Legal stuff: I wasn’t paid to write this post, nor did I receive anything for it. I really like Kelly’s work! That said, I will receive an ARC of Kelly’s next book, in exchange for my review. Also this post includes Amazon affiliate links.
Kelly Oram is one of my favorite authors of young adult books. She writes fluffy teen romances almost as well as Meg Cabot. The Avery Shaw Experiment is one of these fluffy teen romances, with a geeky twist. Y’all know me. I can’t resist anything nerdy. Or fluffy teen romances. Put the two together? Pure perfection.
Intro: When Avery Shaw’s heart is shattered by her life-long best friend, she chooses to deal with it the only way she knows how—scientifically.
Thoughts: Remember my glowing review of Cinder & Ella? This is by the same author, and it’s almost as good. (Cinder & Ella is my favorite of Kelly’s books). Avery creates a science fair project based on the idea that having her heart broken can only be resolved by going through all the stages of grief. Yes, it’s pretty obvious which Kennedy brother she ends up with, but predictability is a staple in fluffy teen books. Both brothers are pretty adorable, but Avery’s choice is definitely the right one.
I do have one feminist quibble. The book alternates between Avery’s POV and Grayson’s POV (her partner for the experiment). Throughout the book, Grayson says he’s unable to control himself, referring to kissing. THIS IS NOT TRUE. Seriously, men and even teenage boys are capable of holding themselves back from sexual activity, including kissing. Boys are not natural rapists.
I’m so tired of seeing this attitude in young adult fiction. We should not be telling teenagers that boys just “can’t help themselves.” If a teenage girl is forcibly kissed–or worse–by a teenage boy, and he tells her he couldn’t control himself, based on all these YA books with that message, she’s going to think that’s normal.
Aside from that issue, which is unfortunately not unique to Kelly’s books, I loved The Avery Shaw Experiment.
Apparently I’m not the only one. Kelly is releasing a sequel in October! The Libby Garrett Intervention debuts October 24th.
All week, Kelly and book bloggers have celebrated the upcoming sequel with special blog posts. Be sure to check out Science Geek Appreciation Week over on Kelly’s blog! Posts include character interviews, character journal entries, and more. There are spoilers for The Avery Shaw Experiment, but reading the fun excerpts is a great way to get a feel for Kelly’s writing before buying her books.
Premise: While Avery gets over her heartbreak through the seven stages of grief, Libby has her own love problems. Or love addiction, rather. Her friends intervene and put Libby through a customized twelve-step program.
Thoughts: I can’t wait to read it!
You can preorder your digital copy of The Libby Garrett Intervention and buy The Avery Shaw Experiment in paperback or as an e-book.
