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The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak
Perfect for fans of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight , The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak is Stonewall Award–winning author Brian Katcher's hilarious he said/she said romance about two teens discovering themselves on an out-of-this-world accidental first date at a sci-fi convention. When Ana Watson's brother ditches a high school trip to run wild at Washingcon, type-A Ana knows that she must find him or risk her last shot at freedom from her extra-controlling parents. In her desperation, she's forced to enlist the last person she'd ever want to spend time with—slacker Zak Duquette—to help find her brother before morning comes. But over the course of the night, while being chased by hordes of costumed Vikings and zombies, Ana and Zak begin to open up to each other. Soon, what starts as the most insane nerdfighter manhunt transforms into so much more. . . .
352 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2015
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March 5, 2020
There are moments when I feel really ancient. I think this is one of those moments. I really wanted to like this book but my inner spinster just took hold of me and deconstructed what appears to be a cute story into: characters that lacked depth, an improbable plot that is almost absurd, and a tone that feels more tween than YA.
Like any unlikely love story, both Ana and Zak come from completely different worlds. Zak is a slacker who is really smart but doesn't apply himself, almost to the point that I think he's trying too hard to prove that he's not trying at all. Ana is Type-A, focused solely on college and extra-curriculars, no-nonsense, and raised by super strict parents. Both characters have underlying “reasons” that are supposed to make me empathize with their extreme personalities, but I feel like I didn’t spend enough time with the characters at home to really feel immersed in the family drama and struggles that crafted their personalities.
A majority of the book takes place over one night, with Ana and Zak running around a sci-fi convention looking for Ana’s little brother. They find themselves in situations that keep getting more ridiculous as the story flows. While there were some funny scenarios and pop culture references, some of the situations felt really forced. There’s no way two people can get in that much trouble in such a short time span, nor have such bad luck. Most of the secondary characters lacked depth, solely to propel the plot of the evening along, or to make Zak seem like a player. The last quarter of the book introduced a plot point so absurd to conclude the evening, that I thought it was a prank being pulled on the characters.
There’s a lot of situational comedy, and Zak and Ana’s attraction feels more like a young, misplaced crush more than a legitimate romance between two almost adults. Even though I enjoy the “opposites attract” trope, Ana and Zak lacked sharing so many fundamental attitudes and behaviors that I see them more driving each other up the wall than dating happily ever after. “Improbable” is indeed a good word to describe this coupling, and the book didn’t prove it’s improbable theory of romance to me by the end.
One thing I can say though, the book is a page turner, and I finished it in a day. So if you like a quick read and a cute story, just dismiss me as a jaded old maid, and pick up "The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak"!
Like any unlikely love story, both Ana and Zak come from completely different worlds. Zak is a slacker who is really smart but doesn't apply himself, almost to the point that I think he's trying too hard to prove that he's not trying at all. Ana is Type-A, focused solely on college and extra-curriculars, no-nonsense, and raised by super strict parents. Both characters have underlying “reasons” that are supposed to make me empathize with their extreme personalities, but I feel like I didn’t spend enough time with the characters at home to really feel immersed in the family drama and struggles that crafted their personalities.
A majority of the book takes place over one night, with Ana and Zak running around a sci-fi convention looking for Ana’s little brother. They find themselves in situations that keep getting more ridiculous as the story flows. While there were some funny scenarios and pop culture references, some of the situations felt really forced. There’s no way two people can get in that much trouble in such a short time span, nor have such bad luck. Most of the secondary characters lacked depth, solely to propel the plot of the evening along, or to make Zak seem like a player. The last quarter of the book introduced a plot point so absurd to conclude the evening, that I thought it was a prank being pulled on the characters.
There’s a lot of situational comedy, and Zak and Ana’s attraction feels more like a young, misplaced crush more than a legitimate romance between two almost adults. Even though I enjoy the “opposites attract” trope, Ana and Zak lacked sharing so many fundamental attitudes and behaviors that I see them more driving each other up the wall than dating happily ever after. “Improbable” is indeed a good word to describe this coupling, and the book didn’t prove it’s improbable theory of romance to me by the end.
One thing I can say though, the book is a page turner, and I finished it in a day. So if you like a quick read and a cute story, just dismiss me as a jaded old maid, and pick up "The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak"!
May 15, 2015
More reviews and bookish fun over at The Social Potato!
Things to Expect from The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak:
1.) Two wonderfully-portrayed main characters. Ana and Zak both have very different and distinct personalities. Both were a bit hard to like at first (Ana was pretty stuck up, and Zak was an arrogant prick), but as they continued to learn more about each other and themselves, I realized that I've grown quite attached to them. Both went through a lot of character development, and I appreciated that a lot.
2.) Hilarious banter. If you didn't know, I'm actually hard to please when it comes to humorous books. But this one was making me laugh out loud. Both the characters were quirky and sassy, and the banter between them was just spot-on.
3.) Geektastic pop culture references. I love pop culture references! Unfortunately, some of the references were lost on me since I'm not really a gamer, but if you are, you're definitely going to appreciate this book!
4.) Underlying themes and life lessons. While this book was mostly just light and fun, you're going to realize things about yourself and other people while reading. You're going to find that trust doesn't come easily, but it can be learned. You're going to think about how some people have more in them then you first thought they did.
5.) A odd cast of secondary characters that you may or may not love.The side characters in this book were definitely... intense, in a way. They had such strong personalities, and sometimes they just a bit overwhelming. There were also times when they made me want to poke their eyes with a stick.
6.) A cute plot... that goes awry. I was loving all the geekiness in the convention--things were cute and exciting, until the last maybe 20% of the book. A certainfucking weird scene happened, and it basically came out of nowhere!
Overall:
I'd recommend The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak to all the geeks (and geek lovers) out there who want to feel empowered, and for non-geeks who want to learn more about all the fabulous geek fandoms. But if you're not a fan of illogical/unrealistic stories, maybe this won't be for you.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Things to Expect from The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak:
1.) Two wonderfully-portrayed main characters. Ana and Zak both have very different and distinct personalities. Both were a bit hard to like at first (Ana was pretty stuck up, and Zak was an arrogant prick), but as they continued to learn more about each other and themselves, I realized that I've grown quite attached to them. Both went through a lot of character development, and I appreciated that a lot.
2.) Hilarious banter. If you didn't know, I'm actually hard to please when it comes to humorous books. But this one was making me laugh out loud. Both the characters were quirky and sassy, and the banter between them was just spot-on.
3.) Geektastic pop culture references. I love pop culture references! Unfortunately, some of the references were lost on me since I'm not really a gamer, but if you are, you're definitely going to appreciate this book!
4.) Underlying themes and life lessons. While this book was mostly just light and fun, you're going to realize things about yourself and other people while reading. You're going to find that trust doesn't come easily, but it can be learned. You're going to think about how some people have more in them then you first thought they did.
5.) A odd cast of secondary characters that you may or may not love.The side characters in this book were definitely... intense, in a way. They had such strong personalities, and sometimes they just a bit overwhelming. There were also times when they made me want to poke their eyes with a stick.
6.) A cute plot... that goes awry. I was loving all the geekiness in the convention--things were cute and exciting, until the last maybe 20% of the book. A certain
Overall:
I'd recommend The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak to all the geeks (and geek lovers) out there who want to feel empowered, and for non-geeks who want to learn more about all the fabulous geek fandoms. But if you're not a fan of illogical/unrealistic stories, maybe this won't be for you.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
June 29, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
I was going to be generous and give this book 2.5 or 3 stars, but I’m afraid it just irritated me way too much for that.
Ana and Zak both annoyed me in this book, because they were freaking idiots! Who cuts and pastes information from Wikipedia and hands it in at school as an essay (complete with hyperlinks?). Zak. He is really that big of an idiot that he would not only cheat, but be surprised when his teacher calls him on it! Of course you’re going to get in trouble!
“This is cheating Zak. Academic dishonesty. I know most of you don’t take this class seriously, but it’s a real course just the same. I’m going to have to take this to the principal.”
Ana was also an idiot. She came across as okay at the start of the book, but then her true colours started showing through. Who pulls a fire alarm at a convention as a distraction so that they can get away from someone? Oh yes, Ana. What an idiot! And then, in typical Zak fashion, she’s surprised when she’s caught and in trouble! I mean really?! Does she have any idea how much setting fire alarms off costs the fire department? How many lives are risked because the fire service are attending fake fires?! I want to fine her myself!
“Then the sprinklers activate. Streams of chemical-green liquid rain down on the room, drenching everyone’s very expensive cards.
I did not see that coming.”
That’s because you’re an idiot!
The storyline in this didn’t wow me either. After being caught with his fake essay, Zak is forced to be part of a school quiz team as a way to work off his debt without the principle getting involved, not that he’s happy about this, oh no! He’s annoyed because his favourite comic book convention is that same weekend. Boo freaking hoo. Ana and Zak end up at the convention after Ana’s younger brother runs off to go there, and then we get a non-wonderful story where Ana and Zak are trying to track down Ana’s brother. To say that this was less then enthralling is an understatement.
“Maybe it’s time we call in an amber alert. Let security find your brother.”
And other things that annoyed me (there are a lot of them) -
Right, I’ve seriously had enough of this book now. Let’s just say that the book was irritating, I didn’t like the romance, and I seriously cannot wait to delete this off my kindle. Yuck.
4 out of 10
I was going to be generous and give this book 2.5 or 3 stars, but I’m afraid it just irritated me way too much for that.
Ana and Zak both annoyed me in this book, because they were freaking idiots! Who cuts and pastes information from Wikipedia and hands it in at school as an essay (complete with hyperlinks?). Zak. He is really that big of an idiot that he would not only cheat, but be surprised when his teacher calls him on it! Of course you’re going to get in trouble!
“This is cheating Zak. Academic dishonesty. I know most of you don’t take this class seriously, but it’s a real course just the same. I’m going to have to take this to the principal.”
Ana was also an idiot. She came across as okay at the start of the book, but then her true colours started showing through. Who pulls a fire alarm at a convention as a distraction so that they can get away from someone? Oh yes, Ana. What an idiot! And then, in typical Zak fashion, she’s surprised when she’s caught and in trouble! I mean really?! Does she have any idea how much setting fire alarms off costs the fire department? How many lives are risked because the fire service are attending fake fires?! I want to fine her myself!
“Then the sprinklers activate. Streams of chemical-green liquid rain down on the room, drenching everyone’s very expensive cards.
I did not see that coming.”
That’s because you’re an idiot!
