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The Kidney Hypothetical: Or How to Ruin Your Life in Seven Days
Lisa Yee gives us her most fascinating flawed genius since Millicent Min. Higgs Boson Bing has seven days left before his perfect high school career is completed. Then it's on to Harvard to fulfill the fantasy portrait of success that he and his parents have cultivated for the past four years. Four years of academic achievement. Four years of debate championships. Two years of dating the most popular girl in school. It was, literally, everything his parents could have wanted. Everything they wanted for Higgs's older brother Jeffrey, in fact. But something's not right. And when Higgs's girlfriend presents him with a seemingly innocent hypothetical question about whether or not he'd give her a kidney . . . the exposed fault lines reach straight down to the foundations of his life. . . .
272 pages, Hardcover
First published March 31, 2015
21 people are currently reading
1152 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Yee
40 books557 followersLisa Yee has written over 20 novels. Her most recent book, Maizy Chen's Last Chance, is about a fifth-generation Chinese American girl, and is a National Book Award Finalist, Newbery Honor, and the Asian Pacific American Children's Literature Award winner.
Lisa's debut novel, Millicent Min, Girl Genius, won the prestigious Sid Fleischman Humor Award. Other books include Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time, Absolutely Maybe, and a series about a 4th grader, Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) and Bobby the Brave (Sometimes), illustrated by Dan Santat.
Lisa is also the author of several American Girl books and the DC Super Hero Girls series. A Thurber House Children’s Writer-in-Residence, Lisa's books have been named a NPR Best Summer Read, Sports Illustrated Kids Hot Summer Read, and USA Today Critics’ Top Pick.
Lisa lives In Western Massachusetts, but spends a lot of time in Los Angeles, especially when it's cold. Her next book, an awkward and hilarious mystery, is called The Misfits: A Royal Conundrum, and is illustrated by Dan Santat.
You can visit Lisa at www.lisayee.com.
Lisa's debut novel, Millicent Min, Girl Genius, won the prestigious Sid Fleischman Humor Award. Other books include Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time, Absolutely Maybe, and a series about a 4th grader, Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) and Bobby the Brave (Sometimes), illustrated by Dan Santat.
Lisa is also the author of several American Girl books and the DC Super Hero Girls series. A Thurber House Children’s Writer-in-Residence, Lisa's books have been named a NPR Best Summer Read, Sports Illustrated Kids Hot Summer Read, and USA Today Critics’ Top Pick.
Lisa lives In Western Massachusetts, but spends a lot of time in Los Angeles, especially when it's cold. Her next book, an awkward and hilarious mystery, is called The Misfits: A Royal Conundrum, and is illustrated by Dan Santat.
You can visit Lisa at www.lisayee.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
March 3, 2015
This is a quick, diverting little read that follows the standard Manic Pixie Dream Girl format, though it does a few interesting things with it. The odd title revolves around the moment that upends Higgs Boson Bing’s life: his clingy girlfriend asks (through a proxy) whether he would donate a kidney to her, and he vacillates because he’s pretty sure he wouldn’t. This sets off a chain of events that sends Higgs from his pedestal as the popular, wealthy, Harvard-bound king of the school down to the universally derided and mocked target of just about everyone, including those he thought were his friends. A chance meeting with a mysterious, abrasive girl who apparently lives in the woods gives him an unlikely confidant during his worst week ever, and his newfound outsider status gives him the opportunity to question whose expectations for his life he should be meeting.
The strength in this book is in the narrative voice, which carries this slim, quirky tale through a familiar story arc. The stakes stay pretty low throughout, Ivy League acceptance pressure notwithstanding, so the book's charm rests on Higgs's sardonic observations and the predictable effect that Monarch, the girl from the woods, has on him. Yee is an adept writer that wastes no scenes and puts prose to good effect, resulting in a fun, well-paced read.
Nothing really made this one stand out from its peers, for me, but this is a great read for somebody looking for a bit of romance, a lot of humor, and a dash of affluent existential crisis.
The strength in this book is in the narrative voice, which carries this slim, quirky tale through a familiar story arc. The stakes stay pretty low throughout, Ivy League acceptance pressure notwithstanding, so the book's charm rests on Higgs's sardonic observations and the predictable effect that Monarch, the girl from the woods, has on him. Yee is an adept writer that wastes no scenes and puts prose to good effect, resulting in a fun, well-paced read.
