Meanwhile, Teo who despite having everything worked out, is a people pleaser that carried the pressure of being the team leader and the perfect son — which in all fairness, is not the kind that teenagers can withstand. i also think this book can be a good encouragement for young girls, who maybe want to get into STEM but were always made to feel like it "isn't for them". I'm honestly not sure what I was expecting, but I've seen nothing but praises for this new try-out from Olivie Blake. When Grace saves his life in a kayaking accident - if it was an accident - and Evan's troubled son arrives to stay, all three are drawn together in a way that forces a reckoning with their personal traumas and draws them back into society. An adorable opposites-attract YA romance, from the TikTok sensation and globally bestselling author of The Atlas Six (under the penname Olivie Blake).

I love how all the side characters have their own personality and share an important part in the story. I was reading it during a really busy time in my life, and the content within the book actually represented that. But the boys in the club don't listen to her and Naleem, the other girl on the team doesn't like her. Despite my overall lack of background knowledge on the subject, I never felt lost when the characters were referencing topics, as the author explained them in a simple way.In any case, this is a charming YA romance that also—and this is very much my perspective—explores the issue facing (young) women, especially young WOC, in STEM with a touch more nuance that I’ve generally seen. I’m not trying to say that I have an intensely sophisticated sense of humor, I just don’t normally laugh when the book wants me to. I am not one to normally read YA, being in my 20s I like to read my lets say um adult content😉, but occasionally every once in a while I like to dabble in the genre to read about the simpler times like being concerned about teenage angst or puppy love. We see Bel and Teo struggle with the academic stress placed on them by their parents, Bel coming to terms with life after her parents divorce and the pressure that comes with deciding your future at the wise old age of 17.

And to be quite honest, I liked Neelam better than Teo and Bel combined, even when she was incredibly rude to everyone. My Mechanical Romance shines a light on the struggles bright young girls face in STEM fields, and combines it with an adorable romance that will leave you warm and smiling long after the last page. A big aspect of this book centers on how Bel is overlooked on the team and issues of misogyny lurk under a lot of the interactions. Bel Maier doesn't know what she wants to do with her life, or what she wants to study in college and it's something 19 y/o me related with, a really long time ago (now I'm seriously regretting my decision, lmao). I mean, okay, there are the two "hur hur" two boys at the robot wars regional/finals but while they’re annoying they’re on page for, like, two seconds and nobody really sees them as a credible threat.I really liked that the characters are so realistic, they are each going through a unique challenge and trying to find their own way. With graduation approaching, their differences and what they want for their futures, threaten what they’ve built together. I mean, there is an opposing team in the fighting robots competition (yes, this book is also about building robots—be still my beating my heart) who are very much “hur hur girls suck” but they’re on page twice and they're not actually positioned as more than irritating-in-the-moment. Beset by rocky team dynamics, biases and frequent disputes, Bel is determined to prove she belongs and Farol Follmuth delivers a swoon-worthy good time that feels honest and insightful as well as heartwarmingly romantic. I will also add that Bel’s insecurities and her brushes with real and significant failure serve to make her a very three dimensional and relatable heroine.

It’s like everything we’ve ever learned about force in physics, about materials that connect, about strong bonds and magnetic ones, about gravity and mystery. And as the nights of after-school work grow longer, Bel and Teo realize they’ve made more than just a combat-ready robot for the championship: they’ve made a connection themselves.This is a moving and funny debut novel set in a quirky coastal community you will be desperate to visit after reading. It was still obvious that it was a complicated subject full of math and science, but I felt that it was easy enough to understand that the general reader should be able to enjoy it without an issue. Furthermore, the romance aspect goes from not exactly nemesis, but certainly frosty, to something more. contemp romance is just not for me and im ok with that 🤣 i mean, it was a bit cute but idc about them.