This is a cute YA romance that puts STEM centre stage. I liked the diversity in the characters but sometimes the dialogue felt a little forced. The cadence didn’t feel authentic and it would pull me out of the story at times. But, overall I enjoyed it, and think it would appeal to younger teens.

Five stars! This book was so cute and short. It had me smiling a lot because Bel and Teo are so adorable. Robotics and engineering were something I never had interest in but this book succeeded in making me feel invested in the whole story. Even got me thinking at some point during reading like “maybe I should switch majors to STEM”. Some parts of the story were kind of cliché but it’s cute so I’m not complaining about it.

Bel’s character development was done really nicely. Her struggle with not knowing what she wants is something I think a lot of people can relate to. Seeing her take up her own space as a woman of color in STEM is really satisfying. I also like her personality. She’s quirky and not-like-other-girls but not in an annoying way. Teo’s character development was also done nicely. Despite the burden of people’s expectations on him, he still gives everything he does a 100%, which is what makes me appreciate him so much. He just wants to do his very best, even when he doesn’t have to.

Bel and Teo’s relationship are surprisingly so mature for a pair of high schoolers. There was no unnecessary drama and both their issues were valid and wasn’t written in just for drama. The way they’re both so supportive of each other. My cute little geniuses.

Besides Bel and Teo, the rest of the characters are also well developed. Like Neelam and Dash, both their stories are important. And I LOVE the ending. I don’t know how to talk about it without spoilers so I’m just going to say it’s a verryy nice and cute ending.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

WOMEN 👏🏼 IN 👏🏼 STEM 👏🏼

Firstly, I want to thank NetGalley and Holiday House for the arc in exchange for an honest review 4 stars —

I was a little skeptical to start this just because I was nervous some of the engineering/robotics stuff would go over my head, but it was so well written and explained that I was just as excited for those robot fights as they were! 😂 Now I wouldn’t necessarily say Bel and Teo were ever really enemies to lovers, but more like strangers to academic colleagues to lovers. They had their fair share of bickering but honestly, I loved the constant banter between them. I definitely found myself giggling at them a few times because their relationship was so adorable. And the scene at the Holi festival??? COME ON 🥺😍

I will always really appreciate a book where the characters are all so different, and yet so relatable. We have Bel (who was literally me my senior year) who struggles with the uncertainty of what she wants to do after high school. Teo, the complete opposite, who basically has his whole life planned ahead and stresses with taking on too much at once. And multiple side characters who felt just as real, relatable, and important as the mc’s. The diversity between all of the characters was just so refreshing to see.

Overall, a super cute read for YA. I do wish it was longer because the ending felt rushed, but still super enjoyable!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4604078663

Holy shit... okay let me get it together.

So I'm from Bolivia, education system is so different from how it is in USA. We keep our high school friends close, like really close. Because we don't have to move cities to go to college. But still I didn't think that 17YO me'd find herself in Bel's existential crisis.

When I was in college, I wish I had a plan, like every one of my classmates seemed to have. I remember trying hard. I remember never understanding why it was so easy for my friends to do homework, to have good grades, to wipe a freaking good grade acknowledgement every three months.
I did it once, and it was the time I burned out myself to ashes, so much that I didn't return to my last months in senior year.

Now I know that I'm wired differently (AHDH is fucking confusing bruh). But still when I read about girls that are different, that challenge the normative, that don't get it together just yet. I remember the feeling and I want to hug them. I still wish I could go back in time and try to be my best.

I loved My Mechanical Romance (not only because I loved MCR back in the day, what an outstanding title) but because I see it as the light for the girls that feel unwelcome in fields that are predominantly male. YA is important in so many ways, and this book is here to prove it.

Beautifully written with characters that feel like home, MMR will stay with me forever.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC ♥

a very big thank you to Netgalley and Holiday House publishing for the e-arc!

"I've never seen eyes that make me think about the mysteries of the universe the way hers do."

