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A review by tobyyy
The DNA of You and Me by Andrea Rothman
1.0
This was a quick read. I was really hoping to like it, but did not (apparently a common feeling). Woman in STEM meets man in STEM, must choose between love and a life steeped in academia & research.
The main thing I feel that was done well in this book, was the detailing of life in a lab, cutthroat and unfair.
The research was interesting enough but not action-filled.
The romance, though? If it had been written well, I think this book would’ve been a 4 star for me. However, Aeden is a douche. I never got the sense that there was any spark of any type. The sex that was mentioned was cold and emotionless and there was one briefly detailed nonconsensual sex scene — which had me going “what??!” in anger & disbelief, since it really didn’t fit the narrative.
Yet Emily keeps on building a relationship with Aeden even after this point, and the nonconsensual sex is never brought up again. Again — “what??!!!”
Also, it’s hinted that Emily has autism but it’s treated as a taboo, shameful topic. I suppose in the ‘90s and early 2000s it was more taboo but my husband and I have a joke about how my family (who are all in academia except me) all has autistic traits BECAUSE of being in academia. Anyone who can so singlemindedly pursue and remain interested in such a narrow field has to have some autistic traits. And that’s not a bad thing. Having actual diagnosed autism isn’t a bad thing either. It just IS.
And as a mental health professional, reading about “shh autism some people just are meant to be alone shhh” — that makes me sad. My husband has autism and yes, sometimes things are difficult because of that (just like sometimes things are difficult because I’m an inherently stubborn person), but I wouldn’t trade our relationship for the world.
This book was written this year. Can we please have some kickass representation of autistic women in STEM that doesn’t pander to fearmongering, shame, and stigma? And also a romance featuring the above that doesn’t have a douchenugget dickwaffle for a love interest?!
The main thing I feel that was done well in this book, was the detailing of life in a lab, cutthroat and unfair.
The research was interesting enough but not action-filled.
The romance, though? If it had been written well, I think this book would’ve been a 4 star for me. However, Aeden is a douche. I never got the sense that there was any spark of any type. The sex that was mentioned was cold and emotionless and there was one briefly detailed nonconsensual sex scene — which had me going “what??!” in anger & disbelief, since it really didn’t fit the narrative.
Yet Emily keeps on building a relationship with Aeden even after this point, and the nonconsensual sex is never brought up again. Again — “what??!!!”
Also, it’s hinted that Emily has autism but it’s treated as a taboo, shameful topic. I suppose in the ‘90s and early 2000s it was more taboo but my husband and I have a joke about how my family (who are all in academia except me) all has autistic traits BECAUSE of being in academia. Anyone who can so singlemindedly pursue and remain interested in such a narrow field has to have some autistic traits. And that’s not a bad thing. Having actual diagnosed autism isn’t a bad thing either. It just IS.
And as a mental health professional, reading about “shh autism some people just are meant to be alone shhh” — that makes me sad. My husband has autism and yes, sometimes things are difficult because of that (just like sometimes things are difficult because I’m an inherently stubborn person), but I wouldn’t trade our relationship for the world.
This book was written this year. Can we please have some kickass representation of autistic women in STEM that doesn’t pander to fearmongering, shame, and stigma? And also a romance featuring the above that doesn’t have a douchenugget dickwaffle for a love interest?!