The storyline in this didn’t wow me either. After being caught with his fake essay, Zak is forced to be part of a school quiz team as a way to work off his debt without the principle getting involved, not that he’s happy about this, oh no! He’s annoyed because his favourite comic book convention is that same weekend. Boo freaking hoo. Ana and Zak end up at the convention after Ana’s younger brother runs off to go there, and then we get a non-wonderful story where Ana and Zak are trying to track down Ana’s brother. To say that this was less then enthralling is an understatement.
“Maybe it’s time we call in an amber alert. Let security find your brother.”
And other things that annoyed me (there are a lot of them) -
Right, I’ve seriously had enough of this book now. Let’s just say that the book was irritating, I didn’t like the romance, and I seriously cannot wait to delete this off my kindle. Yuck.
4 out of 10
September 28, 2017
3.5 stars
A fun hilarious read about a nerdy girl (Ana) and a geeky boy’s (Zak’s) 24-hour unexpected adventure that starts at a quiz bowl tournament, a sci-fi convention where the two barely survive a hilarious, crazy and almost deadly stuff in search of Ana’s little brother, Clayton. It felt like watching a rom-com movie and I enjoyed it.
The main characters are both very distinct. They’re both the same and different. Both geeks in their own right although one is a slacker and the other an over-achiever. Both are going through family troubles but at the end of their adventure, they both arrive at realizations about both themselves and their families.
Sometimes books just exactly have to be entertaining and fun. I knew I had good reason buying the book for its cute cover.
A fun hilarious read about a nerdy girl (Ana) and a geeky boy’s (Zak’s) 24-hour unexpected adventure that starts at a quiz bowl tournament, a sci-fi convention where the two barely survive a hilarious, crazy and almost deadly stuff in search of Ana’s little brother, Clayton. It felt like watching a rom-com movie and I enjoyed it.
The main characters are both very distinct. They’re both the same and different. Both geeks in their own right although one is a slacker and the other an over-achiever. Both are going through family troubles but at the end of their adventure, they both arrive at realizations about both themselves and their families.
Sometimes books just exactly have to be entertaining and fun. I knew I had good reason buying the book for its cute cover.
June 23, 2015
See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads
The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak is one of those laugh out loud, quirky contemporaries with fantastic underlying messages that every contemporary junkie needs to read. It’s definitely a book that I enjoyed, and apparently a spider agrees with me (it’s now dead though). Oh yes, I went to the bathroom the other day and when I came back to my desk, there was a huge ugly spider resting on my book. The horrors. I legit screamed and spent the next half an hour (okay, that’s an exaggeration) having a staring competition with the spider; I didn’t dare to leave the room because that dodgy spider would have totally ran off to hide, which would then consist of me flipping the entire house upside-down in search for it. IT’S ALWAYS WORSE WHEN YOU KNOW THERE’S A SPIDER BUT YOU CAN’T GODDAMN FIND IT. And I didn’t want to try and kill it with my old textbook because 1) WHAT THE HELL WOULD I DO IF I MISSED? THE SPIDER WOULD START SPAZZING AND I’D HAVE A PANIC ATTACK and 2) do I really want spider guts on my old textbooks? I mean, REALLY? Anyway my mum soon came home and saved the day. I think I’m just going to live with my mum when I grow up so I never have to deal with spiders. Ugh.
ANYWAY. I have obviously strayed off topic here. The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak is not a book about spiders taking over the universe by stealing all of Mel’s precious books. No, it is so much better than that; it’s a romantic comedy that is told in dual POV by two seemingly totally different people over the course of one day, set at a sci-fi themed convention (think ComicCon or any other geeky festivals). Con-goers and pop-culture addicts, meet your next favourite book.
Brian Katcher’s latest follows two teens who seem jarringly different on the surface. You have Ana, who sticks with the rules and is a straight A student. Then there’s Zak; he may seem like a slacker but he’s clearly been through more pain than anyone would have ever guessed. I don’t know how Katcher does it but he manages to create two fantastically well-rounded characters that held my equal attention. It’s not all that frequent that I can enjoy both perspectives in a dual POV novel, so I was really glad that these characters captivated me equally as much. Both Ana and Zak both have their flaws and are far from perfect, but their character development hits strong and feel so three-dimensional to me. Heck, I can even identify these characters with people I know in real life.
The romance is something I’m very neutral about. This being a novel set around only a couple of days, the romance obviously had to move quickly. I wouldn’t call this instant-love though. I think Ana and Zak’s chemistry is very much real and the way their relationship developed seems completely acceptable to me. They don’t end up saying their “I love yous” by the end of the book (thank God) but you can tell that their relationship is going to bloom with possibilities. The two of them are pretty darn cute together, and their banter managed to pull a smile on my face on several occasions.
My largest complaint about this book was that things got quite ridiculous about halfway into the book. I’ve never been to something like ComicCon but I was bewildered and just weirded out by some of the things that happened in this book. Many situations seemed unlikely to happen in real life. Basically, it got so unbelievable to the point where it really ruined my enjoyment and I had to put the book down.
Despite that, I really loved that this book had strong messages woven into the story line. The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak is a coming-of-age story that shows you that there are always two sides to a story, and that first-impressions aren’t always the impressions that are intended to stay, because everyone has more to than what they appear to be on the surface.
The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak is one of those laugh out loud, quirky contemporaries with fantastic underlying messages that every contemporary junkie needs to read. It’s definitely a book that I enjoyed, and apparently a spider agrees with me (it’s now dead though). Oh yes, I went to the bathroom the other day and when I came back to my desk, there was a huge ugly spider resting on my book. The horrors. I legit screamed and spent the next half an hour (okay, that’s an exaggeration) having a staring competition with the spider; I didn’t dare to leave the room because that dodgy spider would have totally ran off to hide, which would then consist of me flipping the entire house upside-down in search for it. IT’S ALWAYS WORSE WHEN YOU KNOW THERE’S A SPIDER BUT YOU CAN’T GODDAMN FIND IT. And I didn’t want to try and kill it with my old textbook because 1) WHAT THE HELL WOULD I DO IF I MISSED? THE SPIDER WOULD START SPAZZING AND I’D HAVE A PANIC ATTACK and 2) do I really want spider guts on my old textbooks? I mean, REALLY? Anyway my mum soon came home and saved the day. I think I’m just going to live with my mum when I grow up so I never have to deal with spiders. Ugh.
ANYWAY. I have obviously strayed off topic here. The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak is not a book about spiders taking over the universe by stealing all of Mel’s precious books. No, it is so much better than that; it’s a romantic comedy that is told in dual POV by two seemingly totally different people over the course of one day, set at a sci-fi themed convention (think ComicCon or any other geeky festivals). Con-goers and pop-culture addicts, meet your next favourite book.
Brian Katcher’s latest follows two teens who seem jarringly different on the surface. You have Ana, who sticks with the rules and is a straight A student. Then there’s Zak; he may seem like a slacker but he’s clearly been through more pain than anyone would have ever guessed. I don’t know how Katcher does it but he manages to create two fantastically well-rounded characters that held my equal attention. It’s not all that frequent that I can enjoy both perspectives in a dual POV novel, so I was really glad that these characters captivated me equally as much. Both Ana and Zak both have their flaws and are far from perfect, but their character development hits strong and feel so three-dimensional to me. Heck, I can even identify these characters with people I know in real life.
The romance is something I’m very neutral about. This being a novel set around only a couple of days, the romance obviously had to move quickly. I wouldn’t call this instant-love though. I think Ana and Zak’s chemistry is very much real and the way their relationship developed seems completely acceptable to me. They don’t end up saying their “I love yous” by the end of the book (thank God) but you can tell that their relationship is going to bloom with possibilities. The two of them are pretty darn cute together, and their banter managed to pull a smile on my face on several occasions.
My largest complaint about this book was that things got quite ridiculous about halfway into the book. I’ve never been to something like ComicCon but I was bewildered and just weirded out by some of the things that happened in this book. Many situations seemed unlikely to happen in real life. Basically, it got so unbelievable to the point where it really ruined my enjoyment and I had to put the book down.
Despite that, I really loved that this book had strong messages woven into the story line. The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak is a coming-of-age story that shows you that there are always two sides to a story, and that first-impressions aren’t always the impressions that are intended to stay, because everyone has more to than what they appear to be on the surface.
~Thank you HarperCollins Australia for sending me this copy!~
October 28, 2015
UNA NOVELA DIVERTIDA Y PARA FRIKIS COMO YO ♥
La improbable teoría de Ana y Zak es una novela juvenil realista cuya historia se articula en torno a la amistad que nace entre Ana y Zak, dos personajes bastante peculiares y que se salen mucho de la norma. Lo cogí sin saber qué esperarme de él y la verdad es que me ha gustado, me ha hecho reír y pasar un buen rato.
Esta novela no me ha parecido nada especial, no tene nada que la haga destacar dentro de lo ya escrito y por lo tanto tampoco la recomendaría a todo el mundo. No es especial, sencillamente. Pero te hace reír, pasar un buen rato, tiene unas escenas divertidísimas y entretiene muchísimo. Aunque no aporta nada nuevo ni deja huella, algo que, evidentemente, le resta puntos frente a otras novelas.
Aún así esta novela me ha gustado mucho. Tiene muchísimos puntos positivos que la hacen brillar y que han hecho que me guste.
Primero Ana y Zak. Qué personajes más geniales. Están muy bien construidos, tienen una voz propia muy fuerte y una caracterización única. Son frikis, sobre todo Zak, pero al fin y al cabo, frikis. Y me ha gustado mucho que lo fueran porque rompen esterotipos de la literatura juvenil. Ya estamos cansadas de ver siempre los mismos personajes.
En esta novela se rompe con el estereotipado personaje juvenil comercial. Ana y Zak son dos personajes entrañables y que se harán con el corazón de las lectoras. Son personajes muy bien trabajados y que se diferencian mucho el uno del otro.
La historia de la novela es simple pero llamativa. Me gustó ver cómo dos mundos tan diferentes, el de Ana y el de Zak, chocaban por una serie de coincidencias y no erna tan diferentes como parecían en un principio. La improbable teoría de Ana y Zak plantea una trama simple pero entretenida donde las convenciones frikis son las protagonistas. Y eso me ha gustado mucho también porque hace a esta novela diferente del resto.
En resumen, La improbable teoría de Ana y Zak ha sido una novela que me ha gustado bastante, que me ha entretenido y hecho reír, y que recomiendo, solo, a las personas frikis como yo y a las que disfruten de una historia divertida y cercana.
La improbable teoría de Ana y Zak es una novela juvenil realista cuya historia se articula en torno a la amistad que nace entre Ana y Zak, dos personajes bastante peculiares y que se salen mucho de la norma. Lo cogí sin saber qué esperarme de él y la verdad es que me ha gustado, me ha hecho reír y pasar un buen rato.