→ 4.5 stars rounded up

Now yall know I love me a good academic rivals to lovers book, but I truly did not expect to fall in love with this book, the characters, and the romance the way that I did. the relationship between Bel and Teo was so adorable and just pure blush-worthy LOVE full of funny jokes and banter. And if you love books with big friend groups full of personality, pick up this book! Bel was just such an amazing, unique, funny, and relatable character! And I loved the girls in stem rep in here, and to see characters like Teo and Mac learn and grow from from it by the end of the book was awesome. This book was just so amazingly written, all I can say is go read it because it's looking like my top ya romance of the year- what a debut!

The characters took a little bit of warming up but it paid off. The book was adorable with a very sweet portrayal of robotics competitions and the drama therein.

there are a few things about me that you guys should know.

first off, i'm a major swiftie. taylor's music makes me so happy and i adore it so much. secondly, part of me has no idea what to do with my life. third, i think nerds are hot.

now these may seem like pretty trivial things but when related to this book, they are more important than it seems. speaking of this book, reading it felt so... sweet.

this wholesome tale is about the journey and struggles of being a woman in stem. and there's so much i love about this novel.

teo luna and bel are such well-rounded characters. they're not perfect but that makes you love them even more. their flaws are so relatable and really make you understand the characters more. teo's main flaw is trying to solve other people's problems while i would say bel has a slight problem with working as a team along with not really knowing what her future offers (which is ok!! i mean she is just a senior in high school). these flaws are understandable with the ways they were brought up and are a great addition to their characters. their chemistry is undeniable as well. the romance was great!! and made me swoon multiple times. LIKE LISTEN. TEO LEARNS TAYLOR SWIFT SONGS
FOR BEL. THAT'S THE LITERAL DREAM OH MY. anyway, the side characters of this book are amazing and thought out as well. from neelam, the only other woman engineer on the team, (who seems like a jerk at first but you ultimately understand why she acts the way she does) to dash (teo's best friend who's just a great person overall). it was nice to see bel and teo's families as well and their struggles within them.

another thing i love about this book is the diversity!! it's really diverse and there's people from all different cultures within the book. there's even a scene where they go to a holi festival which was so fun to see as an indian reader!

i love the academic rivals to lover trope and this book did it so well! though, to be honest, the academic rival part of this novel doesn't really last that long since they become close teammates and friends quickly but i didn't really find a problem with it. the book is fastpaced and so lovable. it's dual povs and you can feel the vibe of each character while reading. from bel's brightness to teo's suaveness, it's a great read and easily 5 stars!

Never thought I’d get so passionate and stressed about robot combats, yet here I am!

To be honest, I was a bit skeptical at the beginning because Teo wasn’t very likable (in a privileged, entitled and kind of condescending way) and Bel’s “not like other girls” vibes scared me a little. I’m glad to say this first impression wore off!

The main characters were both endearing, with different types of struggles— and if you don’t necessarily identify with ALL of them, I definitely think each and every one of us can relate to at least one aspect of their issues at some point. My heart broke for Teo and all the weight of everyone’s expectations he had to wear on his shoulders. My chest hurt for Bel and the pressure of having to figure out so many things at such a young age.

The side characters were absolutely great and nice additions, from Jamie to Mrs Voss, without forgetting Luke or Dash.

Plot wise, as a French person and formerly lit student, I know NOTHING about STEMS, AP programs and robotics but I found myself quickly invested in the story’s setting and plot. Regarding the rhythm, I didn’t feel like the book was particularly slow considering it is relatively short as a whole.

I cannot finish this review without mentioning how this book hypes up girls in STEM, girls standing up for themselves, girls empowering other girls, girls who are not apologizing for being smart and exactly where they deserve to be! Absolutely love that. The epilogue felt amazing.

Pick My Mechanical Romance for a sweet, quick and lighthearted YA romance that, amongst the cuteness, still sheds some light on very common society’s issues as well as highschoolers’ struggles!

