This book didnt end up being a complete stand out. However, I did have quite a fun time and loved the concept. I dont love too many contemporary stories so to have this be generally entertaining was a nice change for me.

This book was lots of fun to read. It was far cuter than i expected but still not a favorite for me. I would say it was a good read over all.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars

It had been so long since I requested this on NetGalley that I had entirely forgotten what the book was supposed to be about and so when I started up the audiobook from Hooopla I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting myself into.

The first part of the book was really solid. I liked Caleb as a protagonist, Evie as the other lead character was compelling enough. I'm still not sure if Evie was meant to be taken as autistic, but she was giving the sort of typical vibes you get from characters in media so heavily involved in stem usually give off. And Caleb as her foil definitely gave the jock-ish energy that counterbalanced it, only of course he was super into coding and so he could keep up at the fancy elite stem boarding school that the book was set in.

As someone with a brain not wired to keep up with high level mathematics I did appreciate that the book wasn't as focused on the intense math subjects our leads were so clearly involved with. Instead this was a good old fashion contemporary that really leans into the angst of high school relationships.

It's because the characters ages that I'm willing to overlook some of the questionable things that happened over the course of the narrative, but it's also something the narrative doesn't do enough to address in my opinion. The way that the third act played out just left a really bad taste in my mouth and is ultimately why I'm not sure that I'd actually recommend this book to people... But if I were to judge on the first two thirds I'd say it was cute enough. The kind of book that could be fun if you think you'll vibe with what the synopsis pitches it as but not the kind of book anyone should go out of their way to consume.

I liked the friendship dynamic of our main characters but found the overall story slow going. I felt like we could’ve gotten the same story in less pages. I do look forward to what this author does in the future because I did like her characters.

The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost Kiss by Amy Parks is another one going on the STEM RA list. Evie and Caleb have been best friends since kindergarten. They are inseparable…partly because Caleb is in love with Evie and he would rather be friends than be nothing. Evie sees Caleb as the only person who truly gets her and she doesn’t want to lose that. The story takes place at an exclusive boarding school in the Midwest that focuses on Math and Science. Evie is a math genius and Caleb a coder. It is their senior year and Evie develops an interest in another classmate, Leo…they notice each other because of how they each solved a complex math problem. Evie has a lot of issues because of childhood trauma and anxiety. So when she partners with Caleb’s coding skills for a submission to a national math competition, it creates a lot tension between not only the new couple, but also with Evie’s parents. I will admit, I had no clue which direction the relationships would end up by the end of the book. There is a lot of math talk in this book…physics too. In a lot of ways, Evie reminded me of my son. The main way was that Evie does not appreciate her humanities classes. She is very analytical. Mental health is as much a part of the story as the math. I picked up some tricks for dealing my anxiety attacks too. Highly recommend!

Firstly I’d like to take the time to thank-you the publishers and netgalley for this eARC in exchange of an honest review.

TW; anxiety, panic attacks, mental health problems, sexism, parental abuse, character being drugged.

There are quite a few things that I both liked and disliked about this novel.

Firstly, the pacing. There were times where I really felt the book should have ended or it was going to do something and it just didn’t?

I enjoyed the reading experience. I enjoyed the concept.
I didn’t like the Harry Potter references - please are there any contemp books without them???

I have some issues with the representation of anxiety in this book since it doesn’t seem that typical. Fro the descriptions I would hazard a guess that Evie is autistic and I think that it would have made more sense to actually address this. Though I was glad to see that she was able to overcome her fears and the affirmations that she is not broken.

There are elements I didn’t like about Caleb and his decisions for how to discuss his feelings. The cat fishing wasn’t super cute. But at the same time I don’t think he outright manipulated her. I think it’s something a lot of teenagers would do. But shouldn’t be romanticised. I also think this is why Evie being autistic would have made more sense since she wasn’t sure about relationships - this could also be ace, but she doesn’t exactly seem demi. I’m not sure but these can coincide.

Either way, it was a light and fluffy read that made me cry a little bit. I’m also glad they didn’t win the competition.
Quite a few trigger warnings for panic attacks and anxiety, as well as parental abuse and drug use.

I think a lot of characters could have been fleshed out better, and the school made absolutely zero sense and I wonder if the author has ever been to school before. But I liked the friendship between Bex and Evie, as well as the ability for people to explore their sexuality, feelings, and friendships. Though Evie and her wandering emotions once she kissed a boy did annoy me a little. Honestly they’re all a bit dumb. I can’t even decide if I enjoyed this. Ask me again in a few days.

I loved this book! I hate math and science but I really appreciate people who write books about them. And can we talk about how much we love Caleb?

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book! The title and this beautiful cover drew me in and i was excited to read a cute YA. I did not finish it as Im not interested in YA as much as I was. I will recommend this to teens.

