Review of "The Half-Life of Planets"

“The Half-Life of Planets”

by  Emily Franklin and Brendan Helpin

My Rating:

Pub. Date: June 10, 2010

Pages: 256

Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children

Source: Library

Edition: Paperback

Short and Sweet Synopsis: The story of Liana, a serial kisser and planetary scientist wannabe, and Hank, a music obsessed guy chording his way through life with Asperger's syndrome.

I loved this book!  I read it for a book group and couldn't put it down.  I have to admit I have never heard of either author, but thanks to "The Half-Life of Planets" I will definitely be reading more of their works.  

The authors did a great job at creating unique characters that had fantastic chemistry.  Hank and Liana were both interesting in their own ways.  Liana was likable even with her make-out mania and I loved being in Hank's head as he tried to analyze the situations he was placed in.  Hank is an honest portrayal of Asperger's, but his character is much more than just a disorder, just like Liana is much more than a kissing trollop.

I found this book quite powerful even though it was only about 250 pages.  Unlike many authors, Emily and Brendan understand the power of language.  "The Half-Life of PLanets" is full of short, yet extremely powerful moments. Little things like sandwiches and self-help brochures take on a whole new meaning.

I recommend "The Half-Life of Planets" to anyone who likes realistic fiction or music.  Fans of "This Lullaby", "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist", and "Carter Finally Gets It" will enjoy the relationships in the book as well as the focus on music.