Elle (ellexamines)'s Reviews > How to Repair a Mechanical Heart

“It's just, when I think about sex or whatever, it's kind of like on tv.”
“Vanilla and hetero?”

I fell in love with this story.

Not only is How To Repair A Mechanical Heart hilarious and adorable, it's also a far more developed and important story than I expected.

This book is a somewhat a parody of fandom and somewhat an ode to fandom. It's not one or the other, and I really liked that. It's like an even better version of Fangirl.

I really loved the characters. Over the course of the story, these two characters were developed far more than I expected. I found Brandon so easy to relate to, even though we have totally different personalities. His development made way for a good dynamic. Most of the side characters weren't anything special, but none were ever actively annoying.

This book nailed romance. It's so sad that I can't say much about it, because I feel like you have to let it unravel rather than knowing what happens beforehand. But trust me when I say it's incredibly heartwarming.

Last time I asked her for advice she lit a cigarette and said “God is like junior high, Brandon. Graduate already.”

The humor in this book is so A+. I don't even know how to pick a favorite quote. J.C. Lillis is a master at snappy dialogue.

Kade and Abel. Like you're reading Genesis with a cold.

This isn't just a funny, fluffy story, though. It's also got one of the best portrayals of internalized homophobia I've ever read. Brandon's intrusive thoughts and subconscious bias against himself is so incredibly real. I related to him so much I wanted to puke. Reading his character arc was so emotionally cathartic.

I definitely recommend this one. God, I loved it so much.

Initial Thoughts

this story was written by someone trying directly to appeal to me, Elise Mouzon Thompson, and frankly I cannot WAIT to read book two.

I'll review this later... I have a ton of books to finish before I start the sequel