Esta novela no me ha parecido nada especial, no tene nada que la haga destacar dentro de lo ya escrito y por lo tanto tampoco la recomendaría a todo el mundo. No es especial, sencillamente. Pero te hace reír, pasar un buen rato, tiene unas escenas divertidísimas y entretiene muchísimo. Aunque no aporta nada nuevo ni deja huella, algo que, evidentemente, le resta puntos frente a otras novelas.
Aún así esta novela me ha gustado mucho. Tiene muchísimos puntos positivos que la hacen brillar y que han hecho que me guste.
Primero Ana y Zak. Qué personajes más geniales. Están muy bien construidos, tienen una voz propia muy fuerte y una caracterización única. Son frikis, sobre todo Zak, pero al fin y al cabo, frikis. Y me ha gustado mucho que lo fueran porque rompen esterotipos de la literatura juvenil. Ya estamos cansadas de ver siempre los mismos personajes.
En esta novela se rompe con el estereotipado personaje juvenil comercial. Ana y Zak son dos personajes entrañables y que se harán con el corazón de las lectoras. Son personajes muy bien trabajados y que se diferencian mucho el uno del otro.
La historia de la novela es simple pero llamativa. Me gustó ver cómo dos mundos tan diferentes, el de Ana y el de Zak, chocaban por una serie de coincidencias y no erna tan diferentes como parecían en un principio. La improbable teoría de Ana y Zak plantea una trama simple pero entretenida donde las convenciones frikis son las protagonistas. Y eso me ha gustado mucho también porque hace a esta novela diferente del resto.
En resumen, La improbable teoría de Ana y Zak ha sido una novela que me ha gustado bastante, que me ha entretenido y hecho reír, y que recomiendo, solo, a las personas frikis como yo y a las que disfruten de una historia divertida y cercana.
November 29, 2014
This was so fun. Hermione and Shaggy from Scooby Doo let loose on ComicCon.
April 30, 2015
I think the main reason why I'm disappointed with this book is that I misread the synopsis and it was different than what I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be about two nerdy people that fall in love, but in reality, Ana is an all A student who looks down upon Zak and the people at Washingcon for a lot of the book because she thinks she's better than them. That got really old really fast and made the mood of the book really annoying, which took about 150 pages to get past. Because that's when the instalove began. Overall, the convention was not as fun of a setting as I was expecting it to be and the ending was extremely random and unrealistic. The reason why this is a three star book, though, is because I liked all the nerd references and the book itself was hard to put down.
June 18, 2018
"A veces, las mejores predicciones terminan siendo erróneas y las teorías más improbables terminan haciéndose realidad".
Relectura :)
***
Empecé a leer este libro porque no tenía nada descargado en el Ipad y estaba aburrida en clases (shame on me!). Lo vi, me gustó la portada y lo descargué, con pocas expectativas de que el libro, en realidad, me gustaría. Pero, entre estar aburrida sin hacer nada y leer algo...
Supongo que las cinco estrellas demuestran lo mucho que me gustó.
Ana es una chica estudiosa en toda regla, comprometida con varias actividades extracurriculares que le dejan poco tiempo para algo más. Como, en palabras de ella misma, "amigos de verdad".
Zak, o como TODOS le dicen (salvo Ana), Duke, es justamente lo contrario. Es feliz, vive la vida al máximo... y es fanático de la Washingcon, una gran convención de comics para todos los geeks de Estados Unidos. Es su "lugar feliz", donde se siente en paz y aceptado... Pero, el último año del colegio, no puede ir. A su profesora se le metió la idea en la cabeza de que tiene que unirse al Equipo de Trivia de su colegio... O lo reprueba. Lo que significa ir a clases en verano. Yei!
Demás está decir que va al Campeonato de Trivia que quiere su profesora (que, por cierto, es una loca y de las peligrosas), y ahí se encuentra con Ana, la Presidenta del Equipo.
Llegan a la ciudad y participan en el Campeonato de la Trivia, pero entonces, el hermano de Ana, Clayton, "desaparece". Se va a la Convención, a la que Zak tan desesperado estaba por ir.
Creo que se pasan cerca de tres cuartos del libro en la Convención, buscando sin descanso a Clayton. Se topan con distintos personajes, algunos amigables, otros homicidas y otros perturbadores aunque ofensivos . Todo con mucho humor y dinamismo.
No obstante, también hay muchos momentos profundos, mientras estos dos se van enamorando.
Una historia muy tierna, que me encantó :)
La única crítica que podría hacerle es que hubo momentos en que sentía que los protagonistas tenían doce o catorce años, no dieciocho.
Relectura :)
***
Empecé a leer este libro porque no tenía nada descargado en el Ipad y estaba aburrida en clases (shame on me!). Lo vi, me gustó la portada y lo descargué, con pocas expectativas de que el libro, en realidad, me gustaría. Pero, entre estar aburrida sin hacer nada y leer algo...
Supongo que las cinco estrellas demuestran lo mucho que me gustó.
Ana es una chica estudiosa en toda regla, comprometida con varias actividades extracurriculares que le dejan poco tiempo para algo más. Como, en palabras de ella misma, "amigos de verdad".
Zak, o como TODOS le dicen (salvo Ana), Duke, es justamente lo contrario. Es feliz, vive la vida al máximo... y es fanático de la Washingcon, una gran convención de comics para todos los geeks de Estados Unidos. Es su "lugar feliz", donde se siente en paz y aceptado... Pero, el último año del colegio, no puede ir. A su profesora se le metió la idea en la cabeza de que tiene que unirse al Equipo de Trivia de su colegio... O lo reprueba. Lo que significa ir a clases en verano. Yei!
Demás está decir que va al Campeonato de Trivia que quiere su profesora (que, por cierto, es una loca y de las peligrosas), y ahí se encuentra con Ana, la Presidenta del Equipo.
Llegan a la ciudad y participan en el Campeonato de la Trivia, pero entonces, el hermano de Ana, Clayton, "desaparece". Se va a la Convención, a la que Zak tan desesperado estaba por ir.
Creo que se pasan cerca de tres cuartos del libro en la Convención, buscando sin descanso a Clayton. Se topan con distintos personajes, algunos amigables, otros homicidas y otros perturbadores aunque ofensivos . Todo con mucho humor y dinamismo.
No obstante, también hay muchos momentos profundos, mientras estos dos se van enamorando.
Una historia muy tierna, que me encantó :)
La única crítica que podría hacerle es que hubo momentos en que sentía que los protagonistas tenían doce o catorce años, no dieciocho.
August 7, 2015
RESEÑA COMPLETA EN LEE.SUEÑA.VUELA :3
Muy divertido, lo amo. No lo amé. LO AMO.
Completamente original, muy, muy loco y lo mejor, congruente, me gustan mucho los libros cómicos pero a veces no lo son.
Ana es un poco insoportable, pero Zak es un personaje impecable, uno de los mejores protas masculinos que he leído en mucho tiempo!!
Si no están acostumbrados a leer libros cómicos, por ahí les resulte un poco flashero, si sí lo están, es una joyita sin desperdicio.
Lo quiero volver a leer y lo acabo de terminar.
Muy divertido, lo amo. No lo amé. LO AMO.
Completamente original, muy, muy loco y lo mejor, congruente, me gustan mucho los libros cómicos pero a veces no lo son.
Ana es un poco insoportable, pero Zak es un personaje impecable, uno de los mejores protas masculinos que he leído en mucho tiempo!!
Si no están acostumbrados a leer libros cómicos, por ahí les resulte un poco flashero, si sí lo están, es una joyita sin desperdicio.
Lo quiero volver a leer y lo acabo de terminar.
May 10, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It's like those movies where nothing goes right but then there's a happy ending and everything turns out great. I'm glad Zak wasn't banned from his favourite place and I loved seeing the relationship grow between Ana and Zak. I just happened to be reading this book while there was a comic book convention going on in town and I really want to go next year now.
June 15, 2019
4.5 stars
Ana + Zak + 24 hours + a wild sci-fi convention + an impossible manhunt + thousands of costumed nerds - an angry viking + lots of trouble / first impressions = anything they ever expected! -- the book's tagline
YA author Katcher takes a breather from the seriousness of his excellent previous work Almost Perfect with the more comedic The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak. This time it appears he took some inspiration from those many 80's and 90's teen comedy films, setting up an odd couple duo on what my college friend/roommate and I used to knowingly call "a crash course to wackiness."
Ana is a serious high school senior with perfect grades and a strict home life, apparently courtesy of an older sister who became the black sheep of the family. Zak is a careless and carefree classmate, equally as smart although he purposefully falls into the "he doesn't apply himself" category. (He is also not sure what to think of his mother's new husband, a stepfather that he regards with disdain.)
Zak is looking forward to his annual pilgrimage to 'WashingCon,' Washington state's largest comic book / sci-fi / cosplay event in Seattle. However, life has other plans for him: in lieu of receiving a bad grade, a frazzled teacher forces him to join the school's academic challenge team to be 'a ringer' of sorts in an upcoming competition. Of course, said competition falls on the same weekend as 'the Con,' and it's in Seattle, too. The wheels immediately begin spinning fast in Zak's mind . . .
Who will be a fellow teammate? Why, Ana, of course. She initially takes a dislike to Zak, but she's also preoccupied because she's responsible for her younger brother Clayton, also along on the trip. Clayton is one of those happy-go-lucky childhood geniuses who has skipped a few grades, and he's also a member of the academic challenge team - although he's several years younger (and several feet shorter) than his teammates. No surprises that he and Zak form a near-immediate connection.
When Clayton decides to disappear - influenced by Zak's talk of WashingCon - Ana and Zak are forced to work together, sneaking out in violation of their curfew and into the convention to retrieve him. Ana is out of her element but quickly adapts to the situation, and our title duo get to know each other 'on the fly' and develop a good working relationship. They compare notes on their respective family issues, and a sweet romance soon blossoms during the absolute craziness of their adventure.
Ana and Zak was a cute story about two teens finding each other at just the right times in their lives. Additionally, author Katcher also gives Ana's mother and Zak's stepfather their own well-written scenes towards the end, helping to bridge the sometimes wide gap between teenager and parent.
Ana + Zak + 24 hours + a wild sci-fi convention + an impossible manhunt + thousands of costumed nerds - an angry viking + lots of trouble / first impressions = anything they ever expected! -- the book's tagline
YA author Katcher takes a breather from the seriousness of his excellent previous work Almost Perfect with the more comedic The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak. This time it appears he took some inspiration from those many 80's and 90's teen comedy films, setting up an odd couple duo on what my college friend/roommate and I used to knowingly call "a crash course to wackiness."
