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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Not the most developed story out there, but still super cute.
This is my 4th Kelly Oram book and I have to say, she is great at writing adorable, "aw shucks" stories. All her books (thus far) have left me ooey-gooey, warm & fuzzy and with a perma-smile.
This story follows Avery Shaw as she tries to recover from a broken heart and a broken dream. She always imagined that Aiden would be her "forever", but he betrays their friendship and leaves her emotionally broken. Enter, Aiden's brother, Grayson. He is a popular, handsome, jock, who Avery always regarded as her gross older brother. He agrees to help her with her "experiment" and an impartial outsider. However, he has suddenly noticed what was right in front of him the whole time, and now aspires to be more than Avery's gross older brother.
It was very sweet to watch Grayson's transformation. He crossed social lines, went outside his comfort zone and even put his wants aside, because all he wanted was for Avery to be happy. I found this book so sweet, cute, amusing and swoony. I started it and just had to finish it, and I wore a smile the entire time. Between the hijinks and the witty banter, I had a lot of laughs.
This is a great, fun, light read, which left me shiny and happy.
This story follows Avery Shaw as she tries to recover from a broken heart and a broken dream. She always imagined that Aiden would be her "forever", but he betrays their friendship and leaves her emotionally broken. Enter, Aiden's brother, Grayson. He is a popular, handsome, jock, who Avery always regarded as her gross older brother. He agrees to help her with her "experiment" and an impartial outsider. However, he has suddenly noticed what was right in front of him the whole time, and now aspires to be more than Avery's gross older brother.
It was very sweet to watch Grayson's transformation. He crossed social lines, went outside his comfort zone and even put his wants aside, because all he wanted was for Avery to be happy. I found this book so sweet, cute, amusing and swoony. I started it and just had to finish it, and I wore a smile the entire time. Between the hijinks and the witty banter, I had a lot of laughs.
This is a great, fun, light read, which left me shiny and happy.
Honestly, this book was pretty disappointing. I had very high hopes for it; I thought it was going to be this fluff, cute, quirky yet sophisticated book, but I was wrong. I really liked the premise, and I think it had a lot of potential, but it just wasn't anything. First of all, we had insta-love on Grayson's part, which I might've been okay with had there been any chemistry between himself and Avery. But I'm sad to say, there wasn't.
I thought Avery was a total bore. Your classic perfect, shy, hidden-qualities, troubled teen girl. I didn't think the book did justice to the depiction of the disorders she had (anxiety, depression). Actually, Grayson's love wasn't the only "insta" thing there was. I like short, fun, easy reads, but this one was just too short. There wasn't any depth.
I did like a lot the other female characters in this book, and even though Avery takes notice of it herself, I, too, appreciated the niceness and kindness of our local queen bees. I always like good female relationships, and it did kind of make up for the Awful Mindy.
Another "social thing" that bothered me were the couple of homophobic remarks. Maybe I'm too sensitive, but I was really hoping for some "but of course it's okay to be gay" comment after one of them, or maybe even an entirely gay character. Just so we can be sure, I don't know. I mean,
"Maybe he's gay."
"Grayson!" He was laughing at his own joke. "Aiden is not gay! Don't you even joke about that! It's not funny."
Personally, I'm just not very comfortable with that.
Anyways, high hopes, pretty big disappointment; had it not been so short, I probably wouldn't have finished it in one morning. I just wanted to get it over with quickly.
I thought Avery was a total bore. Your classic perfect, shy, hidden-qualities, troubled teen girl. I didn't think the book did justice to the depiction of the disorders she had (anxiety, depression). Actually, Grayson's love wasn't the only "insta" thing there was. I like short, fun, easy reads, but this one was just too short. There wasn't any depth.
I did like a lot the other female characters in this book, and even though Avery takes notice of it herself, I, too, appreciated the niceness and kindness of our local queen bees. I always like good female relationships, and it did kind of make up for the Awful Mindy.
Another "social thing" that bothered me were the couple of homophobic remarks. Maybe I'm too sensitive, but I was really hoping for some "but of course it's okay to be gay" comment after one of them, or maybe even an entirely gay character. Just so we can be sure, I don't know. I mean,
"Maybe he's gay."
"Grayson!" He was laughing at his own joke. "Aiden is not gay! Don't you even joke about that! It's not funny."