Nothing really made this one stand out from its peers, for me, but this is a great read for somebody looking for a bit of romance, a lot of humor, and a dash of affluent existential crisis.
June 27, 2015
I can't even ... Damn. That . Ending!
This book had so much potential, funny, weird, and even sad sometimes. I would've liked it more if not for that chick. I guess, after all, it was all up to Higgs but the way things went down was just a NO NO for me.
This book had so much potential, funny, weird, and even sad sometimes. I would've liked it more if not for that chick. I guess, after all, it was all up to Higgs but the way things went down was just a NO NO for me.
April 6, 2015
With a week remaining in his stellar high school career, senior Higgs Boson Bing finally makes a misstep. On the senior cruise around the bay near Sally Ride High School, he responds honestly to a hypothetical question. The response results in a break-up with his long-time girlfriend Roo, his becoming the laughing stock of his high school, and his examination of where he's going and where he's been. Suddenly, the fast-track Harvard prospect and future dentist realizes that his life has been a series of lies and that he's been living someone else's life. Because his older brother Jeffrey died before fulfilling his family's expectations, Higgs has literally been following in his brother's footsteps. Having his disastrous week unspool over a series of seven days during which he meets Monarch, a girl who assists in his questioning and his psychological make-over, puts the story into perspective and lends it an emotional intensity and immediacy. The author deftly tackles several tough issues including loss, expectations, family dynamics, imperfections, and social pecking orders, all with empathy and humor. From the start, it's clear that Monarch also has a story, which will make readers smile and shake their heads once it has been revealed. If this book makes only one high school take a second look at his/her career plans or causes one adult out in the world in an unsatisfying career to take a risk and make that important change, so much the better. Higgs' fondness for his garden and working with his hands are clear in several scenes, and readers will realize long before he does that perhaps dentistry is not the right career for him I absolutely loved this well-crafted book, filled with all manner of interesting characters and a great precept. Beware not just the Ides of March but the hypothetical questions being posed to you!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2015
I am not ragging on Lisa Yee. Lisa Yee is a good person, I'm sure, BUT:
Higgs is an asshole and Monarch is the most manic pixie dreamgirl character I've ever come across. Sure, Higgs redeems himself by apologizing in the end, but it's belated, and he is still an asshole. Nick/Samantha is never explained, because I have yet to meet a boy engaged to his high school girlfriend that bends to her every whim, and that's bothersome. Monarch exists just to explain Higgs' angst, and when he finds out who she is and the fact that she has a boyfriend, he isn't even properly mad.
Quirky characters, a decent premise, and a plot that's fun, but it's too John Green for me; also, plot holes galore--who was Higgs' dad's mistress, JEFFERY, Charlie's whole existence, Nick, Rosalee, Roo; all of them existed as props to heighten Higgs' angst, and pardon my French, but FUCK Higgs.
All in all, fun "quirky" read.
Higgs is an asshole and Monarch is the most manic pixie dreamgirl character I've ever come across. Sure, Higgs redeems himself by apologizing in the end, but it's belated, and he is still an asshole. Nick/Samantha is never explained, because I have yet to meet a boy engaged to his high school girlfriend that bends to her every whim, and that's bothersome. Monarch exists just to explain Higgs' angst, and when he finds out who she is and the fact that she has a boyfriend, he isn't even properly mad.
Quirky characters, a decent premise, and a plot that's fun, but it's too John Green for me; also, plot holes galore--who was Higgs' dad's mistress, JEFFERY, Charlie's whole existence, Nick, Rosalee, Roo; all of them existed as props to heighten Higgs' angst, and pardon my French, but FUCK Higgs.
All in all, fun "quirky" read.
January 13, 2016
Sweet story about a high school senior who realizes right before graduation that he hasn't really been true to himself for many years. Funny and also somewhat emotional. I'm not a huge fan of the cover. I don't think it represents the characters all that well. Quick read. 3 1/2-ish stars. This would have ended up at #18 on my list of top 20 fourteen+ Cap Choices books, but it was kicked off mid-year, so there's no point keeping it on my list. Kicked off of 2015favorites list 10/12, by Last Leaves Falling...