Ana is a serious high school senior with perfect grades and a strict home life, apparently courtesy of an older sister who became the black sheep of the family. Zak is a careless and carefree classmate, equally as smart although he purposefully falls into the "he doesn't apply himself" category. (He is also not sure what to think of his mother's new husband, a stepfather that he regards with disdain.)
Zak is looking forward to his annual pilgrimage to 'WashingCon,' Washington state's largest comic book / sci-fi / cosplay event in Seattle. However, life has other plans for him: in lieu of receiving a bad grade, a frazzled teacher forces him to join the school's academic challenge team to be 'a ringer' of sorts in an upcoming competition. Of course, said competition falls on the same weekend as 'the Con,' and it's in Seattle, too. The wheels immediately begin spinning fast in Zak's mind . . .
Who will be a fellow teammate? Why, Ana, of course. She initially takes a dislike to Zak, but she's also preoccupied because she's responsible for her younger brother Clayton, also along on the trip. Clayton is one of those happy-go-lucky childhood geniuses who has skipped a few grades, and he's also a member of the academic challenge team - although he's several years younger (and several feet shorter) than his teammates. No surprises that he and Zak form a near-immediate connection.
When Clayton decides to disappear - influenced by Zak's talk of WashingCon - Ana and Zak are forced to work together, sneaking out in violation of their curfew and into the convention to retrieve him. Ana is out of her element but quickly adapts to the situation, and our title duo get to know each other 'on the fly' and develop a good working relationship. They compare notes on their respective family issues, and a sweet romance soon blossoms during the absolute craziness of their adventure.
Ana and Zak was a cute story about two teens finding each other at just the right times in their lives. Additionally, author Katcher also gives Ana's mother and Zak's stepfather their own well-written scenes towards the end, helping to bridge the sometimes wide gap between teenager and parent.
February 20, 2017
3,75 estrellas
Disfrute mucho de la historia, fue divertida y súper geeky.
Mi mayor y principal problema fue que Ana no me caía muy bien. Pero Zak hizo todo mejor.
Reseña completa en Gracias a los Libros.
Disfrute mucho de la historia, fue divertida y súper geeky.
Mi mayor y principal problema fue que Ana no me caía muy bien. Pero Zak hizo todo mejor.
Reseña completa en Gracias a los Libros.
December 13, 2015
Fue un libro entretenido al transcurrir en una convención (WashingCon) pero Ana arruinó la historia para mí, además de varios sucesos al final que me parecieron randoms/colados/fuera de lugar.
Reseña completa próximamente en Accio Libros y en el Wrap Up de Julio en mi canal
Reseña completa próximamente en Accio Libros y en el Wrap Up de Julio en mi canal
May 24, 2015
I am still laughing.
The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak by Brian Katcher was a hoot! The story is told in alternating first person points of view of Ana and Zak. Ana is your perfect A student. She's on the school quiz team and NEVER disobeys her parents. Ana is a bit stuck up at first, but as the story progresses, she becomes more and more likable and a bit badass, too. Zak is your typical gaming geek. Zak is endearing and right away I knew that I would enjoy reading his point of view.
Zak gets stuck on the high school quiz team. The good - Ana is on the team. The bad - it's on the same weekend as Washingcon, the science fiction and fantasy convention that Zak attends with his friends. Zak resigns himself to missing the convention, however, Ana's little brother Clayton has other plans. Clayton takes off for the convention and soon Ana and Zak are looking for Clayton.
There's lots of cultural references to all sorts of science fiction and fantasy and the author captures the essence of these types of conventions very well. There's always an opportunity for humor when you are surrounded by the costumed attendees.
I loved that even though Zak was relatively young, most of the convention attendees knew him and while most were kind, there were a few uncomfortable moments for Zak. And Ana, what a change from an uptight do-gooder to a badass heroine.
The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak was a fun read and I am looking forward to reading more books by this author in the future.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Katherine Tegen Books for a review copy of this book.
The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak by Brian Katcher was a hoot! The story is told in alternating first person points of view of Ana and Zak. Ana is your perfect A student. She's on the school quiz team and NEVER disobeys her parents. Ana is a bit stuck up at first, but as the story progresses, she becomes more and more likable and a bit badass, too. Zak is your typical gaming geek. Zak is endearing and right away I knew that I would enjoy reading his point of view.
Zak gets stuck on the high school quiz team. The good - Ana is on the team. The bad - it's on the same weekend as Washingcon, the science fiction and fantasy convention that Zak attends with his friends. Zak resigns himself to missing the convention, however, Ana's little brother Clayton has other plans. Clayton takes off for the convention and soon Ana and Zak are looking for Clayton.
There's lots of cultural references to all sorts of science fiction and fantasy and the author captures the essence of these types of conventions very well. There's always an opportunity for humor when you are surrounded by the costumed attendees.
I loved that even though Zak was relatively young, most of the convention attendees knew him and while most were kind, there were a few uncomfortable moments for Zak. And Ana, what a change from an uptight do-gooder to a badass heroine.
The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak was a fun read and I am looking forward to reading more books by this author in the future.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Katherine Tegen Books for a review copy of this book.
May 8, 2016
Ésta es la historia de Ana y Zak. Ana es una chica que vive con unos padres absurdamente estrictos, cosa que deja a Ana con un constante terror de hacer las cosas mal. Es una adolescente modelo, buena en el estudio, sin vida social, que forma parte de muchas actividades extracurriculares como el tiro con arco o el grupo de preguntas y respuestas de la escuela, el cual pronto estarán asistiendo al concurso que se realizará en Seattle. Ana era a la vista de todos una real nerd.
Por otro lado tenemos a Zak, un chico divertido y llevadero, bastante relajado, fan de los juegos de mesa, los juegos de carta, el cosplay, los cómics y las películas de Star Wars (lo que ahora conocemos como un freaky cool). Pero detrás de esa fachada de que nada le afecta, Zak es un chico con complejos y problemas como cualquier otro, pero que oculta muy bien.
El camino de Ana y Zak no se hubiera cruzado nunca de no ser porque Zak está a punto de reprobar la materia de Salud (la más sencilla de todas) y la maestra lo obliga a formar parte como suplente en el concurso de Preguntas y respuestas. Nada puede ser peor para él en ese momento, porque la convención anual favorita de Zak se llevará a cabo los mismos días que el concurso, y la maestra había dejado muy claro que no podía fallarles porque reprobaría y eso le estropearía sus planes universitarios.
Pero el hermanito de Ana decide escaparse después del concurso y resguardarse en la convención que Zak tenía tantas ganas de visitar ¿qué tan difícil puede ser encontrar a un niño en una convención? Pues eso es lo que vivirán Zak y Ana en el libro.
Como la reverenda NERD que soy, disfruté muchísimo del sin fin de referencias geeks en el libro, desde Star Wars y Star Trek hasta personajes de libros. Me encanta leer referencias de éste tipo porque eso logra que me identifiqué más con los personajes porque nos gustan las mismas cosas. Además de que yo estaría como niña en Disneyland si visitara una convención de ese tipo, donde la gente va y viene disfrazados de sus personajes favoritos y en cada esquina hay un stand con memorabilia de las cosas que tanto nos gustan. Sería simplemente feliz. Así que me gustó muchísimo que la historia se llevara a cabo en una convención muy al estilo de la Comic-Con.
Con respecto a los personajes, mi favorito obviamente fue Zak. Me sentí muy identificada con él porque nos gustan las mismas cosas y no reflejamos nuestros problemas ante las demás personas. Siento que si Zak existiera, lo haría mi amigo sin pensarlo. Ana por otra parte, me costó mucho trabajo leer sus partes. Como que sus miedos eran irracionales y no dudo que existan familias así, pero su forma de vivir y los métodos de sus padres eran deprimentes, creaban robotitos en lugar de hijos. Y olvidaba mencionar, el libro está narrado tanto por Zak como por Ana, un capítulo cada uno y está genial ver los diferentes puntos de vista.
No tengo muchas quejas sobre el libro. No digo que sea un libro que te cambie la vida, pero como muchas veces me sucede con los libros juveniles, me sirven para relajarme después de alguna lectura pesada. Las cosas que no me cuadraron, fueron que Ana recalcaba una y otra vez que no sabía NADA sobre lo que veía en las convenciones, pero luego en sus monólogos internos se decía "Y se despidió con el saludo vulcano" o "Estaba parada junto a Obi-Wan Kenobi" o sea, ¿sabes o no sabes? Si no sabe sobre esas cosas porque se pasa medio libro recalcando ese pequeño dato ¿cómo sabe cuál es el saludo vulcano o quién es Obi-Wan? Como que ese ligero detalle se le escapó al autor. También casi al final del libro sucede algo que me hizo decir "¡Te volaste la raya!" demasiado fantaseoso. Pero pues esas fueron mis únicas quejas.
Le doy cuatro estrellas por todas las referencias y por ser un libro bastante entretenido y rápido de leer
July 27, 2015
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Actual rating: 3.5
I’ve been a fan of one day novels since I read Graffiti Moon, so I was incredibly excited to hear that The Improbable Theory of Ana & Zak happens in 24 hours with the two leads attending a bizarre nerd convention. The premise highly appealed to me so I went in to the story expecting to enjoy myself. And that’s exactly what happened.
Ana and Zak’s social circles usually don’t mesh but when Zak is forced to join as an extra member for the quiz bowl team, which Ana leads, and then Ana’s brother goes missing after hearing some exciting stories about WashingCon, the event Zak was missing because of the quiz bowl tournament, the two are forced to work together.
Zak, who’s presented as a slacker-nerd, was a pretty comic character. His personality greatly clashes with Ana, who’s terribly obedient and slightly uptight (but with good reason). It was nice to read these opposite main characters and I liked both of their POVs and character development, which I thought was very well-rounded.
The romance was very much an opposites attract trope and I think it worked really well. While Ana and Zak have their differences, these are resolved as the two get to know each other and realize a commonality in their troubled family situations. Also, the two had really amusing back-and-forth banter that just made me grin like an idiot and snort way too loud.
The plot, I think, is the most entertaining of all. It’s somewhat unbelievably ridiculous, the things that happen during the convention that Ana and Zak scour through as they try to find Ana’s brother, but if you go along with it, it has a certain charm that keeps you reading and turning pages. I also liked all the geeky pop culture references, despite not being a huge gamer unlike Zak.
As lighthearted as this story was, there were still some important and very realistic themes. Ana and Zak both had something that held them down, wounds that still hurt them. Through their one day manhunt at WashingCon, both of them (and the reader) learn that sometimes life just sucks and we just have to face things head-on and have some fun as much as we can.