Personally, I'm just not very comfortable with that.
Anyways, high hopes, pretty big disappointment; had it not been so short, I probably wouldn't have finished it in one morning. I just wanted to get it over with quickly.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Reading this almost a decade later to the day after my first go with this and am truly surprised it holds up phenomenally.
So I liked the premise of this book, but the execution was not my favorite.
There were some hilarious parts where the two personalities clash and create some great moments, but the back parts outweigh the good.
First of all, the whole idea of a science fair is the hard sciences. I have never heard of a science fair admitting social science projects. Thus, a project about mending a broken heart would never be admitted in.
Second, every major conversation that happens in the book, happens with a huge audience. Whether it's her friends or the parents, or the other students at the school, all their painfully intimate moment are unenjoyable because the whole time they are happening you can't forget that EVERYONE is watching.
I get wanting someone to witness all the things that happen in the book, but you already have a built in audience - the reader. No other audience is necessary to say that something happened.
Despite all that, I found the characters were really nuances and likeable. I loved how no character fit into a stereotype. Her best friend, whose name escapes me at the moment, made every scene she was in.
And despite her eligibility for too-stupid-to-live status, the main character felt and acted like a real person.
There were some hilarious parts where the two personalities clash and create some great moments, but the back parts outweigh the good.
First of all, the whole idea of a science fair is the hard sciences. I have never heard of a science fair admitting social science projects. Thus, a project about mending a broken heart would never be admitted in.
Second, every major conversation that happens in the book, happens with a huge audience. Whether it's her friends or the parents, or the other students at the school, all their painfully intimate moment are unenjoyable because the whole time they are happening you can't forget that EVERYONE is watching.
I get wanting someone to witness all the things that happen in the book, but you already have a built in audience - the reader. No other audience is necessary to say that something happened.
Despite all that, I found the characters were really nuances and likeable. I loved how no character fit into a stereotype. Her best friend, whose name escapes me at the moment, made every scene she was in.
And despite her eligibility for too-stupid-to-live status, the main character felt and acted like a real person.
Okay, so, yes, you have to seriously suspend your disbelief to enjoy this book. For example, pretend like you don't know that most of the museums in DC have free admission, so a season pass wouldn't be required. Squash down any discomfort you might have with heavily medicating a teenager for social anxiety and depression. Ignore the fact that the so-called experiment would likely get laughed out of the science fair. Then settle in to enjoy the ride.
And, those caveats aside, it's a glorious ride. Sweet and romantic and full of geeks winning out over tough odds. The setup is perfect --- a male-female version of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants --- and the execution is flawless. And I'd definitely read a sequel about the heroine's cat-obsessed best friend.
And, those caveats aside, it's a glorious ride. Sweet and romantic and full of geeks winning out over tough odds. The setup is perfect --- a male-female version of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants --- and the execution is flawless. And I'd definitely read a sequel about the heroine's cat-obsessed best friend.
Somewhere between the shower and the Red Bull I fell in love with you, Aves. I’m talking epically. There is no coming back from a fall like mine.Flew through this one. Quick and easy. The idea of the book was cute. It gave me the occasional chuckle. But mostly I was in pain from rolling out my eyes so much. The writing style was kind of weird. The characters didn't seem their age most of the time, they're conversations didn't sound genuine. The romance angle was less then spectacular. Nothing I haven't read before. But if I had read this at 16 I would have probably enjoyed it a lot more.
This book is so sweet, it's like literary cotton candy. Light and fluffy and enjoyable, though possibly not too good for you in large doses.
Avery and Aiden have grown up together - almost-twins by virtue of their mothers' close relationships and the fact that they were born on the same day. They're best friends, they do everything togther, they even celebrate their birthdays together. Then suddenly Aiden breaks Avery's heart... He thinks they should stop spending so much time together.
What's a science girl to do? Conduct an experiment to get over it all, clearly.
Problem: One broken heart.
Hypothesis: Conducting an experiment about the stages of grief will help her to get over Aiden.
Materials: Aiden's older gorgeous brother, Grayson.
Results: ... come on now, spoilers!
This book got off to a bit of a rough start with me, mostly because the first few pages had a couple of situations that I found unbelievable. I really hate it when authors use panic or anger to have characters do things that I just don't believe match up with their personalities.
