Meredith Goldstein

From advice columnist Meredith Goldstein, a dazzling, romantic, and emotionally resonant YA debut about a teen science whiz in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who tries to crack the chemical equation for lasting love and instead wreaks havoc on herself and the boys in her life. For seventeen-year-old Maya, the equation for happiness is simple: a dream internship at MIT + two new science nerd friends + a perfect boyfriend = one amazing summer. Then Whit dumps her out of the blue. Maya is miserable until she discovers that her scientist mother, before she died, was conducting research on manipulating pheromones to enhance human attraction. If Maya can finish her mother's work, maybe she can get Whit back. But when her experiment creates chaos in her love life, she realizes that maybe love and loss can't be understood using the scientific method. Can she learn to trust the unmeasurables of love and attraction instead?

Chemistry Lessons

Briar's Reviews

Sometimes you just need a cheesey, science-filled, romantic comedy to fill your time!

Chemistry Lessons by Meredith Goldstein is a marvellous contemporary fiction read about a seventeen year old girl named Maya who is trying to develop a concoction (started by her Mother) to manipulate pheromones to increase human attraction. Maya is depressed - her Mom has passed away and now her boyfriend breaks up with her right before their big deal to consummate their relationship. Boys suck, am I right? She's working at MIT as an intern before her university career starts and she happens to stumble across her Mom's original work. When the opportunity presents itself, Maya jumps! She tests this concoction on three people she knows, and in the end... she learns just what love and attraction is all about.

Realistic? No. Incredibly fun? Yes! 

We've all thought up the magical love potion to win someone over (or back!), and Meredith Goldstein turned this dream into an incredible book. It's goofy, scientific, and just downright fun. It has the right mix of romance and comedy, while also keeping it "real" enough to feel like someone might actually try this experiment. 

Overall, I liked this book! Seeing Maya's connection with friends, acquaintances, and romantic partners (or ex partners...) and her experiment was incredibly fun. I definitely want to pick up more books by Meredith Goldstein in the future.

Four out of five stars!

laura

* I got this book from the publisher for my honest thoughts*

This was a great book to kick off my summer reads season. I really loved how this book was focused on both grief but also science and experiments with love twist. I really found the self discovery path in this story to be super strong. I also really realated to the female/male friendship dynamics because that was something that defined my high school experience. I also liked how this book tackled grief but in a unique way. I flew through this book and really think that was because the structure of this book made the pacing of this book super well crafted. I also really loved all the side characters and the lead boy made me smile. I would def read more by this author in the future.

Ainsley Lamont

I thought this book was super unique. A love serum that could possibly bring her and Whit back together. This plot was so different from any other book that I had ever read and it kept me attracted to the book. Subject number 2 was a little slow, but I do understand how it was needed to make the ending happen correctly. 

Although some people complained they didn't like how the book ended, I though the author had the perfect amount of foreshadowing and hints to show what was going to happen. It wasn't pushed in my face but it wasn't lost.

Overall I loved this book and think this is a fun book everyone should read!