Quirky and off-beat, this is the story of a brother and sister who have become incredibly co-dependent upon the death of their parents. The story follows along as the sister, Mimi, decides it is time for her to start dating. Her brother, Art, wants to use math to help her find the right person. When Mimi finds someone outside of Art's equation, problems ensue. Adding depth to the story is the slow reveal about how their parents died and Art's work with a mathematical theory. A lot of the problems in the book would have been avoided if the characters had been upfront and honest with each other. But then we wouldn't have this story to read.

This one was way to slow for me. I felt the story was super busy, and I had a hard time following certain plot points.

I absolutely loved this book. It hooked me and kept me turning pages until I was done. Finished it in two days! The character development was strong, and the premise was unique enough that it didn't feel like anything else I've read.

3.25 stars!

"The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything" by Kara Gnodde (A+ title, by the way!) was not what I expected.

This book is much more serious and mature than I thought it would be (not that that's a bad thing). It deals with some really heavy topics such as suicide, the death of a parent, loss, grief, and obsession. Let me first say, I loved the neurodivergent representation in this book. We need to see more of that in fiction! Though the FMC, Mimi, is a bit selfish from time to time, shouldn't she be? Her life has been seemingly commandeered by everyone in her life, especially her brother, who doesn't do so intentionally. She's got nothing left for herself at the end of the day. I identified with both Mimi AND Art. I appreciate messy, complicated, layered characters. I also liked Frank, the other MMC of the book/Mimi's potential love interest. He gets to say some of the book's best lines.

Unfortunately, I found this to be a bit of a task to read. It's challenging in its subject matters, but it also deals with a lot of things that, quite frankly, I'm not smart enough to understand, lots of maths principles, relativity, etc. It is deeply pessimistic until the last 15-or-so-%. It is an extremely slow-paced book, which made my attention wane from time to time. Is it worth the wait? In some respects, it is, but not entirely so. This book could have easily been shorter.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kara Gnodde, and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks/Harper Paperbacks for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.

The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything by Kara Gnodde is a women's fiction about relationships, family responsibilities and connection.

Siblings, Art and Mimi, are all eachother have left in the world following the death of their parents. When Mimi decides she wants to find love, her brother, Art a mathematician, wants her to use a mathematical formula to find a partner... however math and love don't always go hand in hand.

A moving story ❤️

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thanks goes to NetGalley and Harper Perennial.

Genre: General Fiction, Women's Fiction
Spice Level: Low (not overly descriptive
Representation: LGBTQ characters, Neurodivergent
Trigger Warnings: Death, Suicide

THE THEORY OF (NOT QUITE) EVERYTHING is NOT what I expected. When I saw the comparison to The Rosie Project, I was expecting the focus to be on humor and romance. That is not this book. There is a character on the autism spectrum—that's about the only similarity.

I noticed that I laughed at exactly 18% in the book for the first time. That wasn't the last time, but don't go into this book thinking it's going to be hilarious.

It tracked as being "true" to me for working with a neurodivergent brother on a daily basis when you're not neurodivergent yourself, but at times wonder about your own stability. And question your view of the world. And wonder if you will survive. And contemplate what life would be like if things were different.

What I got out of the book:
- The importance of relationships
- We need balance in life
- Facts can make a difference
- Treasure your family
- Love is worth the effort

This was actually an emotionally difficult read for me.

I think there must be better comps out there for it.

When all is said and done, I enjoyed this book. I'd give it 3 stars for myself, but 4 for other readers.

And I recommend it if you love books that help you see life in a different way.

Although not as great as I was expecting, given the hype and reviews I had read, The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything is an enjoyable book that starts of slowly but builds to a mostly satisfying conclusion.

This book was a terribly slow read and I struggled to get into it.

The characters were quirky but not enough to hold my attention.

I found this book very slow and had a hard time getting into it. A story about a sister who cares for her autistic brother. Life changes when she decides she wants a boyfriend in her life. Not what i was expecting, not my cup of tea.

This book starts a bit slowly and reminds me a bit of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo in that there's character development that is coming but you need to really stay invested. I promise it is worth it and keep reading. The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything follows Art and Mimi, siblings that rely on one another more than anyone else in the entire world. There is beautiful love and grief displayed in this story and I found myself rooting for Art and Mimi. There is also some mystery, that after about 50 pages, made it tough for me to put the book down! I thought of Art and Mimi when I wasn’t with them and couldn't wait to see what happens to them. This is a story with ups and downs and so much heart. A wonderful debut and I look forward to reading more from Kara Gnodde in the future.

4 stars

Thank you @netgalley for the early copy

Grab your copy out 2/28!

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Not for me at all. How full of herself was Mimi? And pressed on by Rey. It’s unc9mfortwble reading about someone so self centered and clueless.

