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Love Is Both Wave and Particle
This achingly beautiful novel considers how to measure love when it has the power to both save and destroy.
Levon Grady and Samantha Vash are both students at an alternative high school for high-achieving but troubled teens. They have been chosen for a year-long project where they write their life stories and collect interviews from people who know them. The only rule is 100% confidentiality—they will share their work only with each other. What happens will transform their lives.
Told from the perspectives of Levon, Sam, and all the people who know them best, this is a love story infused with science and the exploration of identity. Love Is Both Wave and Particle looks at how love behaves in different situations, and how it can shed light on even the darkest heart.
Levon Grady and Samantha Vash are both students at an alternative high school for high-achieving but troubled teens. They have been chosen for a year-long project where they write their life stories and collect interviews from people who know them. The only rule is 100% confidentiality—they will share their work only with each other. What happens will transform their lives.
Told from the perspectives of Levon, Sam, and all the people who know them best, this is a love story infused with science and the exploration of identity. Love Is Both Wave and Particle looks at how love behaves in different situations, and how it can shed light on even the darkest heart.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2017
9 people are currently reading
934 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
December 20, 2017
***Warning: There are some minor spoilers below. Please do not read further if you haven't read it yet and plan to read it.***
Phenomenal is what comes to mind when I think about this book, the twists and twirls of life it takes me through, and the evocative moments that warmed my heart, stilled my soul, or moved my mind. I found myself tearing up several times, and a couple outright crying.
I read Sandy Hall's A Little Something Different several years ago and, after reading the blurb for Love is Both Wave and Particle, I had a feeling this book would be similar in format and construction. I was both right and wrong. At a first quick glance, yes, they are so similar in how they are set up. The content, though, and some stylistic writing choices, are very different. It is a collection of perspectives explaining the whole of Sam and Levon, but it is also an exploration of what it means to love, what love is, and how the mental differences and mental health of these characters sets them as individuals of depth and defying textbook definitions of teenagers, mental illness and wellness, and what it means to be doing well or be normal.
As for the treatment and use of mental illness in this book, I am appreciative of the care Paul Cody took with a subject that is often used and abused. This book worked towards showcasing how illogical and unpredictable mental illness is, how it tears up the individual from the inside out as much as it can tear apart the relationships between that individual and their loved ones. It showed the ugly, the messy, and the uncomfortable with stark clarity, but it did not once make it out to be something people should shy away from, fear encountering, or refuse to deal with. Overall, this book was about the characters being open about their mental illness, confronting it, sharing it with others and not hiding it, as well as not hiding from it themselves. It was and is a firm but gentle reminder that mental illness is a part of someone and is something they must be aware of and keep in check, but it is not who they are and shouldn't result in others thinking less of them in any way.
I do want to call attention to one specific series of moments: toward the end of the book, Sam's depression spiraled out of control and she didn't recognize the signs until she was pretty deep in despair. Her parents listened to her as she explained, heard her concerns and assured her repeatedly that they were taking her to the hospital and that if she stayed over night, they promised it would be for only one or two nights. (She had previously been admitted into an institution called McLean where she could be monitored, cared for, and received treatment after a suicide attempt.) She was clear-minded, she was able to identify how she felt and express it, she knew that it was safe to express what she was feeling so that she could get help, and her parents listened to her. Even after she had been admitted into the hospital's psychiatric ward, her psychiatrist listened and trusted her judgment. This is a big deal--a HUGE deal--because most often those with mental illnesses are stereotyped and treated as if their mental illness incapacitates their reasoning, their ability to identify what feels wrong--though they can't necessarily identify why they feel wrong. Mental illness makes life more difficult, but it doesn't make you incompetent, and it sure as hell doesn't mean that your words are worthless and should be thrown aside. More people need to understand that mental illness does not mean incompetence, inability to function, worthlessness, among many other wrong, unfair, and uninformed ideas some people hold when it comes to this subject. Paul Cody carefully showed how to handle mental illness, both as the sufferer and as the ones helping to aide and support the sufferer.
If you want a proper example of how to react to mental illness and how to help someone with mental illness, I suggest taking a gander at this book.
Wow to this book.
Phenomenal is what comes to mind when I think about this book, the twists and twirls of life it takes me through, and the evocative moments that warmed my heart, stilled my soul, or moved my mind. I found myself tearing up several times, and a couple outright crying.
