Review: Rocket Science

Rocket Science by Emily Mayer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you’re looking for a book so saccharine sweet it may even damage your teeth, look no further. This book is sure to satisfy any need for superficial rom-com. All in all, I will admit it was an easy read that I breezed through in an evening, though I failed to truly invest in any of the characters along the way.

The story is that of a geeky, bespectacled woman (Lennon) wooed by a hunky athlete (Sebastian). Lennon is an aerospace engineer, portrayed as socially awkward to the extreme. In fact, although her quirky mannerisms and backward behaviors are explained away as consequences of having been a medically-fragile child, the overall impression left me wondering if perhaps the author had either over-reached or intended the reader to suspect Aspergers. Sebastian, on the other hand, is an aging, though publicly recognized and wildly successful, soccer star, recently traded from Manchester United in the UK to the Supernovas in the US. Lennon and Sebastian end up doing a courtship tango that, for me, simply didn’t ring true. Not for a minute was I able to get past my cynical first impression, which was, WHY?

Lennon, at numerous points throughout the book, seems to be closer to 18 than her actual 26 years, and the book fails to move me past that sticking point. Sure, she’s smart, but Mayer never develops her beyond a geeky stereotype. Lennon enjoys Harry Potter, LOTR and Netflix teen rom-coms, and is content to build LEGO architecture in lieu of going out. Sebastian, however, has a playboy reputation, is hounded by paparazzi and lives in a minimalist apartment—a stereotypic professional athlete. The chemistry between the two is supposed to be vibrant and all encompassing, but it felt lukewarm at best, as I struggled to understand the connection. The reader is never privy to Sebastian’s thought processes regarding the relationship, so we are left to rely on Lennon’s skewed perspective. As such, there never felt like any frisson existed between them—no spark to explain their relationship.

Most good stories pivot on some time of conflict that offers the reader a seat at the table as that conflict is examined and, on some level, resolved. Rocket Science just never really offers anything beyond “girl meets boy and lives happily ever after.” Even the few social situations explored, offering a plethora of opportunities to give the reader insight into Lennon’s struggles and Sebastian’s reactions, always ended on a positive note with zero issues—unicorns and rainbows for everyone.

It’s quite possible that my mindset just wasn’t where it needed to be for this feel-good, life-is-a-bed-of-roses story. In the end, however, I was left with lingering doubts as to Sebastian’s motivations and Lennon’s sudden ability to seamlessly slide into a lifestyle so different from the one she knew. Just not for me.

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