I also don't like it when authors make characters sound older and more mature than they are. For example:
'She translates those feelings of security into being in love with him because it's easier than seeing them for what they really are - a crutch she uses to cope with her shyness and social anxiety issues.'
This just really rubbed me the wrong way. It doesn't sound like something that a teenager would say, especially not one who is more into sports and serial dating than writing up thoughtful analysis of his little brother's best friend. Idk, maybe I'm not being very generous, but it just didn't seem realistic.
HOWEVER. The book turned itself around for me and turned out to be really cute and surprisingly realistic. A bit cliche, but I can deal with that if the writing is engaging enough, and this book was definitely engaging. Grayson is adorable and a pretty sweet guy beneath what he pretends to be, and that's where the dual pov for this book really worked - we got to see inside his head and learn what he was thinking. I appreciated that because so often it's always from the woman's perspective, and it's hard to know when he's being legit and when he just wants to get into her pants. This is especially important when we're dealing with a character as hot and charming as Grayson!
I would have liked a little bit more detail about the friends in the background - especially Owen and Libby. I'm still not quite sure I buy their portrayal, and we didn't really get much of a chance to see Grayson and Avery interact with their friends. It was very much a romance novel in that sense, and it's a pity because I always find that romance novels suffer when they focus only on the couple and not on their friends or their other relationships.
I would have liked to see a bit more into Avery's relationship with Aiden, too. I actually got to see more about why she and Grayson were friends than why she was friends with Aiden, which is funny because he's the character that pretty much sets off everything in the book.
Despite these problems, though, I enjoyed this book. It made me smile more than once, and I enjoyed being taken back to highschool, with all the little social interactions, the worry about grades, the drama, the relationships that come and go in a flash. Grayson and Avery are adorable together and as they both changed each other for the better throughout the course of the novel, it made me smile - no wonder I was rooting for the two of them by the end of the book. What more can you ask for in a romance?
Avery and Aiden have grown up together - almost-twins by virtue of their mothers' close relationships and the fact that they were born on the same day. They're best friends, they do everything togther, they even celebrate their birthdays together. Then suddenly Aiden breaks Avery's heart... He thinks they should stop spending so much time together.
What's a science girl to do? Conduct an experiment to get over it all, clearly.
Problem: One broken heart.
Hypothesis: Conducting an experiment about the stages of grief will help her to get over Aiden.
Materials: Aiden's older gorgeous brother, Grayson.
Results: ... come on now, spoilers!
This book got off to a bit of a rough start with me, mostly because the first few pages had a couple of situations that I found unbelievable. I really hate it when authors use panic or anger to have characters do things that I just don't believe match up with their personalities.
I also don't like it when authors make characters sound older and more mature than they are. For example:
'She translates those feelings of security into being in love with him because it's easier than seeing them for what they really are - a crutch she uses to cope with her shyness and social anxiety issues.'
This just really rubbed me the wrong way. It doesn't sound like something that a teenager would say, especially not one who is more into sports and serial dating than writing up thoughtful analysis of his little brother's best friend. Idk, maybe I'm not being very generous, but it just didn't seem realistic.
HOWEVER. The book turned itself around for me and turned out to be really cute and surprisingly realistic. A bit cliche, but I can deal with that if the writing is engaging enough, and this book was definitely engaging. Grayson is adorable and a pretty sweet guy beneath what he pretends to be, and that's where the dual pov for this book really worked - we got to see inside his head and learn what he was thinking. I appreciated that because so often it's always from the woman's perspective, and it's hard to know when he's being legit and when he just wants to get into her pants. This is especially important when we're dealing with a character as hot and charming as Grayson!
I would have liked a little bit more detail about the friends in the background - especially Owen and Libby. I'm still not quite sure I buy their portrayal, and we didn't really get much of a chance to see Grayson and Avery interact with their friends. It was very much a romance novel in that sense, and it's a pity because I always find that romance novels suffer when they focus only on the couple and not on their friends or their other relationships.
I would have liked to see a bit more into Avery's relationship with Aiden, too. I actually got to see more about why she and Grayson were friends than why she was friends with Aiden, which is funny because he's the character that pretty much sets off everything in the book.
