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Meet Me in Outer Space
Smart and unflinching, this #OwnVoices debut contemporary novel stars an ambitious college student who refuses to be defined by her central auditory processing disorder.
Edie Kits has a learning disability. Well, not a learning disability exactly, but a disability that impacts her learning. It isn't visible, it isn't obvious, and it isn't something she likes to advertise.
And for three semesters of college, her hard work and perseverance have carried her through. Edie thinks she has her disability under control until she meets her match with a French 102 course and a professor unwilling to help her out.
Edie finds herself caught between getting the help she needs and convincing her professor that she isn't looking for an easy out. Luckily for Edie, she has an amazing best friend, Serena, who is willing to stitch together a plan to ensure Edie's success. And then there's Hudson, the badly dressed but undoubtedly adorable TA in her French class who finds himself pulled into her orbit...
Chosen by readers like you for Macmillan's young adult imprint Swoon Reads, Meet Me in Outer Space is a sweet, heartachingly real story of love and college life by debut author Melinda Grace.
Edie Kits has a learning disability. Well, not a learning disability exactly, but a disability that impacts her learning. It isn't visible, it isn't obvious, and it isn't something she likes to advertise.
And for three semesters of college, her hard work and perseverance have carried her through. Edie thinks she has her disability under control until she meets her match with a French 102 course and a professor unwilling to help her out.
Edie finds herself caught between getting the help she needs and convincing her professor that she isn't looking for an easy out. Luckily for Edie, she has an amazing best friend, Serena, who is willing to stitch together a plan to ensure Edie's success. And then there's Hudson, the badly dressed but undoubtedly adorable TA in her French class who finds himself pulled into her orbit...
Chosen by readers like you for Macmillan's young adult imprint Swoon Reads, Meet Me in Outer Space is a sweet, heartachingly real story of love and college life by debut author Melinda Grace.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published March 12, 2019
11 people are currently reading
2468 people want to read
About the author
Melinda Grace
1 book58 followersMelinda Grace wrote her first piece of fiction in middle school, but didn't write a complete story until an introduction to creative writing course at State University of New York at Oswego, where she earned a BA in human development. She went on to earn a MS Ed in counseling from Alfred University and currently works as an elementary school counselor. She loves sunshine, ice cream sandwiches, and anything Disney. Her debut novel Meet Me in Outer Space is an #OwnVoices story.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
March 17, 2019
This review originally appeared on Novel Ink.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
If you’re a regular reader of the blog, you probably know by now that I can ALWAYS go for a cute YA contemporary. That being said, Meet Me In Outer Space delivered on that front!
In Meet Me In Outer Space, we follow our protagonist, Edie, who is struggling in her French class due to a learning disability that her professor will not make adequate accommodations for. Her TA, Hudson, offers to tutor her to help her bring her grade up, and cute romance ensues.
One thing I loved about this book was that it’s exactly the college-aged YA that so many readers have been begging publishers for. I always love reading books set in college, and Meet Me in Outer Space was no exception. One of my favorite things about this was just reading about Edie’s day-to-day life as a college student. Plus, we get some awesome fashion elements, since she is studying to work in the fashion industry. Edie, as a character, is so driven and goal-oriented. She has such a clear idea about her future, which I enjoyed since it felt a lot like how I was in college. Additionally, Edie’s Central Auditory Processing Disorder was #ownvoices representation, which was wonderful to see! We get insight into how Edie’s CAPD affects everyday processes in her life, but it’s not the central focus of the narrative. We see how frustrating it can be when people don’t validate her disability as a “real” thing.
The friend group in this book was SO fun to read about, too. They gave me all the college vibes, for sure. I especially loved Edie’s friendship with her roommate, Serena.
Really, this book is very straightforward: you go in expecting a cute romance, and that’s exactly what you get. It may be a little surface-level, but that doesn’t diminish the quality of the romance. Hudson, Edie’s love interest, is exactly the kind of nerdy book boyfriend that is my kryptonite. He was so endearing (and so full of puns!). The last scene, in particular, felt so cinematic and vivid, and it definitely had me swooning a little bit.
Overall, if you’re looking for a cute romance set in college, with plenty of heart (and lots of French!), I highly recommend checking out Meet Me In Outer Space.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
If you’re a regular reader of the blog, you probably know by now that I can ALWAYS go for a cute YA contemporary. That being said, Meet Me In Outer Space delivered on that front!
In Meet Me In Outer Space, we follow our protagonist, Edie, who is struggling in her French class due to a learning disability that her professor will not make adequate accommodations for. Her TA, Hudson, offers to tutor her to help her bring her grade up, and cute romance ensues.
One thing I loved about this book was that it’s exactly the college-aged YA that so many readers have been begging publishers for. I always love reading books set in college, and Meet Me in Outer Space was no exception. One of my favorite things about this was just reading about Edie’s day-to-day life as a college student. Plus, we get some awesome fashion elements, since she is studying to work in the fashion industry. Edie, as a character, is so driven and goal-oriented. She has such a clear idea about her future, which I enjoyed since it felt a lot like how I was in college. Additionally, Edie’s Central Auditory Processing Disorder was #ownvoices representation, which was wonderful to see! We get insight into how Edie’s CAPD affects everyday processes in her life, but it’s not the central focus of the narrative. We see how frustrating it can be when people don’t validate her disability as a “real” thing.
The friend group in this book was SO fun to read about, too. They gave me all the college vibes, for sure. I especially loved Edie’s friendship with her roommate, Serena.
Really, this book is very straightforward: you go in expecting a cute romance, and that’s exactly what you get. It may be a little surface-level, but that doesn’t diminish the quality of the romance. Hudson, Edie’s love interest, is exactly the kind of nerdy book boyfriend that is my kryptonite. He was so endearing (and so full of puns!). The last scene, in particular, felt so cinematic and vivid, and it definitely had me swooning a little bit.
Overall, if you’re looking for a cute romance set in college, with plenty of heart (and lots of French!), I highly recommend checking out Meet Me In Outer Space.
January 15, 2019
3.5 stars
Super readable and cute but I sort of got annoyed with how the main character kept pushing Wes away.
Super readable and cute but I sort of got annoyed with how the main character kept pushing Wes away.
March 12, 2019
Edie has a learning disability that is making her French 102 class impossible. While seeking out help she meets her French professors teaching assistant Hudson who becomes her tutor.
The relationship between Edie and Hudson is both semi romantic and toxic at the same time depending on how you view healthy relationships.
Edie has a dream that she has been working on for a very long time... go to Paris to immerse herself in the fashion world. In the book, when she is not spending time trying to get Hudson to tutor her in French, she is working on a project called "The Dress." She poured so much of her heart and soul into this dress and you can really feel this girl's fashion aspirations. She doesn't want to be in a relationship because after the semester is over she is going to Paris for the summer and planned on staying for the Fall semester. What she is terrible at is articulating this to men. She allows the subject to be brushed off a few times by Hudson. They never really say what needs to be said, which should have been Hudson saying... go to Paris, stay through the fall
Hudson for me was just borderline toxic.
- She initially didn't want to be tutored by him so he signs up to be a tutor so she'd have no other choice
- Several times she had to tell him no to kissing because she needed to study to pass her mid-term and final. She squeaks by with a D in the class but I bet she could have done better if he spent more time actually tutoring her.
- He doesn't really want to listen to her when she tells him that she cannot start a relationship because of Paris
- When she broke it he kept texting her ... she said that "He'd texted me twice, both times trying to justify why we should stay together. Telling me that he wasn't going anywhere. That he would be there for me when I came around. The problem was that I had no intention of coming around."
- Edie says this last declaration several times. Even when her supposed best friend Serena tries to change her mind she tells Serena no.
- When he goes to Serena's photo exhibit that featured photos of Edie he texts Serena for copies of the pics because he is a glutton for punishment
-When Edie was in classes after the break all he did was stare at her while she was trying to pay attention
Serena- Edie's best friend
- recognizes that Edie has been working so hard on this Dress, that it was her dream to go to Paris, yet works with Hudson to derail Edie's ambitions by insisting that she really wants this relationship.
