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Stanley i Vera są trudnymi nastolatkami, którzy nawiązują relację, kiedy oboje zajmują pierwsze miejsce podczas konkursu National Spelling Bee. Ich matki mają wobec nich wielkie plany, Stanley zostanie senatorem, a Vera profesorem matematyki. Żadne z nich nie chce jednak podążać ścieżkami wyznaczonymi przez starszych.
Chcąc uciec w finansową niezależność Stanley wymyśla plan, że poślubi Verę. Nie zdaje sobie jednak sprawy, że dziewczyna jest w nim naprawdę zakochana. Kiedy ją traci, postanawia naprawić popełnione błędy i odzyskać ją poprzez kodowane w krzyżówkach listy.
Chcąc uciec w finansową niezależność Stanley wymyśla plan, że poślubi Verę. Nie zdaje sobie jednak sprawy, że dziewczyna jest w nim naprawdę zakochana. Kiedy ją traci, postanawia naprawić popełnione błędy i odzyskać ją poprzez kodowane w krzyżówkach listy.
352 pages, Paperback
First published June 9, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 367 reviews
October 13, 2015
This was a cute and clever story about two childhood spelling bee champs and their unusual relationship.
Stanley Owens and Vera Baxter tied for first place in a national spelling bee in 1960. They stayed in touch as teenagers, and shortly before they were supposed to leave for college, Stanley proposed.
But there was a catch. Stanley wanted to fake the wedding, thinking it would be a chance to escape his sheltered life. Vera, however, wished the wedding could be real. It's a nice twist on the traditional Marriage Plot, in which there is a wedding early in the story, but it takes awhile before the groom realizes he genuinely wants to be married.
What separates this book from a typical romance novel is its wordiness. Both Stanley and Vera love reading and learning and books and crossword puzzles. If they are separated and want to find each other, one of them submits a unique crossword puzzle to a national newspaper with hidden clues and hints. It's totally charming. When I saw that detail in another review, I knew I had to read this book.
I would recommend this novel to readers who like stories about bookish characters. I found it to be a delightful read, and it also rekindled my interest in crossword puzzles.
Favorite Quotes
"Back at the hotel, they parted in the lobby, with an awkwardness that was typical of brainy teenagers. But something additional sputtered and sparked around them with algebraic depth."
"His entire existence was one of academic slavery, performing like a trained monkey for the satisfaction of his neurotic mother, and the future she laid out for him was more of the same. To be fair, he loved learning. He had a junkie's craving for knowledge, a need for information of all kinds, from atomic structure to the haiku masters of Japan. But he did not love forced learning, the hours of study measured by the kitchen timer, the monthly IQ tests. Enough was enough."
"Stanley knew that the code word for the Allied invasion of Normandy was Neptune. He knew that the sodium and chloride ions of a table salt molecule bond in a crystal lattice structure, and he could draw you a diagram. He knew the names of the Seven Sisters — Alcyone, Asterope, Celaeno, Electra, Maia, Merope, and Taygete — and what's more, he could spell them. Stanley knew many things, but he still didn't know that he should go to Vera straightaway and tell her how he felt about her using just three little words, and ask her to be with him forever, then take her to Washington and marry her for real in a simple and honest ceremony, and slip a legitimate ring on her finger, and sign the marriage certificate in the unexceptional variety of ink that normal people use in their wonderfully normal lives to write checks and grocery lists and make signs about lost cats."
"Stanley suspected he had shortcomings in matters of the heart, and theorized that there's a finite space within a person for ability. In most people that ability is evenly apportioned, so that they know how to do all the things a person has to do capably but without distinction, while in others ability is apportioned unevenly, great talent mixed with woeful life skills. Stanley had the book smarts of three PhDs combined, but was blind to the obvious path he should take in his relationship with Vera."
Stanley Owens and Vera Baxter tied for first place in a national spelling bee in 1960. They stayed in touch as teenagers, and shortly before they were supposed to leave for college, Stanley proposed.
But there was a catch. Stanley wanted to fake the wedding, thinking it would be a chance to escape his sheltered life. Vera, however, wished the wedding could be real. It's a nice twist on the traditional Marriage Plot, in which there is a wedding early in the story, but it takes awhile before the groom realizes he genuinely wants to be married.
What separates this book from a typical romance novel is its wordiness. Both Stanley and Vera love reading and learning and books and crossword puzzles. If they are separated and want to find each other, one of them submits a unique crossword puzzle to a national newspaper with hidden clues and hints. It's totally charming. When I saw that detail in another review, I knew I had to read this book.
I would recommend this novel to readers who like stories about bookish characters. I found it to be a delightful read, and it also rekindled my interest in crossword puzzles.
Favorite Quotes
"Back at the hotel, they parted in the lobby, with an awkwardness that was typical of brainy teenagers. But something additional sputtered and sparked around them with algebraic depth."
"His entire existence was one of academic slavery, performing like a trained monkey for the satisfaction of his neurotic mother, and the future she laid out for him was more of the same. To be fair, he loved learning. He had a junkie's craving for knowledge, a need for information of all kinds, from atomic structure to the haiku masters of Japan. But he did not love forced learning, the hours of study measured by the kitchen timer, the monthly IQ tests. Enough was enough."
"Stanley knew that the code word for the Allied invasion of Normandy was Neptune. He knew that the sodium and chloride ions of a table salt molecule bond in a crystal lattice structure, and he could draw you a diagram. He knew the names of the Seven Sisters — Alcyone, Asterope, Celaeno, Electra, Maia, Merope, and Taygete — and what's more, he could spell them. Stanley knew many things, but he still didn't know that he should go to Vera straightaway and tell her how he felt about her using just three little words, and ask her to be with him forever, then take her to Washington and marry her for real in a simple and honest ceremony, and slip a legitimate ring on her finger, and sign the marriage certificate in the unexceptional variety of ink that normal people use in their wonderfully normal lives to write checks and grocery lists and make signs about lost cats."
"Stanley suspected he had shortcomings in matters of the heart, and theorized that there's a finite space within a person for ability. In most people that ability is evenly apportioned, so that they know how to do all the things a person has to do capably but without distinction, while in others ability is apportioned unevenly, great talent mixed with woeful life skills. Stanley had the book smarts of three PhDs combined, but was blind to the obvious path he should take in his relationship with Vera."
May 4, 2015
This book had so much potential. The characters were fun and setting it in the 1960's was a neat idea. My problem was, as much as Vera and Stanley are great together, I never really connected with them. It was like someone was telling me this story after the fact. The emotions were muted. I didn't care because I had trouble sympathizing with her. It just felt repetitive. And the ending...WTF?!?! I know happy endings don't happen all the time, but you can't put me through a wishy-washy emotionally distant book like this and then have It's bullsh*t.
Read
July 8, 2016Goodreads 2 star rating described as OKAY. That about sums it up for me.
It felt really dry. I developed no connection with either character. It lacked some depth with the inner dialogue as well. I dunno, I just didn't feel engaged with the read.
