Status
Available
Call number
Call number
FIC BAS
Collection
Description
Seventeen-year-old Aubrey and her three best friends have perfected the art of dating in high school, but their theories on love will be put to the test when gorgeous senior Nathan moves to town.
Genres
Publication
HarperTeen (2015), Edition: Reprint, 400 pages
Original language
English
Language
User reviews
LibraryThing member muddyboy
A realistic look at the ups and downs of relationships that are developed and many times cast asunder during one's high school days. The book is definitely written from a girl's perspective. The book almost has a fatalistic tone to it in that all your friends will leave you after you graduate and
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move on to the next phase of your life. There are good times and there are fights. There is companionship, friendship and jealousy all of which are evident in non fictional schools. The book is well written and will be loved by the audience it is targeted toward. Show Less
LibraryThing member Ginger_reader22
Aubrey Housing doesn't fall in love, she doesn't make commitments or put labels on her relationships with boys and she doesn't choose boys over her best friends. Boys come and go but friends are forever.
Aubrey and her group of friends think of themselves as 'evolved' they aren't those clingy,
The theories keep them from getting their hearts broken, from crying in the girls bathroom after the star of the football team dumps you for the new head cheerleader, the theories keep their hearts safe.
Highschool relationships never last so why invest so much in them?
It's worked for the past three and a half years, Aubrey hasn't varied from the path of the theories and so far she seems to be doing a lot better than some of the less 'evolved' girls in school.
Highschool is for fun, it's for flings and one night stands and hookups that don't matter, at least that's what Aubrey and her friends think.
That is until Nathan Diggs walks into Aubrey's life and turns it upside down. Now Aubrey is questioning the theories and all the decisions she's made because of them.
I really liked the beginning of this book, it was so different from all the other contemporary books out there that I've read, Aubrey and her friends treat 'relationships' like the boys their age treat them and they get away with it.
They sleep with/makeout with whomever they want, no strings attached and it seems to be working for them, they don't have their hearts broken, they aren't sitting around on a Friday night waiting for a certain boy to call and they aren't jealous of the other girls current boy toy.
When Nathan enters the story it seems to throw a wrench in the works, Aubrey starts doubting whether or not the theories are still as important as they were at the beginning of highschool but she can't seem to share these doubts with her friends, especially Shelby.
Shelby was more the queen bee of the story than the main characters best friend. I hated her SO MUCH! She was so manipulative and passive aggressive (read aggressive).
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
As I said I liked the beginning, the middle was okay and the ending... Well...
I felt like there was no character growth, like when I turned the last page all the characters were going to go running off and do the same childish things they were doing when I started the book.
I hated how Nathan was made to be this 'good guy' a 'closet nerd' who didn't realize how attractive he was and was unsure of what to do with all the attention and in the end, with the help of Aubrey, he turned into the typically self observed, cocky, cheater.
I'm all for a new take on the contemporary genre, the girl not getting the guy at the end but learning something about herself in the process but this was not that book.
It felt like it was Pretty Little Liars without the murder...
Or Mean Girls without the crown being broken into pieces.
That being said I did like the beginning of the book loved Bass' writing style even if it didn't end the way I would've liked, so I will definitely be reading any forthcoming books she releases.
Until next time,
Ginger
In compliance with FTC guidelines I am disclosing that this book was given to me for free to review.
My review is my honest opinion.
Aubrey and her group of friends think of themselves as 'evolved' they aren't those clingy,
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stereotypical, highschool girls who fall all over the first guy who gives them any attention. They have their 'theories' and they stick to them. The theories keep them from getting their hearts broken, from crying in the girls bathroom after the star of the football team dumps you for the new head cheerleader, the theories keep their hearts safe.
Highschool relationships never last so why invest so much in them?
It's worked for the past three and a half years, Aubrey hasn't varied from the path of the theories and so far she seems to be doing a lot better than some of the less 'evolved' girls in school.
Highschool is for fun, it's for flings and one night stands and hookups that don't matter, at least that's what Aubrey and her friends think.
That is until Nathan Diggs walks into Aubrey's life and turns it upside down. Now Aubrey is questioning the theories and all the decisions she's made because of them.
I really liked the beginning of this book, it was so different from all the other contemporary books out there that I've read, Aubrey and her friends treat 'relationships' like the boys their age treat them and they get away with it.
They sleep with/makeout with whomever they want, no strings attached and it seems to be working for them, they don't have their hearts broken, they aren't sitting around on a Friday night waiting for a certain boy to call and they aren't jealous of the other girls current boy toy.
When Nathan enters the story it seems to throw a wrench in the works, Aubrey starts doubting whether or not the theories are still as important as they were at the beginning of highschool but she can't seem to share these doubts with her friends, especially Shelby.
