Title: Love and Other Theories
Publisher: HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins
Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: December 31, 2014
Source: ARC provided by publisher, opinions are honest and my own. – review policy here.
That’s the secret to dating in high school. By giving as little as they expect to get in return, seventeen-year-old Aubrey Housing and her three best friends have made it to the second semester of their senior year heartbreak-free. And it’s all thanks to a few simple rules: don’t commit, don’t be needy, and don’t give away your heart.
So when smoking-hot Nathan Diggs transfers to Lincoln High, it shouldn’t be a big deal. At least that’s what Aubrey tells herself. But Nathan’s new-boy charm, his kindness, and his disarming honesty throw Aubrey off her game and put her in danger of breaking the most important rule of all: Don’t fall in love. - via Goodreads
Sexy New Boy!
There's a new boy in town and he's dreamy. He even comes with a BMW and he's completely desirable because Audrey finds him desirable. Or so I'm told, but never shown. Nathan is smart, not really all that honest (much less disarmingly, there's a big secret looming), and not really all that kind. Honestly, I Nathan could've been anyone. The relationship is steamy and tense but I'm not buying the connection.
Old Trope, New Dogs?
So we all know this story. Swear off all love and save your heart. I'll let you read to see how it all shakes out, but there are two to tango with here. I've ranted about Nathan but its Trip that catches my eye. His actions speak louder than any words. He wasn't perfect but I'm totally putting in my application for any vacancies. ;) By far he is my favorite character
Sex is a weapon?
So the idea is that through emotional freedom we can achieve hookup bliss? Besides being entirely pessimistic this becomes a flawed message that women's bodies are weapons in a war against... men? Engaging in games to lure men into their clutches by playing hard to get and then "hooking up" and then in "theory" walking away unscathed. Alas, in war someone always loses. You don't "win" anything through hooking up. Sex is not a game, but it can be a lot of other consensually amazing things.
I would have rather seen teenage girls hooking up on their own terms not to some set of arbitrary rules in warfare.
This Friendship Is Toxic
Okay enough about boys and sex... onto friends. This quad of girlfriends is completely toxic and screams Mean Girls. Set with their "rules" and head plastic the friends share their boy adventures while constantly worrying about whether they are breaking the rules or not. The girl-on-girl bullying and toxic friendships are a turn off because there's no real resolution in this area.
It Ended How It Needed To End
So.. how does it all end? The only way it could. Despite everything the ending is my favorite part, well other than Trip.
2.5 Stars – Been there, done again but with a slightly higher shock value.
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