So yeah, it was "okay"
Will I be reading more from this author? Probably not :(
*Side note. I love the new cover verses the old (New cover not pictured on Goodreads)
It felt really dry. I developed no connection with either character. It lacked some depth with the inner dialogue as well. I dunno, I just didn't feel engaged with the read.
So yeah, it was "okay"
Will I be reading more from this author? Probably not :(
*Side note. I love the new cover verses the old (New cover not pictured on Goodreads)
January 28, 2016
“I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.”
----Oscar Wilde
Jeff Bartsch, an American author, has penned a heart-warming tale of two intelligent minds who not only ruled the National Spell Bee together, but also ruled a con together, in his debut book, Two Across, unfolding the journey of two teenagers to their adulthood. This is a love story between two smart individuals but layered with academic, politics, lies, scam and career and lots of crossword puzzle.
Synopsis:
Highly awkward teenager Stanley Owens meets his match in beautiful, brainy Vera Baxter when they tie for first place in the annual National Spelling Bee-and the two form a bond that will change both of their lives.
Though their mothers have big plans for them-Stanley will become a senator, Vera a mathematics professor-neither wants to follow these pre-determined paths. So Stanley hatches a scheme to marry Vera in a sham wedding for the cash gifts, hoping they will enable him to pursue his one true love: crossword puzzle construction. In enlisting Vera to marry him, though, he neglects one variable: she's secretly in love with him, which makes their counterfeit ceremony an exercise in misery for her.
Realizing the truth only after she's moved away and cut him out of her life, Stanley tries to atone for his mistakes and win her back. But he's unable to find her, until one day he comes across a puzzle whose clues make him think it could only have been created by Vera. Intrigued, he plays along, communicating back to her via his own gridded clues. But will they connect again before it's all too late?
Stanley and Vera, when they were fifteen, together conquered the National Spell Bee championship. Stanley and Vera decide to con a few wealthy people on the pretext of their marriage before joining college, when they were eighteen, since Stanley wanted to pursue his dream job: making crossword puzzles for newspaper, instead of attending the Law School of Harvard. Two smart minds devoid of any emotion or attraction towards one another, could easily rule anything whatever they felt like. Sadly, their fake marriage made Vera fall for Stanley, but she never uttered a word about her feelings to Stanley. And when Vera could not take it anymore, she ran away without informing Stanley about her further plans. Consequently, Vera's absence made Stanley realize that he too had feelings for him, but will he be able to find Vera through the crossword puzzles?
The story, honestly speaking, could have been much better and even more realistic. Firstly, the story opened very slow and it progressed at snail's pace, until Stanley realizing his love, near the end and the climax is way too rushed. Other than that, I loved the way the story unfolded, especially the author's carefully chosen eloquent words makes the plot very richer. The author's writing is sharp and layered with humor and funny anecdotes but from an emotional standpoint, the plot lacks some serious emotions, considering the fact that this is a love story. Moreover, the narrative is not that catchy or alluring to keep the readers glued to it till the very last page.
Now the characters which are developed strongly yet they lacked the basic feature of making the readers feel for their situation, not to mention the main characters always followed the same pattern of events, thus making the plot bit dull and boring. Whereas the supporting cast are much better than the main characters, who make the plot interesting.
The story is set in the 1960s, but not once it felt like the vents are unfolding in the era of the 60s. The author have failed to capture the historical time frame, even though he have included some of the most remarkable historical moments of that period.
This love story did not feel like a love story maybe it's the love between two most intelligent human beings, but a basic love-making scene too missed that kind of deep emotion. The plot is very unique, only problem is, it could have been much better.
Verdict: Not so promising historical-based YA book.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Jeff Bartsch, for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
----Oscar Wilde
Jeff Bartsch, an American author, has penned a heart-warming tale of two intelligent minds who not only ruled the National Spell Bee together, but also ruled a con together, in his debut book, Two Across, unfolding the journey of two teenagers to their adulthood. This is a love story between two smart individuals but layered with academic, politics, lies, scam and career and lots of crossword puzzle.
Synopsis:
Highly awkward teenager Stanley Owens meets his match in beautiful, brainy Vera Baxter when they tie for first place in the annual National Spelling Bee-and the two form a bond that will change both of their lives.
Though their mothers have big plans for them-Stanley will become a senator, Vera a mathematics professor-neither wants to follow these pre-determined paths. So Stanley hatches a scheme to marry Vera in a sham wedding for the cash gifts, hoping they will enable him to pursue his one true love: crossword puzzle construction. In enlisting Vera to marry him, though, he neglects one variable: she's secretly in love with him, which makes their counterfeit ceremony an exercise in misery for her.
Realizing the truth only after she's moved away and cut him out of her life, Stanley tries to atone for his mistakes and win her back. But he's unable to find her, until one day he comes across a puzzle whose clues make him think it could only have been created by Vera. Intrigued, he plays along, communicating back to her via his own gridded clues. But will they connect again before it's all too late?
Stanley and Vera, when they were fifteen, together conquered the National Spell Bee championship. Stanley and Vera decide to con a few wealthy people on the pretext of their marriage before joining college, when they were eighteen, since Stanley wanted to pursue his dream job: making crossword puzzles for newspaper, instead of attending the Law School of Harvard. Two smart minds devoid of any emotion or attraction towards one another, could easily rule anything whatever they felt like. Sadly, their fake marriage made Vera fall for Stanley, but she never uttered a word about her feelings to Stanley. And when Vera could not take it anymore, she ran away without informing Stanley about her further plans. Consequently, Vera's absence made Stanley realize that he too had feelings for him, but will he be able to find Vera through the crossword puzzles?
The story, honestly speaking, could have been much better and even more realistic. Firstly, the story opened very slow and it progressed at snail's pace, until Stanley realizing his love, near the end and the climax is way too rushed. Other than that, I loved the way the story unfolded, especially the author's carefully chosen eloquent words makes the plot very richer. The author's writing is sharp and layered with humor and funny anecdotes but from an emotional standpoint, the plot lacks some serious emotions, considering the fact that this is a love story. Moreover, the narrative is not that catchy or alluring to keep the readers glued to it till the very last page.
Now the characters which are developed strongly yet they lacked the basic feature of making the readers feel for their situation, not to mention the main characters always followed the same pattern of events, thus making the plot bit dull and boring. Whereas the supporting cast are much better than the main characters, who make the plot interesting.
The story is set in the 1960s, but not once it felt like the vents are unfolding in the era of the 60s. The author have failed to capture the historical time frame, even though he have included some of the most remarkable historical moments of that period.
This love story did not feel like a love story maybe it's the love between two most intelligent human beings, but a basic love-making scene too missed that kind of deep emotion. The plot is very unique, only problem is, it could have been much better.
Verdict: Not so promising historical-based YA book.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Jeff Bartsch, for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
September 28, 2015
DNF @ Chapter 8, page 150
Crossword puzzles, spelling bees, intelligent kids. I was so ready to fall into the spell of a quirky love story. But it dragged and never got anywhere. I thought it was just me since I seem to be going through a reading slump. I tried to stick with it but after a while, I'd read about four pages or so and was asleep before I even realized it. I think this is the type of book that would probably play out better as a movie.