I read Sandy Hall's A Little Something Different several years ago and, after reading the blurb for Love is Both Wave and Particle, I had a feeling this book would be similar in format and construction. I was both right and wrong. At a first quick glance, yes, they are so similar in how they are set up. The content, though, and some stylistic writing choices, are very different. It is a collection of perspectives explaining the whole of Sam and Levon, but it is also an exploration of what it means to love, what love is, and how the mental differences and mental health of these characters sets them as individuals of depth and defying textbook definitions of teenagers, mental illness and wellness, and what it means to be doing well or be normal.
As for the treatment and use of mental illness in this book, I am appreciative of the care Paul Cody took with a subject that is often used and abused. This book worked towards showcasing how illogical and unpredictable mental illness is, how it tears up the individual from the inside out as much as it can tear apart the relationships between that individual and their loved ones. It showed the ugly, the messy, and the uncomfortable with stark clarity, but it did not once make it out to be something people should shy away from, fear encountering, or refuse to deal with. Overall, this book was about the characters being open about their mental illness, confronting it, sharing it with others and not hiding it, as well as not hiding from it themselves. It was and is a firm but gentle reminder that mental illness is a part of someone and is something they must be aware of and keep in check, but it is not who they are and shouldn't result in others thinking less of them in any way.
I do want to call attention to one specific series of moments: toward the end of the book, Sam's depression spiraled out of control and she didn't recognize the signs until she was pretty deep in despair. Her parents listened to her as she explained, heard her concerns and assured her repeatedly that they were taking her to the hospital and that if she stayed over night, they promised it would be for only one or two nights. (She had previously been admitted into an institution called McLean where she could be monitored, cared for, and received treatment after a suicide attempt.) She was clear-minded, she was able to identify how she felt and express it, she knew that it was safe to express what she was feeling so that she could get help, and her parents listened to her. Even after she had been admitted into the hospital's psychiatric ward, her psychiatrist listened and trusted her judgment. This is a big deal--a HUGE deal--because most often those with mental illnesses are stereotyped and treated as if their mental illness incapacitates their reasoning, their ability to identify what feels wrong--though they can't necessarily identify why they feel wrong. Mental illness makes life more difficult, but it doesn't make you incompetent, and it sure as hell doesn't mean that your words are worthless and should be thrown aside. More people need to understand that mental illness does not mean incompetence, inability to function, worthlessness, among many other wrong, unfair, and uninformed ideas some people hold when it comes to this subject. Paul Cody carefully showed how to handle mental illness, both as the sufferer and as the ones helping to aide and support the sufferer.
If you want a proper example of how to react to mental illness and how to help someone with mental illness, I suggest taking a gander at this book.
Wow to this book.
Read
May 7, 2020Had potential, but not for me. I just wasn't into the narrative style or plot structure and for a book with "love" in the title, it's not very romance focused. Props for all the mental health rep though.
July 27, 2017
3.5 stars, review coming soon!
July 8, 2023
R͎e͎a͎d͎ ͎d͎a͎t͎e͎:͎ July 4 - July 8 2023
R͎a͎t͎i͎n͎g͎:͎ 3 stars
O͎w͎n͎e͎d͎ ͎s͎i͎n͎c͎e͎: June 30th 2023
P͎u͎r͎c͎h͎a͎s͎e͎d͎ ͎a͎t͎:͎ Goodwill
P͎r͎i͎c͎e͎:͎? 69¢
ARC 2017
R͎a͎t͎i͎n͎g͎:͎ 3 stars
O͎w͎n͎e͎d͎ ͎s͎i͎n͎c͎e͎: June 30th 2023
P͎u͎r͎c͎h͎a͎s͎e͎d͎ ͎a͎t͎:͎ Goodwill
P͎r͎i͎c͎e͎:͎? 69¢
ARC 2017
December 8, 2019
I finished this book earlier this week and had to give myself time to think of a fitting review that went along with my rating. I gave this book 2 stars, and here's why:
Firstly, it's obvious that this author has absolutely NO clue how teenagers talk and behave with each other. There are so many points in this book that are cringey and made me want to put the book down for good. The characters don't feed off each other, they don't mesh together, and they just don't make sense. At one point, one of the characters looks at the other and says "Do you think they're lovers?" SERIOUSLY?! What teenager asks another teenager if a couple are LOVERS?! Teenagers don't talk like that. This isn't the only example. There's lots more throughout the book that had me rolling my eyes so hard they nearly got stuck in the back of my head.