- Makes Edie put on the dress and tricks her into meeting with Hudson at the planetarium. Which would have been cute but all the actions leading up to this moment tainted the romanticness of it for me.
Then the book just ends with Edie and Hudson in the planetarium. Well did she go to Paris? Did she stay the fall semester? Did they actually have the proper conversation regarding what happened between them? Personally I don't think she wanted the relationship. She used Hudson as a distraction to blame if she failed. Hudson forced himself on her causing him to be her distraction so he is to blame as well. Forcing a relationship at the end just left me feeling less positive about the story.
Thank you to Netgally and Swoon Reads for an opportunity to read this book. The opinions are my own.
The relationship between Edie and Hudson is both semi romantic and toxic at the same time depending on how you view healthy relationships.
Edie has a dream that she has been working on for a very long time... go to Paris to immerse herself in the fashion world. In the book, when she is not spending time trying to get Hudson to tutor her in French, she is working on a project called "The Dress." She poured so much of her heart and soul into this dress and you can really feel this girl's fashion aspirations. She doesn't want to be in a relationship because after the semester is over she is going to Paris for the summer and planned on staying for the Fall semester. What she is terrible at is articulating this to men. She allows the subject to be brushed off a few times by Hudson. They never really say what needs to be said, which should have been Hudson saying... go to Paris, stay through the fall
Hudson for me was just borderline toxic.
- She initially didn't want to be tutored by him so he signs up to be a tutor so she'd have no other choice
- Several times she had to tell him no to kissing because she needed to study to pass her mid-term and final. She squeaks by with a D in the class but I bet she could have done better if he spent more time actually tutoring her.
- He doesn't really want to listen to her when she tells him that she cannot start a relationship because of Paris
- When she broke it he kept texting her ... she said that "He'd texted me twice, both times trying to justify why we should stay together. Telling me that he wasn't going anywhere. That he would be there for me when I came around. The problem was that I had no intention of coming around."
- Edie says this last declaration several times. Even when her supposed best friend Serena tries to change her mind she tells Serena no.
- When he goes to Serena's photo exhibit that featured photos of Edie he texts Serena for copies of the pics because he is a glutton for punishment
-When Edie was in classes after the break all he did was stare at her while she was trying to pay attention
Serena- Edie's best friend
- recognizes that Edie has been working so hard on this Dress, that it was her dream to go to Paris, yet works with Hudson to derail Edie's ambitions by insisting that she really wants this relationship.
- Makes Edie put on the dress and tricks her into meeting with Hudson at the planetarium. Which would have been cute but all the actions leading up to this moment tainted the romanticness of it for me.
Then the book just ends with Edie and Hudson in the planetarium. Well did she go to Paris? Did she stay the fall semester? Did they actually have the proper conversation regarding what happened between them? Personally I don't think she wanted the relationship. She used Hudson as a distraction to blame if she failed. Hudson forced himself on her causing him to be her distraction so he is to blame as well. Forcing a relationship at the end just left me feeling less positive about the story.
Thank you to Netgally and Swoon Reads for an opportunity to read this book. The opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2019
Meet Me in Outer Space sure was a book that took me out of a marching slump. [Yes, it never left it just looms over me, the slump that is.] An #OwnVoices read about Edie Kits a fashion design student challenged by central auditory processing disorder. And she is out there to prove that no disability can hold the goodness within her.
It took me a surprise that I finished this book in one sitting. Yes! It was compelling in its own ways:
a.) The representation it gives. I am not an #OwnVoices reader but I do know what it feels to be represented or seen by a book. We rarely see the representation we want; there are so much to tackle yet too. For now, I feel honored to know our MC, Edie Kits.
b.) The writing, the moment one laid eyes on the first paragraph. I have no doubt, they will have a hard time putting it down… or just a case for me. It was easy to follow the flow of the story. The writing was addictive. In every page, it left me questions entirely enough to keep on reading threading for the answers to reveal.
c.) The character, specifically Edie! In a young woman’s life, one had struggled or are still thriving to achieve the best of their dreams. Making it into reality. Her passion for fashion is obvious. She loves crafting and creating things out of her hands.
d.) The setting, it centralises on the school/university. I love it, made me feel nostalgic. I miss studying, I miss uni life. Ahhh.
Of course, if there are parts I liked there are parts that did not work for me. I love how Edie and Hudson met. The description was cute. The slow burn was fire. I admit the right amount I long for in a romance read. However, I may have seen red flags for me. Edie’s development revolved around Hudson. And her friends would insist on shipping them both, that now seems to cause a delay for Edie’s goals. And lastly e.) I may be an unpopular opinion with this one but I liked the ending. It is up for debate but for me, endings such as with Meet Me in Outer Space was something that would continue for my imagination.
Overall, it was good. I enjoyed reading through it. And I love the fact that it brought back my reading mojo. I still would recommend, Edie’s voice deserves to be heard by you!
More Meet Me in Outer Space • Instagram • Twitter
It took me a surprise that I finished this book in one sitting. Yes! It was compelling in its own ways:
a.) The representation it gives. I am not an #OwnVoices reader but I do know what it feels to be represented or seen by a book. We rarely see the representation we want; there are so much to tackle yet too. For now, I feel honored to know our MC, Edie Kits.
b.) The writing, the moment one laid eyes on the first paragraph. I have no doubt, they will have a hard time putting it down… or just a case for me. It was easy to follow the flow of the story. The writing was addictive. In every page, it left me questions entirely enough to keep on reading threading for the answers to reveal.
c.) The character, specifically Edie! In a young woman’s life, one had struggled or are still thriving to achieve the best of their dreams. Making it into reality. Her passion for fashion is obvious. She loves crafting and creating things out of her hands.
d.) The setting, it centralises on the school/university. I love it, made me feel nostalgic. I miss studying, I miss uni life. Ahhh.
Of course, if there are parts I liked there are parts that did not work for me. I love how Edie and Hudson met. The description was cute. The slow burn was fire. I admit the right amount I long for in a romance read. However, I may have seen red flags for me. Edie’s development revolved around Hudson. And her friends would insist on shipping them both, that now seems to cause a delay for Edie’s goals. And lastly e.) I may be an unpopular opinion with this one but I liked the ending. It is up for debate but for me, endings such as with Meet Me in Outer Space was something that would continue for my imagination.
Overall, it was good. I enjoyed reading through it. And I love the fact that it brought back my reading mojo. I still would recommend, Edie’s voice deserves to be heard by you!
More Meet Me in Outer Space • Instagram • Twitter
March 15, 2019
Meet Me in Outer Space is a unique YA Contemporary about a girl in college whose dream is to become a fashion designer. When she starts hanging out with the cute French TA she starts to struggle keeping her distance. She will be leaving for Paris after all and the last thing she needs is to have a boy in her life, as that will only bring heartbreak.
Edie is failing her French class so when she is approached by the good looking TA about possibly tutoring her she has to choose to try to get her grade up on her own or accept his help. I thought Edie’s character was inspiring. Although she has a disability she doesn’t let it define, or stop, her from trying to reach her goals. I thought Melinda did a wonderful job of making Edie feel normal, just the way Edie wants to feel. I think we need more stories like these where we get to see different representations as a way of understanding how resilient humans can be!
Hudson was so adorable! I loved how much he wanted to get to know and understanding Edie. Even when she gets mad at him or pushes him away he is always there working to support her! He wants her to succeed as much as she does! I thought the banter between them was adorable & he has the best dad jokes!
This was the perfect YA Contemporary I was looking for lately! I’m so glad I got a chance to read and review it!
Edie is failing her French class so when she is approached by the good looking TA about possibly tutoring her she has to choose to try to get her grade up on her own or accept his help. I thought Edie’s character was inspiring. Although she has a disability she doesn’t let it define, or stop, her from trying to reach her goals. I thought Melinda did a wonderful job of making Edie feel normal, just the way Edie wants to feel. I think we need more stories like these where we get to see different representations as a way of understanding how resilient humans can be!