THE QUANTUM WEIRDNESS OF THE ALMOST-KISS is a delightful YA STEM-themed romance. Evie and Caleb have been BFFs since they were five. Now that they are teens, they attend the same boarding school together for teens who are gifted in mathematics, physics, programming, and engineering. Evie has trouble connecting with other people, in no small part because of her social anxiety and panic attacks, which are under control with cognitive-behavioral therapy. They have long been exacerbated by the horrible and intense bullying she experienced at past schools - though luckily, that is not the same at the current school. She may also be on the spectrum of neurodivergence, as she has trouble reading and understanding people's emotions.

Although many boys have seemed interested in Evie, she has not found herself romantically interested in any of them - until Leo, the new boy who is also gifted with mathematics like Evie. Caleb has been in love with Evie for as long as he can remember, but she has not been interested in anything but their whole-hearted friendship and deep understanding. Caleb is the most important person in her life, but she is starting to understand the desire for physical romantic connections with the feelings she gets from Leo. Told in both Evie and Caleb's points-of-view, we follow them during an eventful year of romances and pining, where they also attempt to win a major prize that could change their futures.

What I loved: I really love the perspectives on STEM, toxic family, and deep friendships (Caleb and Bex). As a female in mathematics, Evie experiences prejudice from teachers and adults that force her to have to prove her abilities - something that would not happen if she was a boy. This theme was really well woven throughout the book with Evie's experiences and mentioned regarding other classmates who experience similar prejudices not being white. A lot of the book takes place internally, and I felt that this really brought both Evie and Caleb to life, as well as expounded on internal struggles so well.

The romance is definitely the focus of the book, and there is a lot of related angst and tension. I actually really enjoyed the journey and was captivated by the story and the will-they-won't-they vibes. The perspectives and writing really pull the reader in and keep the book flowing well. The addition of the competition was a great way to bring them all together.

I also really appreciated that the book shows the importance of therapy through some of Evie's sessions and her reflections. This also gives her the courage to tackle problems with her toxic family, particularly her mother whose controlling and single-minded sentiments could have dangerous consequences. The boundaries that Evie creates for herself with the aid of her therapist set a good example.

Final verdict: This book is ultimately a charming friends-to-more, STEM-themed YA contemporary romance. Recommend for fans of THE CODE FOR LOVE AND HEARTBREAK, THE KISS QUOTIENT, and FOUR DAYS OF YOU AND ME.

*thank you to NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own*

3.75/5 stars

I'm kind of a sucker for a good childhood friends to lovers trope, and this one is absolutely adorable.

The story follows Evie and Caleb, best friends since childhood, who have almost kissed 14 times. Or rather, Caleb has almost kissed her 14 times because he's hopelessly in love with her. Evie doesn't date, but Caleb thinks if she did she would pick him, after all, he's always been there for her. But, when Evie finally shows interest in someone, its Leo, not Caleb.

One of my favorite things about this book is the portrayal of women in stem. As a stem major myself, the things Evie struggles with are relatable and hard hitting. The author also includes discussion on religion in stem, which I think were really well integrated. Bex, whose faith is important to her, faces a lot of judgement from both her family for being science focused, and her friends for believing in God.

The romance is sweet and I love both the main characters. Their relationship is honestly kind of like a breath of fresh air, and I've grown to love them. I was a little annoyed with Leo's portrayal. Most of it was pretty realistic, but he does some messed up things out of jealousy for Caleb (its not misplaced jealousy, but that's no excuse). The thing is, he is still seen as sort of a 'good guy.' I don't really think he is a bad person at all, but he didn't really face any consequences for some pretty serious misdeeds.

I loved the anxiety rep in this book. Evie is an amazing protagonist, and I think that the author did a great job writing about her panic attacks, and I was ok with how the ending was handled in regards to her family. Mostly I am happy with how solid of a friendship Caleb and Evie have THE ENTIRE BOOK. I love Caleb so much.

Content Warnings: anxiety, panic attacks, manipulation, overcontrolling parents, drugging

Before I start this review, let me say that I didn't finish. Last summer when I was approved, I got to 35% , and I was a little bored. Finally I got the audiobook from the library, and I restarted, but it's just not holding my interest. Caleb and Evie's story isn't funny or cute- it's dry any boring, And, I just didn't want to keep reading. I would recommend this to high school students interested in Math and Romance stories.

I enjoyed it throughout, sometimes was a little frustrated but i still enjoyed the story and the development.

The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss was all kinds of cute and predictable. In it, you will meet two best friends that eventually start to become a bit more (romantically). After meeting Caleb and Evie, well - in the beginning it was a bit awkward. I honestly wasn't sure what was going on or what was going to happen between them. It was just a really awkward friend-zone thing going on.