As far as characters go, there is little to no growth. No one learns anything, no one really changes. They don't pop off the page, and they certainly don't make you want to root for them. None of them have any redeeming qualities.
Plot and pacing are another issue in this book. Basically the premise is that the two main characters are supposed to be doing a senior project together in this SPECIAL school (which, I'm still unsure what that means--advanced schooling? A school for kids who are mentally ill?) and their project is to write about themselves. But not only that, they have to get writings from other people who know them. This assignment essentially serves no purpose other than to have the two main characters meet and make their advisor some kind of weird matchmaker of teen angst and love. So these kids get these writings from other people who know them which turn into sidebar chapters that slow the pace and have really nothing to do with the overall story, because in these chapters the third party characters aren't talking about the main characters--they're talking about THEMSELVES. And usually, it has nothing to do with the main characters at all. It's frustrating and irritating to read, and it's stupid because it adds nothing. If you removed all the extraneous chapters that serves no purpose, you could cut this book in half. Absolutely in half.
This book has zero forward motion. No plot to speak of. There's nothing these characters are working towards that make you want to keep going. Thank god it's a short book.
The only reason I gave this 2 stars instead of 1 is because there is a section closer to the end where one of the main characters has a depressive episode and she's taken seriously and shows an excellent way to approach your mental health and take it seriously. It was an excellent moment, and honestly the only good moment in the book. Otherwise, nothing about this book makes me want to read it again.
Firstly, it's obvious that this author has absolutely NO clue how teenagers talk and behave with each other. There are so many points in this book that are cringey and made me want to put the book down for good. The characters don't feed off each other, they don't mesh together, and they just don't make sense. At one point, one of the characters looks at the other and says "Do you think they're lovers?" SERIOUSLY?! What teenager asks another teenager if a couple are LOVERS?! Teenagers don't talk like that. This isn't the only example. There's lots more throughout the book that had me rolling my eyes so hard they nearly got stuck in the back of my head.
As far as characters go, there is little to no growth. No one learns anything, no one really changes. They don't pop off the page, and they certainly don't make you want to root for them. None of them have any redeeming qualities.
Plot and pacing are another issue in this book. Basically the premise is that the two main characters are supposed to be doing a senior project together in this SPECIAL school (which, I'm still unsure what that means--advanced schooling? A school for kids who are mentally ill?) and their project is to write about themselves. But not only that, they have to get writings from other people who know them. This assignment essentially serves no purpose other than to have the two main characters meet and make their advisor some kind of weird matchmaker of teen angst and love. So these kids get these writings from other people who know them which turn into sidebar chapters that slow the pace and have really nothing to do with the overall story, because in these chapters the third party characters aren't talking about the main characters--they're talking about THEMSELVES. And usually, it has nothing to do with the main characters at all. It's frustrating and irritating to read, and it's stupid because it adds nothing. If you removed all the extraneous chapters that serves no purpose, you could cut this book in half. Absolutely in half.
This book has zero forward motion. No plot to speak of. There's nothing these characters are working towards that make you want to keep going. Thank god it's a short book.
The only reason I gave this 2 stars instead of 1 is because there is a section closer to the end where one of the main characters has a depressive episode and she's taken seriously and shows an excellent way to approach your mental health and take it seriously. It was an excellent moment, and honestly the only good moment in the book. Otherwise, nothing about this book makes me want to read it again.
May 14, 2018
One of the best books to look at the impact of Mental Illness on an entire family. This is a sweet love story with a complex character set. Told through multiple narratives this book moves quickly and thoughtfully. Good for readers of Turtles all the Way Down and romantic coming of age books.
July 31, 2024
Touching in so many ways ❤️ it is not only about being a teenager but also about dealing with depression, isolation, and life changes.
And specially, it is about hope. About believing it will get better, because it will. And if/when it gets worse, you ask for help, because there is always a way.
And specially, it is about hope. About believing it will get better, because it will. And if/when it gets worse, you ask for help, because there is always a way.
July 13, 2017
I tried very hard to finish this book and I got through 80% of it. There were a few issues for me. I felt like the blurb was very misleading. The is essentially a story about how a kid who was repressed by his mother and thought to be autistic, becomes himself. Although that still sounds like a good plot, its not what I expected and I was disappointed when Sam decided to hook up with a friend after Levon.
I also didn't like that each chapter was narrated by a different person but some of the characters had more than one chapter. There were so many characters that I didn't know who was who and it got confusing.