Hudson was so adorable! I loved how much he wanted to get to know and understanding Edie. Even when she gets mad at him or pushes him away he is always there working to support her! He wants her to succeed as much as she does! I thought the banter between them was adorable & he has the best dad jokes!
This was the perfect YA Contemporary I was looking for lately! I’m so glad I got a chance to read and review it!
March 12, 2019
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.
Meet Me in Outer Space follows a college student named Edie who has an auditory disorder that causes her to process speech incorrectly. She is determined to do well in her French 102 class, and starts getting help from her French TA, Hudson. As the story unfolds, she and Hudson start getting closer and all her priorities get scrambled in the process.
When I started this book I thought I was going to like much more than I actually did. I was ultimately left feeling very disappointed by the end of it. I didn’t feel like there were any stakes in the story, and that all of the drama surrounding her and Hudson was entirely self-made. Edie turned out to be very self-sabotaging. I disliked Edie so much that I was beginning to wonder if she was intentionally written to be an unlikable character. I still don’t know the answer to that. I liked Hudson better, but not by much.
I expected the whole TA-Student relationship to be a bigger deal than it actually was. I think the story would have been more interesting if that were the case, instead of focusing so much on the fact that she was leaving for Paris in the summer. I know long-distance relationships are hard and frustrating, but if they had something legitimate going, then he was going to be there when she got back. I’m glad that in the end Edie’s friend helped her realize that there was a future after Paris. It just seemed like there was a lot of heartache over nothing.
I found Meet Me in Outer Space to be comparable to Emergency Contact by Mary HK Choi, which was another book that I didn’t really like. However, if you did like Emergency Contact then this book might be more your cup of tea.
Meet Me in Outer Space follows a college student named Edie who has an auditory disorder that causes her to process speech incorrectly. She is determined to do well in her French 102 class, and starts getting help from her French TA, Hudson. As the story unfolds, she and Hudson start getting closer and all her priorities get scrambled in the process.
When I started this book I thought I was going to like much more than I actually did. I was ultimately left feeling very disappointed by the end of it. I didn’t feel like there were any stakes in the story, and that all of the drama surrounding her and Hudson was entirely self-made. Edie turned out to be very self-sabotaging. I disliked Edie so much that I was beginning to wonder if she was intentionally written to be an unlikable character. I still don’t know the answer to that. I liked Hudson better, but not by much.
I expected the whole TA-Student relationship to be a bigger deal than it actually was. I think the story would have been more interesting if that were the case, instead of focusing so much on the fact that she was leaving for Paris in the summer. I know long-distance relationships are hard and frustrating, but if they had something legitimate going, then he was going to be there when she got back. I’m glad that in the end Edie’s friend helped her realize that there was a future after Paris. It just seemed like there was a lot of heartache over nothing.
I found Meet Me in Outer Space to be comparable to Emergency Contact by Mary HK Choi, which was another book that I didn’t really like. However, if you did like Emergency Contact then this book might be more your cup of tea.
July 6, 2019
This book is very short. Not only is it just 250 pages, it only has large margins, large font and generous paragraph spacing. There are a lot of text messages which are formatted so that a few texts take up most of a page. My point is that this is a super quick read.
I’m not surprised that my biggest complaint is that the book is underdeveloped. It’s more like a short story. There was always a big time gap between chapters. The events take place over the space of a semester at college. In each chapter we are thrown into a scene, full of mostly dialogue and the scene ends abruptly before we time travel and are dumped into another scene.
The characters are flat and the plot is interesting enough, it just needed a lot of fleshing out. I found myself bored a lot. I deliberately took this book with me to read when I had to spend all day at the hospital. I figured I was already going to have a shit day, I may as well take a book I had little interest in reading, and force myself to read it as it would have to be better than staring at nothing, right? I thought I would be able to finish it in one day given how short it was. I actually ended up preferring to stare blankly at walls instead of reading this because I was that bored! Over the course of nine hours, I forced myself to get through 2 hours of reading this.
Being a mother of a newly diagnosed disabled child, I thought I might get something out of reading an #ownvoices book from an author with a disability. Not the case. This story really is just a YA Contemporary Romance. Some interesting ableist themes are touched on, but again, my main complaint is that they were underdeveloped.
Also worth noting that I didn’t choose to read this, it is a pick for my bookclub, so I think I’d naturally rate this pretty low. In saying that, sometimes I’ve proven wrong and end up loving books out of my comfort zone. Not so with this one, but if you like super light easy quick YA cheesy romances, then you might like this.
I’m not surprised that my biggest complaint is that the book is underdeveloped. It’s more like a short story. There was always a big time gap between chapters. The events take place over the space of a semester at college. In each chapter we are thrown into a scene, full of mostly dialogue and the scene ends abruptly before we time travel and are dumped into another scene.
The characters are flat and the plot is interesting enough, it just needed a lot of fleshing out. I found myself bored a lot. I deliberately took this book with me to read when I had to spend all day at the hospital. I figured I was already going to have a shit day, I may as well take a book I had little interest in reading, and force myself to read it as it would have to be better than staring at nothing, right? I thought I would be able to finish it in one day given how short it was. I actually ended up preferring to stare blankly at walls instead of reading this because I was that bored! Over the course of nine hours, I forced myself to get through 2 hours of reading this.
Being a mother of a newly diagnosed disabled child, I thought I might get something out of reading an #ownvoices book from an author with a disability. Not the case. This story really is just a YA Contemporary Romance. Some interesting ableist themes are touched on, but again, my main complaint is that they were underdeveloped.
Also worth noting that I didn’t choose to read this, it is a pick for my bookclub, so I think I’d naturally rate this pretty low. In saying that, sometimes I’ve proven wrong and end up loving books out of my comfort zone. Not so with this one, but if you like super light easy quick YA cheesy romances, then you might like this.
February 28, 2019
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Meet Me in Outer Space was a book after my own heart. It was the type of story I always adore - on the lighter side, but with some substance.
Things I loved:
• Edie was a wonderful character! She was a girl with goals, and was willing to go the extra mile to help her get closer to achieving her dream. I gave her a lot of credit for going head-to-head with her French professor regarding her modifications, as he was not quite onboard with helping her in any way. I also liked that she didn't make excuses for herself. She understood her disability and her needs, and she tried to do what she needed to do to succeed.
• I had no idea how Edie resisted Hudson, because he charmed the pants off of me. I adored him from their first on page together, and loved how supportive he was of Edie's goals and dreams. Hudson was so unapologetically himself and he did and said so many things that brought a smile to my face. I thought he was a total keeper.
• I honestly can't recall reading another book with a character having Central Auditory Processing Disorder, and I love that Grace brought attention to this disability. I liked learning about the modifications that make things a little easier for people with this disorder, and I found the information and insight Grace offered to be quite interesting.
• This was Edie's story, but it was also a solid romance. These two were so precious together, and there were some really, really swoony moments too. There was so many times I smiled until my face hurt, and that's the kind of hurt I always welcome.
• There were a bunch of fun extras: the photo exhibit, lots of fashion facts, fun with foreign languages, and the volleyball games -- each of these things added to my fun and enjoyment.
Things that were not perfect:
I found myself a little disappointed in the ending. There was a very adorable and fun and cute set up, and I really enjoyed that, but I wanted a little bit more. It felt so open ended, when you take the conflict into consideration. I think some people would be ok with this ending, but I needed know just a little bit more.
Overall: A solid debut, which kept me entertained and grinning from ear to ear.
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Meet Me in Outer Space was a book after my own heart. It was the type of story I always adore - on the lighter side, but with some substance.
Things I loved:
• Edie was a wonderful character! She was a girl with goals, and was willing to go the extra mile to help her get closer to achieving her dream. I gave her a lot of credit for going head-to-head with her French professor regarding her modifications, as he was not quite onboard with helping her in any way. I also liked that she didn't make excuses for herself. She understood her disability and her needs, and she tried to do what she needed to do to succeed.