2 stars because it was a good concept and I was rooting for a romance to develop between the two main characters and the story wasn't so bad, it just was dragged out too long.
Crossword puzzles, spelling bees, intelligent kids. I was so ready to fall into the spell of a quirky love story. But it dragged and never got anywhere. I thought it was just me since I seem to be going through a reading slump. I tried to stick with it but after a while, I'd read about four pages or so and was asleep before I even realized it. I think this is the type of book that would probably play out better as a movie.
2 stars because it was a good concept and I was rooting for a romance to develop between the two main characters and the story wasn't so bad, it just was dragged out too long.
October 24, 2017
This book is a little slow at times but oh my God it’s so beautifully written. It felt like the novelization of an epic, romantic poem! The story is gorgeous and although the characters are extremely flawed, their flaws are slowly reconciled as the plot progresses. That ending was perfect as well, although a little rushed for my taste.
Also, “...she replied, with a smile that illuminated the rest of his life.” has to be one of my favorite lines in any of the books I’ve read this year!!
Also, “...she replied, with a smile that illuminated the rest of his life.” has to be one of my favorite lines in any of the books I’ve read this year!!
July 4, 2016
Good idea; lacking in execution. I was drawn in by the synopsis: girl and boy meet in the National Spelling Bee, hilarity ensues, they have a falling out, they reunite by sending each other clues in crossword puzzles. With a description like that, I expected more...well, quirkiness, but the book was repetitive, and a scenario that seemed tailor-made for comedy just wasn't funny. It wasn't really *bad* -- it compelled me enough to keep going, and I read it in a single day -- but it is a story that I actually think would have worked better as a movie.
As a random note, the story is set in the 1960s, but it felt completely out of time. Other than a gratuitous mention of the JFK assassination and the fact that a character's father was involved in WWII, there was nothing in the book that made it "feel" 1960s, which makes me wonder why the author bothered to go out of his way to set it then. There wasn't anything explicitly modern about it, either, yet somehow the whole thing just seemed very anachronistic, somehow.
As a random note, the story is set in the 1960s, but it felt completely out of time. Other than a gratuitous mention of the JFK assassination and the fact that a character's father was involved in WWII, there was nothing in the book that made it "feel" 1960s, which makes me wonder why the author bothered to go out of his way to set it then. There wasn't anything explicitly modern about it, either, yet somehow the whole thing just seemed very anachronistic, somehow.
July 7, 2015
I am a huge fan of crossword puzzles and spelling bees, so the synopsis made me really excited for this book.
It's easiest to compare this to One Day, probably. We keep checking in with Stanley and Vera throughout their lives, but it kept feeling like I was missing major chunks of the story. (Also, Vera and Stanley both had a tendency to annoy me---Vera tends to run at any sign of conflict and Stanley is completely clueless.)
Even so, this was an interesting book and I was rooting for Vera and Stanley to figure out a way to be together.
I loved the beginning and the end, but the middle left me kind of cold.
It's easiest to compare this to One Day, probably. We keep checking in with Stanley and Vera throughout their lives, but it kept feeling like I was missing major chunks of the story. (Also, Vera and Stanley both had a tendency to annoy me---Vera tends to run at any sign of conflict and Stanley is completely clueless.)
Even so, this was an interesting book and I was rooting for Vera and Stanley to figure out a way to be together.
I loved the beginning and the end, but the middle left me kind of cold.
August 19, 2015
*I received digital ARC of this book from Netgalley*
Review also posted on Let’s Say It’s A Blog.
Reading the blurb of this book, I was intrigued by the uncommon choice of main characters of the book. And to think that this book is written by male author, it actually makes me think that something about this book might differ itself from other NA books.
I read a lot of NA these past two years and Two Across comes out nothing alike every NA I’ve read before. In fact, I think it’s more like literary fiction ―even if it’s not actually a genre. Two Across covers wide timeline of the whole story. Its main focus is how both main characters with complex characteristics going through some ups and downs in their life together where they learn and discover their true self in the process that at some point changes their perspectives and gives way to a self-introspection in the end. Also, how this book is written is unlike most NA books. To put this book under NA category I think might give away slightly different depiction of the book to the readers.
Two Across is a fiction set in 1960. This is something that the blurb fails to mention about this book. I expected this book would be a contemporary read (what with being shelved as NA) so I was surprised to find out it wasn’t. But I like it! As a historical-fiction enjoyer, I found this time set intriguing and suits the whole plot.
Vera Baxter’s first encounter with Stanley Owens was during National Spelling Bee in NYC on 1960. The two of them competed one on one and ended up winning together in tie. It’s kind of comical how it went on between them. Stanley who at first did not really up to win the competition, felt challenged when he saw the last competitor was the anxious yet eager girl with calm façade; he wanted to win. As words spelled by, Vera began to grow evil mind for the handsome boy who seemed never to fail to spell the given words. Oh boy, it cracked me up when Vera did imagine a car with Stanley on it sailing through a guardrail. That’s when I decided that I like her character. What an interesting-minded girl!
The opening scene of spelling contest is one great way to pull the readers in. The tension and childish mind-battle between two characters make the readers sure that this book would be a one-sitting material alright. I think so, too, and I finished this book in less than a day (which for slow reader like me is actually a big deal).
From there, Vera and Stanley began to meet annually as visiting alumni. They went for a DC trip once and both of them built a good though long distance friendship as Vera’s always on the road following her mom while Stanley’s always in the Hawthorne hotel where his mom seemed permanently fixed there. Until a year after their city trip as the day they would meet again for the third time since the spelling competition, Vera realized that she might develop some special feeling for Stanley. Then the day came and Stanley welcomed her with his usual smile. Unless, this time their annual visit finally became a turning point of their simple relationship into the most complicated relationship ever existed.
For some story, it might always start and end with love. But Vera and Stanley’s story starts and ends with crossword puzzle. Crossword puzzle is the reason Stanley comes up with big reckless idea of fake a marriage with Vera, which Vera agrees to come along and ends up hurting at over and over. But crossword puzzle is also the reason they reunite and reconnect the missing pieces together after such long long years of hide-and-seek. I love this part a lot! It’s really unique, it’s touching, eerily beautiful, and poignant to have such random thing to connect with someone with whom our hearts tied to.
Vera and Stanley are both smart people ―genius, even― yet their lives aren’t as easy as most people would think of them. This book shows that even smart people struggle in life. Unlike not-smart people who know better that not much people want to accept them in a job or a community, but smart people sometimes even have a trouble to accept their self before stepping out to the outside world. Stanley’s having a hard time to accept the fact that he’s academically gifted and might build a really bright career by going through an excellent education system. He wanted something else, something much simpler like being a crossword puzzle creator, though in his case he would definitely be a master of it with ease. I feel so much feeling for both characters. I root for Vera in everything she did to save herself from falling harder. I also sympathize with Stanley for everything he did to save himself from being ‘trapped’ forever. What Stanley did is obviously bad, worst even, but at some parts I guess I could understand his reason. It’s just that his oblivious about Vera’s feeling is damn frustrating. Even after he realized his true feeling, he chose to hold back from saying the truth. But I guess I understand why he chose to do so as well. As for Vera, I never even dislike her for a bit. She might be the one who’s always leaving, but she’s also trying to be the one who want to reconnect the old pieces. I guess that’s what love do to you, not to make you a fool, but to make you a good forgiver. Well, at least that’s how I see it positive way.