The Improbable Theory of Ana & Zak was such an easy enjoyable read! No dull moments, just hilarious dialogue and the craziest scenarios that happen during a comic convention. It’s definitely exaggerated in some parts but this serves as great comedy. I can’t say that I absolutely loved it, but it was positively a satisfying, worth-reading book.
Actual rating: 3.5
I’ve been a fan of one day novels since I read Graffiti Moon, so I was incredibly excited to hear that The Improbable Theory of Ana & Zak happens in 24 hours with the two leads attending a bizarre nerd convention. The premise highly appealed to me so I went in to the story expecting to enjoy myself. And that’s exactly what happened.
Ana and Zak’s social circles usually don’t mesh but when Zak is forced to join as an extra member for the quiz bowl team, which Ana leads, and then Ana’s brother goes missing after hearing some exciting stories about WashingCon, the event Zak was missing because of the quiz bowl tournament, the two are forced to work together.
“At a con there’s one hundred percent acceptance, no ifs, ands, or buts. This is the one place where anyone can go and not be judged.”
Zak, who’s presented as a slacker-nerd, was a pretty comic character. His personality greatly clashes with Ana, who’s terribly obedient and slightly uptight (but with good reason). It was nice to read these opposite main characters and I liked both of their POVs and character development, which I thought was very well-rounded.
The romance was very much an opposites attract trope and I think it worked really well. While Ana and Zak have their differences, these are resolved as the two get to know each other and realize a commonality in their troubled family situations. Also, the two had really amusing back-and-forth banter that just made me grin like an idiot and snort way too loud.
The plot, I think, is the most entertaining of all. It’s somewhat unbelievably ridiculous, the things that happen during the convention that Ana and Zak scour through as they try to find Ana’s brother, but if you go along with it, it has a certain charm that keeps you reading and turning pages. I also liked all the geeky pop culture references, despite not being a huge gamer unlike Zak.
“My theory is that things can’t possibly get any worse for us. We’re going to get through this.”
As lighthearted as this story was, there were still some important and very realistic themes. Ana and Zak both had something that held them down, wounds that still hurt them. Through their one day manhunt at WashingCon, both of them (and the reader) learn that sometimes life just sucks and we just have to face things head-on and have some fun as much as we can.
The Improbable Theory of Ana & Zak was such an easy enjoyable read! No dull moments, just hilarious dialogue and the craziest scenarios that happen during a comic convention. It’s definitely exaggerated in some parts but this serves as great comedy. I can’t say that I absolutely loved it, but it was positively a satisfying, worth-reading book.
June 12, 2015
Okay, I am being harsh. I mean, I finished the book, which speaks to a certain level of enjoyment for me. But there were just too many strikes against it.
1. The male narrator accidentally assaults a girl. It really is an accident, but before he realizes she isn't who he thinks she is, he says, "Knock it off. You know what I want." No, no, no. That is awful. AWFUL. I almost gave up on the book there.
2. Lots of stereotypical comments from Ana about the convention goers. (Overweight, not good looking, silly, insane . . .)
3. Ana's very real and interesting parental problems are solved with hugs at the end
4. This line at the end "And maybe I know a girl who's headed for more than community college and a tech department job. Maybe I want to show her, I can make plans too." WHAT IS WRONG WITH TECH DEPARTMENT JOBS?? (Okay, that's a very personal response, but also? They're good jobs!)
And it was all a bit too over-the-top for me near the end.
(I was interested in this because it was set at the Seattle Comic-Con. I've been there! And then it turned out the main characters were from my hometown! But that aspect didn't really pay off. Not much in the way of hometown fun (it rains here; did you know???) and the convention stuff didn't resonate with me either. It was more about fun times than geeky times.)
1. The male narrator accidentally assaults a girl. It really is an accident, but before he realizes she isn't who he thinks she is, he says, "Knock it off. You know what I want." No, no, no. That is awful. AWFUL. I almost gave up on the book there.
2. Lots of stereotypical comments from Ana about the convention goers. (Overweight, not good looking, silly, insane . . .)
3. Ana's very real and interesting parental problems are solved with hugs at the end
4. This line at the end "And maybe I know a girl who's headed for more than community college and a tech department job. Maybe I want to show her, I can make plans too." WHAT IS WRONG WITH TECH DEPARTMENT JOBS?? (Okay, that's a very personal response, but also? They're good jobs!)
And it was all a bit too over-the-top for me near the end.
(I was interested in this because it was set at the Seattle Comic-Con. I've been there! And then it turned out the main characters were from my hometown! But that aspect didn't really pay off. Not much in the way of hometown fun (it rains here; did you know???) and the convention stuff didn't resonate with me either. It was more about fun times than geeky times.)
September 5, 2015
Gracias a V&R Editoras por el ejemplar.
Reseña disponible en el blog desde el 8/8
(Y dejo lo que puse originalmente en la reseña cuando lo terminé así todos entienden mi amor por este libro)
AGUANTE BRIAN LOKO NO ME IMPORTA NADAHHHHH
Che en serio, qué historia más increíble. Y eso que tenía mis dudas cuando comencé a leerlo porque, si tengo que ser honesta, soy más Ana que Zak la mayor parte del tiempo.
Pero me encantó la historia, la forma de narrar, el humor y sarcasmo que tiene el autor. Y ESOS AGRADECIMIENTOS. DIOSANTOH. Lo amo mucho con todo mi kokoro y eso que es el primer libro que leo de él. Ojalá terminen editándolo más *palito*
Reseña disponible en el blog desde el 8/8
(Y dejo lo que puse originalmente en la reseña cuando lo terminé así todos entienden mi amor por este libro)
AGUANTE BRIAN LOKO NO ME IMPORTA NADAHHHHH
Che en serio, qué historia más increíble. Y eso que tenía mis dudas cuando comencé a leerlo porque, si tengo que ser honesta, soy más Ana que Zak la mayor parte del tiempo.
Pero me encantó la historia, la forma de narrar, el humor y sarcasmo que tiene el autor. Y ESOS AGRADECIMIENTOS. DIOSANTOH. Lo amo mucho con todo mi kokoro y eso que es el primer libro que leo de él. Ojalá terminen editándolo más *palito*
Want to read
November 23, 2014
May 21, 2017
I'm really sad I'm writing this review because I really, really wanted to like this book. But it felt improbable, unbelievable, misogynistic, and just plain unenjoyable.
This review contains spoilers!
A few select quotes, from the first 50 pages alone:
1) After Ana and Zak's first meeting, Zak thinks: Ana isn't that hot, after all. Scrawny, flat-chested, with a mane of frizzy, dark hair. She does kind of have a Barbara Gordon thing going on, though.
2) Ana, uptight, academics-oriented, pop culture newbie (of COURSE), tries her best to distance herself from the ~other girls: Due to a popular book series and the movies it spawned a lot of girls have taken up archery recently. I've been doing it for years. And then some talk about how colleges want well-rounded students and that sucks (which it does, but ...there are better ways to think about it?)
3) MY FAVOURITE: Zak meeting Sonya, who he calls "chubby" and "cute". [...] I'm cornered by Sonya. She's changed out of her uptight tournament clothes and into jeans and a top that was designed for a slimmer girl. Her belly strains against the fabric, while the sleeves dig into her round little arms. She unexpectedly places her hand on my shoulder and her curves suddenly are not so unpleasant.
THAT'S ALL RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NOVEL.
4) Here's a bonus one, near the end, Zak thinking about his mum's second husband: My mother married both an insurance man and an accountant. Did she have some kind of fetish?
As the novel goes on, the uptight girl learns to ~spread her wings~ and be a "badass" and finally stand up to her parents (more about that later), while she also (obviously) notices how much of a bigshot the laidback dude is in his scifi space. Of course women go gaga over him. Of COURSE they do. The storyline of scifi cons being dude spaces is tiring, honestly. I'm tired of it. I have been to cons. And I don't see myself represented in this book. At all. Nowhere. I do see slightly ridiculous girls, and sexualised girls, and "not like other girls" girls.
On top of this, the plot genuinely seems unbelievable, which could work in an over-the-top way if dealt with better, but here it just falls flat. A drug storyline + a narrow escape from death seems extreme and a little convoluted. Ana's storyline about her parents seems compelling, but at one point she talks about how she couldn't have foreseen her brother leaving his hotel room, and she thinks: I think I've scored a point, but I've underestimated my mother's capacity for blame. Her mother proceeds to say... essentially, "why didn't you call me, or another adult." Which is a PERFECTLY VALID thing to ask for when your BROTHER IS MISSING - I do understand her reasons not to call her parents, perhaps, but getting upset in this way over this reaction from her parents just... makes no sense. There's also just a ridiculous amount of punching. Like, everyone gets into fights. All the time. It's all very convenient and flows weirdly.
Overall, Ana and Zak just are NOT compelling & it's hard to forgive this book or any of its characters for their frankly terrible personalities. And this book is such a specific view about geek culture and convention culture, and it is a view I am TIRED of. Zak's character may be semi-fleshed out, but I honestly found it so hard to connect and sympathize with his slightly possessive and honestly just very creepy view of Ana & girls in general. Honestly, it's hard enough being a girl in a place that's considered a dude-filled area without all of this extra misogyny thrown in your face. Ultimately, this book just made me angry more than anything else.
I really hate to say this but JUST GIVE THIS A MISS. Try Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd instead: I can't remember it too well, and I'm sure some of the stories are misses while others are hits, but overall I remember feeling like part of the "geek culture" afterward, not entirely alienated like this book made me feel.
EDIT 21/05: I reread bits of this while I coloured on some of the pages and here are some more thoughts that led me to drop the rating another star:
- at one point Zak thinks, oh yeah I'll help Ana and maybe I'll get repayment involving a metal bikini which a) ew and b) SLAVE metal bikini... I mean. DUDE
- Zak has literal no character growth and no one calls him out on his bullshit and this book tries to pull you to sympathize with him... like you watch Ana learn to ~see him differently as someone attractive but like... he isn't? He is a piece of shit? He takes her to his makeout spot where he's taken tons of girls before and I don't think he kisses her, he holds her hand, and this is supposed to be ~romantic after he says something like "this is the only one that meant something" or some shit like that?
- ...did I mention how convoluted the plot is because good god it makes no sense
- how is it so hard for some (male) writers to write women as actual people and write actual decent likable male characters instead of excusing their shitty behaviour and having women fall in love with them left and right
- anyway, BAD, don't even try to read this, honestly, just pass it on to me and I will draw on the pages and send it back to you as some sort of mediocre Work of Art
This review contains spoilers!
A few select quotes, from the first 50 pages alone:
1) After Ana and Zak's first meeting, Zak thinks: Ana isn't that hot, after all. Scrawny, flat-chested, with a mane of frizzy, dark hair. She does kind of have a Barbara Gordon thing going on, though.