Lastly I thought it was quite slow. The chapters would eventually get around to being about Sam or Levon but some of them took a lot of time to get there. Some of the chapters were in order of current date and some were discussing things that happened in the past. Because the plot was only seen through stories by the characters, I felt like I was missing a lot.
I also didn't like that each chapter was narrated by a different person but some of the characters had more than one chapter. There were so many characters that I didn't know who was who and it got confusing.
Lastly I thought it was quite slow. The chapters would eventually get around to being about Sam or Levon but some of them took a lot of time to get there. Some of the chapters were in order of current date and some were discussing things that happened in the past. Because the plot was only seen through stories by the characters, I felt like I was missing a lot.
April 2, 2018
I had a pre-conceived notion this book would be a smart, witty teenage love story. What I got instead was run-on sentences, 4th grade level vocabulary, countless number of characters to keep track of, and some events that made absolutely no clue.
I wanted to like this book, I was torn. I wanted to believe the simplicity was on purpose. But if your main characters are supposed to be geniuses, don’t have them ramble on like a 2 year old telling a story. And don’t even get me started on the ending. The plot wasn’t believable, the style drove me insane, and the portrayal of the ages made me roll my eyes. “Parents are dumb, teens know everything” attitude, and what really got under my skin was that there were no consequences for drunk driving or popping a bunch of pills from a parent. Those characters are seen as perfect angels by literally everyone, not a good thing to present in a YA novel.
I wanted to like this book, I was torn. I wanted to believe the simplicity was on purpose. But if your main characters are supposed to be geniuses, don’t have them ramble on like a 2 year old telling a story. And don’t even get me started on the ending. The plot wasn’t believable, the style drove me insane, and the portrayal of the ages made me roll my eyes. “Parents are dumb, teens know everything” attitude, and what really got under my skin was that there were no consequences for drunk driving or popping a bunch of pills from a parent. Those characters are seen as perfect angels by literally everyone, not a good thing to present in a YA novel.
September 1, 2017
Updated after finishing the book: Well, I have had time to calm down and I have other insights. If you read what I wrote before you might think that I didn't really like this book, but I did give it 4 stars. I enjoy books that elicit strong emotions (though I will confess, that I like it better when my last strong emotion is some sort of happy. It can be bittersweet or hopeful, it doesn't always have to be happily ever after) and make me feel a certain way about the character, even if it is hate. The last 50 pages wrapped the book up very well, I'm glad some things weren't left the way I thought they might be. Earlier I talked about characters projecting their view onto the other characters and when I had time to think about it, I realized that I was doing it as well. I was very annoyed about some of the situations (if you want to know, I wrote them in my spoiler in my first review) but realized that I was expecting these kids to act like adults. I was projecting my view onto them and couldn't understand why they were acting foolishly. Once I stepped back I realized that I can't expect them to act like adults when they are kids, and kids who have had more challenges then most kids. Except Susan, that's all on you, you are mostly terrible. So, after a little bit of space and thought I really did enjoy this book, it was fun, bittersweet and emotional and love truly is both wave a particle. There are smooth flowing parts and rough parts, but together they form something amazing.
Well, I'm not quite done, but I have a few things to say. I don't really know how I will feel about this book when it's done. I have about 50 or less pages left and at this point I am a little disappointed. I don't like the writing style, I know it's fluid and very poetic, even in the way it is put on the page. Punctuation is not a big thing and I think, in my opinion, that it is because Paul Cody wanted there to be nothing that really broke up the writing. I don't really like it. I like being able to know when someone is talking and when someone is thinking, I have gotten use to it, but I still don't really like it. Also, why does everyone call their parents by their first names? It is kind of annoying to me, I can kind of understand in Levon's case because his mother doesn't feel like a mother, she is very clinical and doesn't seem to be very motherly, she's very sterile and compartmentalized when it comes to Levon. I thought that was just how she was, maybe she wasn't capable of showing affection or love and didn't really know how to be a mom, that Levon was some sort of experiment that she was testing in a lab, that just happened to be their home. I changed my mind when I read the scene where Sam meets her. I almost wanted to yell at her, you are capable of affection and love, why do you treat your son the way you do?!
The characters in the book come at situations from their own perspectives (I know, common sense, but bear with me) they project their observations of individuals onto them, confused?
There is a lot and I haven't even finished reading the book yet. I don't have a rating so far and I don't know if I will be able to decided what the rating will be, I'm pulled in may directions with this book. The one thing that I can say, is that I can't put this book down, I'm at work and the only thing I can think about is the end of the day, so I can finish the book.