4.5 stars— rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and Holiday House for this opportunity!

Sooooo this might be one of my favorite books I’ve read this year… I mean it’s an “enemies to academic colleagues to lovers” (quoting Jamie) so of course it’s going to be amazing!! The description and the imagery in this book is just perfect, like it really engages you in the story. But I also just really love this story about how Bel doesn’t quite know what she wants to do in her life and that’s okay. Plans change, and they keep changing and everything will work out in the end. Just seeing how Bel is at the beginning to where she is at in the epilogue is just so emotional to me. We really need more characters like her🥲 Its also so inspiring to see all the bad ass strong females do what they want and succeed in their own ways in this book 👑👑I just love it when I pick up a book and it just tells me what I need to hear at the perfect moment💕

3,75 stars. thank you netgalley for the arc of this book!!

possible spoilers, read at your own risk.

first off, i did enjoy this book. i liked reading it, i think it was funny, i think the plot is interesting and i think the main couple is adorable. but, i did have some things i personally didn’t really like. the pace was a bit confusing to me, sometimes it was really slow, and the other time it was quite fast. also i felt like there were quite a few time skips? i personally really don’t like time skips, so when the main couple had their first kiss at the end of a chapter and the beginning of the next chapter was them being lovey-dovey girlfriend and boyfriend, i felt like it was going way to fast. i missed a lot of the romance scenes. it felt a tiny bit insta-lovey, after they realized they had feelings for eachother it went hella fast, it definitely wasn’t a slowburn. and i feel like there were a lot of ‘important’ scenes that were skipped, like bel meeting teo’s mom, the first robotics meeting, things like that. i would’ve loved to read more of those things. i wouldn’t call this an enemies to lovers, academic rivals to lovers i can see, but i don’t feel like they were rivals tbh. i also missed a lot of the depth in the characters and the romance between bel and teo. most of the characters did have personality, but they felt like side/background characters to me, when i feel like they were supposed to be more prominent characters. i kinda missed reading about the friendship between bel and jamie. and the friendship between bel and lora came really out of nowhere, page one they had never met, and the next page they were besties.

also, i sometimes got a bit bored while reading, because of the plot. the plot is great, don’t get me wrong, but i don’t understand a single thing about engineering and robotics, i feel like if you’re more into those kinds of things, you would like it way more than i did. i think i’m just way to dumb for it lol.

lastly, the pop-culture references were sometimes a bit too much for me. it mostly got me confused and pulled me out of my little reading world lol. i did totally love the taylor swift references though.

so after all, i did like this book, but it’s not a personal favorite. it’s a funny and cute story, and totally interesting if robotics is something you’re interested in. if you’re intrigued by the plot/discription of the book, definitely read it!

these are all my personal opinions, nothing in this review is meant to be disrespecting to anyone.

(sorry if this review is a bit incoherent lol, english in not my first language, it’s currently midnight and i haven’t slept in like 26 hours lol goodnight)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4595713343

4/5

My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth is about Bel, who just transferred to a private school full of students who all have their futures planned and their dreams in reach. All except for Bel, who at this point of her 17 year old life has no clue what she wants to do. When a physics teacher sees potential for Bel in engineering, she grudgingly accepts to try-out for the robotics team, and is as shocked as everyone when she’s accepted.

I was hooked on the title alone. Genius.

This was a really sweet book! And I LOVE the message it gives to girls who want to pursue STEM. I thought most of the characters were really rounded and had problems that I could relate to. I loved the dichotomy between Bel and Neelam, and seeing there’s more than one way to be a nerd.

The romance is okay, but honestly I was here for Bel to prove her worth in front of a bunch of boys while still rocking her unique fashion. Yes. Please.

I felt bad cause I didn’t remember half of the characters since they didn’t really make a difference in the end? There are maybe 5 characters out of like 15 that actually matter to the story.