April 20, 2015
Richie’s Picks: THE KIDNEY HYPOTHETICAL: OR HOW TO RUIN YOUR LIFE IN SEVEN DAYS by Lisa Yee, Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, March 2015, 272p., ISBN: 978-0-545-23094-0
“What do you want from life?”
-- The Tubes (1975)
“’You think I’m a jerk just because I’m going to Harvard? Wait. Correction. Might go to Harvard.’
“’I think you’re a bourgeoisie jerk for even wanting to go there in the first place. Do you know what kind of people go to places like that?’ Monarch didn’t wait for my answer. ‘Rich people who don’t give a shit about others. Rich people who live off of their daddy’s money, and live in a bubble, and are too scared to stand up for themselves.’
“Clearly this was a sore point for her.
“’Did you take an SAT class?’ she asked.
“I nodded.
“’Did you have a college admissions coach?’
“I nodded.
“’Did you apply to multiple colleges?’
“I nodded.
“’Did you retake your SAT to bring your average up?’
“I nodded.
“’Did your parents pull strings to help you?’
“I nodded.
“’Well?’ she said.”
Higgs Boson Bing has looks, charm, grades, extracurriculars, and a hot-looking girlfriend, Roo. He’s taken all of the steps necessary to become the third in his paternal line to attend Harvard in preparation for becoming a family dentist. A week before high school graduation, the only question to be answered seems to be whether he’ll beat out his academic rival and co-valedictorian Zandler Findley for Student of the Year.
But then, in the middle of the Senior Cruise, his best friend’s girlfriend (who is also his girlfriend’s best friend) poses a hypothetical question: “Higgs, if Roo needed a kidney, would you give her one of yours?” Higgs’s reaction leads Roo to break up with him. Over the chaotic week that follows, that breakup, and a new friendship with an insightful teen girl who mysteriously lives alone in the woods, unravels a decade’s worth of plans and expectations. Higgs comes to realize that he’s paying a heavy price for going along with the program.
For a fun contemporary teen read, there is a lot to chew on here about the competitiveness of school, attitudes of entitlement, and the motivations behind pursuit of higher education. There is also a lot about friendship. This coming-of-age tale could well have college-bound teens examining their assumptions and digging deeper to discover their passions and interests.
Underlying all of these other issues in THE KIDNEY HYPOTHETICAL is the issue of how we unwittingly permit our parents’ hopes, fears, beliefs, habits, and screwed-up behavior to affect the direction we follow in life. It is difficult for teens to simultaneously straddle their parents’ expectations while becoming individuals. Higgs’s engaging story of finding himself while dealing with his family and friends will ring true for many an adolescent reader. The writing style, with quick changes and rapid delivery, is a natural for kids who live at an equivalent pace.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
https://www.facebook.com/richie.parti...
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_...
“What do you want from life?”
-- The Tubes (1975)
“’You think I’m a jerk just because I’m going to Harvard? Wait. Correction. Might go to Harvard.’
“’I think you’re a bourgeoisie jerk for even wanting to go there in the first place. Do you know what kind of people go to places like that?’ Monarch didn’t wait for my answer. ‘Rich people who don’t give a shit about others. Rich people who live off of their daddy’s money, and live in a bubble, and are too scared to stand up for themselves.’
“Clearly this was a sore point for her.
“’Did you take an SAT class?’ she asked.
“I nodded.
“’Did you have a college admissions coach?’
“I nodded.
“’Did you apply to multiple colleges?’
“I nodded.
“’Did you retake your SAT to bring your average up?’
“I nodded.
“’Did your parents pull strings to help you?’
“I nodded.
“’Well?’ she said.”
Higgs Boson Bing has looks, charm, grades, extracurriculars, and a hot-looking girlfriend, Roo. He’s taken all of the steps necessary to become the third in his paternal line to attend Harvard in preparation for becoming a family dentist. A week before high school graduation, the only question to be answered seems to be whether he’ll beat out his academic rival and co-valedictorian Zandler Findley for Student of the Year.
