The Quantum Weirdness of The Almost-Kiss. Call me shallow, but it was that cute title, and even cuter cover, that prompted my request for this book. Lucky for me, the story contained in these pages is sparkly, snappy, and smart. Like, too smart for me, in places, especially the advanced math/physics components. I can tell the author tried to make the concepts consumer-friendly, which I greatly appreciate. I full on developed a girl crush on Evie. She was delightfully awkward, and I thought her mental health issues were portrayed very honestly. Despite those issues, she was anything but a damsel in distress. The backstory of Evie and Caleb's lifelong friendship brought tears to my eyes. All said, The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss is like wearing furry slippers and sipping hot cocoa in front of the fireplace. A pleasure, through and through.
4 stars

I received a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to Amulet Books and Netgalley.

This was the perfect summer romance! Adorable and hilarious, I loved the protagonists' slow / unsure progress to getting together. Kind of reminiscent of Ladybug and Cat Noir, but a lot more geeky and science-y.

This was just such a cute book. I am a sucker for alternating points of view, so I may be biased, but I just loved the characters, and their story. I felt that the portrayal of mental health and anxiety was really well handled, and I can't wait to get this on my library's shelf for my teens to read.

"I like watching them crash and burn. Because let’s face it: I am totally in love with Evie Beckham."

Thank you for this ARC.
This is such a sweet read. I just love Caleb, he such a sweet guy,and I love how he is always there for Evie. For me Caleb stole the show. Yes, Evie is sweet, and wird and smart, but I just have a weak spot fir Caleb.
This is not just a sweet YA romance, this is a book about anxiety disorder, and how to deal with. I love the friendship in this book. And how important is friend when you are down.
This was a 4 stars read for me.

<i>Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc of this book from NetGalley!</i>

The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss is a cute, YA friends-to-lovers rom-com which takes place in an elite STEM boarding school, following Evie - an introverted mathematician - and Caleb - her best friend who is completely and entirely in love with her. Now, if I had a list for the perfect contemporary novel, that description alone would tick the majority of the boxes!

I'm not usually a fan of friends-to-lovers, but this book did it in a way that was really adorable, it was less of the sibling-friends-weirdness that tends to happen with books like this. The balance of friendship and crushes was really nice, it wasn't overplayed like I had expected.

The thing I appreciate most about this book was the mental health rep we got with Evie - she has social anxiety disorder and we're shown her in therapy, her struggles with her psychologist, overbearing mother (I HATE HER) and the ways her friends are able to help her when she gets overwhelmed. As someone who has similar experiences to Evie, it was really nice to see an accurate portrayal.

Also Evie has the same birthday as me!

I would highly recommend this if you are looking for a nice, cosy rom-com that is super easy to read!

“Physics is about describing the world we live in, how it started, the way it works. The goal should be to write the language of the universe in words humanity can read.”

There were so many good things about this book! A contemporary romance about math and physics? Yes, it’s possible! It’s full of many tropes, like the best-friends-in-love, but there’s also some fresh things here, like a supportive best gal pal, some important stuff about mental health, and as mentioned, beautiful words about math and science.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amulet Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am always a sucker for a friends to lovers trope and this one doesn’t disappoint.

This book drew me in straight away with the description, the title and that cover is amazing. It was lovely to read a book centred on many things lacking in society, mainly girls being represented in STEM subjects (and being amazing at them!). As someone who grew up in STEM subjects that were dominated by boys and teachers focusing on them a lot more, it was a breath of fresh air seeing girls being represented in such an amazing field. The writing was also very good within this subject and showing that a lot of research had gone into being accurate.

Another thing I loved about this book is the inclusion of mental health with Evie’s mental health struggle and her Mum’s with anxiety and panic attacks. It was nice to see my own struggles represented in a book, and not shying away about the fact that it’s okay to have a therapist.

The relationships themselves I enjoyed. Although I felt it was obvious that Evie would end up with Caleb, it was nice to see how she grew as a person while being with Leo and becoming more confident in herself. I wish we could have seen even more development into Evie and Caleb’s relationship after they officially began dating but ultimately a very cute romance.

The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss follows Evie and Caleb, two best friends who enter a competition together, Caleb has been in love with Evie for years and things get complicated when she starts to fall for another guy.

I really liked the writing style of the book, it is told in alternating perspectives of the two main characters, I liked the pace of the book and how everything was slowly built up allowing for all the feelings/emotions of all the characters to develop and become complicated. Even though the plot is very predictable and cliché, the book was entertaining and I still wanted to read on, at times I did get confused/bored with the maths and other things the characters talked about but in general I did like the setting of the book and some parts were interesting.