Also, Bel is half-Filipino (like me <3) which is another reason why I related to her so hard. Thanks Follmuth for writing her. Though I’m not STEM inclined, I still felt like I was seen, if only a little.
Representation matters.

A 'romance for smart girls' - MUST READ!

As a big fan of the writer Alexene Farol Follmouth (otherwise also writing/known as Olivia Blake) and the international bestseller The Atlas Six, my expectations were sky high… and let me just tell you, SHE DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

Not only is this a real page-turner, full of hilarious dialogue and an ‘enemies to lovers’ storyline, but it manages to get infuse the genre with real depth and meaning. Follmouth masterfully creates real, genuinely authentic-feeling characters (all of whom are super smart) that represent a real diversity of racial, economic and social backgrounds.

But her biggest accomplishment is getting the reader excited in not only STEM sciences but the world of Robotics in a way that is incredibly approachable whilst making you feel smart. I never thought I would be so enticed by mechanical engineering let alone figure out what it actually involves… in a romance novel. I cannot imagine what this book would have done for me had I read it back in high school, especially as a young woman of colour who never saw herself represented in the sciences.

The social commentary is woven into the dialogue expertly, always sharp yet hilarious served and the diversity/representation truly meaningful. The love story manages to be steamy whilst fairly chaste, perfect for both a YA audience as well as us older millennials!

Last but not least, I am not ashamed to say I may have shed a tear or two and finished the book feeling like I just got a big squeeze and a pep talk too!

If you loved ‘The Love Hypothesis', this is definitely going to be your next obsession!

*** I received an early complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Finding a way to describe My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth challenged me enough that I’ve had to sit on it for a few days. After extensive puzzlement, I’ve come to realize that, in fact, the author has broken me. I lack the words to describe her deeply romantic, complex story. To call it a YA romance is too limiting, too narrow for the rich and emotional ride that is this book. And I write that with a deep and abiding love for YA romance.

Bel is angry, disinterested, unrepentantly agnostic about life, and beautifully weird. She is also a new senior at an elite high school of over-achievers. For a young woman who hasn’t given a thought to a career, it’s an annoying place to be. Jamie has her entire life mapped and will probably be president someday. Bel and her brother, Luke, spend their free time fiddling with his car and giving a middle finger to the future.

It’s no coincidence that a woman, Ms Voss, changes the course of Bel’s meandering life. Only a woman could truly understand the painful and debilitating effects of women being talked down to, held to different standards, and expected to fail. The author writes authentically and also brilliantly highlights the impact of young girls seeing themselves in roles that women have been discouraged – and outright barred – from holding.

Honestly, My Mechanical Romance is sometimes difficult to read. Every woman, no matter her age, will identify with (especially) Bel’s and Neelam’s experiences. But Alexene Farol Follmuth pushes the boundaries further, taking on the privilege of wealthy private schools and well-placed friends. She challenges us to care about more than the romance, though it too is well-done, sweetly pining and lovely.

That’s My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth. I’m sorry to have to tell you that it isn’t out yet (as of this writing obv). You’re going to have to wait until May 31, 2022, which also means that I’m going to have to wait until June 1st to have anyone to talk to about this remarkable book. We’re all suffering right now, @HolidayHousebks.

Also, I’m fully annoyed that I didn’t get more time with Dash. I’m picturing him creating a really popular restaurant blog while he’s going to NYU and falling hard for a chef whose restaurant he trashes. IYKYK. And you will know once you read this book.

I received a digital ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

- 4.5 Stars -
This book was cute! I really loved the way that Bel and Teo both were given their own unique voices throughout the book with differing POVs.

I’m always a big fan of women in STEM so this was a really cool thing to see, especially at the high school level. The way that Bel notices the favoritism that is placed on the boys on the robotics team and in AP Physics over the females (the 4 females..) by the male teacher, and comments on it to Teo was very well done.
As a female myself, I’ve felt these kinds of things in my own life and know just how unfair it can be. Teo, realizing what is going on, does his best to make things better, to fix it all, but this isn’t something that can just quickly be righted and then fixed. The way Mac acknowledges this in the last few chapters makes my heart sing with feminist pride!