But then, in the middle of the Senior Cruise, his best friend’s girlfriend (who is also his girlfriend’s best friend) poses a hypothetical question: “Higgs, if Roo needed a kidney, would you give her one of yours?” Higgs’s reaction leads Roo to break up with him. Over the chaotic week that follows, that breakup, and a new friendship with an insightful teen girl who mysteriously lives alone in the woods, unravels a decade’s worth of plans and expectations. Higgs comes to realize that he’s paying a heavy price for going along with the program.
For a fun contemporary teen read, there is a lot to chew on here about the competitiveness of school, attitudes of entitlement, and the motivations behind pursuit of higher education. There is also a lot about friendship. This coming-of-age tale could well have college-bound teens examining their assumptions and digging deeper to discover their passions and interests.
Underlying all of these other issues in THE KIDNEY HYPOTHETICAL is the issue of how we unwittingly permit our parents’ hopes, fears, beliefs, habits, and screwed-up behavior to affect the direction we follow in life. It is difficult for teens to simultaneously straddle their parents’ expectations while becoming individuals. Higgs’s engaging story of finding himself while dealing with his family and friends will ring true for many an adolescent reader. The writing style, with quick changes and rapid delivery, is a natural for kids who live at an equivalent pace.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
https://www.facebook.com/richie.parti...
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_...
August 12, 2016
I was so in love with Millicent Min, Girl Genius in middle school, so obviously I was super psyched for this -- and it was good! Higgs Boson is an overambitious jerk, but also sort of a sweetie (gardening nerd! aww!). That he falls for a ~edgy bad girl~ (heh) is a kind of awesome different take on the usual girl-falls-for-bad-boy business.
Of course, usually I have zero patience for ~edgy cool kids~ who are 99% of the time spoiled and privileged, with no sense of family obligation or responsibility. BUT THE TWIST ENDING MAN it made everything so, so right.
Basically, this is cute and you should read it. Like nothing mind-blowing, but good stuff. (Or my fondness for Millicent Min is speaking.)
Of course, usually I have zero patience for ~edgy cool kids~ who are 99% of the time spoiled and privileged, with no sense of family obligation or responsibility. BUT THE TWIST ENDING MAN it made everything so, so right.
Basically, this is cute and you should read it. Like nothing mind-blowing, but good stuff. (Or my fondness for Millicent Min is speaking.)
May 22, 2015
This book appears to be the first of Lisa Yee's in the YA genre, and it's a great start! The Kidney Hypothetical is a fast-paced, entertaining, and surprising read. I truly enjoyed it.
The novel is not an earth-moving novel that people are likely to gush over, but it definitely has a message, comparable to other popular, gushable YA novels (i.e. Paper Towns).
I was surprised by the ending, but not shocked. I won't spoil it here with details, but I will say the conclusion rapidly took me from "Yea!" to "Okay." to "What?" to "Wait a minute..." to "Okay, yeah. That's cool." all in a few pages.
The story held my attention throughout, although I wondered where it was going at times. But it all made sense once I got to the end.
If you're looking for a good ride with a twisting, turning ending, The Kidney Hypothetical is for you.
The novel is not an earth-moving novel that people are likely to gush over, but it definitely has a message, comparable to other popular, gushable YA novels (i.e. Paper Towns).
I was surprised by the ending, but not shocked. I won't spoil it here with details, but I will say the conclusion rapidly took me from "Yea!" to "Okay." to "What?" to "Wait a minute..." to "Okay, yeah. That's cool." all in a few pages.
The story held my attention throughout, although I wondered where it was going at times. But it all made sense once I got to the end.
If you're looking for a good ride with a twisting, turning ending, The Kidney Hypothetical is for you.
January 7, 2015
One little question-- "If your girlfriend were dying, would you give her one of your kidneys?"-- brings about the rapid downfall of Higgs Boson Bing, during what should be the best week of his life. He's days away from graduating from high school and heading to Harvard in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. How has he suddenly come to a place where his girlfriend (um, EX-girlfriend) has convinced all the females at Sally Ride HS that he's the devil incarnate; Harvard is re-evaluating the offer they extended to him; and his parents' marriage is falling apart? Quirky characters make this a fun read in which Higgs learns that his previous ideas of success may need a little tweaking.
September 6, 2015
I'm so over these types of stories. John Green (who I really admire) got the ball rolling on the "dweeb-kid-meets-manic-pixie-girl" schtick and now cliched books are falling from the skies.
