I just wanna spend every second with you: THE CALCULATION OF YOU AND ME.

The Calculation of You and Me: A Novel by Serena Kaylor
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I have complicated feelings about this book, but that's appropriate, as our main character, Marlowe, is a complicated person. One of the best things about Serena Kaylor's books is that she writes nuanced characters with various dimensions, and she doesn't shy away from depicting neurodivergent personalities.

I was slow to warm to THE CALCULATION OF YOU AND ME and even considered not finishing it, due to Marlowe's singular focus on her ex, Josh, who breaks up with her at the end of the summer, but leaves enough glimmer of hope (in Marlowe's eyes) so that she pines for him all summer. When he truly ends it (in the chemistry lab, no less) on the first day back at school, she's devastated. Around Josh, Marlowe could feel "normal"--she had friends, she went out on dates and to parties, and she was part of the typical high school experience, much to her parents' relief. Without Josh, she's just weird Marlowe, autistic teen. Even worse, when Josh breaks up with her, he tells her she's not romantic enough, only solidifying her internal monologue that she's not like other girls.

Marlowe turns to fellow student Ash, a loner with whom she's been recently paired on an English project, to teach her about romance. Ash works at a romance bookstore (this town has a bookstore dedicated solely to romance books, which sounds so, so amazing) and while he's reluctant to help, citing pure hatred of Josh, Marlowe wins him over, especially when she helps publicize his band.

What follows is a very touching neurodiverse love story with an exploration of teen autism. It's an ode to romance, as Ash teaches Marlowe about the genre via various novels and then romance experiences (aka dates). One of the best things about the book is the focus on Marlowe's relationship with her friends, who are cute, quirky, and not afraid to be different. There's a diverse cast with queer characters--always appreciated.

While focusing on one thing (or person) is, in fact, a part of Marlowe's autism, her focus on Josh went on too long and the book would have been far more engaging with more Ash. It took 20% of the story to even get to her pact with Ash to learn about romance; with that early 20% focused almost solely on opining about Josh. (And I think it's fair to say that Josh is not worth opining over.) It would have been nice to see Marlowe reach her revelation about Josh's true character a bit earlier, so we could have more Marlowe/Ash time. Any part of the story that looked into Marlowe's relationship with her friends, her family, or her banter with Ash was far more interesting.

The story doesn't always feel deep or substantial, but its exploration of neurodivergence is excellent. This tale would be very appropriate and a good fit for its YA audience. 3.5 stars for me.

I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

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My heart is on wings: LONG STORY SHORT.

Long Story Short by Serena Kaylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Beatrice Quinn is shocked when she gets into Oxford, but not as surprised as her parents! They didn't even know that their intelligent, shy daughter who loves routines (she eats the same meals on the same day every week) applied and they cannot imagine sending their sixteen-year-old overseas. So they strike a deal: if Beatrice goes to theater camp and completes a series of tasks (make a friend, accept an invitation, get hugged by three people), they'll agree that she's experienced teenage life and is ready for Oxford.

This is rather charming YA story about coming of age and finding yourself. Beatrice is absolutely adorable and a wonderful, feisty, intelligent, heroine that I could get completely behind! I was a little wary about this story because I'm not a huge fan of books where we need to take the plain intelligent girl and transform her into a beautiful person who no longer focuses on the intelligence that she cared about before. Luckily, STORY does not seem to want to change Bea too much, though it hovers on a little too much for me at times.

Bea completely lucks out in meeting Mia, her roommate, who takes her under her wing and has no problem that her shy and awkward roommate is at camp with a checklist. She embraces it completely, as does Mia's friend, Nolan, who is a total sweetie. Like much of STORY, there's a lot of good luck and a bit too much cheeriness, because, let's face it, kids can be cruel. And don't worry, there's plenty of teenage bullying for poor Beatrice, but it's isolated to a couple of kids. Still, I loved the friendship between Mia, Nolan, and Bea, and they are so cute.

Bea's love interest, Nik, offers a great love/hate relationship and they give us palpable (YA appropriate) chemistry. Things drag a small bit as Bea wonders maybe one or two too many times about his intentions and her place in the world. Overall, though, it's a sweet romance and a lovely story. The themes of finding yourself, friendship, and first love are presented in a unique and fun way. And, seriously, Bea is pretty amazing for surviving theater camp--I honestly thought her parents were monsters for that touch.

Overall, this is a fun, touching, and poignant YA rom-com. 4+ stars.

I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books and Negalley in return for an unbiased review.

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