Well, I'm not quite done, but I have a few things to say. I don't really know how I will feel about this book when it's done. I have about 50 or less pages left and at this point I am a little disappointed. I don't like the writing style, I know it's fluid and very poetic, even in the way it is put on the page. Punctuation is not a big thing and I think, in my opinion, that it is because Paul Cody wanted there to be nothing that really broke up the writing. I don't really like it. I like being able to know when someone is talking and when someone is thinking, I have gotten use to it, but I still don't really like it. Also, why does everyone call their parents by their first names? It is kind of annoying to me, I can kind of understand in Levon's case because his mother doesn't feel like a mother, she is very clinical and doesn't seem to be very motherly, she's very sterile and compartmentalized when it comes to Levon. I thought that was just how she was, maybe she wasn't capable of showing affection or love and didn't really know how to be a mom, that Levon was some sort of experiment that she was testing in a lab, that just happened to be their home. I changed my mind when I read the scene where Sam meets her. I almost wanted to yell at her, you are capable of affection and love, why do you treat your son the way you do?!
The characters in the book come at situations from their own perspectives (I know, common sense, but bear with me) they project their observations of individuals onto them, confused?
There is a lot and I haven't even finished reading the book yet. I don't have a rating so far and I don't know if I will be able to decided what the rating will be, I'm pulled in may directions with this book. The one thing that I can say, is that I can't put this book down, I'm at work and the only thing I can think about is the end of the day, so I can finish the book.
March 17, 2023
This book made me feel so many things in the best way 😌 it takes place in Ithaca which was amazing - references to gimme! coffee, Stewart park, Cornell and IC - just wow. It was the escape back to my college town that I needed. The story follows two young people struggling with their own mental health issues and learning about love. Pure gold and now I really want to go to Ithaca
November 5, 2017
*I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways*
“[I]n a way every kid was kind of weird in one way or another...We had twitches and tics, we were goofy and awkward, we tried so so hard to fit in and find our way through the hell that is childhood, and especially teenager-hood, that we just fucked it up. Wore the wrong clothes, or too much makeup, or not enough makeup, or we were acne-plagued and full of angst, and it came out in all of us. We said stupid things, or were really mean to other kids, in ways that you just would not be as a grown-up".That's not quite true, I'm an adult (or at least I like to think I am, sometimes) and adults still say stupid things and are really mean to others, in fact, some of them are masters at it in ways that most kids, even teenagers, couldn't begin to understand. But it's the weirdness of the characters in this book that I really like and them being in this school that just accepts that they're all weird and and works with their weirdness. The style of the book can be a bit hard to follow at times; indeed, the book almost feels more style than substance since the project that Sam and Levon are to work on seems to exist only so the writer can write this story from numerous perspectives. It's interesting to see things from the various perspectives but it can be a bit hard to follow when you have a chapter "written" by a character we've never heard from before or we have heard from them but many chapters ago so that it takes a bit to remember who they are -- this felt especially true with the adults who, with the exception of Meg, I had to struggle once or twice to put a name with the correct person. Also, both mothers in this book feel a bit I don't know, not shallow, but just sort of the opposite of "show, don't tell"; we're told about how they're not good mothers and we see that a bit with Levon's mom but in both cases there's not much shown in the book to demonstrate just why their relationship with their kids is as fraught as it's said to be, it felt that both of those characters could have been fleshed out a bit more for the effect they're said to have on their children's mental health. Also, I think it would have been a more interesting choice to have Sam and Levon NOT become lovers, to just be really good friends. I mean, I know it was a given that they would fall in love, it's basically the title of the book and the synopsis also pretty much tells us so but still I think it could have been possible to tell this story with them solely as friends and to actually focus a bit more on the other friends in the group as well: Avery, Anna, Noah, etc. (although why no Louis? He sounds quite interesting in Avery's first chapter but then we never hear anything else about or from him). But still this was a nice novel for people who feel...not-normal to see that pretty much everyone is not-normal, in their own way, and that can be a connecting factor between people.
