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359th out of 611 books
—
2,644 voters
The Half-Life of Planets
by
Emily Franklin,
Brendan Halpin (Goodreads Author)
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 Jazz...more
Hardcover, 247 pages
Published
June 15th 2010
by Disney-Hyperion
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The novel The Half-Life of Planets follows the stories of both Lianna and Hank . Lianna has kissed and dated many guys, has a pretty face, and has a major knack for science and wants to be a planetary scientist. After getting a note in her locker labeling her as a "slut," she goes into science mode and decides to conduct an experiment where she doesn't kiss anyone all summer. This sounds like an incredibly easy plan until Hank, whom she meets at the hospital, comes along. Hank is a teenage guy w...more
Thank goodness for Michelle, the YA librarian at my local library. She ordered this book, you see, and I'm very glad she did because I completely enjoyed reading it. I laughed aloud in many places, and I cringed (oh how I cringed) at others - not so much at the horrible muddle that resulted when Hank (a teen musician with Asperger's) spilled a terrifically embarrassing secret of Liana's (a teen scientist with a bit of a reputation) in public, but definitely at other places - most of them involvi...more
The Half-life of Planets written by Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin reminded me a lot of Rachel Cohn & David Levithan collaborations ( Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist & Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List anyone?) I haven't read anything by either Emily Franklin or Brandan Halpin (I really should!) Actually, I hadn't heard of them before this book. I almost didn't pick it up but I wanted to bite into a cute romance. I thought it would be light and fluffy- frosting, but without the cak...more
A true page turner: Franklin and Halpin create perfect balance between entertainment and insight. Yes, perfect.
Liana is, surprisingly, far from the one dimensional “Smart & Pretty Girl” Mary Sue you might peg her to be. There’s more to her than brains and being a kissing addict; it takes a short while for that to become apparent, but in the end, it makes sense. It fits her just right. She’s the character you want to hate but can’t, because she recognizes her own flaws – she just doesn’t know...more
Liana is, surprisingly, far from the one dimensional “Smart & Pretty Girl” Mary Sue you might peg her to be. There’s more to her than brains and being a kissing addict; it takes a short while for that to become apparent, but in the end, it makes sense. It fits her just right. She’s the character you want to hate but can’t, because she recognizes her own flaws – she just doesn’t know...more
I so wanted to fall in love with this, to be charmed by a sweet,simple and touching summer love story. Half of the book delivers; Hank,a teenage boy with Asperger's syndrome is funny, sincere, and sympathetic without ever crossing the line into pathetic. He's probably the best character with Apserger's I've ever read. (Not that I've read that many, but some just do it so wrong. Curious Incident, I'm talking to you...). Anyway, the only problem in Half-Life is the other Half-- Liana is such an un...more
Liana Planet (Pluh-net) got a note in her locker on the last day of school. The anonymous note accused her of being a slut. Imagine her shock when a boy bursts into the women's bathroom at the hospital where her father is facing tests. Said boy is Hank who has Asberger's Syndrome. Amazingly, these two connect over Hank's encyclopedic knowledge of rock music. Poor Hank constantly fantasizes over kissing Liana who has developed an ironclad no kissing rule while trying to prove the anonymous note w...more
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This was a good book, but the first descriptive word that pops into my mind is adorable. It had emotion and depth, not all of it positive, but it was just plain fluffy. At least, that's how I perceived it.
If I really think about it, the plot itself is nothing special. Girl and guy meet. Girl and guy get to know each other. Tension and/or drama, for various reasons. Girl and guy end up together. Yay. Break out the confetti.
What really appealed to me were the characters. They were the entire found...more
If I really think about it, the plot itself is nothing special. Girl and guy meet. Girl and guy get to know each other. Tension and/or drama, for various reasons. Girl and guy end up together. Yay. Break out the confetti.