Shelby was more the queen bee of the story than the main characters best friend. I hated her SO MUCH! She was so manipulative and passive aggressive (read aggressive).
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
As I said I liked the beginning, the middle was okay and the ending... Well...
I felt like there was no character growth, like when I turned the last page all the characters were going to go running off and do the same childish things they were doing when I started the book.
I hated how Nathan was made to be this 'good guy' a 'closet nerd' who didn't realize how attractive he was and was unsure of what to do with all the attention and in the end, with the help of Aubrey, he turned into the typically self observed, cocky, cheater.
I'm all for a new take on the contemporary genre, the girl not getting the guy at the end but learning something about herself in the process but this was not that book.
It felt like it was Pretty Little Liars without the murder...
Or Mean Girls without the crown being broken into pieces.
That being said I did like the beginning of the book loved Bass' writing style even if it didn't end the way I would've liked, so I will definitely be reading any forthcoming books she releases.
Until next time,
Ginger
In compliance with FTC guidelines I am disclosing that this book was given to me for free to review.
My review is my honest opinion.
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LibraryThing member BookishThings
Love & Other Theories isn’t what I expected at all. I thought we were going to get a sweet book, but what we get is a much better realization about friendships.
I liked Aubrey even though she made some pretty insane decisions. She is a good student, works, and is devoted to her friends. Each
Now, there are a lot of things in this book: sex, parties, friendship, love, and these insane rules that these girls think will keep them from getting hurt. The way these characters stuck to the rules is what drove me nuts. I don’t see how they can make sense in anyone’s mind, but it’s been a while since I was a teen. I do know that there is always some kind of jealousy and wanting what your other friends have, and I think that is the biggest message in this book. There were times where I couldn’t understand how this group still managed to be friends. I was happy when Aubrey started to realize that maybe it’s okay to get hurt sometimes. She seemed to grow so much throughout the last half of her senior year.
This book definitely won’t be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. This is some of the drama that high schoolers go through, and I don’t think that will ever change. They have to do like Aubrey does and decide what is worth it in the end.
I liked Aubrey even though she made some pretty insane decisions. She is a good student, works, and is devoted to her friends. Each
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friend brings something different to the table, and I think that is what makes them such a tight-knit group. Aubrey seems to be the only one that has any kind of parental involvement in her life, and the rest just sort of run rampant. Nathan is a person you have a love/hate relationship with. He makes some pretty douchey decisions and there were times I wanted to beat him down.Now, there are a lot of things in this book: sex, parties, friendship, love, and these insane rules that these girls think will keep them from getting hurt. The way these characters stuck to the rules is what drove me nuts. I don’t see how they can make sense in anyone’s mind, but it’s been a while since I was a teen. I do know that there is always some kind of jealousy and wanting what your other friends have, and I think that is the biggest message in this book. There were times where I couldn’t understand how this group still managed to be friends. I was happy when Aubrey started to realize that maybe it’s okay to get hurt sometimes. She seemed to grow so much throughout the last half of her senior year.
This book definitely won’t be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. This is some of the drama that high schoolers go through, and I don’t think that will ever change. They have to do like Aubrey does and decide what is worth it in the end.
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LibraryThing member Jessika.C
Terrible terrible terrible
This book is about a group of teenagers that follow some stupid rules when it to dating to avoid getting their heart broken. Audrey meets new kid Nathan and claims him for herself. But she finds herself getting a bit too attached and decides to treat him like crap so that
The ending was good because they reached a point where I wasn't worried about anyone and their emotional health but the journey to get there was stupid because I'm surprised anyone wants to read about petty insecure girls fighting all the time.
This book is about a group of teenagers that follow some stupid rules when it to dating to avoid getting their heart broken. Audrey meets new kid Nathan and claims him for herself. But she finds herself getting a bit too attached and decides to treat him like crap so that
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he won't want to pursue anything further. It doesn't happen that way. And it all leads to even more girl on girl hate and me questioning hundreds of times why any of these girls are even friends with each other.The ending was good because they reached a point where I wasn't worried about anyone and their emotional health but the journey to get there was stupid because I'm surprised anyone wants to read about petty insecure girls fighting all the time.
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LibraryThing member DarkFaerieTales
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Silly theories that overrule common sense!
Opening Sentence: There’s one major reason I’m ready to be done with high school and it’s all culminating now, the first day back from winter break, in Senior Drama.
The Review:
The story centers
It was hard to feel bad about saying these things. Everyone wants a reason to hate on someone, even if it’s not a good reason, and everyone loves a good slut-villain.
I’m not a romantic but I could not understand their way of thinking; casually dating and ‘going around’ and then judging other girls that are in relationships but that may be having issues. They’d rather fool around in high school and thereby fool themselves into thinking they’re better and happier than everyone else. This worked for so long until… surprise, surprise, Aubrey falls for the new guy. So predictable.
