No Shelf Control

By Hannah Reynolds

Thanks so much to Penguin Young Readers for giving me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a review! All opinions are my own.

What’s it about?

Jordan Edelman’s messy dating days are over. After a few too many broken hearts, and a father who worries a bit too much, she’s sworn off boys—at least for the summer. And since she’ll be tagging along on her father’s research trip to Nantucket, she doesn’t think it’ll be too hard to stick to her resolution. But hooking up with the cute boy on the ferry doesn’t count, right? At least, not until that cute boy turns out to be Ethan Barbanel. As in, her father’s longtime research assistant Ethan Barbanel, the boy Jordan has hated from afar for years. And to make matters worse, Jordan might actually be falling for him. As if that didn’t complicate her life enough, Jordan’s new summer job with a local astronomer turns up a centuries-old mystery surrounding Gibson’s Comet—and as she dives into her research, what she learns just might put her growing relationship with Ethan in jeopardy. 

Summary from The StoryGraph

Why I Started This Book

I was so excited when Penguin Young Readers offered me this book! I couldn’t wait to read it!

My First Thoughts

I immediately fell in love with the characters. I also loved how it jumped right into the plot!

My Rating

What I loved

The science is weaved so perfectly into the story, and it’s in such an engaging way. This novel truly highlights how writing can be fun and playful, but also quite technical.

The characters are beautiful written, and they feature a nuanced depth that most MCs don’t have. I loved the forced proximity trope, and it was written in a way that was so fun and entertaining!

As a young woman who loves science, especially astrophysics, I found this book beautiful and inspiring! It was truly a powerful read that showed diverse perspectives, and strong women in stem. Very few books truly portray the struggles women face in the scientific field, but this novel felt so true.

What I Disliked

At times the novel felt rather unrealistic. This book is YA, which means some cheesiness is almost always necessary, but sometimes the events in this book felt very different than real life. While there is nothing wrong with a fiction book being unrealistic, it was simply annoying at times.

Should You Read It?

This novel blends entertainment and empowerment perfectly! If you want a fun, YA romance this is for you!!

Conclusion

It’s not often that you find a young adult fiction novel that focuses on empowering women in science, specifically astrophysics. That’s something that made this book so special and close to my heart. This novel recognizes the struggles of women in the field of science in the past, and also talks about the challenges still present in today’s world. Not only is this novel entertaining, it beautifully presents difficult topics that aren’t discussed enough in today’s literature.