Higgs life is falling apart all over a dumb question his girlfriend asked, and now the whole school hates him. The only person that can get him over it is the wild child he meets out in the woods.
Yeah. Over it.
Higgs life is falling apart all over a dumb question his girlfriend asked, and now the whole school hates him. The only person that can get him over it is the wild child he meets out in the woods.
Yeah. Over it.
March 20, 2015
Grating and irritating. The premise/disagreement that launches the events in the book is beyond dumb. Far too much yelling and name calling, which I think was supposed to pass as humor but falls flat. The level of hate and retribution leveled at the main character is weird and out of proportion. Only reason for two stars instead of one is that the author touches on why some kids are driven to achieve and sheds a light on the down sides of achievement for achievement's sake.
October 29, 2024
"It was supposed to be the best week of my life, but then everything went terribly wrong. Actually, things had gone terribly wrong long before that, but no one had bothered to notice."
This was an easy, low-stakes, YA read that I read in a day. It's certainly nothing earth shattering, but it kept my interest and didn't try to do too much. I will say, I'm personally kind of over the straight-laced-boy-meets-manic-mysterious-girl-and-second-guesses-everything-about-himself trope, but other than that the story was pretty cute, and it had a good balance of humorous and heartfelt moments.
This was an easy, low-stakes, YA read that I read in a day. It's certainly nothing earth shattering, but it kept my interest and didn't try to do too much. I will say, I'm personally kind of over the straight-laced-boy-meets-manic-mysterious-girl-and-second-guesses-everything-about-himself trope, but other than that the story was pretty cute, and it had a good balance of humorous and heartfelt moments.
dnf-2016-onward
December 21, 2021dnf @ 36%
this is so unbelievably bad
this is so unbelievably bad
September 28, 2016
I really enjoyed this book, and I'm glad I read it before shelving! A fast read with short chapters and enough of a story to keep it moving. I will only mark this book HS/YA for my middle school readers who are much more advanced and mature. While the content is innocent in nature the overuse of some language could be bothersome. However mild in nature compared to a lot of YA books. Told from a senior boy's perspective who has lived the life his parents have wanted and in the shadow of his deceased brother until he meets Monarch who helps him see who he really is. This book is light and funny, yet with enough weight to consider one's own path in life.
May 29, 2015
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: *****
Pages: 266
Should I Be Concerned? Frequent and harsh swearing but no sex.
Prom king. Debate captain. Harvard early admission. Higgs Boson Bing is a high school success-until his girlfriend asks, hypothetically, if he'd donate a kidney to save her life. When he says no, she takes it as a personal betrayal. The next day, the entire school's turned against him. He can't take a step down the hall without passing a "Higgs Bing is a Dinky Dick" poster. His best friend's stopped speaking to him. And that Society for Animal Protection he listed on his application? Yeah, someone tipped off Harvard that it had two members and never actually saved an animal.
The entire faculty, from the janitor to the principal, is more than happy to watch his life of privilege crumble around him. At home, his mom's too busy grieving for his perfect older brother to help. Meahwhile, his dad's obsession with having a second Harvard bound son blocks him from seeing Higgs' real needs.
He needs an ally-and he finds her in a beaten up trailer by the river.
Monarch couldn't be farther from the Ivy League crowd Higgs once called friends. She has dark eyeshadow, a butterfly tattoo, and a reckless sense of adventure. Whether they're launching a pet store raid to make Higgs a true animal defender or just handing out in her trailer doesn't matter. She makes him feel more alive than his two-kidneyed girlfriend ever did.
Hanging out with Monarch may get him arrested, but with seven days to graduation, it's time he started living.
This book was perfect for me. I don't know if it will hit the spot for anyone else, but it did for me. Usually when I read a book, it's an errand months in the making. I mark the release date on my calendar, take my sweet time finding a copy, and then put it in my monstrous To Be Read.
Kidney Hypothetical wasn't like that. I picked it up on a whim, read the jacket flap, and ended up taking it home. The fact that I went to the library seven days before graduation might've had something to do with it. In the world of fiction, breakups and betrayals are fueled by some dramatic incident. In real life, they fall apart because of petty pride and escalating arguments. I've never seen a work of fiction ground that particular piece of reality into a story. At least, not a non-comedy.
