Charlie Hanson has a clear vision of his future. A senior at Brighton School of Mathematics and Science, he knows he'll graduate, go to MIT, and inevitably discover the solutions to the universe's greatest unanswerable problems. He's that smart. It's only a matter of time before there's a Nobel Prize in physics engraved with his name. The future has never seemed very kind to Charlotte Finch, so she's counting on the present. She would rather sketch with charcoal pencils, hang out with her best friend, sing in her pitch-perfect voice, or read her favourite book than fill out a college application. Charlie's future blurs the moment he reaches out to touch the infinity tattoo on Charlotte's neck. She's not impressed by the strange boy pawing at her until she learns he's a student at Brighton where her sister, Ms. Finch, has just taken a job as the English teacher. At Charlotte's request, Charlie orchestrates the biggest prank campaign in Brighton history. But in doing so, he puts his own future in jeopardy. By the time Charlie learns Charlotte is ill and that the pranks were a way to distract Ms.
Finch from Charlotte's illness, Charlotte's gravitational pull on him is too great to overcome. Soon he must choose between the familiar formulas he's always relied on, or the girl he's falling for (at far more than 32 feet per second).
As a math geek, I was super excited for this nerdy romance, and Love and Other Unknown Variables does not disappoint! Charlie goes to a school which specializes in Math and Science, and has a reputation for not being able to keep an English teacher. That is, until Ms. Finch is hired. She’s knows all about the brainiacs who hate literature, and she’s come prepared with lessons plan to pique their interest. However, Charlie is the kind of leader of his class, and he’s determined to win this war. Especially since he falls for Ms. Finch’s younger sister, who desperately wants him to succeed for her own reasons, which she refuses to share. Soon Charlie is caught between doing what makes Charlotte happy, and actually caring about his English class.
Love and Other Unknown Variables is so cute! At first, I found the whole pranking the English teacher plot kind of far fetched and silly, but eventually I was really into it. Charlie and Ms. Finch are well match opponents, so it was entertaining to see what they would do next in order to “win.” I had also never really thought about math in literature before, so I also found some of the lectures quite interesting.
While this plot was fun, the focus is definitely on the romance. Charlie is totally lost when it comes to love, since none of his logical thinking can explain his feelings for Charlotte. He just knows that he really likes her, and enjoys her company, and she’s very pretty. She also has a secret, of course. But it’s not what I thought at all. In fact, my brain never even went into that direction, so it was quite a surprise. It’s not my favorite thing to read about, but it does go in a different direction that other books I’ve read with the same theme. There are ups and downs, laughs and some sad scenes, but over all, I really liked it.
Love and Other Unknown Variables ended up being nothing like I thought it would, but that was a good thing. It far exceeded my expectations, and really made me think about some things. The romance was really sweet, and I loved Charlotte’s friendship with Charlie’s not-so-social sister, too. The ending was predictable once Charlotte’s secret is revealed, but I thought it was handled well, even if it didn’t pack an emotional punch.