My issue with the book was that I did not like the main characters and their relationship which was the focus of the book. They were annoying most of the time; I did not mind Evie at first, but her chapters got boring quickly and I personally did not like Caleb and his feelings for Evie. I also did not like how their relationship developed, it felt rushed and I thought certain things should have been addressed more before the ending.

2/5

I thoroughly enjoyed this light but thoughtful YA romance, which reminded me somewhat of Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (high praise). As in that novel, the story unfolds through the POVs of two characters: Caleb and Evie, who have been friends since childhood and now are seniors (I think) at a prestigious boarding school for bright students. Evie is brilliant at math and physics; Caleb is a whiz at coding. Together they enter a nationwide science contest. Meanwhile, Caleb has been in love with Evie for ever, but Evie doesn't want romance to interfere with their friendship, which means everything to her. Things are complicated by the fact that Evie suffers from anxiety and panic attacks.

What I liked most was the foregrounding of two super-intelligent young people, nerdy to the max, but charming and amusing. The physics details did not put off this non-science reader, in fact some of the theories are interesting enough to make me want to explore more on the recommendation of the author. While I often find present-tense narrative and alternating POVs over-used and annoying, in this case they worked as I liked both characters and the voices were different enough to make me feel I was really hearing two (which is often not the case). Complicating relationships with school-mates and parents were well-handled and never felt arbitrary. Evie's anxiety was also handled sensitively, offering hope without hiding the hard work to feel better.

I don't often read YA romances, and while I may have started reading it as an escape from current-affairs I was unexpectedly caught up in the lives of these two delightful characters.

I was provided a copy of this book by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost Kiss.

Perfect for lovers of When Dimple Met Rishi, this friends-to-lovers YA romance will both win your heart and grow your interest in STEM fields. Fall in love with Evie, a math genius with generalized social anxiety disorder, and Caleb, the coder boy next door and Evie’s best friend. This book follows both Evie and Caleb’s perspectives as they navigate mental health, family, first loves, and quantum theory. Author, Amy Noelle Parks does a great job of describing the math in a way that makes it seem beautiful and meaningful to the story, even if I didn’t really understand a word of it. That in itself is a feat. As someone who struggles with anxiety myself, I was pleased with the treatment of generalized social anxiety disorder in Evie’s character. I also loved the flashbacks and stories of childhood Evie and Caleb, those were always welcome and never took me out of the story or seamed out of place.
I really enjoyed this book, although I did have a few nitpicks. First, the high school soccer seasons are played in the wrong season. Girls normally play in the fall, and boys play in the spring. Many readers may not catch this, wouldn’t care, but as I play high school soccer this bugged me. Also, I understand that is a boarding school of STEM geniuses, but I had a hard time remembering they were in high school. This felt as if they were in college a lot, especially with the level of math and physics being discussed. However, as a book nerd, math is my week point, so I don’t feel as if I have the right to judge that piece as harshly. Finally, there was a subplot with Evie’s friend Bex, her religious background, and her family’s expectations. I really found Bex’s character interesting, but we really only got bits and pieces of her story. I really was left wanting more. The only other teacher mentioned besides the math/physics professor was the religion teacher. I think this was to help add to Bex’s subplot as well as adding a contrast to the math and science-heavy book, but this ultimately was weak and fell flat for me. For these reasons, I am only giving the book 3 stars. I enjoyed the story for what it was, but at the end of the day, I saw room for improvement.

I am a thriller and suspense reader normally. I try to read teen so I know what is appropriate when parents ask for suggestions. This is a great book. It reminded me of when I was an awkward, nerdy teen and I could totally relate to Evie. I loved it. It was sweet, realistic and really captured the character and her feelings, as well as Caleb’s. I without a doubt will recommend this to people of all ages because it was nostalgic and made me wish for those sweet days of teenage budding romances

Fans of romantic comedy will enjoy this book. The characters are well-drawn and three dimensional and their relationships feel natural. These super brainy kids don’t always seem quite real but the emotions they feel will resonate. Over all, a fun, entertaining romance.