Flawed MCs are always interesting, but I just could not connect with Aubrey. She was like Shelby’s sheep, never being able to think for herself or make her own decisions. It was pathetic. Even when Shelby is clearly throwing herself at the guy Aubrey is falling for, Aubrey stands by and pretends it’s fine because that’s what the theories dictate! What type of friend does that so blatantly?
And if boys think girls are stupid, that’s how they’ll treat them.
Our theories stop boys from thinking girls are crippled by their emotions, and needy, and dramatic, and dependent. We like to think that our evolved behavior is saving girlkind. Because let’s face it, we need saving.
Nathan, the new guy and reason for all the drama, begins as a nerd and ends up being the town’s new heartbreaker! I would have thought he was more of a player if it wasn’t for the fact that he was just going along with these crazy theories that the girls had devised. Nathan can’t even be called a cheater because the girls were so insistent that there weren’t any strings!
The only reason I didn’t rate this as a one-star read was because of Trip. Despite his ‘player’ persona, it was obvious that he genuinely cared for Aubrey (no idea why) and his character made this story somewhat likeable.
According to Shelby, the longer you know someone, the longer they have to let you down. But sometimes, the longer you know someone, the more time they have to surprise you.
To sum it up, this was an unimpressive read.
Notable Scene:
Instead we all did whatever we wanted, and didn’t talk about what we were doing or not doing, because none of it was supposed to matter. We all kept secrets. If we didn’t acknowledge our feelings, we couldn’t be hurt by them. But they were there all along, buried and rooted and growing every minute. We never guessed what kind of feat it would be to keep them concealed, what an effort it would take to keep up the smoke and mirrors of our tricks.
FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy Love and Other Theories. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Silly theories that overrule common sense!
Opening Sentence: There’s one major reason I’m ready to be done with high school and it’s all culminating now, the first day back from winter break, in Senior Drama.
The Review:
The story centers
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around, Aubrey, and her group of very mean friends. Aubrey’s best friend, Shelby, has created these absurd ‘theories,’ which they all live by. The theories mean that the girls play by the guys’ rules so that their high school lives are love and pain free. By following these theories, they hope to remain free, have fun and not be a clingy, dependent girlfriend, which in their eyes is the ultimate failure.It was hard to feel bad about saying these things. Everyone wants a reason to hate on someone, even if it’s not a good reason, and everyone loves a good slut-villain.
I’m not a romantic but I could not understand their way of thinking; casually dating and ‘going around’ and then judging other girls that are in relationships but that may be having issues. They’d rather fool around in high school and thereby fool themselves into thinking they’re better and happier than everyone else. This worked for so long until… surprise, surprise, Aubrey falls for the new guy. So predictable.
Flawed MCs are always interesting, but I just could not connect with Aubrey. She was like Shelby’s sheep, never being able to think for herself or make her own decisions. It was pathetic. Even when Shelby is clearly throwing herself at the guy Aubrey is falling for, Aubrey stands by and pretends it’s fine because that’s what the theories dictate! What type of friend does that so blatantly?
And if boys think girls are stupid, that’s how they’ll treat them.
Our theories stop boys from thinking girls are crippled by their emotions, and needy, and dramatic, and dependent. We like to think that our evolved behavior is saving girlkind. Because let’s face it, we need saving.
Nathan, the new guy and reason for all the drama, begins as a nerd and ends up being the town’s new heartbreaker! I would have thought he was more of a player if it wasn’t for the fact that he was just going along with these crazy theories that the girls had devised. Nathan can’t even be called a cheater because the girls were so insistent that there weren’t any strings!
The only reason I didn’t rate this as a one-star read was because of Trip. Despite his ‘player’ persona, it was obvious that he genuinely cared for Aubrey (no idea why) and his character made this story somewhat likeable.
According to Shelby, the longer you know someone, the longer they have to let you down. But sometimes, the longer you know someone, the more time they have to surprise you.
To sum it up, this was an unimpressive read.
Notable Scene:
Instead we all did whatever we wanted, and didn’t talk about what we were doing or not doing, because none of it was supposed to matter. We all kept secrets. If we didn’t acknowledge our feelings, we couldn’t be hurt by them. But they were there all along, buried and rooted and growing every minute. We never guessed what kind of feat it would be to keep them concealed, what an effort it would take to keep up the smoke and mirrors of our tricks.
FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy Love and Other Theories. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
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LibraryThing member A_Reader_of_Fictions
For more reviews, gifs, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.
Love and Other Theories is one of those books. One of the ones that’s going to garner such disparate opinions as to puzzle you exceedingly. My theory is that this is a book most people are going to really like or really
You see that summary up there? It is lying to you. The blurbing of this book does it and the people who will pick it up a vast disservice. The blurb describes Love and Other Theories as a romantic comedy. This is a blatant lie. Love and Other Theories most definitely isn’t a romance and I’d hesitate to call it especially funny. Neither humor nor romance is the point of the novel. The most accurate thing is the heart with pins stuck in it, because that’s how much this book isn’t a romance.