November 12, 2017
Levon Grady and Samantha Vash are both bright and attractive teens, but each one has had an unusual upbringing and followed a different path to the Clock School, a high school for brilliant but troubled teens. Levon is a loner, and no one has ever been able to reach him. Sam has spent her junior year in two different mental health facilities after attempting suicide at her boarding school. The two teen's guidance counselor, Meg, comes up with a special project in which they write and share their own stories with each other and no one else. They are also supposed to enlist contributions from others in their lives so that different perspectives on life events and their personalities are shared. Not surprisingly, given all that intimacy, the two fall in love and decide to take a chance on one another. Along the way, through their writings, their fears, insecurities, and secrets are revealed, allowing readers to see that love can heal and save lives, but it can also destroy and stifle. My heart broke for the parents of these two extraordinary teens, whose own fears often led them to make the wrong choices when it came to their offspring. The book is not all wine and roses, of course. Sam must always deal with her depression and her fractured relationship with her mother, and Levon must come to term with his own mother's refusal to tell him the truth about his father. Despite the beautiful writing, I had to question Meg's decision to put these two together, possibly causing some emotional traumas between them and their peers. I also wondered about the inclusion of the other contributors to their stories and how much truth was revealed through them or how they were solicited. The book left me thinking about the power of life and the pleasures of solitude and what one gains or loses through each choice.
July 30, 2017
I couldn't decide on a 3-star or 4-star review.
I enjoy Paul Cody's writing style and I appreciate the idea of this book. I cared about the characters and liked reading all the different stories of their lives, their reflections, and their connections to each other. I like the idea that we're all a bit broken and that when we acknowledge it and allow others in, we realize we're not so different and we don't have to be alone in the journey. Good message for all.
However. I had trouble with the premise, the set up. It's senior year at an alternative school for bright-but-troubled teens, and Levon and Samantha's teacher Meg creates this year-long writing project for them. The project combines their writing with writing of others who've known them. Levon and Sam will share their writing with each other, but they won't read the other voices until it's all been combined.
I'm a teacher, and while this sounds like it could be a cool project, it's a bit half-baked. It's the same issue I had with John Green's Will Grayson, Will Grayson when the school board allowed an openly gay character to direct and produce a school musical about his own experiences. I love the idea, but I don't buy it. Maybe if there'd been more explanation of the project itself, or how it was being shaped. I get that it's means to an end - that you need the project to put these two characters together and to share their vulnerability - but I wanted more.
Cody also has strong interesting chapters written by other people in Sam and Levon's life. It wasn't clear that these were the chapters/writings that others did for the project. It makes sense that they are, but all of these other characters are beautiful writers and reflective human beings who take responsibility for their mistakes. I have trouble buying it.
Having said that, though, I think my students will enjoy this story, and I'll recommend it. I think they'll be able to get around the things that bother me.
I enjoy Paul Cody's writing style and I appreciate the idea of this book. I cared about the characters and liked reading all the different stories of their lives, their reflections, and their connections to each other. I like the idea that we're all a bit broken and that when we acknowledge it and allow others in, we realize we're not so different and we don't have to be alone in the journey. Good message for all.
However. I had trouble with the premise, the set up. It's senior year at an alternative school for bright-but-troubled teens, and Levon and Samantha's teacher Meg creates this year-long writing project for them. The project combines their writing with writing of others who've known them. Levon and Sam will share their writing with each other, but they won't read the other voices until it's all been combined.
I'm a teacher, and while this sounds like it could be a cool project, it's a bit half-baked. It's the same issue I had with John Green's Will Grayson, Will Grayson when the school board allowed an openly gay character to direct and produce a school musical about his own experiences. I love the idea, but I don't buy it. Maybe if there'd been more explanation of the project itself, or how it was being shaped. I get that it's means to an end - that you need the project to put these two characters together and to share their vulnerability - but I wanted more.
Cody also has strong interesting chapters written by other people in Sam and Levon's life. It wasn't clear that these were the chapters/writings that others did for the project. It makes sense that they are, but all of these other characters are beautiful writers and reflective human beings who take responsibility for their mistakes. I have trouble buying it.
Having said that, though, I think my students will enjoy this story, and I'll recommend it. I think they'll be able to get around the things that bother me.
September 20, 2017
This is one of those books for which you have to roll your eyes a few times and remember that it's YA lit, so it's not necessarily supposed to be realistic sometimes, but if you can get past this, it's a stunner and a great exploration of relationships.
The biggest selling point of this one for me was the various interspersed chapters from other perspectives, and the way it felt like it really could be the project of high school seniors. I loved that. I loved the way other people put their opinions on our two main characters in and how these offered intriguing insights.