What really appealed to me were the characters. They were the entire found...more
The Half Life of Planets is about a boy named Hank. He has a special autism and wishes to fall in love with a girl but finds it difficult with his problems. Liana is a girl who happens to have a background that she likes kissing boys. To prove that she doesn't she wants to go on an experiment that she won't kiss anyone during the summer. Then Hank comes into her life and it seems much harder.
I can conncet to the world how many people have problems like Hank does with his social disorder. People...more
I can conncet to the world how many people have problems like Hank does with his social disorder. People...more
There is a lot of young adult literature out there that does the whole dueling narrator thing. Sometimes it works, like in Nick and Norah, sometimes it doesn't. This book is one that does.
The book tells one story from two perspectives - the girl who probably kisses too many boys, and the guy who likes her. The wrinkle is that the guy in our story has Asperger's. While there are books that have discussed autism in different forms, this is the first I can recall that took on Asperger's, or at leas...more
The book tells one story from two perspectives - the girl who probably kisses too many boys, and the guy who likes her. The wrinkle is that the guy in our story has Asperger's. While there are books that have discussed autism in different forms, this is the first I can recall that took on Asperger's, or at leas...more
This is a really sweet contemporary romcom told in two points of view - Lianna who wants to study planets and Hank who is obsessed with music and also has Aspergers. They develop a friendship which blossoms into more and it's just so sweet and genuine. Definitely recommended for contemp romance fans.
Hank, the kid with Asperger's, is a great character, nicely done. Liana, not so much. The big unspoken problem with this book is that - frankly - the authors are using "kissing" as a metaphor for, uh, something a little stronger. Think about it. The girl gets called a slut for kissing a few guys. Come on! She wouldn't get called a slut, and even if somebody called her that, she would know better than to half-believe it as she does in this novel. The publisher is owned by Disney, so maybe the aut...more
I love Brendan Halpin. I wanted to love this book. But...half of the premise of this YA book of alternating POVs just didn't work for me. Hank's story I got and I liked. Liana struck me as under-developed, she was somewhat unlikeable throughout, and I didn't get what was so gasp worthy about her behavior--behavior that sets up this whole story. Even at the end, still didn't get it. Which isn't to say I didn't tear through this thing 'cause it's well written and fast moving, but it was Hank's par...more
Maybe it's impossible for me to be unbiased in my enjoyment of this work, but so far my favorite thing I've read for this year's MetroLibrarian Reads Challenge. Liana is a kissing-addicted, aspiring planetary scientist trying to get over a problem with lead singers. Hank is trying to pretend he was named from Hank Williams not Henry Rollins, working in a guitar store to save up for a Jazzmaster, and knee deep in mixes and music miscellany. Both are trying to lead lives not just defined by one wo...more
In a way, this book is admirable for how accurately it portrays some aspects of being a teenager —the aimlessness, the confusion, the tendency toward violent mood swings and acting without thought and thinking of other people not so much as people, but as backdrops and scenery in your own dramas —but that accuracy makes for a bit of a slog as far as reading. A younger reader probably would get a lot more out of it, but for myself, this was a difficult book to slog through, given that I didn't mu...more
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! The Half-Life of Planets was such a cute wonderful book. Just what I needed at the end of summer. Perfect! I loved the characters and the story and everything! It was a happy story with sad bits at just the right times. When I read it I was pulled into the story and read more than I planned to, which is totally ok. It was perfect the whole way through, not too long it didn't have any useless parts or boring bits. At the end the story was wrapped up perfectly(though Lian...more
Hank and Liana are two different people with two different interest who happen in the women's restroom. Yes, a guy was in the women's restroom and no, nobody screamed or yelled what so ever. But then they both meet up and eventually become at the level of "friends". Liana has a painful addiction of kissing and Hank babbles about music that makes him labeled as a freak.
