The Half-Life of Planets

by Emily Franklin

Overview

Lianna is an aspiring planetary scientist and also a kissing addict. This summer, though, she plans to spend every kiss-worthy hour in the lab, studying stars.

Hank has never been kissed. He's smart and funny and very socially awkward, because he's got Asperger's syndrome. Hank's plan for the summer is to work at a music store and save enough to buy his beloved Fender Jazzmaster.

What neither Liana nor Hank plan for is their fateful meeting...in the women's bathroom at the hospital. But their star-crossed encounter could be the very best kind.

Two veteran YA authors tell, from alternating perspecitives, the story of two kids who discover that the best parts of people can't be summed up easily.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781423154402
Publisher:	Disney Press
Publication date:	08/09/2011
Sold by:	DISNEY PUBLISHING WORLDWIDE -EBKS
Format:	eBook
File size:	669 KB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin are both accomplished authors in the young adult world. Emily has written a dozen novels for young adults, including the critically-acclaimed Principles of Love series and The Other Half of Me. Brendan's first novel for young adults, How Ya Like Me Now, was published in 2007; his second YA effort, Forever Changes, came out in September 2008. Emily (www.emilyfranklin.com) lives in Newton, MA; Brendan (www.brendanhalpin.com) resides in Jamaica Plain, MA.

Editorial Reviews

In alternating first-person narratives, Franklin (the Principles of Love series) and Halpin (Forever Changes) recount an offbeat teenage relationship. Liana is focused on a college-level summer course in astronomy to divert her attention from boys, after receiving a hurtful note alleging her promiscuity (“I am not a slut.... Even though I could give a guided tour of all the different places I’ve kissed different boys in this semi-small town”), while cerebral Hank, who has Asperger’s syndrome, is socially awkward and obsessed with music. Because Liana is conducting a summerlong personal experiment in which she abstains from kissing, meeting Hank brings unforeseen challenges and unexpected bonds as they learn how to relate to each other in new and meaningful ways. The two teens connect over music (they are both wellsprings of musical knowledge and band trivia), their respective family troubles, and a desire to express themselves. The discursive story favors dialogue and introspection over action and can border on melodrama, but the characters’ candid perspectives ring true and the romance should have readers longing for connections as deeply felt. Ages 12-up. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Gr 9 Up—This story is told from two alternating points of view. Liana, who loves studying about outer space, has recently been deemed a "slut" via an anonymous note, and she aims to disprove the label by not kissing anyone during summer break. Hank, who has a vast knowledge of music, has Asperger's syndrome, and he doesn't think that a girl would ever want to kiss him. When the teens meet, they quickly form a bond, yet as they navigate their friendship, they have a hard time expressing their individual needs. While the book is reminiscent of Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower (MTV, 1999) and Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (Knopf, 2006), its unique qualities set it apart. The authors do an excellent job of demonstrating Hank's disorder without explaining it in detail. Liana's chapters, while not as strong as Hank's, nevertheless poignantly express her struggles with family issues and her negative self-image. Having both points of view gives readers a better understanding of each teen and the opportunity to witness the same scenes through different lenses, further aiding in understanding Asperger's. At times the story is bogged down by song titles, lyrics, and facts, but overall it is worth the read.—Sarah K. Allen, Elko Middle School, Sandston, VA

School Library Journal

"I am not a slut," says Liana Planet (pronounce pluh-net) in the attention-grabbing first line of this fine romantic comedy. She has a reputation for loving to kiss, and many boys have been the beneficiaries of her passion. It has never taken her beyond locking lips, however, and now she's experimenting on herself this summer: Can she become a new person and leave her kissing-bandit ways behind? An aspiring scientist doing planetary research, Liana understands planets and their predictable orbits and patterns; it's people she doesn't always get. Nor does Hank, a teenager with Asperger's syndrome who gets music but can't read social cues. Put them together, telling their stories in alternating first-person narratives, and the result is a story laced with intelligent humor, well-drawn characters-even the secondary ones-and believable situations. There's melodrama here and some cliched scenes, but these are high-school students after all, and readers will find themselves cheering for the proper alignment of these star-crossed lovers. (Fiction. YA)

Kirkus Reviews