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Title: The Calculation of You and Me
Author: Serena Kaylor
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Published On: June 18, 2024
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: digital
Pages: 297
Synopsis:
A calculus nerd enlists her surly classmate’s help to win back her ex-boyfriend, but when sparks start to fly, she realizes there’s no algorithm for falling in love.
Marlowe Meadows understands a lot of things. She understands that calculus isn’t overwhelmingly beautiful to everyone, and that it typically kills the mood when you try to talk Python coding over beer pong. She understands people were surprised when golden boy Josh asked her out and she went from weird, math-obsessed Marlowe to half of their school’s couple goals. Unfortunately, Marlowe was surprised when Josh dumped her because he’d prefer a girlfriend who was more romantic. One with emotional depth.
But Marlowe has never failed anything in her life, and she isn’t about to start now. When she’s paired with Ashton Hayes for an English project, his black clothing and moody eyeliner cause a bit of a systems overload, and the dissonant sounds of his rock band make her brain itch. But when she discovers Ash’s hidden stash of love songs, Marlowe makes a desperate deal to unleash her inner romantic heroine: if Ash will agree to help her write some love letters, she’ll calculate the perfect data analytics formula to make Ash’s band go viral.
As the semester heats up with yearning love notes and late nights spent with a boy who escapes any box her brain tries to put him in, Marlowe starts to question if there’s really a set solution to love. Could a girl who has never met a problem she couldn’t solve have gotten the math so massively wrong?
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
Serena Kaylor’s latest young adult romance The Calculation of You and Me is just the sweet, fun, and refreshing read I hoped it would be! After a string of adult fiction, I didn’t know how I’d feel picking up a young adult romance, especially since sometimes YA can be too dramatic, too silly, or too cringe for me. But I had no reason to worry. Kaylor manages to deliver a story that kept me turning pages and characters I became invested in.
Marlowe Meadows is neurodivergent. She’s aware of her differences, mostly able to blend in. For the past two years she’s dated Josh, the golden-boy-jock at her school. Thanks to his attention, she’s been welcomed into the popular crowd, attending parties, safely accepted as Josh’s plus one. But when Josh told her they needed a break the summer before their senior year—because he didn’t know if she really loved him—Marlowe was shocked and unprepared.
Now summer is over, and Marlowe has been dwelling on Josh’s choice of word “break”, hoping he’s ready to pick up where they left off. But on the first day of school, before the first class, she gets an icy reception from Josh and all his friends. After confronting him about it, she realizes his idea of a “break” is a “break-up”. But she doesn’t understand why. She followed all the rules, followed his lead, she thought she’d been the perfect girlfriend. She doesn’t consider herself someone who quits, so she’s determined to win him back, restore her life back to something she recognizes.
When she’s paired with Ash, a surly, all black-wearing musician, for an English project, she discovers his hidden romantic side and convinces him to help her.
Nobody is inherently bad at love. Sure, people have different communication styles and love languages, and we might not all be on the same page at all times. Those challenges can require work, sometimes professional work, but your instincts aren’t wrong just because they’re not his instincts. And anybody who would make you think or feel that way is not someone worth fighting for.
While there are several aspects of this story that are unrealistic and highly unlikely to actually happen in the real world, I didn’t care. I was along for the ride, cheering Marlowe on, even when she exasperated me by making poor choices. She was open to learning and growing, and that made her journey inspiring.
The book is told solely from Marlowe’s point of view, and it works perfectly here, giving the reader a sort of tunnel vision. We discover truths just as Marlowe does.
I adored Kaylor’s debut Long Story Short, and I’m happy to say her follow-up is just as good, if not better. The Calculation of You and Me warmed my heart and left me smiling.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.
(All quotes are taken from the advance copy and are subject to change in final print.)
Rating:
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About the Author
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A Song For A Book
I recently saw this artist in concert, and she performed this song, which is maybe why it’s stuck in my head, but I thought the math, teenage, and love references fit for The Calculation of You and Me. I’m choosing to highlight “1234” by Feist.
One, two, three, four
Tell me that you love me more
Sleepless long nights
That is what my youth was for
Old teenage hopes are alive at your door
Left you with nothing but they want some more
Oh, uh, oh, you’re changing your heart
Oh, uh, oh, you know who you are
Sweetheart, bitter heart now I can’t tell you apart
Cozy and cold, put the horse before the cart
Those teenage hopes who have tears in their eyes
Too scared to own up to one little lie
Oh, uh, oh, you’re changing your heart
Oh, uh, oh, you know who you are…
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Have you read The Calculation of You and Me? Will you be adding it to your TBR? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
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Marlowe sounds like a character I would like…and be rooting for. 😀
I loved Kaylor’s last book and am excited to see you enjoyed this one. Sweet and fun are how I like my books. Looking forward to reading it.