It's grittier than what I usually read, and Higgs' trainwrecked life hits some pretty low points, but his wacky escapades and the sheer absurdity of his situation provides comic relief. Kidney Hypothetical is more applicable to my life than any book I've read in the last year. I would've stayed up all night to finish it, but I wanted to drag it out and savor the taste.
Rating: *****
Pages: 266
Should I Be Concerned? Frequent and harsh swearing but no sex.
Prom king. Debate captain. Harvard early admission. Higgs Boson Bing is a high school success-until his girlfriend asks, hypothetically, if he'd donate a kidney to save her life. When he says no, she takes it as a personal betrayal. The next day, the entire school's turned against him. He can't take a step down the hall without passing a "Higgs Bing is a Dinky Dick" poster. His best friend's stopped speaking to him. And that Society for Animal Protection he listed on his application? Yeah, someone tipped off Harvard that it had two members and never actually saved an animal.
The entire faculty, from the janitor to the principal, is more than happy to watch his life of privilege crumble around him. At home, his mom's too busy grieving for his perfect older brother to help. Meahwhile, his dad's obsession with having a second Harvard bound son blocks him from seeing Higgs' real needs.
He needs an ally-and he finds her in a beaten up trailer by the river.
Monarch couldn't be farther from the Ivy League crowd Higgs once called friends. She has dark eyeshadow, a butterfly tattoo, and a reckless sense of adventure. Whether they're launching a pet store raid to make Higgs a true animal defender or just handing out in her trailer doesn't matter. She makes him feel more alive than his two-kidneyed girlfriend ever did.
Hanging out with Monarch may get him arrested, but with seven days to graduation, it's time he started living.
This book was perfect for me. I don't know if it will hit the spot for anyone else, but it did for me. Usually when I read a book, it's an errand months in the making. I mark the release date on my calendar, take my sweet time finding a copy, and then put it in my monstrous To Be Read.
Kidney Hypothetical wasn't like that. I picked it up on a whim, read the jacket flap, and ended up taking it home. The fact that I went to the library seven days before graduation might've had something to do with it. In the world of fiction, breakups and betrayals are fueled by some dramatic incident. In real life, they fall apart because of petty pride and escalating arguments. I've never seen a work of fiction ground that particular piece of reality into a story. At least, not a non-comedy.
It's grittier than what I usually read, and Higgs' trainwrecked life hits some pretty low points, but his wacky escapades and the sheer absurdity of his situation provides comic relief. Kidney Hypothetical is more applicable to my life than any book I've read in the last year. I would've stayed up all night to finish it, but I wanted to drag it out and savor the taste.
April 4, 2015
All cards on the table — when I heard that Lisa Yee was coming out with The Kidney Hypothetical, I fell out of my chair. That’s how psyched I was for it. I mean, Yee’s book Millicent Min, Girl Genius was one of my favorite books in middle school, right up there with Harry Potter. So I had high expectations going into this… and I wasn’t disappointed.
In The Kidney Hypothetical, Higgs Boson Bing is this perfect high-achieving kid on his way to Harvard, until he flunks a hypothetical question posed to him by his girlfriend. Then, suddenly, his life isn’t so perfect… He manages to ruin his life in seven days, and this feat is narrated from his perspective. That he manages to still come across as a fleshed-out, flawed-yet-lovable character is impressive. Even as you get to know him (he’s a cocky know-it-all! but also a huge gardening nerd! awww), you see him grow as a character in the span of the seven days of the book. In fiction, character growth often feels either contrived, or completely neglected. Higgs is the exception — maturation happens, and it works.
The Kidney Hypothetical is definitely a fun, light-hearted read with moments of depth driven by Higgs’s relationships. Higgs may be the focus, but his family and friends all come across as fully-realized characters with stories of their own. For instance, I would love to read a follow-up book about Higgs’s sister Charlie…
Having gone to fairly competitive high school (86% Asian and nearly everyone except me took SAT classes), Higgs’s hyper-competitive attitude and cultural background resonated with me. I’m used to enjoying books without relating to them. I’m not a rich boarding school kid, or a vampire socialite, or a white girl fighting to take down a dystopian government. And I’m no Harvard-bound high-achieving teenage boy named after a particle, either, but I could relate — for once, I could relate.