This story does throw you slightly in the deep end, starting off with an ambulance incident which already had my mind whirling with various character names, but I think that this style pays off, and that it's worth getting through the first few chapters and becoming oriented with the direction that it's taking.
I think that it could have benefitted by breaking away from the norms a bit more and focusing on the development of other relationships, but perhaps I ask too much.
Overall though, if you tend to enjoy multiple narrators or the traditional boy/girl alternating voice, this is a solid story.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The biggest selling point of this one for me was the various interspersed chapters from other perspectives, and the way it felt like it really could be the project of high school seniors. I loved that. I loved the way other people put their opinions on our two main characters in and how these offered intriguing insights.
This story does throw you slightly in the deep end, starting off with an ambulance incident which already had my mind whirling with various character names, but I think that this style pays off, and that it's worth getting through the first few chapters and becoming oriented with the direction that it's taking.
I think that it could have benefitted by breaking away from the norms a bit more and focusing on the development of other relationships, but perhaps I ask too much.
Overall though, if you tend to enjoy multiple narrators or the traditional boy/girl alternating voice, this is a solid story.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 29, 2017
The best thing about this book was the look at relationships, the tangled net and how everyone comes together and changes each other and how everyone perceives everyone else.
Unfortunately, those perceptions more or less are 100% correct, and the characters have no real existence outside of what people already really knew about them.
In this book, everyone is a genius and/or rich and beautiful. Listen. Absolutely everyone in this book is beautiful. And the characters will let you know it, all calling each other beautiful. It would be endearing if it didn't carry an unfortunate implication-- you're only allowed to be fucked up if you're a genius or rich or beautiful.
For me, an averagely-intelligent and poor (I won't touch on my looks, that's a matter for my own brain), this book starts to get disheartening about a fourth of the way in.
Also, I'd love to ask the author if he has done any true research on autism. Like, any, at all. I'm sure he has, at least to some extent, and that's wonderful, but it shows not at all within the book.
Plotwise, it doesn't move. I had to force myself through the last 3/4 of the book. But I did it. And now I'm mostly just glad that I don't have to read it again. Which is disappointing, because I really and truly wanted to like it.
Unfortunately, those perceptions more or less are 100% correct, and the characters have no real existence outside of what people already really knew about them.
In this book, everyone is a genius and/or rich and beautiful. Listen. Absolutely everyone in this book is beautiful. And the characters will let you know it, all calling each other beautiful. It would be endearing if it didn't carry an unfortunate implication-- you're only allowed to be fucked up if you're a genius or rich or beautiful.
For me, an averagely-intelligent and poor (I won't touch on my looks, that's a matter for my own brain), this book starts to get disheartening about a fourth of the way in.
Also, I'd love to ask the author if he has done any true research on autism. Like, any, at all. I'm sure he has, at least to some extent, and that's wonderful, but it shows not at all within the book.
Plotwise, it doesn't move. I had to force myself through the last 3/4 of the book. But I did it. And now I'm mostly just glad that I don't have to read it again. Which is disappointing, because I really and truly wanted to like it.
December 5, 2017
3.5 stars.
This book ended up being a lot different from what I expected. The style is kind of hard to get used to at first — very unstructured, loose, and raw, with the lack of quotations marks and fluidity of time being a little confusing sometimes. However, the book was impactful in many ways, the backgrounds and development of the characters being the foremost one. Although the actual logistics for the world are sometimes unclear (the setting of the school, specifically), the descriptions of the setting were well done, if a little heavy at times, and helped ground the story. Most notably, how the characters wrote about their experiences, perceptions, and hopes was all very real. The parents’ insight was especially well done and gave a lot to the story and helped you understand why Sam and Levon are the way they are. The romance wasn’t a major part of the book, like it sounds in the premise, but more of an inevitable development, sweet and steady.
A good story. Mental illnesses were portrayed very well, with a lot of reflectiveness and different opinions.
This book ended up being a lot different from what I expected. The style is kind of hard to get used to at first — very unstructured, loose, and raw, with the lack of quotations marks and fluidity of time being a little confusing sometimes. However, the book was impactful in many ways, the backgrounds and development of the characters being the foremost one. Although the actual logistics for the world are sometimes unclear (the setting of the school, specifically), the descriptions of the setting were well done, if a little heavy at times, and helped ground the story. Most notably, how the characters wrote about their experiences, perceptions, and hopes was all very real. The parents’ insight was especially well done and gave a lot to the story and helped you understand why Sam and Levon are the way they are. The romance wasn’t a major part of the book, like it sounds in the premise, but more of an inevitable development, sweet and steady.