• I had no idea how Edie resisted Hudson, because he charmed the pants off of me. I adored him from their first on page together, and loved how supportive he was of Edie's goals and dreams. Hudson was so unapologetically himself and he did and said so many things that brought a smile to my face. I thought he was a total keeper.
• I honestly can't recall reading another book with a character having Central Auditory Processing Disorder, and I love that Grace brought attention to this disability. I liked learning about the modifications that make things a little easier for people with this disorder, and I found the information and insight Grace offered to be quite interesting.
• This was Edie's story, but it was also a solid romance. These two were so precious together, and there were some really, really swoony moments too. There was so many times I smiled until my face hurt, and that's the kind of hurt I always welcome.
• There were a bunch of fun extras: the photo exhibit, lots of fashion facts, fun with foreign languages, and the volleyball games -- each of these things added to my fun and enjoyment.
Things that were not perfect:
I found myself a little disappointed in the ending. There was a very adorable and fun and cute set up, and I really enjoyed that, but I wanted a little bit more. It felt so open ended, when you take the conflict into consideration. I think some people would be ok with this ending, but I needed know just a little bit more.
Overall: A solid debut, which kept me entertained and grinning from ear to ear.
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February 27, 2019
This review and more can be found at The Heart of a Book Blogger.
I’m always on the lookout for more YA books set in college, and I was especially excited to read Meet Me in Outer Space for its disability rep!
Even though Edie has a central auditory processing disorder, she’s been able to get through three semesters of college just fine without any assistance. However, French 102 has proven to be too difficult for her to try to work through on her own so she goes to her professor…who is completely unhelpful. Luckily there’s the TA Hudson, who volunteers to tutor her and makes it his personal mission for her to pass the class.
One of the reasons why I was so excited to see disability rep in a college setting is because I needed to use the disability services my last semester of college. I should have started sooner, but I did not realize that I qualified for it until I was starting my last semester and one of my professors phrased the mandatory syllabus spiel differently (it just goes to show you it is never too late to ask for assistance). Anyway my college and professors were very accommodating, so it was very strange seeing Edie run into such an unhelpful professor and academic advisor. I honestly don’t know if other schools are actually like this and my school is just an outlier, but I definitely thought that the disability office needed to contact the professor and straighten him out. The professor did seem to change his tune a little bit towards the end, but still, he should have been accommodating from the start.
Now that I got that off my chest, let’s move on to the rest of the story. I loved how dedicated Edie is to her future career in fashion merchandizing. I knew before I even entered my first semester what career I wanted to pursue and what I would major in to get there, so I was really able to relate to Edie and her passion. We actually had scenes were she was sketching and sewing clothing and it was so awesome seeing her in action instead of just being told that she wanted to do that. Her dedication is also seen in her stylish outfits and goal of studying abroad in Paris!
As for the other characters, Edie’s best friend/roommate Serena was such a fun, supportive addition. It was great that they had such a close relationship, but it would have been a little more realistic if they had some sort of roommate squabble as that it a genuine part of the college rooming experience. The rest of their friend group seemed fun too, but they quickly disappeared by the middle of the book. One of her friends (Cody) is also interested in her romantically, but it’s mentioned in the beginning and they never have a conversation until it’s brought up at the end of the book. Edie’s romance with Hudson was super sweet. Even though he kind of messes up at the start, he always had her best interest at heart and is super supportive of passing French 102 and later of her dreams to study abroad in Paris.
Overall, Meet Me in Outer Space is a super sweet and fast-paced read with invaluable disability representation in a college setting.
*This ARC was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.*
I’m always on the lookout for more YA books set in college, and I was especially excited to read Meet Me in Outer Space for its disability rep!
Even though Edie has a central auditory processing disorder, she’s been able to get through three semesters of college just fine without any assistance. However, French 102 has proven to be too difficult for her to try to work through on her own so she goes to her professor…who is completely unhelpful. Luckily there’s the TA Hudson, who volunteers to tutor her and makes it his personal mission for her to pass the class.
One of the reasons why I was so excited to see disability rep in a college setting is because I needed to use the disability services my last semester of college. I should have started sooner, but I did not realize that I qualified for it until I was starting my last semester and one of my professors phrased the mandatory syllabus spiel differently (it just goes to show you it is never too late to ask for assistance). Anyway my college and professors were very accommodating, so it was very strange seeing Edie run into such an unhelpful professor and academic advisor. I honestly don’t know if other schools are actually like this and my school is just an outlier, but I definitely thought that the disability office needed to contact the professor and straighten him out. The professor did seem to change his tune a little bit towards the end, but still, he should have been accommodating from the start.
Now that I got that off my chest, let’s move on to the rest of the story. I loved how dedicated Edie is to her future career in fashion merchandizing. I knew before I even entered my first semester what career I wanted to pursue and what I would major in to get there, so I was really able to relate to Edie and her passion. We actually had scenes were she was sketching and sewing clothing and it was so awesome seeing her in action instead of just being told that she wanted to do that. Her dedication is also seen in her stylish outfits and goal of studying abroad in Paris!
As for the other characters, Edie’s best friend/roommate Serena was such a fun, supportive addition. It was great that they had such a close relationship, but it would have been a little more realistic if they had some sort of roommate squabble as that it a genuine part of the college rooming experience. The rest of their friend group seemed fun too, but they quickly disappeared by the middle of the book. One of her friends (Cody) is also interested in her romantically, but it’s mentioned in the beginning and they never have a conversation until it’s brought up at the end of the book. Edie’s romance with Hudson was super sweet. Even though he kind of messes up at the start, he always had her best interest at heart and is super supportive of passing French 102 and later of her dreams to study abroad in Paris.
Overall, Meet Me in Outer Space is a super sweet and fast-paced read with invaluable disability representation in a college setting.
*This ARC was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.*
March 11, 2019
4.5 🌟
I was not expecting this to be a contemporary first off or the setting to be in college! I also loved the fact that there was French! I want to study French when I go to college at the end of the year! The love story was so swoon worthy and joyful with complications. I felt as though the story was so close to being a 5 star read, but a piece of the story just fell flat for me. I enjoyed this book all the same. This is definitely a step in the right direction for college ya stories although it did have the romance. I do not mind contemporary romances regardless of where they take place. This story will take you through outer space and will show you that anything can happen even if you have always had a set plan.
I was not expecting this to be a contemporary first off or the setting to be in college! I also loved the fact that there was French! I want to study French when I go to college at the end of the year! The love story was so swoon worthy and joyful with complications. I felt as though the story was so close to being a 5 star read, but a piece of the story just fell flat for me. I enjoyed this book all the same. This is definitely a step in the right direction for college ya stories although it did have the romance. I do not mind contemporary romances regardless of where they take place. This story will take you through outer space and will show you that anything can happen even if you have always had a set plan.
October 21, 2021
The most important thing to know about this book going in is that it is, first and foremost, a fluffy romance novel. The synopsis plays it up as an activist book a little too much. That said, this book also means a lot to me.
I shied away from mentioning this in my first review because I wasn't sure I was ready to state this publicly, but as a child, I was diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). APD is also known as Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), the same disorder the main character in this novel has. Because I'm so used to having to explain, APD is a disorder that affects someone's ability to understand what they hear, especially spoken language. Note that most people with APD have average hearing.
As the push for diverse fiction grew, one thing I wanted to see were characters with APD, but it never seemed to happen. So imagine my joy at discovering this book, especially given its #OwnVoices nature.
I've gone back and forth in my rating of this book because I acknowledge that it isn't perfect, but this novel has occupied so many of my thoughts that I couldn't bear to give it anything less than a high rating.
Now on to the content of the book itself. I loved that the book started off with Edie misunderstanding someone. The extent of her misunderstanding is perhaps a bit exaggerated, but in my attempt at writing a character with APD, one of the things I had the most trouble with was that typically when writing dialogue, the writer will eliminate the misunderstandings that would have occurred in actual speech (because even people without APD have trouble understanding speech sometimes, but no one wants to read about that because it's boring).
