THE BOOK OF US

A heartsick teen does his best to set things right.

It’s the summer before their senior year, and Noah Greene is very much in love with Miranda Owens. The bookish and beautiful Miranda has always kept Noah on his toes, and he does his best to present himself as the ideal boyfriend. But honesty doesn’t come naturally to Noah, and one day this vice comes back to bite him: When Miranda overhears a conversation Noah has with the local flirt, she calls the whole thing off, leaving Noah to lick his wounds, do some soul searching, and craft the apology of a lifetime. Will Miranda forgive Noah? Will Noah be able to set things right in time for prom? Will readers notice that this John Green homage never really comes together? The fragmented timeline papers over most of the narrative gaps, but the lackluster characterization is always front and center. The two lovebirds are just never that interesting; there’s no crackle, snap, or pop to their relationship. The author tries to sidestep the simmering physical passion many teen romances underline in favor of Noah and Miranda’s having a more emotionally mature relationship, but it doesn’t quite work. Their extensive friend circle evades deep characterization as well: Readers will lose track of who’s speaking to whom and why as every teen speaks in the same pop-and-lock cadence Green popularized nearly two decades ago. Noah and Miranda are White.

A misfire.