2) Ana, uptight, academics-oriented, pop culture newbie (of COURSE), tries her best to distance herself from the ~other girls: Due to a popular book series and the movies it spawned a lot of girls have taken up archery recently. I've been doing it for years. And then some talk about how colleges want well-rounded students and that sucks (which it does, but ...there are better ways to think about it?)
3) MY FAVOURITE: Zak meeting Sonya, who he calls "chubby" and "cute". [...] I'm cornered by Sonya. She's changed out of her uptight tournament clothes and into jeans and a top that was designed for a slimmer girl. Her belly strains against the fabric, while the sleeves dig into her round little arms. She unexpectedly places her hand on my shoulder and her curves suddenly are not so unpleasant.
THAT'S ALL RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NOVEL.
4) Here's a bonus one, near the end, Zak thinking about his mum's second husband: My mother married both an insurance man and an accountant. Did she have some kind of fetish?
As the novel goes on, the uptight girl learns to ~spread her wings~ and be a "badass" and finally stand up to her parents (more about that later), while she also (obviously) notices how much of a bigshot the laidback dude is in his scifi space. Of course women go gaga over him. Of COURSE they do. The storyline of scifi cons being dude spaces is tiring, honestly. I'm tired of it. I have been to cons. And I don't see myself represented in this book. At all. Nowhere. I do see slightly ridiculous girls, and sexualised girls, and "not like other girls" girls.
On top of this, the plot genuinely seems unbelievable, which could work in an over-the-top way if dealt with better, but here it just falls flat. A drug storyline + a narrow escape from death seems extreme and a little convoluted. Ana's storyline about her parents seems compelling, but at one point she talks about how she couldn't have foreseen her brother leaving his hotel room, and she thinks: I think I've scored a point, but I've underestimated my mother's capacity for blame. Her mother proceeds to say... essentially, "why didn't you call me, or another adult." Which is a PERFECTLY VALID thing to ask for when your BROTHER IS MISSING - I do understand her reasons not to call her parents, perhaps, but getting upset in this way over this reaction from her parents just... makes no sense. There's also just a ridiculous amount of punching. Like, everyone gets into fights. All the time. It's all very convenient and flows weirdly.
Overall, Ana and Zak just are NOT compelling & it's hard to forgive this book or any of its characters for their frankly terrible personalities. And this book is such a specific view about geek culture and convention culture, and it is a view I am TIRED of. Zak's character may be semi-fleshed out, but I honestly found it so hard to connect and sympathize with his slightly possessive and honestly just very creepy view of Ana & girls in general. Honestly, it's hard enough being a girl in a place that's considered a dude-filled area without all of this extra misogyny thrown in your face. Ultimately, this book just made me angry more than anything else.
I really hate to say this but JUST GIVE THIS A MISS. Try Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd instead: I can't remember it too well, and I'm sure some of the stories are misses while others are hits, but overall I remember feeling like part of the "geek culture" afterward, not entirely alienated like this book made me feel.
EDIT 21/05: I reread bits of this while I coloured on some of the pages and here are some more thoughts that led me to drop the rating another star:
- at one point Zak thinks, oh yeah I'll help Ana and maybe I'll get repayment involving a metal bikini which a) ew and b) SLAVE metal bikini... I mean. DUDE
- Zak has literal no character growth and no one calls him out on his bullshit and this book tries to pull you to sympathize with him... like you watch Ana learn to ~see him differently as someone attractive but like... he isn't? He is a piece of shit? He takes her to his makeout spot where he's taken tons of girls before and I don't think he kisses her, he holds her hand, and this is supposed to be ~romantic after he says something like "this is the only one that meant something" or some shit like that?
- ...did I mention how convoluted the plot is because good god it makes no sense
- how is it so hard for some (male) writers to write women as actual people and write actual decent likable male characters instead of excusing their shitty behaviour and having women fall in love with them left and right
- anyway, BAD, don't even try to read this, honestly, just pass it on to me and I will draw on the pages and send it back to you as some sort of mediocre Work of Art
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2015
Check out this and other reviews on my blog, Here's to Happy Endings!
This book was such a delight. It was adorable. It was nerdy. It was one of those wonderful books that was a great example of how fun that young adult fiction can be.
And trust me, this book is a lot of fun.
I think I read this one in less than a day. I really couldn't put it down. I was so excited to see what was going to happen next that I just kept reading.
The book is told in the alternating voices of both Ana and Zak, and the author does a spectacular job of writing both characters. Unlike some books which have multiple narrators, you can easily tell which character is currently telling the story (I've read so many books where it's almost impossible to tell one character from the other, and it gets so frustrating). Ana and Zak have such different personalities, and they are both very interesting, and easy to connect to. The story unfolds a bit slowly, and it really leaves you wondering what happened to both Ana and Zak to make them who they are when the story begins (and you do find out, but I'm not spoiling that for you).
The book starts off with Ana and Zak meeting in library, where Zak is playing a game with his friends. He's a bit nerdy (okay, quite a bit nerdy), and Ana isn't interested in Zak trying to talk to her. She's late for archery, and her parents are incredibly strict, making it impossible for her to have friends or go on dates (or really do much of anything after school). She's working hard to get into a college, including being captain of the school's Quiz Bowl team. Zak, on the other hand, is perfectly happy to slide through school, and doesn't make many plans for his future. The only thing he finds himself getting excited about is the once a year Washingcon, a convention for science fiction fans, but to his dismay, he can't do this year, because he is failing health and the only way to graduate and make up the grade is to be an alternate for the Quiz Bowl tournament (which is the same weekend as Washingcon). Sounds annoying, but easy enough, right? You would think. And everything is going well...as well as can be expected, for Zak anyway, who would much rather be at the convention.
Things take quite the interesting turn when Ana's younger brother, Clayton (who is also on the team), takes off to check out Washingcon for himself, and Ana and Zak team up to find him before they all get into trouble for not being back at the hotel for curfew. A lot of crazy things happen to Ana and Zak while looking for Clayton, including (unexpectedly) the chance at finding friendship and maybe even love.
This book has an incredibly quirky cast of characters and is such a treat! It is told over the span of one weekend (mostly over one night and through the next day), and is unlike any other books I've read. It made me laugh more often than not, and there were also parts that were really touching. I fell in love with Ana and Zak and their crazy adventures from page one, and it has easily become a favorite!
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book was such a delight. It was adorable. It was nerdy. It was one of those wonderful books that was a great example of how fun that young adult fiction can be.
And trust me, this book is a lot of fun.
I think I read this one in less than a day. I really couldn't put it down. I was so excited to see what was going to happen next that I just kept reading.
The book is told in the alternating voices of both Ana and Zak, and the author does a spectacular job of writing both characters. Unlike some books which have multiple narrators, you can easily tell which character is currently telling the story (I've read so many books where it's almost impossible to tell one character from the other, and it gets so frustrating). Ana and Zak have such different personalities, and they are both very interesting, and easy to connect to. The story unfolds a bit slowly, and it really leaves you wondering what happened to both Ana and Zak to make them who they are when the story begins (and you do find out, but I'm not spoiling that for you).
The book starts off with Ana and Zak meeting in library, where Zak is playing a game with his friends. He's a bit nerdy (okay, quite a bit nerdy), and Ana isn't interested in Zak trying to talk to her. She's late for archery, and her parents are incredibly strict, making it impossible for her to have friends or go on dates (or really do much of anything after school). She's working hard to get into a college, including being captain of the school's Quiz Bowl team. Zak, on the other hand, is perfectly happy to slide through school, and doesn't make many plans for his future. The only thing he finds himself getting excited about is the once a year Washingcon, a convention for science fiction fans, but to his dismay, he can't do this year, because he is failing health and the only way to graduate and make up the grade is to be an alternate for the Quiz Bowl tournament (which is the same weekend as Washingcon). Sounds annoying, but easy enough, right? You would think. And everything is going well...as well as can be expected, for Zak anyway, who would much rather be at the convention.
Things take quite the interesting turn when Ana's younger brother, Clayton (who is also on the team), takes off to check out Washingcon for himself, and Ana and Zak team up to find him before they all get into trouble for not being back at the hotel for curfew. A lot of crazy things happen to Ana and Zak while looking for Clayton, including (unexpectedly) the chance at finding friendship and maybe even love.
This book has an incredibly quirky cast of characters and is such a treat! It is told over the span of one weekend (mostly over one night and through the next day), and is unlike any other books I've read. It made me laugh more often than not, and there were also parts that were really touching. I fell in love with Ana and Zak and their crazy adventures from page one, and it has easily become a favorite!
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 7, 2015
My thanks to Katherine Tegen Books
------------------------------------------------------------------
Point of View: Dual (Ana & Zak)
Writing: First Person | Present Tense
Setting: Washington/Seattle
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh my goodness! This book was amazing, hilarious, and intriguing. I just LOVED it!
The characters were all wonderfully developed. Every single one of them was interesting, some were weirder than the others, but hilarious nonetheless.
Both Ana and Zak were adorable. Ana was brilliant; I loved her fierce and sarcastic side. Zak was geeky and just lovely. He was generous, friendly, and also sarcastic, which I found very endearing.
The other characters added interesting elements to the story, such as Clayton (just adorable), Strawberry (weirdly amusing), Roger (really kind).
The storyline was well-written. Each plot was interwoven so beautifully that the story moved very smoothly. The writing was flowing and easy to understand, without all the messy, crazy stuff I sometimes find in some books. The ending was astonishing which was more than I could ask for.
All in all, this is one of the most hilarious books I've ever read. I absolutely loved everything about it. I'm pretty sure a lot of people will find this book as interesting as I did.
July 2, 2015
At A Glance
Genre: Young Adult; Contemporary
Love Triangle/Insta Love?: Nope.
Cliff Hanger: Nope
Rating: 4 Stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 9
Plot: 8
Characters: 8
World Building: 8
Flow: 8
Series Congruity: n/a
Writing: 7
Ending: 8
Total: 8
In Depth
Best Part: Nerd Factor!
Worst Part: Too short.
Overall Feels Felt: Get your nerd on; where he go?!; Aw :)
Conclusion
Continuing the Series: n/a
Recommending: yes!
Misc.:
Short Review: This was a very cute little read. Wasn't too deep. I loved all the nerd shit going on. Very me. Zak was a great MC for sure, crazy and loving. Perfect boy there :) Ana was a huge stick in the mud at first, i mean hugggggggge, but she even out nicely. Overall just a nice read!
Review In GIF Form
Genre: Young Adult; Contemporary
Love Triangle/Insta Love?: Nope.