Despite these problems, though, I enjoyed this book. It made me smile more than once, and I enjoyed being taken back to highschool, with all the little social interactions, the worry about grades, the drama, the relationships that come and go in a flash. Grayson and Avery are adorable together and as they both changed each other for the better throughout the course of the novel, it made me smile - no wonder I was rooting for the two of them by the end of the book. What more can you ask for in a romance?
3.5 stars
Avery Shaw yang patah hati karena baru saja ditolak oleh Aiden Kennedy memutuskan untuk membuat dirinya menjadi objek eksperimen untuk science fair. Dengan bantuan si player Grayson Kennedy sebagai observer, Avery memutuskan untuk mencari cara untuk menyembuhkan patah hatinya melalui metode sains. Avery harus melalui 7 tahap kesedihan dengan berbagai tes sosial. Selama eksperimen tersebut Avery akhirnya sadar dan mengerti bagaimana perasaannya terhadap Aiden dan Grayson.
Oke, aku sebenernya suka tapiiiiii aku rasa cerita sama plot nya agak mirip The Trouble with Flirting nya Claire LaZebnik. Mungkin perbedaannya ada di bentuknya, kalau di The Avery Shaw Experiment ini lebih dibentuk ke arah sains dan jurnal atau log book. Duh log book, jadi keinget skripsi yang belum jelas perkembangannya -_- *salah fokus* Oke balik ke cerita, keseluruhan yang aku tangkep dari ceritanya sama. Si cewe ngerasa ditolak sama cowo baik-baik lalu muncul cowo player yang 'menyelamatkan' perasaan si cewe dan si cewe akhirnya sadar kalau dia ngga jatuh cinta sama si cowo baik-baik tapi dia jatuh cinta sama si player -___-
Kalau boleh dibandingin antara Grayson sama Harry Cartwright dari TTwF nya LaZebnik aku lebih suka Harry. Harry yang tukang flirt dan narsis karakternya lebih unik. Aku suka Grayson tapi dia itu lebih typical dan gampang ketebak. Perubahan dia yang dari womanizer sejati terus tiba-tiba cuma suka dan fokus ke Avery agak maksa kalau menurutku.
Untuk Avery, bagian yang aku ga suka ketika dia depresi. Aku tahu aku belum pernah ngerasain depresi tapi ya masa depresi sebulan lebih cuma gara-gara masalah cowo *rolling my eyes* please Avery you are better than that.
Avery Shaw yang patah hati karena baru saja ditolak oleh Aiden Kennedy memutuskan untuk membuat dirinya menjadi objek eksperimen untuk science fair. Dengan bantuan si player Grayson Kennedy sebagai observer, Avery memutuskan untuk mencari cara untuk menyembuhkan patah hatinya melalui metode sains. Avery harus melalui 7 tahap kesedihan dengan berbagai tes sosial. Selama eksperimen tersebut Avery akhirnya sadar dan mengerti bagaimana perasaannya terhadap Aiden dan Grayson.
Oke, aku sebenernya suka tapiiiiii aku rasa cerita sama plot nya agak mirip The Trouble with Flirting nya Claire LaZebnik. Mungkin perbedaannya ada di bentuknya, kalau di The Avery Shaw Experiment ini lebih dibentuk ke arah sains dan jurnal atau log book. Duh log book, jadi keinget skripsi yang belum jelas perkembangannya -_- *salah fokus* Oke balik ke cerita, keseluruhan yang aku tangkep dari ceritanya sama. Si cewe ngerasa ditolak sama cowo baik-baik lalu muncul cowo player yang 'menyelamatkan' perasaan si cewe dan si cewe akhirnya sadar kalau dia ngga jatuh cinta sama si cowo baik-baik tapi dia jatuh cinta sama si player -___-
Kalau boleh dibandingin antara Grayson sama Harry Cartwright dari TTwF nya LaZebnik aku lebih suka Harry. Harry yang tukang flirt dan narsis karakternya lebih unik. Aku suka Grayson tapi dia itu lebih typical dan gampang ketebak. Perubahan dia yang dari womanizer sejati terus tiba-tiba cuma suka dan fokus ke Avery agak maksa kalau menurutku.
Untuk Avery, bagian yang aku ga suka ketika dia depresi. Aku tahu aku belum pernah ngerasain depresi tapi ya masa depresi sebulan lebih cuma gara-gara masalah cowo *rolling my eyes* please Avery you are better than that.