The author seems to have taken the approach of, for the most part, only including Edie's misunderstandings when they're relevant to the plot. While I might have appreciated seeing Edie struggle a bit more, I can see why the author made this stylistic choice given the nature of fictional dialogue. I also feel this choice is reflective of the fact that my APD isn't something I think about most of the time. Were I recalling the story of my day, I would only include misunderstandings that were particularly funny or relevant. Given that this book is written in past tense, Edie only mentioning particularly relivant miscommunications makes sense.
I did feel, however, that perhaps the author should have made it so that Edie experienced more difficulties in a noisy environment as it's typical for many people with APD to have trouble in noisier places, but for Edie, it seemed almost as if the reverse were true. However, the author may have intended this to reflect Edie's personal verity of APD as it's my understanding symptoms can vary a great deal.
We see Edie struggle more with her APD/CAPD in her French class as she struggles to understand her instructor. I'll admit that this isn't something I could personally relate to well as my APD hasn't given me a great deal of trouble in my foreign language classes, but I had trouble initially learning to read and write in English, so I can easily see how it could affect someone's ability to learn another language. I also liked how Edie acknowledged that if she wasn't trying so hard to speak and just focused on the multiple choice questions she might do well. I've done a lot of that in foreign language classes . . . which may be part of why English is the only language I speak fluently. :)
Something I found odd was how much people seemed to care that Edie was looking at their mouths. In my experience, people can't really tell if you're looking at their mouths as opposed to their eyes. I also don't agree with Edie's insistence upon people not Googling APD. I would rather people Google APD to limit the number of times I have to explain what it is and answer basic questions. But *shrugs* to each their own. (But do be aware that there is a lot of misinformation out there. Also "Auditory Processing Disorder" and "Sensory Processing Disorder" are different diagnoses--Google seems to have an issue differentiating between them, and I've seen so much confusion as a result.)
I must admit that my primary motivation for reading the book was that this was an #OwnVoices book with a character who has APD, and romance isn't a genre I'm drawn to. It is, therefore, difficult for me to judge the quality of the romance. But it definitely has some hate to love qualities that I understand many romance readers enjoy. However, I also feel many readers may leave this book with a lack of closure. That said, I think it might also be read as open to future possibilities. :)
For me though, I think I just may go read this novel again because I'm just so happy it exists! :)
Initial Thoughts Funny story, when I was about 15, I wrote the first 20,000 words of a story in which the main character had the same disorder as the protagonist in this book. (Auditory processing disorder/APD or central auditory processing disorder/CAPD as it's called in this book.) I stopped writing because I became frustrated with my main character's inability to understand dialogue and disparaged that because of this APD would never be represented in fiction.
This is one instance where I'm beyond thrilled to be proven wrong. :)
I shied away from mentioning this in my first review because I wasn't sure I was ready to state this publicly, but as a child, I was diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). APD is also known as Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), the same disorder the main character in this novel has. Because I'm so used to having to explain, APD is a disorder that affects someone's ability to understand what they hear, especially spoken language. Note that most people with APD have average hearing.
As the push for diverse fiction grew, one thing I wanted to see were characters with APD, but it never seemed to happen. So imagine my joy at discovering this book, especially given its #OwnVoices nature.
I've gone back and forth in my rating of this book because I acknowledge that it isn't perfect, but this novel has occupied so many of my thoughts that I couldn't bear to give it anything less than a high rating.
Now on to the content of the book itself. I loved that the book started off with Edie misunderstanding someone. The extent of her misunderstanding is perhaps a bit exaggerated, but in my attempt at writing a character with APD, one of the things I had the most trouble with was that typically when writing dialogue, the writer will eliminate the misunderstandings that would have occurred in actual speech (because even people without APD have trouble understanding speech sometimes, but no one wants to read about that because it's boring).
The author seems to have taken the approach of, for the most part, only including Edie's misunderstandings when they're relevant to the plot. While I might have appreciated seeing Edie struggle a bit more, I can see why the author made this stylistic choice given the nature of fictional dialogue. I also feel this choice is reflective of the fact that my APD isn't something I think about most of the time. Were I recalling the story of my day, I would only include misunderstandings that were particularly funny or relevant. Given that this book is written in past tense, Edie only mentioning particularly relivant miscommunications makes sense.
I did feel, however, that perhaps the author should have made it so that Edie experienced more difficulties in a noisy environment as it's typical for many people with APD to have trouble in noisier places, but for Edie, it seemed almost as if the reverse were true. However, the author may have intended this to reflect Edie's personal verity of APD as it's my understanding symptoms can vary a great deal.
We see Edie struggle more with her APD/CAPD in her French class as she struggles to understand her instructor. I'll admit that this isn't something I could personally relate to well as my APD hasn't given me a great deal of trouble in my foreign language classes, but I had trouble initially learning to read and write in English, so I can easily see how it could affect someone's ability to learn another language. I also liked how Edie acknowledged that if she wasn't trying so hard to speak and just focused on the multiple choice questions she might do well. I've done a lot of that in foreign language classes . . . which may be part of why English is the only language I speak fluently. :)
Something I found odd was how much people seemed to care that Edie was looking at their mouths. In my experience, people can't really tell if you're looking at their mouths as opposed to their eyes. I also don't agree with Edie's insistence upon people not Googling APD. I would rather people Google APD to limit the number of times I have to explain what it is and answer basic questions. But *shrugs* to each their own. (But do be aware that there is a lot of misinformation out there. Also "Auditory Processing Disorder" and "Sensory Processing Disorder" are different diagnoses--Google seems to have an issue differentiating between them, and I've seen so much confusion as a result.)
I must admit that my primary motivation for reading the book was that this was an #OwnVoices book with a character who has APD, and romance isn't a genre I'm drawn to. It is, therefore, difficult for me to judge the quality of the romance. But it definitely has some hate to love qualities that I understand many romance readers enjoy. However, I also feel many readers may leave this book with a lack of closure. That said, I think it might also be read as open to future possibilities. :)
For me though, I think I just may go read this novel again because I'm just so happy it exists! :)
Initial Thoughts Funny story, when I was about 15, I wrote the first 20,000 words of a story in which the main character had the same disorder as the protagonist in this book. (Auditory processing disorder/APD or central auditory processing disorder/CAPD as it's called in this book.) I stopped writing because I became frustrated with my main character's inability to understand dialogue and disparaged that because of this APD would never be represented in fiction.
This is one instance where I'm beyond thrilled to be proven wrong. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2019
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
What touched me the most about Meet Me in Outer Space is how much Edie's mind set mirrored my own. She is single minded about her future, focused on getting through her French 102 course so she can go to Paris. But what she doesn't plan on is meeting Hudson, her TA in French, who charms past her defenses. But we need to open our hearts and realize that sometimes a distraction isn't a bad thing, that not everything is black and white.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/blog...
What touched me the most about Meet Me in Outer Space is how much Edie's mind set mirrored my own. She is single minded about her future, focused on getting through her French 102 course so she can go to Paris. But what she doesn't plan on is meeting Hudson, her TA in French, who charms past her defenses. But we need to open our hearts and realize that sometimes a distraction isn't a bad thing, that not everything is black and white.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/blog...
January 14, 2019
This book was so freaking cute, I can't even deal. Like, don't even look at me, I am still double heart eyes over Hudson and literally everything he says in this entire book.
It was totally refreshing reading a book which could probably be considered 'new adult' based on the age of the characters and not have it entirely focused on the love story. I feel like sometimes that 'new adult' categorization is just an excuse to have the two leads have sex in every possible place on a college campus which gets old quick. I loved that this was just as much about Edie - her day to day struggles with doing her best in school while working with her APD, focusing on her goals while also trying to maintain relationships with her friends, all the wonderful fashion elements - as it was about Edie and Hudson together.
