Farol Follmuth is exceptional at characters and I enjoy how in both of her books I’ve read the romance is really a vehicle for in-depth character studies of rather intellectual leads that pauses to reflect on issues of interpersonal frustrations, mental health and personality. I get how frustrating is try to prove your own worth, work your way and show what are you capable of. I liked Bel and Teo, both as individual characters and as a couple; her quirkiness and individuality was really nice as was her hints of vulnerability, and I liked seeing Teo’s stiffness soften as he began to develop a bond with Bel. One of my favorite "lessons" of the book was when Bel didn't get into the school she wanted, and instead chose a community school, and no one hated on her for it. The people in this fifteen-second video that I’ve been watching on a loop are my best friends in the whole world.

Isobel "Bel" Maier is in her senior year, and has transferred in her final year of high school to a new school, not the most ideal time to be transferring especially when its your final year in high school. I started reading YA novels as young as 12/13ish and being the rather innocent and book-loving kid I was, I wouldn’t have been interested in reading anything with swearing, drinking or sex references and 12 and 13 years old seems too young for such mature topics anyways. Leo Tuna (My mind kept reading his name like that the whole time, so am going to stick to that lol) is a good lead. There were so many instances when she was competing in robotics where people on the opposite teams said she was just "diversity points" or "token diversity girl.I actually saw myself a bit in her since we both kinda don't know what to do with our lives after school and feel pressured because people all around us already know to at least some degree what they plan to do. Then Bel's science teacher highly recommends her to join the robotics club after she shows a talent for engineering. At first—despite her instinct for design—she has trouble fitting in: the boys are inclined to disregard her and the only other girl is actively hostile.

Both characters have complicated family dynamics and being a teenager while trying to deal with all of that and your future at the same time. Enter Mateo Luna, perfect on paper – captain of the football team and the robotics club – who recognizes Bel as a potential asset, even if they couldn’t be more different.This is a truly heart-warming story of loss, recovery and above all, of community' Bernie McGill, author of The Watch House. Furthermore, the romance aspect goes from not exactly nemesis, but certainly frosty, to something more. The fact that Bel’s story can encompass disappointments and setbacks (and all the emotions attendant on such experiences), without these things ruining her life is refreshing and, I felt, very vital to a story that I hope a lot of young people will read and be inspired by.

If you want to see my much more in depth review, you can check it out on my book blog NovelOnMyMind.My Mechanical Romance, published without the pen name, is an absolutely lovely YA that is a romance built within an engaging examination of the gender politics around women in STEM fields. However, I was sympathising with her when I finally got to know her reasons for doing those things to Bel. Despite my overall lack of background knowledge on the subject, I never felt lost when the characters were referencing topics, as the author explained them in a simple way. Additionally, while I have never really hated Neelam, I find her actions around Bel kind of unjustified. it didn’t feel dragged out as much mainly because of how short the book was and how fast i flew through it.