When I was in middle school, I wasn’t a genius named Millicent Min, but I was an Asian girl searching for someone like me on the library shelves, and I found it. Reading The Kidney Hypothetical was another one of those moments.
Recommendation: Buy it when it comes out on March 31st, 2015!
In The Kidney Hypothetical, Higgs Boson Bing is this perfect high-achieving kid on his way to Harvard, until he flunks a hypothetical question posed to him by his girlfriend. Then, suddenly, his life isn’t so perfect… He manages to ruin his life in seven days, and this feat is narrated from his perspective. That he manages to still come across as a fleshed-out, flawed-yet-lovable character is impressive. Even as you get to know him (he’s a cocky know-it-all! but also a huge gardening nerd! awww), you see him grow as a character in the span of the seven days of the book. In fiction, character growth often feels either contrived, or completely neglected. Higgs is the exception — maturation happens, and it works.
The Kidney Hypothetical is definitely a fun, light-hearted read with moments of depth driven by Higgs’s relationships. Higgs may be the focus, but his family and friends all come across as fully-realized characters with stories of their own. For instance, I would love to read a follow-up book about Higgs’s sister Charlie…
Having gone to fairly competitive high school (86% Asian and nearly everyone except me took SAT classes), Higgs’s hyper-competitive attitude and cultural background resonated with me. I’m used to enjoying books without relating to them. I’m not a rich boarding school kid, or a vampire socialite, or a white girl fighting to take down a dystopian government. And I’m no Harvard-bound high-achieving teenage boy named after a particle, either, but I could relate — for once, I could relate.
When I was in middle school, I wasn’t a genius named Millicent Min, but I was an Asian girl searching for someone like me on the library shelves, and I found it. Reading The Kidney Hypothetical was another one of those moments.
Recommendation: Buy it when it comes out on March 31st, 2015!
April 10, 2015
The Kidney Hypothetical by Lisa Yee – Release Date- March 31st, 2015 – Realistic Fiction – 6th grade and up – What a fantastic novel. I loved Lisa’s main character who reminded me of her other characters, in a good way. I appreciate how he’s struggled to life in the shadow of his older brother, dealt with parent expectations, and is just starting, as a graduating senior in high school to find out who he is and what he wants to do in life. I was reminded of Jerri Spinelli’s Star Girl for part of the book and loved the layers that Lisa placed on the character as he dealt with a change in popularity, getting bullied, and his future possibly crashing down around him. I would hate to give away anything so I’ll just say this book is thoroughly engrossing. Couldn’t stop reading and enjoying until the very end. Appreciated every minute.
Book Talk: Higgs is about to ruin his life. All it takes is a simple answer to a question. One answer. Will Higgs ruin everything? What will happen to his future once he answers the question? Read to find out more.
Book Talk: Higgs is about to ruin his life. All it takes is a simple answer to a question. One answer. Will Higgs ruin everything? What will happen to his future once he answers the question? Read to find out more.
October 26, 2015
Higgs Boson Bing has been dating Roo for over two years. While Higgs is firmly planted on the graduation stage as the valedictorian, but girlfriend, Roo will be sitting on the back row. But, she's beautiful and fun, so it's all good huh? Until one day someone asks;
"Higgs, if Roo needed a kidney, would you give her one of yours?” A simple question, no? But when Higgs Boson Bing refuses to answer the question, claiming he doesn’t like hypotheticals, his last week of high school takes a turn for the worse.
The epic downfall of Higgs Boson, once one the school’s elite, is suddenly and I mean the whole book spans a short 7 days, becomes an object of ridicule around his school. His best friend practically turns his back on him and all the cringe-worthy memories of his high school career are brought back to him in this painful seven-day period. In the midst of all this, his parents’ marriage is falling apart and his acceptance to Harvard is being re-evaluated due to a bogus community service act that sounded good on paper, but not in reality.
"Higgs, if Roo needed a kidney, would you give her one of yours?” A simple question, no? But when Higgs Boson Bing refuses to answer the question, claiming he doesn’t like hypotheticals, his last week of high school takes a turn for the worse.
