Book Review: The Half-Life of Planets by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin

Rating: 4/5; entertaining. really liked it. would read again.

Release Date: June 15, 2010

Synopsis:
Liana is a girl with a reputation. She's also an aspiring planetary scientist. So one summer Liana, the kissing addict, decides to conduct an experiment. She's going to refrain from locking lips and use her mouth for talking instead.
Hank is a boy with Asperger's syndrome. He's funny- sometimes without intending to be - and more than a little awkward. So he can tell you all about bands called Love and Kiss, but not about loving or kissing. He also may have difficulty closing his mouth long enough to kiss anyone. 
-book flap

Thoughts:
Aww I really liked this book! I fell in love with Hank as I'm sure everyone who comes across him will too. Liana, not so much.
This book reads in alternating chapters from the point of view of Hank, the awkward boy who I don't think is that awkward, and Liana, the girl who can't stop kissing guys, but is trying to.
I read this book in one sitting so that tells you something. I could not keep myself apart from this book until I finished it. I just had to know what was going to happen. It's odd though. I found myself loving the characters and their story but at the same time, there were things I sort of hated. Hate-love kind of relationship. That's what I had with this book.
I felt that I didn't fully get to know Hank and Liana even though I got into their "minds." The reader gets to know pretty much everything they're thinking which I always, always love in a book. I still felt that their backgrounds were not fully developed somehow. I guess I just was not fully satisfied. I wanted to know more about them and why they are they way they are. For the most part of course the reader knows, but I wanted more information on certain aspects of their personality.
Liana and Hank meet each other randomnly at a hospital (I LOVE THIS!) and that's how their relationship, or whatever it is, begins. Gradually they start to get to know each other and so does the reader. They, like all strangers, keep things from each other and the reader too. I am pretty positive the reader was not supposed to know Hank had Asperger's throughout most of the first part of the book, yet there it is on the flap and all the synopsi (?). I hated that. Anyway, some of these tidbits were not very full thought out in my opinion. Like I said, I was not satisfied with that and that's what kept me from fully loving this book.
That's pretty much my only complaint. Oh yeah, then there's that part where I want to slap Liana across the face, but that's a story for another time. ;)
For it's few flaws, I still found myself enjoying this read. I know it's something I would read again. Not the best book in the world, but good enough for me. Hank and his quirks, personality, and love of music (I'm a huge music lover so plus plus plus!) was something I especially kept looking forward to. (Sidenote: I was not fully convinced he had Asperger's. I suspected it when I began reading the book but...still not fully convinced). Liana was pretty cool but sometimes I just found her to be messed up for no reason. Whatever, still worth a read. :)

Quotes:

"'Hi,' I say to her, and go over to the table. I don't touch her of course. It's difficult enough to negotiate the rules of how normal people converse; when and how they hug, much less kiss or run their hands through each other's beautiful hair, is simply too advanced for me right now. Also I have a boner."

"On my 'Hanks' mix, Hank Williams is singing about being so lonesome he could cry"

love that song! i'm so lonesome i could cry did you ever see a night so long when time goes crawling by I'm also a huge fan of the B.J Thomas version. It's one of my favorites :)

"I wish I could say I stare out at the sea in contemplation of my romantic longing, but the truth is I look at her butt as she walks away"

"Stars within a typical galaxy are so far apart that the chances of two colliding are slim to none. But in some dense regions, known as star clusters, they are much more likely to cross paths"

Related:
Emily Franklin
Brendan Halpin
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. I gave this one 3/5 stars. It was just okay in my opinion. The way the two books are written are similar and so is the relationship between the protagonists. Liana and Hank are not sex crazed though.
The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni. Sebastian reminded me a lot of Hank because of his social awkwardness. Jared and Sebastian both love music so of course that also reminded me of Hank.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. Again, another socially awkward protagonist reminds me of Hank. In this case, Charlie. Aww I loooove Charlie!



I just knew they'd mention The Kinks hehe