Learning to Swear in America

This was the most adorable. Exactly what I needed in a cozy, lazy dark days of December. I'm not usually one for a rom-com, but throw in some astrophysics, an existential plot about fitting in and some high school bully revenge fantasy and now, you're speaking my language. This reminded me in all the best ways of [a:Lydia Netzer 4886414 Lydia Netzer https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1384708162p2/4886414.jpg]'s book: a book about nerds told from the perspective of someone who clearly loves nerds, a dry sense of humor and a heavy hand of astronomy as both critical plot driver and also metaphor for trying to find one's place in the world.

3.5 stars, generously rounded up to 4. This book had a great premise but it definitely read like a debut novel, with erratic pacing and incomplete characterization. Yuri was a fascinating character, part buttoned-up Russian genius and part horny teenaged boy, but Dovie came across as a stereotypical Manic Pixie Dream Girl, existing mainly to teach Yuri to lighten up but not necessarily having much of her own narrative arc.

Considering there is a meteor - excuse me, asteroid - heading straight towards Earth in a matter of weeks, there is little t0 no portrayal of how the public is handling the news of their impending demise, and the anxiety is largely limited to the scientists working with Yuri, so the stakes feel lower than they should. And they feel even more watered down when the big day comes and goes with another 75 pages left in the book. I get that Yuri has personal issues to address in addition to saving the world, but instead of a rousing finish we get was an earthquake of a climax and then a little after-tremor at the very end.

Definitely an author to watch but not quite a fully polished product yet.