The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss was a largely enjoyable read with only a few drawbacks. It was a very good romantic read. I was very invested in its main romantic plot. Unlike some other romance books I’ve read, this one felt believable. The relationship between Caleb and Evie was really interesting and I didn’t feel like many aspects of it felt forced. I genuinely enjoyed it. The supporting cast was small, so most of the important characters had more time to develop.
The plot was also very interesting, but I felt like it only delivered at face value. I found myself bored at several points during the story. Parts of the story were dry and dragged along. While it was cute, the book lost me at times. Another part of the plot that bothered me was the chatroom side plot. While it was also cute, this plot felt underdeveloped and rushed. When it was resolved, it didn’t feel very believable. I just wasn’t sold on the side plot, its payoff was small. I didn’t like its addition in the first place but the way it was wrapped up convinced me that it could have been left out or dealt with better. However, I was still interested in the book overall and I liked the plot. Its negative aspects did not ruin the story for me; it was still very enjoyable.
While I wouldn’t outright call this book a feminist book, it has some really interesting feminist aspects that I wasn’t expecting at first. Evie’s journey through the academy and the competition did focus majorly on how different life is for her in mathematics. It’s mentioned a few times how Evie has been negatively affected by misogyny in her environment. The story doesn’t focus on it too much, or very often, but it handles the issue well. Another complex issue the story tackles well is Evie’s anxiety. It was very interesting to see how she deals with anxiety and its effect on her daily life.
Overall, the book was good. It had both good and bad aspects. I loved the concept and generally enjoyed the book. Although the plot can drag along at times and some side plots were puzzling, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

This book gave me the same cute, light, and sweet feels that books like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before but with a little more depth. Friends to love is one of my favorite tropes and this one was stellar! The characters battling mental illness, expectations of family, growing up, pressures to succeed, and more are all relatable struggles for YA readers whether they’re living it now or reminiscing! The nerd factor was high, but I was here for it! If you ever wanted to imagine what the cast of Big Bang Theory was like in a private, high achieving, secondary school (where they’re all hot and athletes too) this is the book for you! Sometimes the maths, physics, and coding got a little like sitting through a lesson, but it wasn’t so bad that I wanted to skim or put it down. I really loved Evie’s growth and how therapy was highlighted rather than just miraculously being “OK”. Caleb was also the dream teen love interest! He wasn’t so absorbed in hormones that he was selfish or stupid and he was completely dedicated to his friends that were girls whether or not they were interested in him romantically! Loved it and am looking forward to anything else this author puts out!

I thought I would give this book a chance because I do enjoy the cover and the blurb sounded really cute. Honestly, reading through I found that this book just wasn’t for me.

This book has two point-of-views: Caleb and Evie. It starts off with Caleb and find out that he is in love with his bestfriend. As a bestfriend, he knows everything about her and obviously cares about her a lot.

Evie seems a bit more snobbish and kind of acts like a know-it-all when it comes to her friend Bex. I can’t say that I liked her character and this could be because of the religion talk presented in the book. That’s bascially where I lost my interest.

I understand that many will not have this issue and that’s okay. As someone who is a Christian, I’m just not a fan of the stereotypes or the criticism. One of the criticism Evie had was about purity when Bex’s parents gave her ring which she thought was a purity ring but later we find out it wasn’t exactly like that. I don’t understand why it’s so wrong if people choose to not do it. If you want to, go ahead. No one can stop you. Some choose to not and that is okay too. I just don’t get the criticism for it. There were also other instances about religion but I am going to keep the review short.

Friends-to-lovers isn’t my favorite trope but I still looking forward to seeing what was going to happen with the romance. I feel like the book focuses more on the science/math and Evie’s project than the romance. I’m glad to see that she is so excited about what she does but they were never my favorite subjects.

Overall, this was just one big miss for me but that doesn’t mean it will be for others. Take this review as you will.

There was a lot to like in this one. I enjoyed seeing Evie, a female, non-neurotypical character, represented on the page. I enjoyed that she was clearly smarter than most around her. I think seeing the way her anxiety was handled, too, might resonate with many students. Obviously in YA romances, the endgame is inevitable, especially in this case. But it did seem strange that it never really clicked in Evie before.

I enjoyed the minor characters here, especially Bex, and I was glad that Evie eventually got to put her mom in place, as it was verging on Carrie-esque.

I loved learning about the math in this novel - Parks knows her stuff, and I could see this as being a great way to get those math/science kids into a contemporary novel.

This book is very unique in that it’s just as heavy on the drama as it is on the math, I never read a book like it before.

The book is about the evolving relationship between two best friends at a prestigious boarding school.

This book would make a better self selected read than a class read. There’s a really high chance that the main character thinks most of us are stupid, and I think kids shouldn’t be forced into that, it should be opt-in.

I think that there is very much a niche for this book and I very much hope those readers find it!