The epic downfall of Higgs Boson, once one the school’s elite, is suddenly and I mean the whole book spans a short 7 days, becomes an object of ridicule around his school. His best friend practically turns his back on him and all the cringe-worthy memories of his high school career are brought back to him in this painful seven-day period. In the midst of all this, his parents’ marriage is falling apart and his acceptance to Harvard is being re-evaluated due to a bogus community service act that sounded good on paper, but not in reality.
May 23, 2015
I dislike teen romance stories. BUT bonus points to the author for having the main character break up with his girlfriend in Chapter Two. :) At first, I wasn’t sure if I’d like this book but I found the story written well and there was enough of a story line to keep me interested. The book is young YA level (reading and content). It is a short read but the story moves along at a good pace and it feels complete when you are done. The characters were well-rounded but parts of the plot seemed a bit unrealistic- Higgs gives up going to Harvard?!? The story overall keeps the reader’s attention and there are some thoughtful moments between Higgs and Monarch (a girl Higgs befriends after he broke up with his girlfriend). There wasn’t the WOW factor for me in the story to say run to the bookstore to buy it, but it is definitely worth a read.
*NOTE* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
*NOTE* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
June 1, 2015
Maybe it was because I read this book immediately after seeing a number of plays that were written by actual teenagers that I didn't much care for this book. The plays had more depth than this book. The book was amusing enough, and I finished it, but the characters all seemed like caricatures, and none of them were very likable. Even in high school, are kids really as superficial as Roo, or even Higgs, the main character? The ending, although understandable, and probably more realistic than anything else the author could have come up with, was not satisfying to me.
December 6, 2016
This is an entertaining story about the pressure that some teens feel from parents to live-up-to certain expectations and the challenge of carving your own path. Protagonist Higgs is a bit of a jerk, and some of the secondary characters and plots feel underdeveloped, but the message gets through without being preachy. There are a couple of semi-surprising twists which will be easy to figure out if you are paying attention, but it won't take away from teens enjoying this book. Some swearing but no sexual content.
March 16, 2015
Sometimes a break up is a blessing, except in high school when it's over a hypothetical question and it ruins your reputation and your relationship with your best friend to boot. Higgs has to find a way to navigate his last week of high school, when everything goes wrong. We learn about his past little by little--never too much exposition at once. I liked this book, it's written well and the story is interesting, especially for teens trapped in their own social groups.
April 14, 2015
I absolutely loved this book. I think Bing is an amazing character who is flawed but relatable. It was also great to see how exactly his life could spiral downward.It gets a little wild toward the end of the week, but I liked how he reexamines his life throughout the adventures. I also found his relationship with Monarch to be refreshing and enjoyed reading about a strong female character.
September 30, 2016
So this was my random bookshelf buy for the month and I have to say it was meh. The story was interesting at first but I feel like it started to drag on and random things were happening for what seemed like no reason. There were a couple of things that surprised me which is why the book was still readable but it's nothing great. The writing though I will say was good.
October 2, 2016
There's a lot of things to like about this book. But I just couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to buy the ending.
Yee has done an admirable job of providing the backstory and explanation as to why the main character, Higgs Boson Bing, is an obnoxious, entitled young man. I particularly appreciated that she shows the reader some of the quirks that make him more human and likeable.
Yee has done an admirable job of providing the backstory and explanation as to why the main character, Higgs Boson Bing, is an obnoxious, entitled young man. I particularly appreciated that she shows the reader some of the quirks that make him more human and likeable.
May 7, 2015
How to be a jerk and seven days later learn you are still pretty much a jerk but it's okay because so are all your friends and your family. The book is fine although a bit predictable. The only likable character is Charlie and we don't get to see enough of her.
June 21, 2016
Higgs is living his life according to someone else's plan, he gets a wake up call from the most unlikely person and it rocks his self perception and his future. Good book for any young adult who is planning the next steps in life.
May 29, 2015
A fun, insightful page-turner with depth and humor. I loved following Higgs on his journey from king-of-the-world to potential Harvard reject/loser. So funny and fun but with real poignant moments.
May 23, 2015
Had a hard time getting into this one, but was glad I kept reading. Main character was excellent, the rest I just didn't connect with.
May 28, 2015
I loved this book and thought its opening chapter could be a model for opening chapters everywhere.
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