The pins are accurate on two levels actually. First, Aubrey and her friends, according to the theories, don’t believe in love in high school. They don’t want romance. Down with love and down with Cupid. Second, the side effects of the theories, since love isn’t necessarily stoppable, is that sometimes they have to deny their true feelings, which is a heart-stabby pain.
It’s clear very early on that the theories aren’t healthy, and this is very obviously going to be one of the points of the book. There are useful side effects of the theories, like the fact that the girls feel confident approaching boys and comfortable with their sex lives. What’s unhealthy about them is that the girls don’t allow relationships, because no high school boy can be trusted not to move on. I don’t think the theories are any less unhealthy than just about dating manual that someone could pick up for advice, because every relationship is different and there aren’t hard and fast rules that will work. This feels a lot like a YA version of Love by the Book, which I also thought was magnificent.
What I think I like best about Love and Other Theories is how oddly accepting it is for a book that initially seems to be full of a bunch of hateful, judgmental teenagers. The theories are both shown to be wrong, but not entirely condemned. There are good things about them. Though things turn into a real mess because of them, they do make it easier for Aubrey and Nathan to go off to college at the end of the year. It’s somewhat of a coincidence, but it is true that not being tied down into a serious relationship during high school makes college simpler.
Love and Other Theories is mostly about friendship. The girls will seem horrible to start, and I imagine many readers will still hate them when it’s over. I, however, was impressed with the way that things went down. Yes, some really shitty friend things happened, and a fight needed to be had. Ultimately, though, I think Aubrey acknowledges her part in the bad decisions that were made and chooses friendship over boys, which was really the goal of everything all along. The resolutions of the plots with Chiffon and Trip Chapman were also fantastic.
Love and Other Theories is not a book that will work for everyone. It’s realistic, awkward, and doesn’t wrap up into a neat little bow, but I think it’s a great addition to YA.
Love and Other Theories is one of those books. One of the ones that’s going to garner such disparate opinions as to puzzle you exceedingly. My theory is that this is a book most people are going to really like or really
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hate. That, in fact, is why I read this book. At first, I wasn’t sure if it was a book for me and, actually, that never changed. However, I got so curious about the contents that I had to see for myself. The fun surprise was how much I liked this book.You see that summary up there? It is lying to you. The blurbing of this book does it and the people who will pick it up a vast disservice. The blurb describes Love and Other Theories as a romantic comedy. This is a blatant lie. Love and Other Theories most definitely isn’t a romance and I’d hesitate to call it especially funny. Neither humor nor romance is the point of the novel. The most accurate thing is the heart with pins stuck in it, because that’s how much this book isn’t a romance.
The pins are accurate on two levels actually. First, Aubrey and her friends, according to the theories, don’t believe in love in high school. They don’t want romance. Down with love and down with Cupid. Second, the side effects of the theories, since love isn’t necessarily stoppable, is that sometimes they have to deny their true feelings, which is a heart-stabby pain.
It’s clear very early on that the theories aren’t healthy, and this is very obviously going to be one of the points of the book. There are useful side effects of the theories, like the fact that the girls feel confident approaching boys and comfortable with their sex lives. What’s unhealthy about them is that the girls don’t allow relationships, because no high school boy can be trusted not to move on. I don’t think the theories are any less unhealthy than just about dating manual that someone could pick up for advice, because every relationship is different and there aren’t hard and fast rules that will work. This feels a lot like a YA version of Love by the Book, which I also thought was magnificent.
What I think I like best about Love and Other Theories is how oddly accepting it is for a book that initially seems to be full of a bunch of hateful, judgmental teenagers. The theories are both shown to be wrong, but not entirely condemned. There are good things about them. Though things turn into a real mess because of them, they do make it easier for Aubrey and Nathan to go off to college at the end of the year. It’s somewhat of a coincidence, but it is true that not being tied down into a serious relationship during high school makes college simpler.
Love and Other Theories is mostly about friendship. The girls will seem horrible to start, and I imagine many readers will still hate them when it’s over. I, however, was impressed with the way that things went down. Yes, some really shitty friend things happened, and a fight needed to be had. Ultimately, though, I think Aubrey acknowledges her part in the bad decisions that were made and chooses friendship over boys, which was really the goal of everything all along. The resolutions of the plots with Chiffon and Trip Chapman were also fantastic.
Love and Other Theories is not a book that will work for everyone. It’s realistic, awkward, and doesn’t wrap up into a neat little bow, but I think it’s a great addition to YA.
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ISBN
006227533X / 9780062275332