Each character in this book is unique in their own way. The characterizations for each of them are done very well. Vera and Stanley are such complex characters whose every action lead the story all the way to the end. I love how thing ends up eventually. Every lies is admitted, every mistakes is forgiven, and every lost is found again. Some people might not like how things end for Vera and Stanley but I’m satisfied enough with them. Really satisfied, even, because I personally think it’s beautiful.
Two Across is beautifully written. Even though I had to go again and again highlighting each rare word to find its definition, I think it’s worth it. This book was a little off at chapter 6 where I felt it’s hard to relate with the circumstance happening to Vera and Stanley but it picks its charm back up on next chapter. The pace is a little slow and there are repetitive scenes at some point but I enjoyed it thoroughly. For a debut novel, this book creates a really good start to introduce the author’s writing style to the readers. Some people might see this book differently than what I write here on my review but all in all, I love it!
Review also posted on Let’s Say It’s A Blog.
Reading the blurb of this book, I was intrigued by the uncommon choice of main characters of the book. And to think that this book is written by male author, it actually makes me think that something about this book might differ itself from other NA books.
I read a lot of NA these past two years and Two Across comes out nothing alike every NA I’ve read before. In fact, I think it’s more like literary fiction ―even if it’s not actually a genre. Two Across covers wide timeline of the whole story. Its main focus is how both main characters with complex characteristics going through some ups and downs in their life together where they learn and discover their true self in the process that at some point changes their perspectives and gives way to a self-introspection in the end. Also, how this book is written is unlike most NA books. To put this book under NA category I think might give away slightly different depiction of the book to the readers.
Two Across is a fiction set in 1960. This is something that the blurb fails to mention about this book. I expected this book would be a contemporary read (what with being shelved as NA) so I was surprised to find out it wasn’t. But I like it! As a historical-fiction enjoyer, I found this time set intriguing and suits the whole plot.
Vera Baxter’s first encounter with Stanley Owens was during National Spelling Bee in NYC on 1960. The two of them competed one on one and ended up winning together in tie. It’s kind of comical how it went on between them. Stanley who at first did not really up to win the competition, felt challenged when he saw the last competitor was the anxious yet eager girl with calm façade; he wanted to win. As words spelled by, Vera began to grow evil mind for the handsome boy who seemed never to fail to spell the given words. Oh boy, it cracked me up when Vera did imagine a car with Stanley on it sailing through a guardrail. That’s when I decided that I like her character. What an interesting-minded girl!
The opening scene of spelling contest is one great way to pull the readers in. The tension and childish mind-battle between two characters make the readers sure that this book would be a one-sitting material alright. I think so, too, and I finished this book in less than a day (which for slow reader like me is actually a big deal).
From there, Vera and Stanley began to meet annually as visiting alumni. They went for a DC trip once and both of them built a good though long distance friendship as Vera’s always on the road following her mom while Stanley’s always in the Hawthorne hotel where his mom seemed permanently fixed there. Until a year after their city trip as the day they would meet again for the third time since the spelling competition, Vera realized that she might develop some special feeling for Stanley. Then the day came and Stanley welcomed her with his usual smile. Unless, this time their annual visit finally became a turning point of their simple relationship into the most complicated relationship ever existed.
For some story, it might always start and end with love. But Vera and Stanley’s story starts and ends with crossword puzzle. Crossword puzzle is the reason Stanley comes up with big reckless idea of fake a marriage with Vera, which Vera agrees to come along and ends up hurting at over and over. But crossword puzzle is also the reason they reunite and reconnect the missing pieces together after such long long years of hide-and-seek. I love this part a lot! It’s really unique, it’s touching, eerily beautiful, and poignant to have such random thing to connect with someone with whom our hearts tied to.
Vera and Stanley are both smart people ―genius, even― yet their lives aren’t as easy as most people would think of them. This book shows that even smart people struggle in life. Unlike not-smart people who know better that not much people want to accept them in a job or a community, but smart people sometimes even have a trouble to accept their self before stepping out to the outside world. Stanley’s having a hard time to accept the fact that he’s academically gifted and might build a really bright career by going through an excellent education system. He wanted something else, something much simpler like being a crossword puzzle creator, though in his case he would definitely be a master of it with ease. I feel so much feeling for both characters. I root for Vera in everything she did to save herself from falling harder. I also sympathize with Stanley for everything he did to save himself from being ‘trapped’ forever. What Stanley did is obviously bad, worst even, but at some parts I guess I could understand his reason. It’s just that his oblivious about Vera’s feeling is damn frustrating. Even after he realized his true feeling, he chose to hold back from saying the truth. But I guess I understand why he chose to do so as well. As for Vera, I never even dislike her for a bit. She might be the one who’s always leaving, but she’s also trying to be the one who want to reconnect the old pieces. I guess that’s what love do to you, not to make you a fool, but to make you a good forgiver. Well, at least that’s how I see it positive way.
Each character in this book is unique in their own way. The characterizations for each of them are done very well. Vera and Stanley are such complex characters whose every action lead the story all the way to the end. I love how thing ends up eventually. Every lies is admitted, every mistakes is forgiven, and every lost is found again. Some people might not like how things end for Vera and Stanley but I’m satisfied enough with them. Really satisfied, even, because I personally think it’s beautiful.
Two Across is beautifully written. Even though I had to go again and again highlighting each rare word to find its definition, I think it’s worth it. This book was a little off at chapter 6 where I felt it’s hard to relate with the circumstance happening to Vera and Stanley but it picks its charm back up on next chapter. The pace is a little slow and there are repetitive scenes at some point but I enjoyed it thoroughly. For a debut novel, this book creates a really good start to introduce the author’s writing style to the readers. Some people might see this book differently than what I write here on my review but all in all, I love it!
January 8, 2016
I am a lover of words and enjoy reading, writing, working crossword puzzles and playing word games online. I even bought three copies of this book before Christmas, two for relatives who are also word lovers and a copy for myself.
In the early parts of the book, it was hard to feel much sympathy towards Stanley and Vera. Both are super smart, neither one has a father on site, and at age eighteen they don’t have much emotional maturity. Stanley is way too sheltered by his mom who wants him to be successful on a large public scale. Vera spends much of her time reading journals about advanced mathematics while her mom works and travels with an IBM exec.