Cliff Hanger: Nope
Rating: 4 Stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 9
Plot: 8
Characters: 8
World Building: 8
Flow: 8
Series Congruity: n/a
Writing: 7
Ending: 8
Total: 8
In Depth
Best Part: Nerd Factor!
Worst Part: Too short.
Overall Feels Felt: Get your nerd on; where he go?!; Aw :)
Conclusion
Continuing the Series: n/a
Recommending: yes!
Misc.:
Short Review: This was a very cute little read. Wasn't too deep. I loved all the nerd shit going on. Very me. Zak was a great MC for sure, crazy and loving. Perfect boy there :) Ana was a huge stick in the mud at first, i mean hugggggggge, but she even out nicely. Overall just a nice read!
Review In GIF Form
October 19, 2015
Yes, this book has all the typical tropes: The Murphy's-Law freneticism of "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist" and the angsty-drama (less the fatal disease) of "The Fault in Our Stars", and the pop-culture sensibilities of Ready Player One ...
But this book somehow elevevates itself above that, primarily due to the likability of both the main characters. Both Ana and Zak are well-defined, likable characters in their own right; each are believably dysfunctional, which makes me root for them even more.
Moreover, in many books (and not just in the YA genre), the author often fails to capture the chemnistry between two characters; with this book, I immediately felt the tension between Zak and Ana, which is certainly helped along by the alternating-chapters POV, giving it a pleasant "He Said/She Said" feel.
As with some of the better films/novels out there. I also liked that this book focused on a single, pivotal evening in the life of these two, making the stakes both "larger-than-life" and yet more realistic at the same time.
A pleasant surprise, I'm giving this book an Improbable 4-stars; highly recommended.
But this book somehow elevevates itself above that, primarily due to the likability of both the main characters. Both Ana and Zak are well-defined, likable characters in their own right; each are believably dysfunctional, which makes me root for them even more.
Moreover, in many books (and not just in the YA genre), the author often fails to capture the chemnistry between two characters; with this book, I immediately felt the tension between Zak and Ana, which is certainly helped along by the alternating-chapters POV, giving it a pleasant "He Said/She Said" feel.
As with some of the better films/novels out there. I also liked that this book focused on a single, pivotal evening in the life of these two, making the stakes both "larger-than-life" and yet more realistic at the same time.
A pleasant surprise, I'm giving this book an Improbable 4-stars; highly recommended.
October 4, 2016
Nunca pensé que iba a disfrutar y a reírme como una enana con un libro como La improbable teoría de Ana y Zak. Es decir, vamos... ¡Este libro tiene todo lo que me gusta! Un inicio de un romance tan particularmente improbable, una persecución de película tan random dentro de una convención, cosplayers disfrazados de sus personajes favoritos y todo un desencadenante de locuras que proporciona muchas risas y, sea de paso, referencias a las películas, cómics, juegos de cartas y todo lo que forma dentro del mundo de la fantasía y la ciencia ficción.
Bum, bum, bum.
Algo se acerca.
Bum, bum, bum.
No quiero ver qué es.
Bum.
No puedo evitar de pensar en esa clásica película de terror, en la que hay una mujer amarrada mientras se acerca una sombra ominosa, y los nativos gritan: ¡Kong!
Todo empieza cuando dos polos opuestos, Ana y Zak, se conocen y, por diferentes circunstancias en sus respectivas partes, terminan formando dentro del equipo de Preguntas y Respuestas y participan dentro de un concurso estatal. ¿El problema? Clayton, el hermano de Ana, termina escapándose del hotel donde se alojan antes de asistir a las semifinal del Torneo. ¿A donde fue exactamente? A la Washingcon, la convención de fantasía y ciencia ficción más impotente de los Estados Unidos (y en lo que a mi me respecta a considerar, desde mi punto de vista, una representación de las Comic-Con). ¿El culpable? Zak Duquette que se paso todo el viaje hablando de su ausencia y sus aventuras dentro de su evento favorito del año. Y todo porque su profesora de Salud le saboteo sus planes por un trabajo que el propio Duquette no se esforzó en escribir (aunque para ser sincera, estoy más del lado de Zak que de la dichosa profesoraque, por cierto, me recuerdan mas o menos algunos profesores que he tenido y créanme que no han sido de mi agrado). ¿La responsable? Ana Watson que tendrá que encontrar a su hermano con ayuda del "culpable" que incitó indirectamente su fuga.
- Te está llevando a comprar ropa. Eso siempre es una buena señal - repone sonriendo ligeramente.
- No, está fuera de mi alcance. No creo tener demasiado suerte en ese sentido. - me gustaría alardear, pero sé que no tengo esperanzas.
- Si, pero mira, habían dicho que para 1990 tendríamos ciudades en la Luna, pero nadie predijo que existiría el Internet ni las macaras digitales, A veces las mejores predicciones terminan si erróneas y las teorías más improbables terminan haciéndose realidad - comenta, mientras continúa empacando.
Es obviamente que este libro no es un libro que hay que tomarlo con mucha seriedad. No. Es la clase de libro que hay que tomarlo con mucho humor y que, sea de paso, nos haga reír por un buen rato con todas las andanzas de estos dos protagonistas que forman parte del título del libro y que nos cuentan la historia desde sus puntos de vista.
Ana Watson es la chica que se define responsable y perfecta en todo lo académico y lo hace por las circunstancias que ha atravesado en su familia y, sea de paso, por tener unos padres controladores que no la dejan tener su propia vida como ELLA QUIERE O DESEA TENER. En un principio, Ana ha sido una protagonista molesta por esa "actitud de mierda"(lamento por el vocabulario pero no tengo otra manera de definirlo en este instante) que toma todo en serio sin una pizca de humor y siendo manejada como un títere por el temor que sus padres le harían si ella misma se metiera en problemas. Pero conforme vaya avanzando la novela, comienza a tener una evolución tan favorable que finalmente he sentido una fuerte empatía y comprensión hacia ella y sus acciones pasadas. A decir verdad, sentí mucha lastima hacia Ana (y a Clayton) por los padres que ella tiene. Por Dios, hasta entiendo el como se siente tener un padre o una madre que quiere controlar tu vida como se le cante la gana o te haga sentir una enorme presión a tal punto en que quieres gritar y decir "¡BASTA!" o que intentas rebelarte y aún así no encuentras esa fuerza para hacerlo y te echas atrás. Y sé perfectamente lo que se siente así que Ana Watson, te comprendo en cierta forma.
- Lo siento. Mis padres tienen patente la idea de que si yo hago algo con un chico, me terminaría arrastrando al camino de la depravación - le digo haciendo un movimiento negativo con la cabeza.
Ya con ese dialogo me hace recordar las ideas que tenía hace algunos años atrás. Así que Anna, te entiendo y te comprendo en cierta forma.
Oh, una cosa más que me ha gustado que recalcaron en Anna y creo estar de acuerdo: que con sus prendas y el arco (agregando su actitud agresiva y responsable) parece una especie de mezcla entre Pepper Pots y Katniss Everdeen.
Zak Duquette es el chico amante de la ciencia ficción y los juegos de rol que tiene el frikismo como parte de su naturaleza y un torpe en los estudios (aunque en el fondo es más listo de lo que demuestra a simple vista). Por culpa de un trabajo y de la profesora de salud (Sorry, pero esa mujer nunca me simpatizo en el primer momento y mucho menos en el último) se pierde de su convención favorita y, por su enorme boca, termina metido en una persecución alocada dentro de la Washingcon junto con Ana, la chica por la que se siente atraído y piensa que es como Barbara Gordon en un primer momento. Les juro que Zak si que me simpatizo desde un principio y he disfrutado de sus diálogos, su relación con Anna y sus referencias a películas y cómics que siempre están presentes cada vez que leía un capitulo desde su punto de vista.
- Me encanta cuando la gente logra hacer funcionar un matrimonio a pesar de las diferencias - murmuro.
- ¿Uno ellos es judío?
- No, pero John es fanático de Star Trek y a Mark le gusta Star Wars...
Zak es uno de los personajes/protagonistas masculinos que he tenido el gusto de conocer. Nunca he visto a un chico que tiente tanta mala suerte a la hora de terminar recibiendo palizas y carreras de persecución desde un vikingo furioso hasta un grupo de zombies furiosos. God, ojalá hubieran agregado un tipo disfrazado de Hulk o un grupo de Stormtroopers con sed de veganza o algo así (pero con el vikingo y todo lo demás basta y sobra para el pobre de Zak). Aparte, entiendo lo que es perder un evento que lo define prácticamente como su "navidad" lo que es prácticamente...
Aunque el también, como Ana, tiene su problema familiar (aunque no tan extremo como el de ella) que lamentablemente tiene que lidiar precisamente en esa noche en medio de la persecución. A pesar de todo, por más que el final fuese un final intermedio (entre abierto y cerrado) ambos logran arreglar esos problemas familiares que tienen cargados a sus espaldas y que han ocultado durante mucho tiempo.
Y si hablamos de estos dos como un duo... Oh, Dios. Ambos son improbablemente inseparables a pesar de sus diferencias y su manera de ver las cosas. No negaré para nada que es una de las mejores parejas que me hayan hecho divertir en años.
En cuanto al resto de los personajes, Clayton, Roger, Warren, Nichole los padres de Ana, la profesora de salud(siendo estos tres últimos los que más me hicieron querer alzar los ojos cada dos por tres y querer mandarlas a la estratosfera) forman parte del reparto de los secundarios que forman parte de la historia y que terminan siendo mas o menos eclipsados por Ana y Zak (aunque sus menciones y su aportación en la novela han sido muy válidamente acertados).
- Lo aprecio mucho. Estoy seguro que lo harás - luego gira hacia mí y sacude su vaso de café. Está vacío-. Zak, acabo de ver a un tipo vestido como luchador mexicano bailando con una chica disfrazada de uno de esos robots de Star Trek. ¿Sabías que ocurrían ese tipo de cosas aquí?
- Por supuesto.
La improbable teoría de Ana y Zak es un libro que hay que disfrutarlo con mucho humor y, ya que estamos, recomendaría solamente para todos aquellos que busquen una lectura ligera, sin nada de pretensiones y querer disfrutar del humor por un buen rato. No sé ustedes pero este libro va a formar parte de mis lecturas favoritas que va en el año y espero leer más libros de Brian Katcher.
Bum, bum, bum.
Algo se acerca.
Bum, bum, bum.
No quiero ver qué es.
Bum.
No puedo evitar de pensar en esa clásica película de terror, en la que hay una mujer amarrada mientras se acerca una sombra ominosa, y los nativos gritan: ¡Kong!