This was just the absolute cutest thing in the entire world and you all need to get a copy of this book when it comes out because you need to fall in love with Evie and Caleb and all the science and math and love and friendship in this book. It's incredible and amazing and beautiful <3

Evie and Caleb have been best friends since they were little kids. They've always been there for each other, and they know one another better than anyone else. Evie has some anxieties, phobias, and has trouble reading emotions, but Caleb has always understood her without needing help deciphering what she's thinking. He gets her through the things that make her anxious, he removes her phobias from her path without needing to be asked, and he'll name emotions on other people's faces for her before she has to ask. These two are just the best of friends and no one will ever come between them and their epic friendship.

The only problem is that Caleb has always felt a little more than friendship. He's been head over heels in love with her for a long time, but Evie hasn't felt that way about anyone. Until Leo steps into the picture and gives her stomach flutters. Now Evie is ready to date, but it isn't Caleb she wants to date. Caleb is then forced to step back and accept that maybe he's been waiting around for a girl who will never see him that way, that the girl he's loved for as long as he could remember might never love him back in that way.

So, step into this story of first loves and last loves, of friends who are there for you through it all, of math that will go completely over your head, and fall in love with the characters, the story, the writing, and everything in between, because this book is just the best and the cutest <3

This was a really sweet and adorable book! The synopsis drew me in but I'll be honest, I expected it to be a pretty generic ya novel. This book really surprised me!
The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss follows Evie and Caleb, who've been best friends for a long time. Evie has a lot of social anxiety issues but she's also somewhat of a genius academically. Caleb's her safe space but he's hiding the fact that he's in love with her. This book had a lot of my favorite tropes in it. It was a friends-to-lovers but had a little bit of a secret/anonymous romance as well.
I went into this book without a lot of expectations but the first line of this book hooked me and the fact that this book had dual POV's just reeled me all the way in! The way the characters grew and figured out who they were as people was really beautiful. I appreciated the way Evie's anxiety was portrayed and the way she really found herself during this book. I enjoyed everything about this book and I would definitely recommend it!

<i><b>TW:</i>
<b>Anxiety and panic attacks.</b>

This was adorable! Please, I loved every moment of it.

<i>The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss</i> is a young adult, contemporary romance. I'm gonna be honest with you, I have probably only ever read two good contemporary novels before reading this, but this book was something else. It really exceeded my expectations. (Also, can we take a moment to appreciate the <i>art</i> that is this cover?)

So a run down of what the book is about (spoiler free, duh). It's a dual pov between our two main characters Evie and Caleb. Evie and Caleb are childhood friends, but Caleb is madly in love with Evie (although Evie doesn't know it) and the book is him trying to get Evie to fall in love with him too. However, unlike most contemporary romance's, there is actually more to the book than just their romance. The book has insane character developments and there is also another plot line - which was really fascinating to read about.

I'm going to talk about the characters now.

<b><i><u>Characters:</b></i></u>

➵ <b>Evie Beckham:</b> Evie is the main character, and she suffers from social anxiety and panic attacks. I honestly related to her a lot. I'm also a really big introvert and reading from her point of view was extremely relaxing. She also loves maths (my favourite subject!). Her development from the beginning to the end of the book was really wonderful to read about. How she started being more comfortable in her own skin and how she started being more social (although there is nothing wrong with being introverted). She also stood up to her mom and took more control over her life, which I liked a lot.

➵ <b>Caleb Covic:</b> Caleb is our other main character. His point of view was filled with pining for Evie which I found cute and adorable. He's also such a selfless, kind, caring boy. I want to give him a hug! His relationship with Bex was also really nice to read about. They were so comfortable with one another.

➵ <b>Rebeca (Bex) da Silva:</b> I <i>loved</i> Bex! Bex is a Christian which was one thing I loved about her. Being a Christian myself, it was nice to read about another character who shares my beliefs and values. She also supports Evie and is such a great friend. I feel like everyone deserves a Bex.

➵ <b>Leo:</b> I honestly have a love-hate relationship with Leo. I suppose he didn't exactly do anything wrong, but he still annoyed me.

<b><i><u>What I didn't like:</b></i></u>

➵ Surprisingly, nothing really. You might think then why I didn't give it 5 stars. But that's just because the book didn't have enough enough angst for me. That's probably because it's a contemporary novel.

However, it was a really easy, fluffy, enjoyable read which I actually couldn't put down. I 100% recommend reading this book when it comes out.

➵ <b><i>4 stars</b>

<i>ARC kindly provided by Netgalley for an honest review</i>