2022: I honestly don't know if I have ever screamed at a main character this much.

This woman is a PhD candidate, brilliant, going to cure pancreatic cancer, and spends the entire book doubting herself. I could not handle the negative self talk that Olive had about herself in this novel! Girl, you are a CATCH! The anxiety of the narrator was too much for me, but if you have anxiety and want to see yourself represented in a book, I'd pick this one.

I also had this on my list for the demisexual representation, but honestly, there were too many ridiculous decisions and lies from Olive that got in the way. I appreciated that she was unafraid to take things slow and at her speed, but the number of times that she said to herself, "I don't know why I was still thinking about his abs" was too much. Taking it slow and wanting to establish an emotional bond with someone before you have sex is one thing; literally not acknowledging your feelings and continuing to lie in new and very odd and confusing ways is another.

+1 for awesome consensual sex scenes that take it slow and respect both partners, and for a well-handled sexual harassment subplot that was not gratuitous and actually moved the plot forward. -1 for calling the area that they live in Stanford, California instead of Palo Alto.