The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything

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There is also a legitimate plot that becomes more interesting as you read. I would say the first 40% of the book took me awhile to get into but then I couldn’t put it down. Gnodde’s story touches on grief and guilt, on feeling abandoned, loneliness and loyalty, and, of course, love. Gnodde has a marvellous turn of phrase: “She even made them up in her head when Art wasn’t around, his opinions serving as guardrails to her bouncing thoughts.” This debut novel is funny and moving, and Gnodde’s next work will be eagerly anticipated A delightfully clever tale of first love, loss and an unforgettable sibling relationship'– Marianne Cronin, author of The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot Its synopsis explains: “ The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything tells the story of Mimi, who is naturally curious and determined, but living a constrained life defined by her demanding maths genius brother. Art’s every move is dictated by routine and his pursuit to solve an important, but notoriously complicated maths problem. When Mimi decides to find love, Art does the only logical thing: sets a strict mathematical path for her quest. Then Mimi meets Frank – a spontaneous stargazer and a mathematician. But not algorithm approved. Over time, the siblings’ relationship is tested to breaking point – something about Frank doesn’t quite add up, and only Art can see it…” The sight stuns Mimi. Fluorescent lights intensify the daze. She feels her middle lift, as though she’s watching a diorama of the scene from above.

I have been wavering between 4 and 5 stars - but as its a debut novel, it deserves all the praise so 5 stars from me.Art believes that people - including his sister - are incapable of making sensible decisions when it comes to love. That's what algorithms are for. Mimi knows that her brother is a mathematical genius. But she believes that maths isn't the answer to everything. Not quite. Especially when it comes to love. Our stop ’n search numbers are trash,” says Roberts to Payne. “It’s going to be brutal in there tomorrow morning.” A story of two siblings, a brother and sister, who look out for one another and have only got each other after the untimely demise of both their parents. Mantle has pre-empted The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything, an “extraordinary” novel by Kara Gnodde, to be published as its lead début fiction title for 2023. As Art's mistrust of Frank grows, so do Mimi's feelings, and the siblings' relationship is brought to a breaking point. Something about Frank doesn't quite add up, and only Art can see it . . .

I have seen this novel described as a modern romantic comedy, ideal for fans of The Rosy Project, but for me there is something a bit deeper and less fluffy here than a rom-com, and, it is a tad darker than The Rosy series. Naomi (Mimi) Brotherton has spend her entire life looking out for her older brother, Art. After the death of their parents, Mimi feels even more responsible for ensuring that Art always feels safe and secure. Art, on the other hand, loses himself in mathematics, desperate to solve the “unsolvable” equation. Mimi’s best friend, Rey, convinces Mimi that she needs to move on with her life and although Mimi knows Art will be uncomfortable with the change, Mimi meets Frank, another mathematician, and feels an instant spark. Art, however, is convinced that Frank isn’t who he claims to be and Mimi is conflicted- does she follow her heart and build a life with Frank? Or does she listen to Art, who has never let her down and has always been the one constant in her life? But in Art’s rigidly safe view of the world, romance is definitely something that marches to the beat of an algorithmic drum and when Mimi, chafing at the close bond she shares with Art – while simultaneously uncertain what she would do without it since it is just her and Art against the world, family-wise at least; she at least has her bestie Rey, an old family friend while her brother has his doctoral assistant Ernest for support – decides she’d like to find love, Art the 0s and 1s Cupid springs into action.If I had to give one more criticism, it would be that the perspective of who was narrating seemed to change constantly, with no indication of it changing until you were already confused. A] sunny debut, in which heart and mind must work together to shed light on a family secret'– Daily Mail The best time to read a book depends on your personal schedule and preferences. Here are some suggestions: In Kara Gnodde’s thoughtfully emotional novel, The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything, heart and mind are definitely in competition in the form of sister and brother Mimi and Art Brotherton, with the younger sister left, following the untimely death of their parents in some sort of motor vehicular mishap, in the position of caring, in a practical sense at least for her older brother, and talented mathematician, Art.

This was so moving, by the end and the final facts coming to light I was sobbing just a little bit. But a beautiful resolution and a very affecting story, would recommend. Not enough maths to put anyone off who's not a fan, but it was well integrated into the plot. Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review. I really felt for both of the siblings in this, their characters felt real and well created; the challenges that they faced, professionally, personally and with one another, were sometimes painful to read but felt true to their life situation. The absolute loyalty that Mimi has to Art, battling with her desire to have her own life and make her own choices - I didnt envy her at all. The story had me hooked and I read it in a couple of sittings. There are some heavier aspects to the book including parental death, suicide, injuries and unwanted sexual attention - so its a bit heavier than a lot of books it might be compared to, but I like a complicated family set up, so it was right up my street. There’s no doubt that we usually tip one way or the other, but life has a defy of abhorring clean boundaries and easily-defined decisions, and so while we may favour one approach to life or the other, it’s hard to make decisions as simply as Art might think they can be made. I enjoyed the love story (quite romantic at times, and also realistic in its portrayal of a couple struggling to move together despite Mimi's guilt towards her brother), loved Art and Mimi, felt Rey (Mimi's friend) was a little underused. I liked the movement between the two siblings as narrators (though the formatting was poor in the proof edition I read, with no gaps between, or even changes in font for texts, making it slightly awkward to spot the changes).