And Hudson... LISTEN, don't even get me started because that little french-speaking, space obsessed, totally abrupt and honest mega-nerd with his stupid maroon beanie and his stupid 'whispering the cutest shit into the transmitter for Edie's earpiece to make her smile' is basically my whole life now and I'm okay with it.
Also, I actually knew most of the french in this and was so proud of myself that after 8 years of studying french I could translate what is considered level 2 basic french, tres bien Katharine, you've done your hs french teachers proud.
It was totally refreshing reading a book which could probably be considered 'new adult' based on the age of the characters and not have it entirely focused on the love story. I feel like sometimes that 'new adult' categorization is just an excuse to have the two leads have sex in every possible place on a college campus which gets old quick. I loved that this was just as much about Edie - her day to day struggles with doing her best in school while working with her APD, focusing on her goals while also trying to maintain relationships with her friends, all the wonderful fashion elements - as it was about Edie and Hudson together.
And Hudson... LISTEN, don't even get me started because that little french-speaking, space obsessed, totally abrupt and honest mega-nerd with his stupid maroon beanie and his stupid 'whispering the cutest shit into the transmitter for Edie's earpiece to make her smile' is basically my whole life now and I'm okay with it.
Also, I actually knew most of the french in this and was so proud of myself that after 8 years of studying french I could translate what is considered level 2 basic french, tres bien Katharine, you've done your hs french teachers proud.
July 25, 2018
okay okay okay. lots of thoughts. I’m just gonna list them in no particular order and try not to forget things!
1. my favorite thing about this book was that it was Edie’s story. the romance was great, but it’s a story about Edie and I love the author of that. it’s about college, about her struggle to maintain normalcy despite a disability that many people don’t even validate, her fashion dreams and her work ethic and her drive for Paris against all odds, and her friendships (of which there were plenty so it felt totally real but not so many that you didn’t actually get to know them - the perfect balance). I just loved that it followed every aspect of Edie’s life and as a result I was cheering her on.
2. Hudson is super cute, duh. I like that he was flawed- he did mess up sometimes, and he acted like a normal person and wasn’t perfect but as a result, he was so real and I loved him.
3. the french! ahh! makes me want to take it up again so I can reread and understand more of it! also makes me want to go back to Paris soooo badly. also makes me want to take up fashion design again and learn to sew... okay I’ll stop.
4. umm I’m back to the supporting characters; I don’t even want to call them that. they fleshed the whole thing out so well, from friends to family to school faculty.
5. I loved learning about APD which I was quite unaware of until this author brought it to my attention. also, Melinda Grace writes so casually that this was a really easy read, so what a lovely way to digest new information!
6. that last scene. another reviewer already said “cinematic” and that’s the best word for it. I won’t spoil it, but yeah- let’s just say if anyone ever wants to set that up for me, consider me swooning.
4.
1. my favorite thing about this book was that it was Edie’s story. the romance was great, but it’s a story about Edie and I love the author of that. it’s about college, about her struggle to maintain normalcy despite a disability that many people don’t even validate, her fashion dreams and her work ethic and her drive for Paris against all odds, and her friendships (of which there were plenty so it felt totally real but not so many that you didn’t actually get to know them - the perfect balance). I just loved that it followed every aspect of Edie’s life and as a result I was cheering her on.
2. Hudson is super cute, duh. I like that he was flawed- he did mess up sometimes, and he acted like a normal person and wasn’t perfect but as a result, he was so real and I loved him.
3. the french! ahh! makes me want to take it up again so I can reread and understand more of it! also makes me want to go back to Paris soooo badly. also makes me want to take up fashion design again and learn to sew... okay I’ll stop.
4. umm I’m back to the supporting characters; I don’t even want to call them that. they fleshed the whole thing out so well, from friends to family to school faculty.
5. I loved learning about APD which I was quite unaware of until this author brought it to my attention. also, Melinda Grace writes so casually that this was a really easy read, so what a lovely way to digest new information!
6. that last scene. another reviewer already said “cinematic” and that’s the best word for it. I won’t spoil it, but yeah- let’s just say if anyone ever wants to set that up for me, consider me swooning.
4.
February 15, 2019
(I received a free eARC from Xpresso and Netgalley for a voluntary and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own)
Book review: Meet me in outer space By Melinda Grace (3.5 stars)
Meet me in outer space By Melinda Grace
Genre: YA, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
(Review)
(DISCLAIMER: All thoughts and opinions are my own)
Edie has a disability that affects her learning, Central Auditory Processing Disorder which hinders her French, which she desperately needs to pass to be able to go to Paris to complete her Fashion Merchandise dreams. Luckily for her, Hudson, the cute and helpful Teaching Assistant is willing to lend a hand.
I like that the two conflicts were addressed right at the start, Edie needing to pass French, but needs help and that she isn’t interested in romance at the moment.
This book was so lighthearted and cute with bits of cringey yet adorable puns. I totally rooted for Edie and Hudson since the very start of the story. With cute banter mostly in French, this book left me swooning over their cute romance.
It was a little bit clichéd but this was so cute. I loved how the whole outer space thing was weaved in and included. I like that the conflict is resolved in the end.
Book review: Meet me in outer space By Melinda Grace (3.5 stars)
Meet me in outer space By Melinda Grace
Genre: YA, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
(Review)
(DISCLAIMER: All thoughts and opinions are my own)
Edie has a disability that affects her learning, Central Auditory Processing Disorder which hinders her French, which she desperately needs to pass to be able to go to Paris to complete her Fashion Merchandise dreams. Luckily for her, Hudson, the cute and helpful Teaching Assistant is willing to lend a hand.
I like that the two conflicts were addressed right at the start, Edie needing to pass French, but needs help and that she isn’t interested in romance at the moment.
This book was so lighthearted and cute with bits of cringey yet adorable puns. I totally rooted for Edie and Hudson since the very start of the story. With cute banter mostly in French, this book left me swooning over their cute romance.
It was a little bit clichéd but this was so cute. I loved how the whole outer space thing was weaved in and included. I like that the conflict is resolved in the end.
February 11, 2017
This book was too cute! I really loved the twist that sets it apart from other contemporary novels out there!
March 11, 2019
3.5 stars
I have to start off by saying that I love that this is an own voices book about a central auditory processing disorder. I honestly didn't know much about this disorder or have I ever read anything about it in YA books. Authors that write books like these are amazing and I am happy I know about this now. The author brought it in an interesting way to let the readers understand what it is!
Edie is an amazing character. She knows that this auditory disorder makes it harder for her to pick things up. She needs French for a requirement, but also to make her trip to Paris easier. I love that she knew what she needed and fought for it! That was a journey that was so interesting to read about! I loved that she had an amazing friend group that had her back! Serena was a lot of fun.
Hudson is a character who seemed really sweet, but at times I felt we didn't learn enough about. Yeah, he's smart and caring, but who is Hudson? He really stayed on the surface and we only got glimpses along the way! I think this book would've been just a bit more interesting if we had more insight on Hudson.
The romance added to Edie's journey was really cute. It was fun, because it definitely wasn't instalove. It took time, but once they gave in to their feelings it was really sweet. There were a lot of swoonworthy moments that had me smiling along the way. I have to say Edie did annoy me at times when she started pushing him away. I felt that because some of their romance stayed on the surface, it was harder to understand her pushing Hudson away! The ending was also a bit abrupt. I love how it ended, but everything that got us to the ending didn't seem completely resolved.
All in all, this was such a cute and interesting read. I loved the balance of fun and serious moments. Edie is a character who knows what she wants and is willing to fight for what she needs! I think it's important that we have more strong characters who show that no disorder will stop them from following their dreams! Add a cute romance and this story is complete!
I have to start off by saying that I love that this is an own voices book about a central auditory processing disorder. I honestly didn't know much about this disorder or have I ever read anything about it in YA books. Authors that write books like these are amazing and I am happy I know about this now. The author brought it in an interesting way to let the readers understand what it is!