Todo empieza cuando dos polos opuestos, Ana y Zak, se conocen y, por diferentes circunstancias en sus respectivas partes, terminan formando dentro del equipo de Preguntas y Respuestas y participan dentro de un concurso estatal. ¿El problema? Clayton, el hermano de Ana, termina escapándose del hotel donde se alojan antes de asistir a las semifinal del Torneo. ¿A donde fue exactamente? A la Washingcon, la convención de fantasía y ciencia ficción más impotente de los Estados Unidos (y en lo que a mi me respecta a considerar, desde mi punto de vista, una representación de las Comic-Con). ¿El culpable? Zak Duquette que se paso todo el viaje hablando de su ausencia y sus aventuras dentro de su evento favorito del año. Y todo porque su profesora de Salud le saboteo sus planes por un trabajo que el propio Duquette no se esforzó en escribir (aunque para ser sincera, estoy más del lado de Zak que de la dichosa profesora
- Te está llevando a comprar ropa. Eso siempre es una buena señal - repone sonriendo ligeramente.
- No, está fuera de mi alcance. No creo tener demasiado suerte en ese sentido. - me gustaría alardear, pero sé que no tengo esperanzas.
- Si, pero mira, habían dicho que para 1990 tendríamos ciudades en la Luna, pero nadie predijo que existiría el Internet ni las macaras digitales, A veces las mejores predicciones terminan si erróneas y las teorías más improbables terminan haciéndose realidad - comenta, mientras continúa empacando.
Es obviamente que este libro no es un libro que hay que tomarlo con mucha seriedad. No. Es la clase de libro que hay que tomarlo con mucho humor y que, sea de paso, nos haga reír por un buen rato con todas las andanzas de estos dos protagonistas que forman parte del título del libro y que nos cuentan la historia desde sus puntos de vista.
Ana Watson es la chica que se define responsable y perfecta en todo lo académico y lo hace por las circunstancias que ha atravesado en su familia y, sea de paso, por tener unos padres controladores que no la dejan tener su propia vida como ELLA QUIERE O DESEA TENER. En un principio, Ana ha sido una protagonista molesta por esa "actitud de mierda"
- Lo siento. Mis padres tienen patente la idea de que si yo hago algo con un chico, me terminaría arrastrando al camino de la depravación - le digo haciendo un movimiento negativo con la cabeza.
Ya con ese dialogo me hace recordar las ideas que tenía hace algunos años atrás. Así que Anna, te entiendo y te comprendo en cierta forma.
Oh, una cosa más que me ha gustado que recalcaron en Anna y creo estar de acuerdo: que con sus prendas y el arco (agregando su actitud agresiva y responsable) parece una especie de mezcla entre Pepper Pots y Katniss Everdeen.
Zak Duquette es el chico amante de la ciencia ficción y los juegos de rol que tiene el frikismo como parte de su naturaleza y un torpe en los estudios (aunque en el fondo es más listo de lo que demuestra a simple vista). Por culpa de un trabajo y de la profesora de salud (Sorry, pero esa mujer nunca me simpatizo en el primer momento y mucho menos en el último) se pierde de su convención favorita y, por su enorme boca, termina metido en una persecución alocada dentro de la Washingcon junto con Ana, la chica por la que se siente atraído y piensa que es como Barbara Gordon en un primer momento. Les juro que Zak si que me simpatizo desde un principio y he disfrutado de sus diálogos, su relación con Anna y sus referencias a películas y cómics que siempre están presentes cada vez que leía un capitulo desde su punto de vista.
- Me encanta cuando la gente logra hacer funcionar un matrimonio a pesar de las diferencias - murmuro.
- ¿Uno ellos es judío?
- No, pero John es fanático de Star Trek y a Mark le gusta Star Wars...
Zak es uno de los personajes/protagonistas masculinos que he tenido el gusto de conocer. Nunca he visto a un chico que tiente tanta mala suerte a la hora de terminar recibiendo palizas y carreras de persecución desde un vikingo furioso hasta un grupo de zombies furiosos. God, ojalá hubieran agregado un tipo disfrazado de Hulk o un grupo de Stormtroopers con sed de veganza o algo así (pero con el vikingo y todo lo demás basta y sobra para el pobre de Zak). Aparte, entiendo lo que es perder un evento que lo define prácticamente como su "navidad" lo que es prácticamente...
Gracias, doctor Cooper por la demostración.
Aunque el también, como Ana, tiene su problema familiar (aunque no tan extremo como el de ella) que lamentablemente tiene que lidiar precisamente en esa noche en medio de la persecución. A pesar de todo, por más que el final fuese un final intermedio (entre abierto y cerrado) ambos logran arreglar esos problemas familiares que tienen cargados a sus espaldas y que han ocultado durante mucho tiempo.
Y si hablamos de estos dos como un duo... Oh, Dios. Ambos son improbablemente inseparables a pesar de sus diferencias y su manera de ver las cosas. No negaré para nada que es una de las mejores parejas que me hayan hecho divertir en años.
En cuanto al resto de los personajes, Clayton, Roger, Warren, Nichole los padres de Ana, la profesora de salud
- Lo aprecio mucho. Estoy seguro que lo harás - luego gira hacia mí y sacude su vaso de café. Está vacío-. Zak, acabo de ver a un tipo vestido como luchador mexicano bailando con una chica disfrazada de uno de esos robots de Star Trek. ¿Sabías que ocurrían ese tipo de cosas aquí?
- Por supuesto.
La improbable teoría de Ana y Zak es un libro que hay que disfrutarlo con mucho humor y, ya que estamos, recomendaría solamente para todos aquellos que busquen una lectura ligera, sin nada de pretensiones y querer disfrutar del humor por un buen rato. No sé ustedes pero este libro va a formar parte de mis lecturas favoritas que va en el año y espero leer más libros de Brian Katcher.
April 29, 2015
I was super excited to read this book, but it fell a little flat.
Ana and Zak were decent enough characters. He's definitely more fun than she is, but as always, I love getting dual POV. I was hoping for more of a connection between them. For me, the budding romance didn't quite click.
I liked how the camaraderie of the con attendees was portrayed. It really is like that. The ending got a little far fetched, but it almost felt like an ending you would see in The Hangover, so it sort of works. I guess what happens at a comic con stays at a comic con.
It was a quick read with some cute moments.
**Huge thanks to Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
Ana and Zak were decent enough characters. He's definitely more fun than she is, but as always, I love getting dual POV. I was hoping for more of a connection between them. For me, the budding romance didn't quite click.
I liked how the camaraderie of the con attendees was portrayed. It really is like that. The ending got a little far fetched, but it almost felt like an ending you would see in The Hangover, so it sort of works. I guess what happens at a comic con stays at a comic con.
It was a quick read with some cute moments.
**Huge thanks to Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
January 20, 2016
Probablemente la de este libro va a ser la reseña más subjetiva que haga! porque sé (y noté) bastantes cositas que no están de todo bien. Peeeero, lo disfruté tanto y es tan gracioso que me terminó encantando♥
RESEÑA (opinión personal sin spoilers): http://mimundoestaentuspaginas.blogsp...
RESEÑA (opinión personal sin spoilers): http://mimundoestaentuspaginas.blogsp...
May 29, 2015
I was really angry over all the two star ratings when I started this book because it was just so cute! And then I kept reading... :( Wah
May 25, 2020
..."-Sí, pero mira, habían dicho que para 1990 tendríamos ciudades en la Luna, pero nadie predijo que existiría el Internet ni las cámaras digitales. A veces las mejores predicciones terminan siendo erróneas y las teorías más improbables terminan haciéndose realidad."
A este genial libro lo leí por allá en el año 2015/2016, supongo yo, porque no tengo ningún registro en ningún lugar en que momento lo leí. Decidí volver a leerlo porque nunca lo reseñé acá y, segundo porque recordaba que había pasado un divertido momento leyéndolo. Y la relectura no fue una excepción. ME ENCANTO. Me pase un par de noches con una amena lectura y metiéndome en este loco y divertido mundo de la Washington-Con junto con Ana y Zak.
El autor tiene una fluidez que engancha y mucho. Te cuenta una historia que es muy fresca. Cada capítulo tiene algo que pasa y que cambia de rumbo la noche de Ana y Zak dentro de la Con. Ningún capítulo tiene desperdicio. Hace MUCHOOO que no leía un libro sin relleno y fue TAN SATISFACTORIO PARA MÍ. Fue hermoso.
Brian Katcher nos da varias referencias de pelis, series y todas esas cosas que uno puede encontrar en una CON. Lo bueno de estas referencias que son muy universales y varios de nosotros las podemos disfrutar sin tener que ser de "ese mundo". Y el apartado de "Agradecimientos" me fascinó lo que contó, fue chistoso.
Sus dos personajes principales me gustaron mucho y me sentí identificada con Zak. Ana me agradaba pero no era lo mismo que con Zak. Dos personajes bien armados para un libro como este. Personalmente, creo que ellos dos reflejaban muy bien lo que es la adolescencia para muchos chicos, sus preocupaciones e intereses de esos años.
En fin gente, es uno de esos libros para leer cada tanto y reírse unas horas. Y lo disfrutarás si sos un poco fana de todo lo que conlleva el mundo de las convenciones.
A este genial libro lo leí por allá en el año 2015/2016, supongo yo, porque no tengo ningún registro en ningún lugar en que momento lo leí. Decidí volver a leerlo porque nunca lo reseñé acá y, segundo porque recordaba que había pasado un divertido momento leyéndolo. Y la relectura no fue una excepción. ME ENCANTO. Me pase un par de noches con una amena lectura y metiéndome en este loco y divertido mundo de la Washington-Con junto con Ana y Zak.
El autor tiene una fluidez que engancha y mucho. Te cuenta una historia que es muy fresca. Cada capítulo tiene algo que pasa y que cambia de rumbo la noche de Ana y Zak dentro de la Con. Ningún capítulo tiene desperdicio. Hace MUCHOOO que no leía un libro sin relleno y fue TAN SATISFACTORIO PARA MÍ. Fue hermoso.
Brian Katcher nos da varias referencias de pelis, series y todas esas cosas que uno puede encontrar en una CON. Lo bueno de estas referencias que son muy universales y varios de nosotros las podemos disfrutar sin tener que ser de "ese mundo". Y el apartado de "Agradecimientos" me fascinó lo que contó, fue chistoso.
Sus dos personajes principales me gustaron mucho y me sentí identificada con Zak. Ana me agradaba pero no era lo mismo que con Zak. Dos personajes bien armados para un libro como este. Personalmente, creo que ellos dos reflejaban muy bien lo que es la adolescencia para muchos chicos, sus preocupaciones e intereses de esos años.
En fin gente, es uno de esos libros para leer cada tanto y reírse unas horas. Y lo disfrutarás si sos un poco fana de todo lo que conlleva el mundo de las convenciones.
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