Kissing Ezra Holtz (and Other Things I Did for Science)

by Brianna R. Shrum

Overview

A fun, witty, light-hearted romantic comedy—The Rosie Project, for teens

Seventeen-year-old Amalia Yaabez and Ezra Holtz couldn’t be more different. They’ve known (and avoided) each other their whole lives; she unable to stand his buttoned-up, arrogant, perfect disposition, and he unwilling to deal with her slacker, rule-breaking way of moving through the world.

When they are unhappily paired on an AP Psychology project, they come across an old psychological study that posits that anyone can fall in love with anyone, if you put them through the right scientific, psychological steps. They decide to put that theory to the test for their project, matching couples from different walks of high school life to see if science really can create love.

As they go through the whirlwind of the experiment, Ezra and Amalia realize that maybe it’s not just the couples they matched who are falling for each other . . .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781510743694
Publisher:	Sky Pony
Publication date:	06/04/2019
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Brianna R. Shrum has been writing since she could scrawl letters. She digs all things bookish, geeky, superhero-y, gamer-y, magical, and strange. You can usually find her writing under her Harry Potter tree, and drinking chai (which she holds as proof of magic in the world.) She is also the author of How to Make Out, The Art of French Kissing, and Never Never. She lives in Charlotte, South Carolina, with her high-school-sweetheart-turned-husband and her two little boys.

Editorial Reviews

Realistic and will resonate with many teens. Give this to readers who love witty, humorous love stories mixed with STEM.” —Booklist

“Predictable hate-becomes-love romance is given new life by an inclusive cast. . . . Worth picking up.” —Kirkus Reviews

Praise for The Art of French Kissing

"Fun, flirty, foodie, and filled with way more heat than your average kitchen, The Art of French Kissing has all the ingredients for a perfect summer romance!" —Dahlia Adler, author of Behind the Scenes

"I ate up this hate-to-love-and-back-again romance! If you love Top Chef but wish more of the show was focused on the romance and rivalries behind the scenes, you'll eagerly devour The Art of French Kissing. Like the best sweet and savory pastries, Carter and Reid deliver both sugar and spice." —Amy Spalding, author of The Summer of Jordi Perez (and the Best Burger in Los Angeles)

"This meet-cute romance stands out thanks to the nuanced characters and subtle treatment of bigger issues such as race, gender, and money (Carter's family flirts with poverty). Carter's insecurities about her culinary skill will resonate with any girl who has aspirations in a field dominated by males, and a sensitive sex scene models for readers what a consensual relationship looks like. A full cast of diverse characters, including Indian-American competitors, Carter's lesbian best friend, and Reid himself, who identifies as queer, are portrayed three-dimensionally, but Shrum's (How to Make Out, 2016, etc.) greatest accomplishment may be the intricate and mouthwatering descriptions of each dish. A thoughtful and delicious romance." —Kirkus Reviews

Praise for The Art of French Kissing

"Fun, flirty, foodie, and filled with way more heat than your average kitchen, The Art of French Kissing has all the ingredients for a perfect summer romance!" —Dahlia Adler, author of Behind the Scenes

"I ate up this hate-to-love-and-back-again romance! If you love Top Chef but wish more of the show was focused on the romance and rivalries behind the scenes, you'll eagerly devour The Art of French Kissing. Like the best sweet and savory pastries, Carter and Reid deliver both sugar and spice." —Amy Spalding, author of The Summer of Jordi Perez (and the Best Burger in Los Angeles)

"This meet-cute romance stands out thanks to the nuanced characters and subtle treatment of bigger issues such as race, gender, and money (Carter's family flirts with poverty). Carter's insecurities about her culinary skill will resonate with any girl who has aspirations in a field dominated by males, and a sensitive sex scene models for readers what a consensual relationship looks like. A full cast of diverse characters, including Indian-American competitors, Carter's lesbian best friend, and Reid himself, who identifies as queer, are portrayed three-dimensionally, but Shrum's (How to Make Out, 2016, etc.) greatest accomplishment may be the intricate and mouthwatering descriptions of each dish. A thoughtful and delicious romance." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

07/12/2019

Gr 9 Up-When she doesn't get into art school, Amalia Yaabez learns the hard way that things don't always go according to plan. She is left picking up the pieces of her much-neglected academic career and is struggling to find a backup plan. Then, her psychology teacher pairs her with frustratingly smart Ezra Holtz for a semester-long project. Ezra is Amalia's polar opposite. He's a straitlaced future valedictorian who has his future mapped out, but Amalia begrudgingly agrees to work closely with him on the project. Sparks fly when the two decide to do an experiment to research whether love can be manufactured by science, and Amalia learns that kissing Ezra Holtz is nothing like she'd expected. This enemies-to-lovers romance hews close to the trope with few surprises as to the relationship that unfolds between Amalia and Ezra. While Amalia is initially an unlikable character, the diverse cast helps buoy the story with moments of heart and humor, particularly Amalia's supportive family and vignettes from the project's experimental couples. A self-described "manic pixie dream girl," Amalia is critical of everyone around her, and many of her problems seem created by her adherence to this role. Her arc, as she begins to challenge this view of herself and reevaluate her life, gives the story added depth, and while the chemistry between Ezra and Amalia lights up the pages, it's her journey toward self-love that really shines. VERDICT Purchase where contemporary romance, particularly the author's other books, are popular.-Mimi Powell, Library Systems and Services, Kissimmee, FL

School Library Journal

2019-04-28
Predictable hate-becomes-love romance is given new life by an inclusive cast.

After being rejected from nine art schools, Sephardic, bi, "edgy" Amalia needs to buckle down and make better grades senior year to get into a traditional college. (Yes, this makes absolutely no sense, but apparently in this version of reality, art college admissions happen before senior year.) She talks her way into AP psychology and ends up paired with uptight Ezra Holtz, fellow Jew and longtime nonfriend (they have endured synagogue, youth group, and parental attempts to make them friends). Of course, they choose to do a matchmaking experiment (on three refreshingly varied and diverse couples), and, of course, they fall into lust and then love. Sex-positive and frank without being graphic, with characters for whom religion is significant but not the point, this is an unexpectedly now entry in the sometimes-entrenched formula of romance, which makes the flaws—Amalia's "manic pixie dream girl" past self never feels real despite many references to drinking and smoking pot, the college timeline will make teens in the know laugh, and Ezra is too perfect—forgivable. Many Jewish readers, in particular, will rejoice in seeing themselves and will recognize moments such as Amalia's doing homework on the High Holy days while reflecting that "kids don't have to do this crap on Christmas Eve." One of Ezra's two dads is trans.

Worth picking up despite the issues. (Romance. 14-adult)

Kirkus Reviews