Though I thought he was sweet, nice, and adorable. He's one of those guys that I feel were in real life more than just in books....more
Though I thought he was sweet, nice, and adorable. He's one of those guys that I feel were in real life more than just in books....more
I thought that this book was a lot of fun. What is not to like, you got rock music, a teen girl who loves kissing boys but has decided to take a sabbatical, a teen boy who has Asperger's syndrome. I tell you that the discovery process of the girl (Liana) and boy (Hank) of what they both need and how they both cope is a hoot.
Summer romances may not always last but I found myself wanting a happy ending to this book. Liana is screwed up and has to find out why, while Hank has to learn how to naviga...more
Summer romances may not always last but I found myself wanting a happy ending to this book. Liana is screwed up and has to find out why, while Hank has to learn how to naviga...more
Liana and Hank's friendship begins unexpectedly. But it begins as a friendship. I liked that. I enjoyed reading about how they go from two strangers meeting in a girls bathroom at the hospital, to sharing coffee at Espresso Love, to sharing secrets in the bedroom (Hank is feeding his turtle, theres just talk). They both want more, but through insecurities and misunderstandings and the "no-kissing-summer", it takes a while to get there. Which is okay.
Hank, with all his ramblings and oversharing...more
Hank, with all his ramblings and oversharing...more
This is one of the worst BFYA 2011 books I've yet to read. It is told in alternating chapters a la Will Grayson, Will Grayson, with one chapter being from the perspective of a horrifically whiny girl and the other from a boy who has Asperger's Syndrome or something similar to it.
The girl is supposed to be a science geek, but spends all her time wondering if she is a slut. The boy sometimes sounds like someone with Asperger's, and other times pops completely out of the Syndrome into someone else....more
The girl is supposed to be a science geek, but spends all her time wondering if she is a slut. The boy sometimes sounds like someone with Asperger's, and other times pops completely out of the Syndrome into someone else....more
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Liana and Hank randomly meet in the women's bathroom of a hospital, and their relationship spirals out from there. The story is told in alternating chapters from each of their points of view as they learn about each other and overcome bumps in their relationship until, at the height of summer, something happens that seems impossible to get past. For being written by two authors, in the voices of two extremely different characters, this book reads so smoothly and beautifully that I wanted to star...more
The Half-Life of Planets by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin
Hyperion, 2010
247 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars
Source: Library
Summary: This is another book with chapters alternating perspectives, this time between Liana Planet and Hank Rollins. If you were going to sum them up with one word, you might choose "slut" and "Asperger's" respectively but that would be inaccurate because there's so much more. The book as a whole covers about one summer and traces the evolution of their relationship, thei...more
Hyperion, 2010
247 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars
Source: Library
Summary: This is another book with chapters alternating perspectives, this time between Liana Planet and Hank Rollins. If you were going to sum them up with one word, you might choose "slut" and "Asperger's" respectively but that would be inaccurate because there's so much more. The book as a whole covers about one summer and traces the evolution of their relationship, thei...more
Liana rattles around in a big house with her mother, a school counselor who substitutes baked goods for meaningful conversations, and her father, a hypochondriac who's only home a few days a month. To fill the emotional void, she kisses boys. Lots of boys.
Hank is a guitar genius with Asperger's Syndrome. He can list dozens of songs about girls named Jenny and knows what kind of guitar was used on every hit between 1950 and 2003, but he can't figure out how to relate to people or have a normal co...more
Hank is a guitar genius with Asperger's Syndrome. He can list dozens of songs about girls named Jenny and knows what kind of guitar was used on every hit between 1950 and 2003, but he can't figure out how to relate to people or have a normal co...more
Told in two voices, Liana's and Hank's.
Liana is struggling with the way she deals with the emptiness in her family. Eclipsing and unacknowledged grief that permeates every action her parents make.
Hank is dealing with Asperger's Syndrome and the effect it has on all his interpersonal interactions.
This unlikely pair meet; the story of the summer they become friends holds a number of sweet bits about identity, family, trust and love. At the same time many details about the characters and their mo...more
Liana is struggling with the way she deals with the emptiness in her family. Eclipsing and unacknowledged grief that permeates every action her parents make.