Stanley also constructs crossword puzzles and sends them to newspapers. One of his creations is a puzzle whose theme is Nazi Germany. In one square he puts the word HEALHITLER with the clue being “Fix the Fuhrer.” For the clue “Fork’s role at breakfast,” the answer is LIFTWAFFLE. His big moment occurs when one of his puzzles is accepted for the Sunday edition of the New York Times. He wants to celebrate and tell the only person he knows who will appreciate his victory but he doesn’t know where Vera is.
This book is cleverly written by Jeff Bartsch, his debut novel that is a harbinger of good things to come. The plot has several fascinating twists, not an easy thing to manage. He does this well and displays a keen knowledge of crossword puzzles. The only negative is Stanley and Vera’s sham wedding; how could they ever get by with that fraud? The unsung hero of the book is Socrates, a pen that belongs to Vera and writes with disappearing ink. Socrates comes in very handy at times.
In the early parts of the book, it was hard to feel much sympathy towards Stanley and Vera. Both are super smart, neither one has a father on site, and at age eighteen they don’t have much emotional maturity. Stanley is way too sheltered by his mom who wants him to be successful on a large public scale. Vera spends much of her time reading journals about advanced mathematics while her mom works and travels with an IBM exec.
Stanley also constructs crossword puzzles and sends them to newspapers. One of his creations is a puzzle whose theme is Nazi Germany. In one square he puts the word HEALHITLER with the clue being “Fix the Fuhrer.” For the clue “Fork’s role at breakfast,” the answer is LIFTWAFFLE. His big moment occurs when one of his puzzles is accepted for the Sunday edition of the New York Times. He wants to celebrate and tell the only person he knows who will appreciate his victory but he doesn’t know where Vera is.
This book is cleverly written by Jeff Bartsch, his debut novel that is a harbinger of good things to come. The plot has several fascinating twists, not an easy thing to manage. He does this well and displays a keen knowledge of crossword puzzles. The only negative is Stanley and Vera’s sham wedding; how could they ever get by with that fraud? The unsung hero of the book is Socrates, a pen that belongs to Vera and writes with disappearing ink. Socrates comes in very handy at times.
July 11, 2016
I read this book in one sitting. It is amazing. I absolutely fell head over heels for Stanley and Vera. Their love stands the test of time. They may have started out their relationship in an unconventional way with a fake marriage but you can't deny true love, especially love that can only be found within the rows and columns of a crossword puzzle.
I have always been a word search fan. I used to have contests with my friends and sister on who could complete their puzzle the fastest. I always won. Yet after reading this book I having a new found appreciation for crossword puzzles. I never really gave it much thought as to the creators of the crossword and word search puzzles. These people have a great dedication to their craft. It was fun seeing the puzzles that Vera and Stanley came up with in this book. I did get and understand why Vera reached her breaking point with Stanley. It turned out to be a good thing and he came to admire and appreciate Vera more. This book is a keeper.
I have always been a word search fan. I used to have contests with my friends and sister on who could complete their puzzle the fastest. I always won. Yet after reading this book I having a new found appreciation for crossword puzzles. I never really gave it much thought as to the creators of the crossword and word search puzzles. These people have a great dedication to their craft. It was fun seeing the puzzles that Vera and Stanley came up with in this book. I did get and understand why Vera reached her breaking point with Stanley. It turned out to be a good thing and he came to admire and appreciate Vera more. This book is a keeper.
August 20, 2015
I felt like I was mislead by the synopsis of the book. I was looking for a romantic, light read which I thought I found when I read the synopsis but what I got was a repetitive storyline, boring characters who were lacking in development for me to be emotional involve or care about their predicament.
Even though the book started well and I was hoping it would get better after 200 pages (Note I usually drop a book after 100 pages if it's not good.) when it didn't turn around I drop the book without regret.
Even though the book started well and I was hoping it would get better after 200 pages (Note I usually drop a book after 100 pages if it's not good.) when it didn't turn around I drop the book without regret.
April 3, 2020
I liked this. It was unique and I enjoyed the slow pace of the story unfolding. 3.5 stars.
August 15, 2015
I just spent a whole week in bed with a crazy vertigo and could only read if I propped a book up in exactly the right position and kept sending my husband back to the library to bring me back my holds so reading was the only thing I did - normally a great situation - but the vertigo caused a horrible nausea and the only book in that ocean of books that truly stood out was this one. I had placed a hold on it because of the connection the author made with crossword puzzles and thought it would be a cute little thing to pass along to my mother and daughter who both enjoy all word puzzles so much but I never expected to enjoy it (I find all word puzzles desperately dull and just pretend to look at them when they show them to me - really I am running through a grocery list in my head or thinking of all the fun things I'll do once I am finished listening to them talk about the clue & the solution) so much.
I was so captivated by these two characters and the way that the author was able to consistently weave their lives back and forth together that I was telling my husband all about them as I read. I'm sure he knows as much about Vera and Stanley in the day I was reading this book as he does about some of my old friends from high school - certainly if you count up the number of fascinating stories I've told him about them it's at about an equal amount of fun detail. I know all about these two people and their adolescence, how they felt about their college years, what they wanted to be when they grew up, their first loves, disappointments, who they lied to, who was important to them and how their careers unfolded. Perhaps I know more about Stanley and Vera than I do about some of my old high school friends after all and I certainly know about them in the most beautiful sentences. This is Jeff Bartsch's first novel but surely he agonized over each and every sentence because they are simply beautiful. I kept flipping back to the author bio to remind myself.. first novel? are they sure? because this book stands out as one of the most beautiful I've read in a while.
It's clever; certainly, with crossword clues throughout. It's a quirky love story with two people meeting as young teens in a national spelling bee and falling for each other in an particularly unusual way. It's peopled with a cast of characters that dance into your mind like old aunts and uncles you see each year at a family reunion and you are so happy to see them when they pop up in a chapter again but it isn't a supremely cheerful book. There are dark moments for both of the characters and maybe I might have had one of those little parenting doubts when I realized it wasn't the best one to have passed on to my 14-year old just because "she likes crossword puzzles"... but she loved it too and we had a great time talking about it. Maybe she learned some things earlier than I'd like her to with this novel but there is so much beauty in it I think that we've come out ahead.
This one is going on my all-time-favourites shelf for goodreads and my book club favourites shelf because I think a coming of age story is tonnes of fun for anyone to talk about. It's a novel that starts off in the 60s so there is much to chat about there and the two characters go through so much turmoil in their lives that the opportunity for discussion is endless. Beyond that you come away feeling good and feeling like you are glad that Jeff Bartsch is out there writing novels as beautiful as this one... and hoping he is fast at work on the next.
I was so captivated by these two characters and the way that the author was able to consistently weave their lives back and forth together that I was telling my husband all about them as I read. I'm sure he knows as much about Vera and Stanley in the day I was reading this book as he does about some of my old friends from high school - certainly if you count up the number of fascinating stories I've told him about them it's at about an equal amount of fun detail. I know all about these two people and their adolescence, how they felt about their college years, what they wanted to be when they grew up, their first loves, disappointments, who they lied to, who was important to them and how their careers unfolded. Perhaps I know more about Stanley and Vera than I do about some of my old high school friends after all and I certainly know about them in the most beautiful sentences. This is Jeff Bartsch's first novel but surely he agonized over each and every sentence because they are simply beautiful. I kept flipping back to the author bio to remind myself.. first novel? are they sure? because this book stands out as one of the most beautiful I've read in a while.