A bit of a slow start to this book but it was worth the wait. I loved Art and Mimi and they’re found family. Art and Mimi’s complicated relationship is described perfectly. Art is neurodivergent and a mathematical genius and Mimi has lived under his shadow for her whole life. After their parents’ deaths when the siblings are young adults, they only have each other and Mimi ends up essentially being a pseudo-caretaker for Art. They have a co-dependent relationship that becomes more unhealthy as they grow older and Mimi starts to want an independent life and a romantic relationship. Art struggles with this and you see how difficult it is for him to communicate with Mimi (and vice versa). Mimi has to balance her love for Art with her desire to have a life outside of her role as his sister.

There is also a legitimate plot that becomes more interesting as you read. I would say the first 40% of the book took me awhile to get into but then I couldn’t put it down.

It ended up being a very sweet, heartwarming read that I really enjoyed.

If this book wasn't so slow, it definitely would have gotten a higher rating from me. I just felt like the whole story felt slow, when in reality it should have been faster paced.

The ending was great though so I'm giving credit for that.

Ah this one looks like a light read but it gets pretty deep pretty fast. This one detailed the relationship of two siblings who rely on each other following the death of their parents and how things changed when one of them met another math loving person. I think the beginning was slow but it got better as the book went on. Thank you Harper Perennial for the ARC of this one.

This is a cute story about siblings who live together and rely on each other more than they realize. Art is quirky and very set in his ways and Mimi seems to be going through the motions and not really living her life. When she decides to take control of her life and meet someone things start to get a bit strained between them. I enjoyed to story, but it seemed to be a bit drawn out in some parts.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I had a really hard time with this one. It was very slow at the beginning. It god a bit better as the book when on, but it was a bit all over the place. I did like the short chapters. There was a lot of twists and turns and I had a hard time keeping up. It was a bit too melodramatic for me but I could see someone liking this book. Just not for me.

Novel about a brother and sister who live together and always have. As adults, the sister has to take care of her brother due to his autism. Problems ensue when she decides she would like to find a boyfriend.

This was not quite what I was expecting. It was much weightier than I thought it would be, but I enjoyed this story of love, grief, and complicated family relationships.

Mimi spent her life living in the shadow of her incredibly brilliant brother. When their parents died, Mimi felt obligated to look after her brother. She had shelved many of her own desires in order to care for Art, but she was finally making attempts to put her needs first. It started with a new job, and then, a new romance. But this didn't sit well with Art, and when he was injured in an accident, Mimi began to question many things including her relationship and her parents' deaths.

I experienced so many highs and lows as I read this book. It was wonderful seeing Mimi fall in love and find a job she was passionate about, but everything with their parents and the doubt planted in her mind by Art, as well as Art's accident, broke my heart. Overall though, I found myself rooting for everyone involved. A strong cast of characters, lots of emotion, a bit of mystery, and a touching ending made this a solid read for me.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: February 28, 2023
Debut author Kara Gnodde delivers an emotional, quirky and creative plot with “The Rosie Project” and “The Maid” vibes, with characters that are just as likable and honest.
Naomi (Mimi) Brotherton has spend her entire life looking out for her older brother, Art. After the death of their parents, Mimi feels even more responsible for ensuring that Art always feels safe and secure. Art, on the other hand, loses himself in mathematics, desperate to solve the “unsolvable” equation. Mimi’s best friend, Rey, convinces Mimi that she needs to move on with her life and although Mimi knows Art will be uncomfortable with the change, Mimi meets Frank, another mathematician, and feels an instant spark. Art, however, is convinced that Frank isn’t who he claims to be and Mimi is conflicted- does she follow her heart and build a life with Frank? Or does she listen to Art, who has never let her down and has always been the one constant in her life?
“The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything” is poignant, relevant and knows how to tug at all the right heartstrings. Mimi and Art are siblings who have had only each other to lean on and look out for since the death of their parents, but Art’s intelligence and quirky neurodivergent mind have made it difficult for Mimi to live her own life. Their bond is unique, but will touch a chord with anyone who has been affected by loss, or who has a complicated but powerful sibling relationship.
Gnodde’s premise has math as its core, as Art struggles to solve the unsolvable equation. I am not a math person (and by that, I mean I hate math with all the burnings fires of Hell), but luckily Gnodde’s delightful characters and charming plot stood out, leaving the math in the background. The story is told by both Art and Mimi, allowing the reader to connect to both siblings on a deeply emotional level.
There are many twists and turns in this novel, and the chapters are short, making “Theory” a hard-to-put-down page-turner. I love novels that have a neurodivergent character in the forefront, and to think that this is a debut? Gnodde will have a hard act to follow but I’m eagerly anticipating her next work.

As someone who primarily reads fantasy and romance, I was not expecting to enjoy this book has thoroughly as I did. By far, my favorite part of this book was the autistic character being treated as a complete person. Too often in life are autistic people seen as lacking an essential part that neurotypical people have. Art is different, but that just means the people in his life adjust around him.

This book is interesting in that it does not fit into just one trope in fiction books. It has romance, academia, mystery, and more roller into one. At the end of the day, the characters find an unexpected family not entirely related by blood, allowing them to continue their growth. This story, while fiction, feels like it could happen to just about anyone.