I do love that elitist post-secondary education plays into this story as well. The way the story plays out, wasn’t exactly how I expected it to be so I was pleasantly surprised by it! I’ve seen others calling this the “YA Love Hypothesis” and honestly I would have to agree. It's definitely a sweet, coming-of-age story for both Teo and Bel as they grow into who THEY want to be, not who OTHERS want them to be.

Overall, I would recommend this book in a heartbeat to anyone who is looking for a new read!

Thank you NetGalley // Holiday House // Alexene Farol Folluth for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review! All of the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This was such a cute book! It’s a great Girls-in-STEM book, with a lot of character growth for both the main characters, Bel and Teo.

I appreciated that the characters in the book all felt real — not like the often overblown caricatures that are common in YA. The teenagers feel like teens, though because of the setting of this story, they are all exceptionally smart and driven. Bel perfectly encapsulates the terror and uncertainty that come with senior year and trying to decide what to do with the future. Teo, on the other side of things, is the kid who is so certain of his future that he becomes obsessive and has to have things shaken up a bit to relax.

The romance part of the book was cute, but I think it was secondary to the journey of the kids through their senior year. I would say it’s a 1 on the “spicy” scale and contains basically no swearing, so it’s a safe bet for anyone worried about those things for themselves or their kids or students.

Finally, I liked that the ending of the story wasn’t fairy tale perfect. Things shake out in a realistic way, but it’s still satisfying for those who like happy endings.

Very enjoyable read!

I’m a bit of a fair weather YA reader. As in, I can enjoy them, but I usually only pick them up once I know they’re popular and well received. The cover of My Mechanical Romance was just so appealing though, and the summary had so many of my favorite things, so I read it and look at me - I’m a trendsetter! I’m telling you so early that this book just consumed me. If Rachel Lynn Soloman and Ali Hazelwood had a book baby than this would be it’s the baby we all want. The characters were so engaging. The writing was captivating and relatable. I just genuinely cared so much about Bel and Teo.

Bel is bit of an underachiever and starting her senior year at a new private high school. She’s not a joiner, and doesn’t know where to apply for college or what she would even study once she’s there. After some soft, well-meaning, blackmail from a science teacher that sees her potential, Bel tries out and makes it on the robotics team. This puts her right in the path of Teo, who is robotics captain and all around golden-boy. They clash, are a bit enemies-to-lovers, but they find their way to one another and Bel finds her direction in a place she never expected.

I wish I was a better writer myself, so I could accurately convey how deeply this book put me in my feelings. I mean, high school was 20+ years ago for me at this point, but I just *felt* every setback of Bel’s deep down in my soul. Reading this book was like listening to the Olivia Rodrigo album last year. As an almost 40yo woman with 3 kids, I don’t exactly relate to the high school drama, but the feelings of betrayal, ambition, love, anguish, heartache, and hope just rattle around in my brain and give me all the serotonin. I wouldn’t change a single thing about this book, and it’s going on my re-read pile.

I received a free copy of this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 ⭐️ I throughly enjoyed reading this, finished it in a day! It’s a great and lighthearted YA romance, featuring women in STEM, Asian representation, and my favorite trope, academic rivals to lovers. AND ITS DUAL POV!!! sign me tf up !
This felt authentic to the teenage experience, from the way the characters acted, their thoughts and struggles felt like I was back to my teenage self. I found myself relating a lot to Bel at that age. Also she’s a swiftie so I love that for her <3
I loved how Bel and Teo’s relationship progressed naturally through the story (it didn’t feel forced) the slow burn was fantastic. The humor, banter, the tension!!!
I appreciated the themes and issues presented in this story. (Sexism, privilege, family, imposter syndrome) I love how it challenged how society views women of color in STEM: the expectations of how woman have to carry themselves a certain way to be taken seriously by men.
Also the science and physics stuff was described that made sense even to me (who knows absolutely nothing)
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review

'"The world is not very helpful to a smart girl," says Ms. Voss. "More often it will try to force you inside a box. But I urge you not to listen."'