Edie is an amazing character. She knows that this auditory disorder makes it harder for her to pick things up. She needs French for a requirement, but also to make her trip to Paris easier. I love that she knew what she needed and fought for it! That was a journey that was so interesting to read about! I loved that she had an amazing friend group that had her back! Serena was a lot of fun.
Hudson is a character who seemed really sweet, but at times I felt we didn't learn enough about. Yeah, he's smart and caring, but who is Hudson? He really stayed on the surface and we only got glimpses along the way! I think this book would've been just a bit more interesting if we had more insight on Hudson.
The romance added to Edie's journey was really cute. It was fun, because it definitely wasn't instalove. It took time, but once they gave in to their feelings it was really sweet. There were a lot of swoonworthy moments that had me smiling along the way. I have to say Edie did annoy me at times when she started pushing him away. I felt that because some of their romance stayed on the surface, it was harder to understand her pushing Hudson away! The ending was also a bit abrupt. I love how it ended, but everything that got us to the ending didn't seem completely resolved.
All in all, this was such a cute and interesting read. I loved the balance of fun and serious moments. Edie is a character who knows what she wants and is willing to fight for what she needs! I think it's important that we have more strong characters who show that no disorder will stop them from following their dreams! Add a cute romance and this story is complete!
May 10, 2020
This one had potential, but unfortunately, it just wasn't fleshed out enough. The love interest, Hudson, was great. He definitely made the story for me. The main character, Edie, was fine too. I didn't dislike her, but I wasn't really rooting for her either. I sometimes liked her banter with her friends, while other times it felt forced. I like that she had guy friends in her group; that added an interesting element that was very realistic.
This is an own voices story and it was interesting to read about someone with CAPD, however, this is a contemporary romance so it was part of the story, but not the main part. This story seemed more focused on a girl with goals and how she didn't want to have any relationships because of those goals. Enter dreamy boy to throw a wrench in all her plans. I knew it was a romance going in so I wasn't disappointed and I'm looking at it through that lens. Hudson was a great love interest and the romance between the two had some sweet moments, but overall I just wasn't feeling it. We didn't get enough time with the two and the abrupt time jumps was a bit confusing and jarring. I also don't have any interest in fashion so all those parts were a bit boring for me.
Ultimately, this could have been better if there was more character development and we got to know Hudson and Edie a bit more. There were hints to things about him that never turned into anything. Also, this has an open-ended ending, which I find highly unsatisfying and I'm not a fan of them. This was a miss for me.
This is an own voices story and it was interesting to read about someone with CAPD, however, this is a contemporary romance so it was part of the story, but not the main part. This story seemed more focused on a girl with goals and how she didn't want to have any relationships because of those goals. Enter dreamy boy to throw a wrench in all her plans. I knew it was a romance going in so I wasn't disappointed and I'm looking at it through that lens. Hudson was a great love interest and the romance between the two had some sweet moments, but overall I just wasn't feeling it. We didn't get enough time with the two and the abrupt time jumps was a bit confusing and jarring. I also don't have any interest in fashion so all those parts were a bit boring for me.
Ultimately, this could have been better if there was more character development and we got to know Hudson and Edie a bit more. There were hints to things about him that never turned into anything. Also, this has an open-ended ending, which I find highly unsatisfying and I'm not a fan of them. This was a miss for me.
April 13, 2019
**3.5/5**
I’m not actually sure what I just read. It had good intentions and a good premise, but the side characters (besides Serena) and Edie’s disability took a backseat to the romance, sadly. It also didn’t make sense the way the disability was lackadaisically presented without a better explanation for the readers; Also that school guy was ?? there are disability services in college to get you what you need I’m not sure why she did that. Professors have to accommodate disabilities that are reported and filed so...confused with that.
The romance was a bit quick and felt rushed in terms of their entire ‘relationship’. Their pre-make our relationship didn’t feel very solid at all on anything other than attraction, but suddenly they’re super made for each other? It needed more fleshing out, in my opinion.
Also: where is the explanation about Hudson (which is his last name????) and his own mental health struggles? Cause she clearly presented him as having at least one and then just kept moving.
I think this could have been longer and the author could have gone more in depth with certain things. It was enjoyable, but things just really lacked. I also didn’t get the outer space bit.
I’m not actually sure what I just read. It had good intentions and a good premise, but the side characters (besides Serena) and Edie’s disability took a backseat to the romance, sadly. It also didn’t make sense the way the disability was lackadaisically presented without a better explanation for the readers; Also that school guy was ?? there are disability services in college to get you what you need I’m not sure why she did that. Professors have to accommodate disabilities that are reported and filed so...confused with that.
The romance was a bit quick and felt rushed in terms of their entire ‘relationship’. Their pre-make our relationship didn’t feel very solid at all on anything other than attraction, but suddenly they’re super made for each other? It needed more fleshing out, in my opinion.
Also: where is the explanation about Hudson (which is his last name????) and his own mental health struggles? Cause she clearly presented him as having at least one and then just kept moving.
I think this could have been longer and the author could have gone more in depth with certain things. It was enjoyable, but things just really lacked. I also didn’t get the outer space bit.
May 15, 2019
The title and the cover of this book were promising, and the beginning gave me hope for some deep exploration of relationships and the particular disability at its heart, but in the end, I was disappointed and came to regard it as just another romance that ended how I expected it would. Perhaps part of the problem was that it was hard for me to like or understand the protagonist, Edie Kits, who has a central auditory processing disorder. If there had been more background about this disability, it would have helped. From the beginning, I wondered why she didn't just go to the university's access center or dis/ability office for help. After all, there are legal requirements when it comes to accommodations for students. Edie just seemed too proud to ask for help, and when her French professor isn't willing to help her in the way she requests, she flounders on. Of course, his TA, Hudson, is there to save the day, and despite Edie's reluctance to get involved with him since she plans to go abroad to France, the inevitable happens. As I read the book, I kept thinking that she was protesting too much and wondering about the rudimentary tutoring that was going on, given that this was a second term college French class. And don't get me started on the ethical issues involved in a relationship between a student and a TA for a class. Yikes! I know I'm sounding judgmental, but this light and frothy romp through college and a course offers some larger questions to consider than will she or won't she fall in love with Hudson and give him a chance or will she give up her dreams of studying abroad in favor of a just-budding romance.
May 27, 2019
I’ve read other people’s reviews to help me craft my own and I’m still not quite sure how I feel about this book yet? I read it in one sitting, and I’m not sure if it’s because it’s a short book or because I really enjoyed it.
I’ve actually never heard of auditory processing disorder, so by reading this novel I feel a little educated on the topic. It’s definitely sometime I plan to look into just so I can further educate myself. I feel like the romance in this book overshadowed Edie’s disability which really disappointed me.
The romance was overall cute, but I just felt like it was awkward at times. Edie kept saying she didn’t want a relationship, but led Hudson on to believe they were a thing? But at the same time Hudson knew Edie was going to Paris and didn’t want to be in a relationship yet he stayed with her and kept trying to convince her that they would be okay.
The ending... yikes. The whole planetarium thing was cute as well as all the space talk in general, but I really just don’t like unclear endings.
Also can I just say that as someone who struggles in French, I was able to translate most of the phrases used?? Like I’m proud of myself I think my French teacher should bump up my 42%
I’ve actually never heard of auditory processing disorder, so by reading this novel I feel a little educated on the topic. It’s definitely sometime I plan to look into just so I can further educate myself. I feel like the romance in this book overshadowed Edie’s disability which really disappointed me.
The romance was overall cute, but I just felt like it was awkward at times. Edie kept saying she didn’t want a relationship, but led Hudson on to believe they were a thing? But at the same time Hudson knew Edie was going to Paris and didn’t want to be in a relationship yet he stayed with her and kept trying to convince her that they would be okay.
The ending... yikes. The whole planetarium thing was cute as well as all the space talk in general, but I really just don’t like unclear endings.
