The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“All the things that make you different make you perfect.”
Upon starting this book, not finishing it even, I could understand why it was voted as one of the best books of 2018. It was adorable, sexy, cute, funny...basically all of the words you’d use to describe someone you love. And I loved this book, finishing it in less than 24 hours. It made my heart swell and ache, leap and plummet.
What really secured my grip on this story was that 30-year-old heroine Stella Lane deals with autism spectrum disorder. It takes a long time for Stella to realize that her autism doesn’t define her, it’s simply a part of who she is. My own son struggles daily with being on the autism spectrum, and many of Stella’s quirks and tendencies were right in line with what I see in my son. As an adult, Stella has had many years to develop coping strategies; however, she is unsatisfied that she has no strategies for being in a relationship, especially a physical one. It takes patient and kind Michael to slowly draw her out of her insecurities, facing the idea that maybe, just maybe, she’s perfect just the way she is.
A love story through and through, Helen Hoang puts a new perspective on relationship barriers and overcoming them. It makes us realize that, as focused as we are on how our own issues in life prevent us from seeking out enjoyment and fulfillment, the rest of society really isn’t that much different and operating on the same wavelength. If we all understood everyone has issues, unique to who they are, maybe the world would be a better place for that understanding and recognition of sameness of ourselves in others.
What really secured my grip on this story was that 30-year-old heroine Stella Lane deals with autism spectrum disorder. It takes a long time for Stella to realize that her autism doesn’t define her, it’s simply a part of who she is. My own son struggles daily with being on the autism spectrum, and many of Stella’s quirks and tendencies were right in line with what I see in my son. As an adult, Stella has had many years to develop coping strategies; however, she is unsatisfied that she has no strategies for being in a relationship, especially a physical one. It takes patient and kind Michael to slowly draw her out of her insecurities, facing the idea that maybe, just maybe, she’s perfect just the way she is.
A love story through and through, Helen Hoang puts a new perspective on relationship barriers and overcoming them. It makes us realize that, as focused as we are on how our own issues in life prevent us from seeking out enjoyment and fulfillment, the rest of society really isn’t that much different and operating on the same wavelength. If we all understood everyone has issues, unique to who they are, maybe the world would be a better place for that understanding and recognition of sameness of ourselves in others.
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