested in dating, she chooses Leo, a bright, attractive transfer student. For Caleb, who has never been in doubt about the love of his life, it's wrenching to watch. At a prestigious conference where he's presenting a paper with Evie, she comes to a momentous decision. Written in alternating first-person chapters from Caleb's and Evie's viewpoints and billed as a rom-com (though perhaps the first to include a Schr�dinger's cat joke), this engaging novel features two smart, conflicted main characters, witty dialogue, and a dynamic supporting cast. The destructive foibles of certain adults get the disdain they deserve, while love, friendship, and hard-won happiness triumph in this thoroughly engaging novel.

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