by Alexis Bass
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: December 31st 2014
If you want more, you have to give less.
That’s the secret to dating in high school. By giving as little as they expect to get in return, seventeen-year-old Aubrey Housing and her three best friends have made it to the second semester of their senior year heartbreak-free. And it’s all thanks to a few simple rules: don’t commit, don’t be needy, and don’t give away your heart.
So when smoking-hot Nathan Diggs transfers to Lincoln High, it shouldn’t be a big deal. At least that’s what Aubrey tells herself. But Nathan’s new-boy charm, his kindness, and his disarming honesty throw Aubrey off her game and put her in danger of breaking the most important rule of all: Don’t fall in love.
ADVANCE PRAISE
“Warning: Bass’s debut novel will ignite ALL your feelings!” - Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Evil trilogy
“I loved LOVE AND OTHER THEORIES. Alexis Bass writes a compelling critique of the ways society expects girls to behave in their relationships, the lies girls tell each other–and themselves–to keep from getting hurt, and, when all is said and done, how only the heart knows the truth.” – Kristin Halbrook, author of Nobody But Us and co-founder of YA Highway
Aubrey was an interesting character to read. At first I didn’t like her much and had a hard time connecting with her. Toward the end of the book, however, I felt really connected with her and really could see how she had changed and actually “evolved”. I ended up really liking her character and rather than feel sad, I felt happy for her.
I liked Trip. I know it seemed like she was falling back into her old boyfriend but you could see they actually have a strong friendship at the fundamental part of things. I was actually rooting for them, which might seem odd. I’ve had Trip’s in my life. Someone who you had a romantic involvement with but end up being close friends. Sometimes there are moments of weirdness but for the most part you really are just good friends.
Shelby. How do you explain a friend like her. I don’t think she wasn’t a friend to Aubrey but she’s one of those friends that you know what they are. You know they like attention and make things fit around them. The life of the party and the one that’s going to be left behind when everyone grows up. I felt sorry for Shelby...almost at times but for the most part I didn’t like her.
I was not a big fan of Nathan. Not at the beginning and not at the end. You could tell his new school was almost thrilling for him. I think Aubrey was actually pretty perceptive about him. I don’t think Aubrey lead him into any decisions he makes. He makes those on his own. He didn’t have to choose the path he did, but he didn’t anyway. A purely good guy wouldn’t do that. No matter the situation.
I think Shelby and Aubrey were the main ones to stand out in the group but there was also Danica and Melissa. They weren’t wallflowers or anything but I think Shelby being more of the leader and Aubrey being her best friend, the other two just fell into line with them. Melissa though seemed more hesitant about things. I just think it showed how friends can grow apart when they realize they are on different tracks in life. They will probably always be friends but it will be different than it was in high school.
So this plot is complicated because in a way I think your own personal experiences are going to affect the way you read it. At first I was like geez this is a book about mean girls. I was intrigued but also appalled. The more I read though the more I realized that I related to things. I might not have had “theories” about guys but I had a very bad experience with one which lead me to be almost similar to the group. I would date a guy for no more than a couple of weeks because at that point I would know if it would be worth it. (I did not sleep around) I even made sure to break up with a guy before any major Holidays so I wouldn’t have to deal with it. I guess it sounds awful but I was in high school and at the time it made sense to me. The girls are trying to find a way to avoid heartbreak but as Aubrey discovers, things are not always black and white.The last chunk of the book is what made me really like it. It really pulled things together. I liked how the book ended. I wasn’t sad, I was happy. I think the ending is what made me really like the book.