I seriously have not enjoyed a YA book this much in a long time! This YA contemporary romance delivered an incredible story with a fantastic cast of characters that led me to read this book in one sitting!

Any book that has women in STEM representation is an automatic must-read for me. It's even better when the representation is done right. This book perfectly encapsulated what it's like being a woman in STEM in an easy-to-understand and digest format for YA audiences. My own high school experience parallels Bel so much that it was easy to empathize with her and root for her to succeed. This book perfectly captures the drive you have to have to survive in STEM and how women have to work twice as hard for the same opportunities men automatically get. As for Teo, it took me a while to warm up to him as he was always quick to write others off and take care of things himself, but I warmed up to him by the end as I felt like he and Bel and fantastic character arcs. Having flawed characters complete such a great arc is no easy feat, but it was done well here! I also can't forget to mention that all the side characters were excellent and it made every character interaction enjoyable and entertaining.

What I loved about the plot was that it wasn't overshadowed by the romance and was perfectly balanced. While it IS technically a YA contemporary romance, there are fantastic lessons about finding yourself, understanding your potential, and ultimately believing in yourself enough to make big decisions and put yourself out there. It made the book more empowering and the perfect coming-of-age story.

Overall, I can say with certainty that I will be recommending this book to everyone I know that loves a great YA book as this is easily a new favorite of mine!

The basics:
- Young Adult romance
- STEM romance
- Filipino (heroine) and Mexican (hero) representation
- Academic rivals to lovers
- Slow burn

To be frank, I am not one to gravitate towards YA romance anymore. But I do make my occasional exceptions. When I read the blurb for this book, I had a strong inkling that this would be worth picking up.
I am beyond glad to say that this book is one of those books that make me want to dip my toes in YA romance again, and more often.

If I were to describe this book in one word, it would be ‘refreshing’. For most of my time reading this, I kept thinking “wow this thing doesn’t have the typical immature-kids-making-bad-decisions plotline.” Don’t get me wrong, the characters in this book are not perfect, but they surprisingly read more mature than I expected.

Speaking of the characters, is it too bold to say that I love them all? Like I said, they were far from perfect BUT their decisions, ways of thinking, their personalities in general were well fleshed-out that I eventually understood where they were coming from. And I’m not just talking about the hero and heroine. I’m talking all the characters, especially their friend group (which I honestly want to be a part of myself even though I know nothing about robots).

As for Bel and Teo’s romance, it felt real and believable to me. Their relationship naturally progressed throughout the story that it didn’t feel forced when they first declared their love for each other. I loved how their romance had a strong friendship as its foundation. The slow burn was fantastic; there were a lot of sweet moments during the platonic stage of their relationship that made me want to continue reading to get to that part when they finally get together. I rooted for them from start to finish, and I want more! (I mean there was an epilogue, but I guess a novella wouldn’t hurt?)

Going much deeper, I really appreciated the themes and issues this story delved into. I love how it challenged how society views women of color in STEM: the expectations that tend to be burdensome and how that affects how they view themselves. As a woman of color myself (Filipino, too and that rep was a win!), although not in STEM, I resonated with how Bel felt. I also appreciated how it focused on how young people get indecisive about what they want to do in life. The struggles the characters faced when it comes to deciding on their next steps with their careers were so relatable even to a woman like me who is currently in her mid 20’s, in the workforce, with a supposed career path. The hero Teo’s struggles with trying to constantly fix problems, even though they’re not his, hit too close to home. Burnout is real and I’m grateful this book chose to show that.

This is an important and powerful book that I think all people, young adult or not, should read. Not only does it deliver on the romance, but it also presents real life experiences that anyone can relate to.

