Gottie’s a math/physics prodigy, so she comes to terms with all this drama through math and a theory she develops about time travel. The New York Times says,
This is a novel for readers unafraid of science. There’s talk of fractals, wormholes, black holes, the Gödel metric (“a solution to the E=MC² equation that ‘proves’ the past still exists”), Schrödinger’s cat, string theory. Physics provides metaphors for loss, confusion and love. But there’s humor, too, including terrible band names (Gottie’s brother is a glam rocker) worthy of “The Haters”: Fingerband, Synthmoan de Beauvoir, Jurassic Parkas. There are funny German words and delicious baked goods and crazy outfits.
It’s not only a book for science geeks though—I am definitively not a math or science person, at least not anymore, and I found the concepts Gottie talks about easy enough to grasp. It adds a bit of flavour to an otherwise fairly stereotypical and trope-y YA read.
Ultimately, if you are looking for something summery and contemporary with a bit of heart, this will fit the bill. Otherwise, it’s not a particularly unique or riveting read.
P.S. Just had to add Harriet’s answer to this question from her website (I love the way she captures the spirit of summer. The Square Root of Summer does this, too):
What is the square root of summer?
Hot skin and cool sea water. Mr Whippy 99s and bare feet on sun-browned grass. Cider and freckles and my cat, flipping over and over in a patch of sun by the window. Jasmine and honeysuckle in the garden, falling in love, reading books in trees and trailing home after dark in days that last twice as long as forever. Friends.