Book Review: This Is My Brain On Boys by Sarah Strohmeyer

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This Is My Brain On Boys
Author: Sarah Strohmeyer
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: May 10 2016
Review Source: Balzer + Bray

Addie Emerson doesn’t believe in love. Not for herself, anyway. With one year left of high school, she’s more interested in snagging a full scholarship to Harvard than a full-time boyfriend.

That doesn’t mean she’s oblivious to the ways of the heart. Or, rather, the head. Because after months of research, Addie has discovered how to make anyone fall in love. All you need is the secret formula.

But will her discovery be enough to win the coveted Athenian Award and all its perks? (See above, full scholarship to Harvard.) Or will she be undone by Dexter, her backstabbing lab partner, who is determined to deep-six her experiments at their exclusive private school?

Those are the least of her problems now that she’s survived a death-defying flight with a mysterious, dark-haired boy, who has delicious chocolate-brown eyes and a few secrets of his own.

With an experiment to mastermind, an infatuated exchange student on her hands, and at least one great white shark (more on that later), can Addie’s prefrontal cortex outwit her heart? Or will she have to give in to her amygdala and find out, once and for all, if this thing called love is more than just her brain on drugs?

Addie is a no-nonsense kind of girl who takes things very literally. Kris is an all out there kind of guy, who tries to live life moment by moment. When their paths cross it seems that fate would have it they're meant to be, or to Addie's thought process - her PEA levels were just right during their first turbulent encounter together.

I swear. This book was like Bones meets Big Bang Theory meets an adorable romance novel.
I am a true believer of love, of souls, of all the things that Addie believes to be nonsense. Love is the result of our brain's chemicals shooting through it. To an extent I agree - but I believe that there's something stronger than just chemicals here. But even being a believer of all the stuff that Addie doesn't believe in I enjoyed this book. I just took it as Kris and her best friend Tess take Addie's thoughts on things. She doesn't believe in luck - luck is my best friend. So to me, it's lucky that Kris sat next to her on her plane trip back to the Academy. But to her it was not luck, it was mere science.

Addie was actually a very hilarious character. She was so straight forward - it's why I love the show Bones. Because when the character Bones is trying to converse with people and just does not get social norms, it makes you laugh. And this is exactly what Addie goes through. There are times when she realizes what she is doing, and that she shouldn't do it. Which makes it even better.

The book even includes a little twist - although I saw it coming from the moment they got to the academy - but it's a twist that makes the story pleasant. It adds character to the story - you know the twist but if you're like me you're not completely sure until the point when it's revealed. And it makes you feel like a great detective having figured it out.