It's clever; certainly, with crossword clues throughout. It's a quirky love story with two people meeting as young teens in a national spelling bee and falling for each other in an particularly unusual way. It's peopled with a cast of characters that dance into your mind like old aunts and uncles you see each year at a family reunion and you are so happy to see them when they pop up in a chapter again but it isn't a supremely cheerful book. There are dark moments for both of the characters and maybe I might have had one of those little parenting doubts when I realized it wasn't the best one to have passed on to my 14-year old just because "she likes crossword puzzles"... but she loved it too and we had a great time talking about it. Maybe she learned some things earlier than I'd like her to with this novel but there is so much beauty in it I think that we've come out ahead.
This one is going on my all-time-favourites shelf for goodreads and my book club favourites shelf because I think a coming of age story is tonnes of fun for anyone to talk about. It's a novel that starts off in the 60s so there is much to chat about there and the two characters go through so much turmoil in their lives that the opportunity for discussion is endless. Beyond that you come away feeling good and feeling like you are glad that Jeff Bartsch is out there writing novels as beautiful as this one... and hoping he is fast at work on the next.
December 10, 2016
Stanley and Vera are two kids in 1960 who participate in national spelling contests. They each read and enjoy words, but the contest itself doesn't please them. They do it to please their parents; that's when they meet at a final.
Later, Stanley has the not very bright idea of pretending to apply to colleges while actually designing crossword puzzles and sending them to papers. He lives with his mother in a Washington hotel and I really can't see why he thinks his agoraphobic mum would not read his letters. Getting a puzzle accepted is a great day for him. But as he has no other interests I would have thought college would be ideal for him with the chance to study whatever he wanted and get out of the hotel environs. He's kept in touch with Vera who comes to visit once a year.
Vera, with no real home but a hand to mouth life in a series of motels, with a mother who hopes to remarry - almost anyone would do it seems - hopes to do better. Vera accepts a chance to join some other young people for a drive to a lake; she is thinking of Sir Richard Burton the explorer, which makes me smile because I've read the Riverworld books by Philip Jose Farmer. While Vera regrets the trip, her basic self-defence means she lives to regret it, which is good. Next time she sees Stanley, he puts forward a crazy proposal, and she doesn't actually refuse.
An obsession with crosswords and several half-baked con tricks punctuate the separations and recurring meetings of our two characters. They could have done a lot more with their lives but perhaps their odd parenting can be blamed for the fact that they didn't, as far as we are shown. A lot of the story is dialogue or inner monologue. We get a sense of atmosphere of the sixties, but this was a time of change, so the decade seems both familiar and foreign. Categorising Two Across is difficult but I'm edging it towards the romance shelf, although it's not very romantic. This could be read by mature Young Adults but I'm not sure they'd be interested; it's much more a New Adult book or a general adult fiction book.
I received a copy for an unbiased review.
Later, Stanley has the not very bright idea of pretending to apply to colleges while actually designing crossword puzzles and sending them to papers. He lives with his mother in a Washington hotel and I really can't see why he thinks his agoraphobic mum would not read his letters. Getting a puzzle accepted is a great day for him. But as he has no other interests I would have thought college would be ideal for him with the chance to study whatever he wanted and get out of the hotel environs. He's kept in touch with Vera who comes to visit once a year.
Vera, with no real home but a hand to mouth life in a series of motels, with a mother who hopes to remarry - almost anyone would do it seems - hopes to do better. Vera accepts a chance to join some other young people for a drive to a lake; she is thinking of Sir Richard Burton the explorer, which makes me smile because I've read the Riverworld books by Philip Jose Farmer. While Vera regrets the trip, her basic self-defence means she lives to regret it, which is good. Next time she sees Stanley, he puts forward a crazy proposal, and she doesn't actually refuse.
An obsession with crosswords and several half-baked con tricks punctuate the separations and recurring meetings of our two characters. They could have done a lot more with their lives but perhaps their odd parenting can be blamed for the fact that they didn't, as far as we are shown. A lot of the story is dialogue or inner monologue. We get a sense of atmosphere of the sixties, but this was a time of change, so the decade seems both familiar and foreign. Categorising Two Across is difficult but I'm edging it towards the romance shelf, although it's not very romantic. This could be read by mature Young Adults but I'm not sure they'd be interested; it's much more a New Adult book or a general adult fiction book.
I received a copy for an unbiased review.
September 15, 2015
Meh. This was an OK story with an interesting setting and premise. It was really hard to like Vera and Stanley. I never felt like I was able to connect with the characters. This read like a synopsis of something that happened a long time ago as told by an emotionally distant narrator. Everything is told, but never shown, and there are no real emotions portrayed here, just words about things the characters feel or have felt in the past. These characters felt like paper doll characters, and never felt like real people for me.
December 28, 2015
Why is this book getting such good reviews? The plot is thin -- and repetitive. The text is filled with grammatical and other errors ... which is a particular shame in a book that's all about words and wordplay. I was very disappointed.
January 17, 2023
This book was a wild ride, and not really what I expected going into it. I thought it would go more the rom com, rivals to lovers storyline with cute hidden messages given through crosswords. Did not think it would lean in to a lying about who you are and conning people story, where at some point they go on a tv game show?!
I do think the relationship between Stanley and Vera could have been fleshed out more, them being the main focus and all. And also the last page comes out of the blue. They want to hit you in the feels by having Stanley die real quick, but I wasn't as heavily invested in the romance as I was probably hoping I'd be by the end...
Slightly disappointed ngl, then again it was a wild ride, and those are usually at least entertaining, which this book was, i'll give it that.
I do think the relationship between Stanley and Vera could have been fleshed out more, them being the main focus and all. And also the last page comes out of the blue. They want to hit you in the feels by having Stanley die real quick, but I wasn't as heavily invested in the romance as I was probably hoping I'd be by the end...
Slightly disappointed ngl, then again it was a wild ride, and those are usually at least entertaining, which this book was, i'll give it that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2024
I think I would like to give it a 3.5... I really appreciated the author's voice and word choice. The character development and overall story were so intriguing and honestly, so unexpected at times! There were just some areas that were a bit cringy, specifically in the dialogue between characters. There were a few holes that I felt could have been filled better. But in general, I enjoyed reading this and would recommend!
December 30, 2020
A light read that I thoroughly enjoyed. For those who love crossword puzzles and quirky characters this is a fun entertaining book that will take you out of the realities of 2020 and set you down in an unprobable world.
Curl up by the beach or a warm fire with this book for an afternoon of fun.
Curl up by the beach or a warm fire with this book for an afternoon of fun.
