The Calculation of You and Me

March 15, 2024
Grades 9-12 Autistic high-school senior Marlowe has intelligence, wit, and two best friends, as well as insecurity in certain social situations. But now that Josh, her boyfriend of two years, has dumped her, saying that she's never "done anything romantic" for him, Marlowe is adrift. Despite her friends' opinions of her ex, she's determined to win him back. She soon enlists the help of a classmate, Ash, in exchange for her expertise in updating his band's website and social media presence. All goes well until she gets to know Ash better and begins to wonder why she's chasing Josh. As the people who know her best keep asking, "What do you want, Marlowe?" the answer becomes increasingly clear. Kaylor, whose first novel, Long Story Short (2022), was also a romance featuring a neurodivergent main character, creates a wholly believable story with three well-drawn characters in Marlowe, Josh, and Ash, who works part-time in a romance bookshop/caf�. Immediately engaging, Kaylor's lively first-person narrative seems likely to please rom-com fans with its plausible story and satisfying ending.

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April 15, 2024
A neurodivergent STEM nerd convinces her emo classmate to tutor her in romance so she can get back together with her ex-boyfriend. Marlowe Meadows' senior year starts with the unwelcome confirmation that Josh, her golden-boy boyfriend, has dumped her for being bad at love. Determined to show her ex that she can do better, Marlowe seeks help from Ashton Hayes, her A.P. English project partner, the school's pierced goth band frontman who moved to their Georgia town junior year. Since Ash has written dreamy song lyrics and works at a romance bookstore, Marlowe believes he's uniquely positioned to teach her about love. In exchange for help writing four letters, practical lessons in datelike settings, and weekly romance novel reading assignments, Marlowe will revamp Ash's band's "crappy" website and update their social media presence. As the tutoring progresses, Marlowe's supportive, super-smart best friends, Odette and Poppy, also start attending Ash's band rehearsals, reading romance books, and encouraging her to embrace her potential new love interest. Kaylor thoughtfully portrays Marlowe's nuanced character growth and weaves a moving subplot about how Marlowe believes autism has affected her relationship with her seemingly perfect mother and younger sister. Ash is irresistibly kind, charismatic, and loving. The story includes authentically described neurodiverse and LGBTQ+ characters; Marlowe and Ash are cued white. A delightful, richly characterized slow-burn romance about figuring out what you want. (Romance. 13-18)

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June 1, 2024

Gr 9 Up-Marlowe is left feeling like a failure when she is dumped by her boyfriend before senior year. To win her ex back, Marlowe works out a deal with the mysterious boy Ashton in her English class; she'll revamp his band's social media if he teaches her all about romance. What begins as a simple agreement, quickly turns into something more as all the calculations in the world cannot help Marlowe anticipate Ashton Hayes. A celebration of embracing differences, trusting the process, and demanding better for oneself, Kaylor's sophomore novel shines as a delightfully fun romance filled with an abundance of humor and hope. Marlowe's autism is seen as a detriment not only by her ex, but as Marlowe eventually realizes, by herself. Her friendship with Ashton reveals she's surrounded by family and friends who unquestionably accept her neurodiversity as her quest to learn about romance inspires her to speak up more. The story's pacing flows nicely as Marlowe and Ashton's relationship reveals the joy of finding that person who gives you space to grow and be yourself. While the overarching plot is solid, there are some building points for the characters that could've been explored more. Marlowe has red hair and Ashton has ink-black hair: both are cued white. VERDICT A one-sit read rom-com with lots of heart and plenty of sarcasm, perfect for Jenny Han or Emma Lord aficionados.-Emily Walker

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