A good story. Mental illnesses were portrayed very well, with a lot of reflectiveness and different opinions.
September 10, 2017
"And that was why love was like light. Why it was both wave and particle—so slippery and elusive and so terribly hard to keep and hold and even begin to understand.
A mystery and a paradox. But also strange and beautiful. And why we kept trying."
It took me a long time to get into it but once it captured my attention, I was hooked. Initially, I was baffled at the sudden change of point-of-view for each chapter and there are so many different POVs. Just as I was getting comfortable at a character's side of story, bam! — another character popped in to narrate another story. So, it took me awhile to get used to it. It's confusing but it was also beautifully written and I'm glad I had not given up on reading this. Amazingly, I ended up loving the story. I was also impressed by the radical style of writing. The lack of apostrophes still bothered me up until now though. 😂
A mystery and a paradox. But also strange and beautiful. And why we kept trying."
It took me a long time to get into it but once it captured my attention, I was hooked. Initially, I was baffled at the sudden change of point-of-view for each chapter and there are so many different POVs. Just as I was getting comfortable at a character's side of story, bam! — another character popped in to narrate another story. So, it took me awhile to get used to it. It's confusing but it was also beautifully written and I'm glad I had not given up on reading this. Amazingly, I ended up loving the story. I was also impressed by the radical style of writing. The lack of apostrophes still bothered me up until now though. 😂
March 9, 2018
"And that was why Love is like light. Why it was both wave and particle- so slippery and elusive and so terribly hard to keep and hold and even begin to understand. A mystery and a paradox. But also strange and beautiful. And why we kept trying."
What to say about this book? Well it definitely wasn't what I thought it was going to be and I definitely didn't love it like I thought I would. I wish the PoVs had been kept to just Sam and Levon, the random characters that got PoVs disrupted the flow of the story and made it had to connect to the main characters.
What to say about this book? Well it definitely wasn't what I thought it was going to be and I definitely didn't love it like I thought I would. I wish the PoVs had been kept to just Sam and Levon, the random characters that got PoVs disrupted the flow of the story and made it had to connect to the main characters.
March 31, 2022
This book was quite confusing as it changed through 9 different perspectives and literally the entire book was their backstory. Half the characters who had a backstory were not even relevant to the novel. The title does not relate to the book at all. It had zero plot. The small plot it ended up having ended in about 30 pages so it was extremely rushed. It was good though as some of the characters showed what life is actually is like instead of what it is perceived to be by others.
November 23, 2019
This book was very eyeopening. It describes the struggles teens go through that may be put in place by both parents and society. Luckily Levon and Sam have a teacher who helps them through some of the obstacles that life has presented to them. Meg is someone everyone deserves to have in their lives. They realize they are not so unlike others and begin to explore life
December 26, 2022
this book had a very interesting concept. it was eye opening to see what different mental disorders looked like in the inside and outside perspectives.
I will say it took a second to get used to the fact that there are no quotation marks around dialogue... but once you get passed that oddity, it was a good story.
I will say it took a second to get used to the fact that there are no quotation marks around dialogue... but once you get passed that oddity, it was a good story.
July 18, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the setting of the school as well as the characters; beautifully flawed and totally believable.
thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book as an ARC
thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book as an ARC
July 22, 2018
Love is Both Wave and Particle brings many socials issues to the forefront.
I liked how it questions the labeling of people with Levon.
The format of the book can be a little difficult at times to read.
I liked how it questions the labeling of people with Levon.
The format of the book can be a little difficult at times to read.
February 19, 2019
This book was heartbreaking, sweet, and lovely! I read it in around 2 1/2 hours while in the car, and it's really one of those books that you can just breeze through. I love, love, loved it!!!!
January 26, 2025
It definitely made me feel very emotional. I disliked some aspects of it, such as the unrealistically helpful mental health care one character received (a weird nitpick but hey), but it was a very vivid and enjoyable book. I wish there was more. It made me think of my special person.
December 24, 2017
Enchanting prose, neat story. The kind that doesn't have quotes around dialogue but it works seamlessly because the prose is a clean charming river.
January 5, 2018
Honestly it's a good book and I really enjoyed it.
March 18, 2018
Stopped after a few pages--these characters have no voice, so I was not pulled in.
February 3, 2019
Such high hopes, but just couldn’t get into this book...
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