Also can I just say that as someone who struggles in French, I was able to translate most of the phrases used?? Like I’m proud of myself I think my French teacher should bump up my 42%
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April 25, 2019The thing that I loved most about this book is that is own voices for learning disability representation and it was refreshing to see as I haven't read too many books with learning disability representation. There was something about the relationship between Edie and Hudson that bothered me. I felt that there were times when he didn't listen or care about her priorities. I had a love/hate relationship with how one of Edie's teachers and her advisor weren't very accommodating in the beginning, and my love/hate relationship with this is because I love that it brought light to a serious issue the fact that there are people in schools who don't accommodate their students educational needs, and this is the same thing that I hate that there are teachers who don't accommodate. I felt that the ending was too open-ended, I wanted to know what happened to Edie and if she went to Paris.
April 30, 2020
Meet Me in Outer Space, es un libro muy fácil de leer, me resultó muy sencillo pasar entre una página y otra. Otro aspecto que me interesó desde un principio es que la protagonista tiene una discapacidad en relación a su oído, así que conocer de una manera práctica cómo es, resultó ser bastante educativo para mi.
El personaje principal Edie Kits, me encantó, es una chica que esta obsesionada con la moda, quiere llevar a cabo un gran proyecto para luego pasar un semestre de la universidad en París, esta determinada a lograrlo, pero primero necesita aprender Francés lo cual se le dificulta porque de por si le cuesta entender su idioma nativo que es Inglés.
Es un libro sobre perseguir sueños no dejando que nada te interfiera con ello, es una buena historia para leer rápidamente, hay algunos aspectos que me parecieron un poco de lo mismo en relación a otros libros, pero fue muy ligero, nada que haga que deje el libro.
El personaje principal Edie Kits, me encantó, es una chica que esta obsesionada con la moda, quiere llevar a cabo un gran proyecto para luego pasar un semestre de la universidad en París, esta determinada a lograrlo, pero primero necesita aprender Francés lo cual se le dificulta porque de por si le cuesta entender su idioma nativo que es Inglés.
Es un libro sobre perseguir sueños no dejando que nada te interfiera con ello, es una buena historia para leer rápidamente, hay algunos aspectos que me parecieron un poco de lo mismo en relación a otros libros, pero fue muy ligero, nada que haga que deje el libro.
February 11, 2019
I read the first 30 pages of this a few weeks ago, then set it down because life got in the way. I finally got to pick it back up today and flew through the rest of the book. WHAT A DELIGHT. Edie and Hudson are adorable, their chemistry is palpable, their banter is perfection, and I’m endlessly impressed by how Melinda balances a sweet, swoony romance with the weightier topic of a college (!!!) student finding ways to succeed academically despite her unique challenges. MEET ME IN OUTER SPACE was everything I wanted it to be, and I highly recommend checking it out when it debuts next month.
November 6, 2020
This was super short, and as a result, was not very flushed out. The ending left much to be desired (maybe because I’m just not a fan of open ended endings). I didn’t care for the main character. She was so wishy-washy and I felt like she didn’t really like Hudson. Why was she so against having a long distance relationship? Yes, LDRs can be harder, but they’re not impossible. And her turmoil over that (I like him, but I shouldn’t like him because I’m studying abroad and going to be leaving soon) was basically the entire conflict of the book. Hudson was kind of creepy and seemed like a stalker, and the instalove made me cringe.
Also, I feel like I’ve said this about every college age YA I’ve read, but the depictions of college didn’t seem terribly realistic.
I did like the representation of auditory processing disorder (something I was not familiar with) but I was disappointed when it took a backseat to the cheesy romance.
Also, I feel like I’ve said this about every college age YA I’ve read, but the depictions of college didn’t seem terribly realistic.
I did like the representation of auditory processing disorder (something I was not familiar with) but I was disappointed when it took a backseat to the cheesy romance.
June 16, 2020
This was adorable. I didn't fully buy the conflict, the hurdle keeping Edie and Hudson apart, but enjoyed them enough not to dig too deep. Fun, laugh out loud funny, and a wonderful rep of both Auditory Processing Disorders AND Migraines, which really endeared me to the book.
February 12, 2019
Cute romance.
June 15, 2019
2 Stars
9th Book of 2019
It has always been surprisingly difficult for me to find books set in college, which is the main reason I picked up Meet Me in Outer Space. I'm not the biggest fan of romance, however, and this one unsurprisingly failed to win me over. That is mostly my fault, but at the same time this book could have been so much more.
I found protagonist Edie to be stubborn without much character growth. She toyed with people's feelings a lot, and in my eyes she never seemed truly repentant of this. I could never root for the romantic relationship between her and Hudson either as she was consistently messing with his head. She was overdramatic, selfish, and honestly? She was bland.
However, Edie being bland is not entirely her fault. The story itself left me feeling empty, but mainly because everything feels so surface-level. What was the university called? What do these students do for fun besides going to every single one of their friends' volleyball games? Why does Edie's mom make, like, one appearance and then never come up in the story again? Though I wasn't expecting fantasy-level world building, it would have been nice to see interactions take place in different locations and potentially with new minor characters.
Finally, there's a lot of emphasis in the synopsis about Edie's learning disability, but her struggles with this disability seem to lose significance near the end of the book. While Edie's "auditory processing disorder" does come up frequently, it seems to act more as an opportunity for interactions with Hudson rather than a struggle that she has to learn to embrace. After Hudson is seeking Edie out for purposes besides tutoring, mentions of Edie's disability lessen. I found this disappointing as it seemed, again, more like a plot enabler rather than an important facet of Edie's character.
Overall, Meet Me in Outer Space is pretty forgettable. It's fine, sure, but it lacks a heart, a deeper meaning, at its center. Everything that occurred felt like it existed solely to drive the plot rather than to develop characters. If you're looking for a fluffy romance, this one's all yours, but give it a hard pass if your expectations were a little too high like mine.
9th Book of 2019
It has always been surprisingly difficult for me to find books set in college, which is the main reason I picked up Meet Me in Outer Space. I'm not the biggest fan of romance, however, and this one unsurprisingly failed to win me over. That is mostly my fault, but at the same time this book could have been so much more.
I found protagonist Edie to be stubborn without much character growth. She toyed with people's feelings a lot, and in my eyes she never seemed truly repentant of this. I could never root for the romantic relationship between her and Hudson either as she was consistently messing with his head. She was overdramatic, selfish, and honestly? She was bland.
However, Edie being bland is not entirely her fault. The story itself left me feeling empty, but mainly because everything feels so surface-level. What was the university called? What do these students do for fun besides going to every single one of their friends' volleyball games? Why does Edie's mom make, like, one appearance and then never come up in the story again? Though I wasn't expecting fantasy-level world building, it would have been nice to see interactions take place in different locations and potentially with new minor characters.
Finally, there's a lot of emphasis in the synopsis about Edie's learning disability, but her struggles with this disability seem to lose significance near the end of the book. While Edie's "auditory processing disorder" does come up frequently, it seems to act more as an opportunity for interactions with Hudson rather than a struggle that she has to learn to embrace. After Hudson is seeking Edie out for purposes besides tutoring, mentions of Edie's disability lessen. I found this disappointing as it seemed, again, more like a plot enabler rather than an important facet of Edie's character.
Overall, Meet Me in Outer Space is pretty forgettable. It's fine, sure, but it lacks a heart, a deeper meaning, at its center. Everything that occurred felt like it existed solely to drive the plot rather than to develop characters. If you're looking for a fluffy romance, this one's all yours, but give it a hard pass if your expectations were a little too high like mine.
April 7, 2019
2.5***
While I did enjoy the representation in this book and getting to learn more about Central Auditory Processing Disorder, this book fell flat for me. The insta-love was off-putting and the plot overall did not keep me entertained. Unfortunately, this book was not for me.
***I received an e-arc copy of this book via net galley. This in no way affects my review or rating of this book.
While I did enjoy the representation in this book and getting to learn more about Central Auditory Processing Disorder, this book fell flat for me. The insta-love was off-putting and the plot overall did not keep me entertained. Unfortunately, this book was not for me.
***I received an e-arc copy of this book via net galley. This in no way affects my review or rating of this book.
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