Caleb and Evie both had some pros and cons. Eventually they started to get on the same page about one another but it took a long time for that to happen. Plus, while they were dating different people and then the whole weirdness about them liking each other as friends or more than was just meh to me. I just think if they liked each other then they should've said it instead of waiting till the very last second of this book.

In the end, it was a cute book that was easy to follow along with.

I was so so interested in the concept of this book, but the story fell a little flat for me. Maybe it's because I'm not really into reading books about high schoolers or teenagers anymore. But I'm also not a fan of love triangles. Especially because it was very obvious who Evie would be ending up with. Science talk in books also does not do it for me.

What a wonderful YA debut novel from Noelle Parks. I liked the chemistry between our main protagonists, Caleb and Evie. Written in alternating POV, Caleb and Evie have been friends for a long time and Caleb has been in love with Evie for almost as long. They are both highly intelligent and go to a special math and science school, I'm personally am not a STEM person, but I found the rest storyline interesting enough to stick with it and boy am I glad that I did.

THE QUANTUM WEIRDNESS OF THE ALMOST-KISS is a standalone YA novel by Amy Noelle Parks. This is the first YA book I’ve read that’s told from alternating perspectives, and I find it very refreshing. Most of the time the story is told strictly from the female protagonist’s point-of-view. Evie Beckham and Caleb Covic are in their last year at a super exclusive high school for math and science smarties. Evie and Caleb have been best friends for what seems like forever. Unbeknownst to Evie, Caleb has loved her for almost as long. Sigh. I found myself captivated by this story of unrequited love and Evie’s struggles with her social anxiety and tentatively taking a dip into the romance pool.

There are three main things going on in THE QUANTUM WEIRDNESS OF THE ALMOST-KISS – Caleb’s low key pursuit of Evie, Evie’s first romantic relationship with a boy (Leo), and Evie and Caleb’s project that they’re preparing for a big math/physics competition. Evie’s struggles with anxiety and conflict with her mother is a thread that runs throughout the book. When Evie notices fellow physics student Leo in a romantic light, it opens her up to eventually looking at Caleb in a different way and helps him get out of being friend-zoned. All these teenaged characters are fun, and you can’t help rooting for Evie and Caleb – individually and for them to finally get together. As the romance and the path to the competition progresses, Evie and Caleb provide amusing commentary – on themselves, teachers, and their fellow classmates. Amy Noelle Parks does a good job of balancing the serious issues with the lighter subjects. The teens in this story are very well-fleshed out and multifaceted rather than simply be teen stereotypes. The romantic elements and couple chemistry was strong while still fitting the characters and their ages.

THE QUANTUM WEIRDNESS OF THE ALMOST-KISS is a fun tale of young love evolving from friendship, and science mixed with soul. I really enjoyed the female friendship between Bex and Evie. It was nice for Evie to have a sounding board and a female perspective as well as a contemporary. I like how Amy Noelle Parks was able to resolve things at the end without having the expected cliched blowup. Without taking a heavy-handed approach, the author showed the bias that some men have when it comes to women in the math and sciences. I look forward to Amy Noelle Parks’ next book and hope to read about Bex or Leo in future stories.

A cover and title that would be an auto pickup for me, this YA title was everything I needed right now. A light-hearted teenage romance that was the cutest story with characters who were unique and endearing.

I adored Evie with her anxiety & quirks, and how could you not instantly fall for a female protagonist that’s smart as can be, and doesn’t care what others think about it.

Her best friend, Caleb, is in love with her but hasn’t ever told her, so we as the readers just instantly feel for him, their longtime friendship and cheering him on just waiting for a happily ever after! I clearly have a thing for falling for your besties you grew up with because I just adored this book!

Parks doesn’t just give you the fluff either, she packs in some great writing about bullying, anxiety and the pressure and effects of those in our families and around us that was incredibly relatable. 

Thank you to Terminal Tours + NetGalley for having me on the book tour and providing me a digital copy of this book to read and review!

Any story that includes a setting of a Boarding School/special school is a winner in my books! I was drawn in from the very beginning and found the characters of Caleb and Evie delightful and so sweet.

Friendship to lovers trope at work? Yes, perhaps...but with so much more character and depth.
Caleb has ALMOST kissed Evie 17 times, but Evie has no interest in dating, or so we are led to believe as this book begins.

Evie loves mathematics more than she could ever love a guy, right? That is until a mysterious new student begins at her school, thus begins the utter confusion and mixed up emotions of Caleb, for he knows his chances of getting together with Evie are somehow even lower now. As a man in love would, Caleb crafts a plan to get a hold of Evie's attention and maybe her heart too!

This one was so cute and interesting and insightful to me! I really appreciated hearing about Evie's struggles with anxiety and how she dealt with this.

Had a great time with this book!

Read my audiobook review here: https://booksteahealthyme.home.blog/2021/01/05/audiobook-review-the-quantum-weirdness-of-the-almost-kiss/