July 7, 2023
niby fajnie, ciekawy pomysł i wątek krzyżówek bardzo mi się podobał, alee momentami ta historia wydawała mi się strasznie naciągana. tak samo fakt, że oni nie mieli praktycznie życia, kiedy nie byli razem strasznie mnie drażnił.
October 23, 2025
i should have dnf this why didn’t i dnf this
August 8, 2017
At times, it was difficult to sympathise with the two main characters, but I felt it was very enjoyably written. How can you not love haphazard similes like "a wayward apostrophe lodged between two letters like a poppy seed in the teeth"?
August 6, 2019
I really really wanted to love this romantic debut about two delightful geeks. But it was a little repetitive, and though I was hoping for the couple to get together by default, I didn’t feel that I really got to know the characters enough to truly cheer for them. Still, it was a fun quick read with crossword puzzles.
April 21, 2025
I wanted to really like this book. And there were aspects that I truly enjoyed. But overall, the characters were selfish (every single one) and terrible at communicating well within their relationships. If the two mains had just HAD A CONVERSATION! Ugh. I did enjoy the crossword puzzle plot theme and the vocabulary. At least it had a decent ending and the characters learned that honesty is best.
CW: strong language, dishonesty, stupidity 🙄, abandonment
CW: strong language, dishonesty, stupidity 🙄, abandonment
November 11, 2015
http://openbooksociety.com/article/tw...
Two Across
By Jeff Bartsch
ISBN: 9781455554621
http://www.jeff-bartsch.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Una
Synopsis:
TWO ACROSS is a funny and poignant debut novel about trust, forgiveness, and the wisdom of listening to your heart.
Stanley and Vera, academically precocious but awkward teenagers, form a bond when they tie for first place in the National Spelling Bee. Though their mothers have big plans for them-Stanley will become a senator, Vera a mathematics professor-neither wants to follow these pre-determined paths. So Stanley hatches a plan to marry Vera in a sham wedding for the financial freedom to pursue his one true love: crossword puzzle construction. In enlisting Vera to marry him, he neglects one variable: she’s secretly in love with him, a fact that dooms his plan to disaster. Once he’s lost her, Stanley tries to atone for his mistakes and win her back using coded messages in crossword puzzles-but can he find her again before it’s too late?
Review:
I started this book with reservations as to whether I would even like it however within the first few pages I was hooked. It truly is witty and charming as it tells the stories of two teenagers who won’t follow their mother’s pre-determined path for their future. Stanley wants to develop and publish cross word puzzles and not be a senator and go to Harvard. Vera thinks she does not want to be a mathematics professor and go to Brown. Having formed a bond by winning the National Spelling Bee contest the two devise a plan where they will get married in name only and thus be able to follow their own dreams. Their love of crosswords brings them together however what both don’t realize is their need and love for each other will foil their plan. Stanley is more set in his ways and won’t give up on his dream however Vera eventually will go to a modified course that her mother had set out for her. Their subsequent journeys eventually drive them apart however coded crosswords allow them to find each other in the end. Will they be able to repair the relationship? I loved how both Stanley and Vera come to terms with their mothers after a long deception and are able to see the love their mothers ultimately had for them. The story will make you laugh especially after Vera and Stanley are married and win a TV contest on how much you know about your partner.
Both Vera and Stanley are different and no matter how they try to fit in and develop relationships of their own they are ultimately drawn back to each other.
I really liked the flow of the story and Bartsch develops and matures the characters in a manner that is appropriate to their nature. A delightful summer read and I look forward to more stories from Jeffrey Bartsch.
Two Across
By Jeff Bartsch
ISBN: 9781455554621
http://www.jeff-bartsch.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Una
Synopsis:
TWO ACROSS is a funny and poignant debut novel about trust, forgiveness, and the wisdom of listening to your heart.
Stanley and Vera, academically precocious but awkward teenagers, form a bond when they tie for first place in the National Spelling Bee. Though their mothers have big plans for them-Stanley will become a senator, Vera a mathematics professor-neither wants to follow these pre-determined paths. So Stanley hatches a plan to marry Vera in a sham wedding for the financial freedom to pursue his one true love: crossword puzzle construction. In enlisting Vera to marry him, he neglects one variable: she’s secretly in love with him, a fact that dooms his plan to disaster. Once he’s lost her, Stanley tries to atone for his mistakes and win her back using coded messages in crossword puzzles-but can he find her again before it’s too late?
Review:
I started this book with reservations as to whether I would even like it however within the first few pages I was hooked. It truly is witty and charming as it tells the stories of two teenagers who won’t follow their mother’s pre-determined path for their future. Stanley wants to develop and publish cross word puzzles and not be a senator and go to Harvard. Vera thinks she does not want to be a mathematics professor and go to Brown. Having formed a bond by winning the National Spelling Bee contest the two devise a plan where they will get married in name only and thus be able to follow their own dreams. Their love of crosswords brings them together however what both don’t realize is their need and love for each other will foil their plan. Stanley is more set in his ways and won’t give up on his dream however Vera eventually will go to a modified course that her mother had set out for her. Their subsequent journeys eventually drive them apart however coded crosswords allow them to find each other in the end. Will they be able to repair the relationship? I loved how both Stanley and Vera come to terms with their mothers after a long deception and are able to see the love their mothers ultimately had for them. The story will make you laugh especially after Vera and Stanley are married and win a TV contest on how much you know about your partner.
Both Vera and Stanley are different and no matter how they try to fit in and develop relationships of their own they are ultimately drawn back to each other.
I really liked the flow of the story and Bartsch develops and matures the characters in a manner that is appropriate to their nature. A delightful summer read and I look forward to more stories from Jeffrey Bartsch.
July 10, 2016
**I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review.**
This book wasn't quite what I expected. Based on the description, I expected a humorous little romance between two intellectuals, the awkwardness of two people more comfortable in their own minds than relationships between people. I expected the hilarity of a fake wedding to culminate in a real romance.
The first surprise was the period. Perhaps through my own mistaken assumption, I anticipated it to be set in the current day, but it begins in the early 1960s. My early excitement at this discovery quickly disappeared as I realized that, unfortunately, the author didn't take advantage of the events of the time to give the story more richness and depth. Without mention of time or how many years had passed, this book would have been exactly the same whether it was set in the 1960s, 1980s, or today. There were brief mentions of events of the time (JFK assassination, Watergate, etc.), but it was so brief that it didn't serve to anchor the book in the period.
My next surprise was the characters themselves. They felt very bland to me. Much of the book was spent inside each character's head, which wasn't entirely unexpected, as these were supposed to be two incredibly smart people. But it was so boring inside their heads, sometimes.
I often felt as though the book dragged. Despite how little time passed in a chapter, or through several chapters, I often felt as if it should have been much more time. There were many paragraphs detailing minor things that ultimately had no real bearing on the story that had me frequently contemplating whether I really wanted to finish the book.
Lest you think I'm saying it was a bad book, though, let me assure you: I did finish it. Even as I considered setting it aside because I was getting bored or losing interest, I continued to read, for reasons I couldn't identify.
Toward the end, there was a slight pick up in the pace of the book, some intriguing minor mysteries and new situations that captured my attention and made me really want to see how things turned out.