This was such a cute read!
It's a dual POV YA romance following Bel, a new student in a super competitive high school, and Teo, the captain of the robotics club in that high school. Pushed by her (female) physics teacher, Bel joins the robotics club and they bond over building battle robots.

I really liked the "women in STEM" rep in this book - even though I'm not one myself (I chose the easy route and went to business school), I think that's so important. There was a scene where Bel meets a little girl who tells her she "didn't think girls could build robots too" and admires her so much for it, and that warmed my heart.
I also thought the way sexism was depicted in the book was very subtle. Most of the injustice wasn't in-your-face interactions (except for the dumb boys from opposite teams looking down at the girls in the robotics team). It was the (male) physics teacher favouring the boys in his class, it was the only two girls in the team besides Bel being 1) the social media and business manager of the team, a traditionally more female position, and 2) depicted as a huge bitch. It was the way Teo, even though he was the main character and we were meant to like him, still expected everyone to follow his lead without questions.
I also LOVED the female friendships in this book. Jamie and Lora were both sweet, loyal, and even though they came from very different places and had different personalities and ambitions, their group of 3 (with Bel) and their complicity and female solidarity was a highlight of the story for me.
The last thing I really appreciated was the commentary on social injustice. The reason why Bel wasn't as prepared for her future as Teo wasn't only because she was a girl and was never pushed into engineering, it was also because she didn't come from such a privileged background. And like her teacher tells Bel, MONEY has a huge impact on colleges' decisions to accept a student on not (which, as a European, sounds absolutely insane to me). I really liked the way everything turned out in the end: things did not go as planned (aka easily), which Bel made her peace with, and she made another plan and kept moving. I thought that was a great message, but it doesn't make it any less true that if she had had money and privilege, she wouldn't even have had to take these detours.

Finally, I wanna talk about the characters a little.

First of all, the main two. I thought Bel was a great character - she was funny, strong, faced many problems at home and in school. Her character actually faced real conflict: her parents' divorce, feeling lost, not knowing what she wanted to do with her life. And she had great character development too. Admittedly, she had a little "not like other girls" vibe, but I'll forgive it because she never brought down other girls. But the problem was that she was such a complex character that in comparison, Teo felt kinda bland? What did he have going on for him? Rich, successful, big house, loving parents. Sure, his dad was a little absent, and I sympathised with that, but again compared to Bel's struggles it was a bit small. Early in the book, there's a scene where Bel describes his character, and that was my opinion of him the entire time:
"On the one hand, he's essentially the cult leader for a squad of worshiping dorks, and watching him in AP Physics today gave me the impression that maybe he knows it. He's clearly Mac [the teacher]'s favorite student, and he's definitely not dumb, but he's pretty entitled - which I guess he would be, wouldn't he? With a house like this and parents like that".
And he ACKNOWLEDGES that he is entitled and not used to being questioned. But I just didn't really see his evolution.
Now don't get me wrong, I thought their relationship was super cute. But as much as I understood why he fell for her, I'm not sure I get what she saw in him haha? At some point she says he's "the best person she knows" and I was like, why? But then I'm also into hot, rich cocky dudes, so I guess I get it.

All the supportive characters were amazing tho! Like I already said, I loved Jamie and Lora from the robotics club. Dash was also an absolute sweetheart. I also really liked Ms Voss, the physics teacher who initially encourages (well, kinda forces) Bel to join the robotics club, and Luke (Bel's brother) was great too.
And there's Neelam of course, who honestly deserves a book of her own. I understood where she was coming from, being a girl in robotics and never being taken seriously and having to fight extra hard to get what the boys get easily. But I guess I would've liked to see women supporting each other too? Band together, fight the patriarchy, you know. Although that's exactly what happens at the end so I can appreciate the way it built up to it. Character development!

Overall, this was a super enjoyable read, right up my alley. If you like cute YA romance and light banter and strong female characters, I definitely recommend it!
TWs for sexism.