Hank is dealing with Asperger's Syndrome and the effect it has on all his interpersonal interactions.
This unlikely pair meet; the story of the summer they become friends holds a number of sweet bits about identity, family, trust and love. At the same time many details about the characters and their mo...more
A must buy!
I really liked this a lot. The chapters alternate boy/girl and I liked the girl chapters but I LOVED the boy chapters. If both POVs had been equally strong for me I would have given this a 5 star.
The boy has Asperger's, which is a written perspective I really enjoy. It reminded me of Tara Kelly's Harmonic Feedback which is a lovely book about a girl with Asperger's.
Anyway, this such a lovely story for me.
The boy has Asperger's, which is a written perspective I really enjoy. It reminded me of Tara Kelly's Harmonic Feedback which is a lovely book about a girl with Asperger's.
Anyway, this such a lovely story for me.
This is an absolutely adorable summer read. In alternating point of views, you hear a great story with awesome writing - all wrapped up in a gorgeous cover. This is one you don't want to miss!
I absolutely loved how the story was told in alternating point of views. I love hearing both characters thoughts! It was easy to get caught up in the story right away. The secondary characters, like Hank's player brother Chase, keep the story moving. I loved romance of the story. Hank and Liana are such an...more
I absolutely loved how the story was told in alternating point of views. I love hearing both characters thoughts! It was easy to get caught up in the story right away. The secondary characters, like Hank's player brother Chase, keep the story moving. I loved romance of the story. Hank and Liana are such an...more
Do you have a Teen who wants a story based on Real Life drama? Maybe a really smart teen who has a bit of insecurity? This is the book for them. Liana is a smart, honors type girl who spends the summer just trying to understand the definition that was left for her on the last day of school, as well as navigate her family and understand the music geek Hank, who she randomly meets.
Now why I didn't finish it. This book drags. A professional review said that it was good for those who like Nick and N...more
Now why I didn't finish it. This book drags. A professional review said that it was good for those who like Nick and N...more
When I read THE HALF-LIFE OF PLANETS by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin, I found the characters absolutely irresistible. It’s a novel in two voices — Liana, a girl who really likes to kiss boys and is trying to quit or at least not kiss any new boys this summer, and Hank, who is cripplingly obsessed with music and the polar opposite of his gets-all-the-girls brother. When girl meets boy in — of all places — the women’s restroom, Liana is struck by Hank’s cool demeanor and quirky style. Hank is...more
Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com
Liana makes a pact with herself not to kiss any boys during the summer. She's kissed several boys in the past, but then run from them all. Instead, she's going to focus on herself. She wants to understand why she can't talk to boys.
Hank knows about music; he lives for music. He works at a music store and has his eye on a special guitar. Hank is also different - he has Asperger's syndrome. It's hard for him to have conversations with people because...more
Liana makes a pact with herself not to kiss any boys during the summer. She's kissed several boys in the past, but then run from them all. Instead, she's going to focus on herself. She wants to understand why she can't talk to boys.
Hank knows about music; he lives for music. He works at a music store and has his eye on a special guitar. Hank is also different - he has Asperger's syndrome. It's hard for him to have conversations with people because...more
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Growing up, Emily Franklin wanted to be “a singing, tap-dancing doctor who writes books.”
Having learned early on that she has little to no dancing ability, she left the tap world behind, studied at Oxford University, and received an undergraduate degree concentrating in writing and neuroscience from Sarah Lawrence College. Though she gave serious thought to a career in medicine, eventually that ca...more
More about Emily Franklin...
Having learned early on that she has little to no dancing ability, she left the tap world behind, studied at Oxford University, and received an undergraduate degree concentrating in writing and neuroscience from Sarah Lawrence College. Though she gave serious thought to a career in medicine, eventually that ca...more
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