I found the ending strangely unsatisfying, however. I'm not sure why, as it gave me full closure as to what happened to everyone that mattered. Perhaps it felt too rushed for me? Or maybe something felt off in the way the ending events took place? I'm not sure, but it just left me feeling a bit...blah.
If you're into crosswords, if you're into books that spend most of their time inside the heads of characters and very little outside it, this book will likely be right up your alley. But if you prefer a brisk pace, lots of mystery, excitement and thrills, you might find that this book is better read while alternating with another, more exciting book.
This book wasn't quite what I expected. Based on the description, I expected a humorous little romance between two intellectuals, the awkwardness of two people more comfortable in their own minds than relationships between people. I expected the hilarity of a fake wedding to culminate in a real romance.
The first surprise was the period. Perhaps through my own mistaken assumption, I anticipated it to be set in the current day, but it begins in the early 1960s. My early excitement at this discovery quickly disappeared as I realized that, unfortunately, the author didn't take advantage of the events of the time to give the story more richness and depth. Without mention of time or how many years had passed, this book would have been exactly the same whether it was set in the 1960s, 1980s, or today. There were brief mentions of events of the time (JFK assassination, Watergate, etc.), but it was so brief that it didn't serve to anchor the book in the period.
My next surprise was the characters themselves. They felt very bland to me. Much of the book was spent inside each character's head, which wasn't entirely unexpected, as these were supposed to be two incredibly smart people. But it was so boring inside their heads, sometimes.
I often felt as though the book dragged. Despite how little time passed in a chapter, or through several chapters, I often felt as if it should have been much more time. There were many paragraphs detailing minor things that ultimately had no real bearing on the story that had me frequently contemplating whether I really wanted to finish the book.
Lest you think I'm saying it was a bad book, though, let me assure you: I did finish it. Even as I considered setting it aside because I was getting bored or losing interest, I continued to read, for reasons I couldn't identify.
Toward the end, there was a slight pick up in the pace of the book, some intriguing minor mysteries and new situations that captured my attention and made me really want to see how things turned out.
I found the ending strangely unsatisfying, however. I'm not sure why, as it gave me full closure as to what happened to everyone that mattered. Perhaps it felt too rushed for me? Or maybe something felt off in the way the ending events took place? I'm not sure, but it just left me feeling a bit...blah.
If you're into crosswords, if you're into books that spend most of their time inside the heads of characters and very little outside it, this book will likely be right up your alley. But if you prefer a brisk pace, lots of mystery, excitement and thrills, you might find that this book is better read while alternating with another, more exciting book.
May 28, 2016
3.5 stars
Two brainy teenagers, Stanley and Vera, meet cute as contestants in the national spelling bee. Both are very intelligent with demanding mothers and absent fathers. Stanley lives full-time at a hotel in DC with his mom and Vera usually spends some time at this hotel with her own mother so after the spelling bee, they continue to run into each other from time to time. Stanley doesn't want to go to college and dreams up a scheme for he and Vera to get married and then cashing in the money from all the gifts. This is the 1960's so getting married young is pretty normal, though they are only 18 and neither mother is very excited about the nuptials. What Stanley doesn't know is that Vera has a big crush on him. Stanley and Vera continue to get themselves into trouble by the web of lies that they've been spinning until Vera finally disappears from Stanley's life.
The premise of this book was intriguing. Stanley is obsessed with crossword puzzles, both solving and creating them. There is a lot of clever wordplay associated with the puzzles he creates. He also shows Vera how to create puzzles, even though she's more of a math genius. During various parts of the book, this is how they communicate, through the puzzles that they are able to get published in various big city newspapers. This however, was not really a fast-paced books because it's more about the characters of Vera and Stanley. I think that there was a missed opportunity to play up the time period a bit more as well. Overall, if you like puzzles and wordplay, you might want to check this one out.
Two brainy teenagers, Stanley and Vera, meet cute as contestants in the national spelling bee. Both are very intelligent with demanding mothers and absent fathers. Stanley lives full-time at a hotel in DC with his mom and Vera usually spends some time at this hotel with her own mother so after the spelling bee, they continue to run into each other from time to time. Stanley doesn't want to go to college and dreams up a scheme for he and Vera to get married and then cashing in the money from all the gifts. This is the 1960's so getting married young is pretty normal, though they are only 18 and neither mother is very excited about the nuptials. What Stanley doesn't know is that Vera has a big crush on him. Stanley and Vera continue to get themselves into trouble by the web of lies that they've been spinning until Vera finally disappears from Stanley's life.
The premise of this book was intriguing. Stanley is obsessed with crossword puzzles, both solving and creating them. There is a lot of clever wordplay associated with the puzzles he creates. He also shows Vera how to create puzzles, even though she's more of a math genius. During various parts of the book, this is how they communicate, through the puzzles that they are able to get published in various big city newspapers. This however, was not really a fast-paced books because it's more about the characters of Vera and Stanley. I think that there was a missed opportunity to play up the time period a bit more as well. Overall, if you like puzzles and wordplay, you might want to check this one out.
June 23, 2015
Vera and Stanley meet while competing in the 1960 National Spelling Bee. He lives with his agoraphobic mother in a Washington, D.C. hotel; she is taken all over the Northeast by her mother, a traveling IBM employee. Vera is a math prodigy who can’t wait to get to college and tackle complex problems; Stanley rebels against the life his mother has plotted for him and only wants to construct crossword puzzles. Together they concoct a scheme by which he breaks away from his mother’s control, then they head off to college.
In Two Across we follow Vera and Stanley’s lives and their relationships – the smooth times, the rough, the times they’re together and apart – and the unusual way they have in sending messages when they don’t know each other’s whereabouts: crossword puzzles placed in major newspapers.
Stanley and Vera are immensely likeable, identifiable people. We root for even their most ill-thought-out plans to work, we attempt to psychically influence their decisions, we will them to get together and stay together. We see ourselves in their foibles and in their triumphs.
Jeff Bartsch’s novel is a great read. The writing is smooth, evocative, and crafted to not get in the way of the story. The story line and all the characters are appealing. All in all, Two Across is the most fun I’ve had reading in a long time.
>>Support independent bookstores by buying real books from real stores where you can talk with real booksellers.<<
In Two Across we follow Vera and Stanley’s lives and their relationships – the smooth times, the rough, the times they’re together and apart – and the unusual way they have in sending messages when they don’t know each other’s whereabouts: crossword puzzles placed in major newspapers.
Stanley and Vera are immensely likeable, identifiable people. We root for even their most ill-thought-out plans to work, we attempt to psychically influence their decisions, we will them to get together and stay together. We see ourselves in their foibles and in their triumphs.
Jeff Bartsch’s novel is a great read. The writing is smooth, evocative, and crafted to not get in the way of the story. The story line and all the characters are appealing. All in all, Two Across is the most fun I’ve had reading in a long time.
>>Support independent bookstores by buying real books from real stores where you can talk with real booksellers.<<
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