Feelin' the Chemistry: High School 101 - Book #1

High School 101 #1

by Melissa Knight

There’s a chemistry to great relationships, but will Casey ever figure it out?
Lots of life changes mean lots of stress when Casey moves to a new town and high school, complete with a new stepfather and stepbrothers. Add broken friendships and a possible new romance to the mix, and the potential for things to go horribly wrong- or amazingly right- is yet to be decided!
And then there are the hard questions- is the faith in God that I used to have as a child still there? What does God really want from me?
“Feelin’ The Chemistry" is the first book in the Christian YA series High School 101.

136 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2021

About the author

Melissa Knight is the author of YA Christian Contemporary Romance books, including the High School 101 and Rayburn High Romance series. A veteran teacher in public schools, many of her short stories and articles have been published in various magazines and literature for teens and children. She’s made several moves as an oil field wife, leading to some of the best adventures and friendships of her life. Melissa and her husband (still her sweetheart) currently live in Texas, while their two grown kids are out there building their own legacies. They enjoy getting together for hiking trips and savage Uno tournaments.

For updates on future releases follow Melissa's Goodreads page, or join her Facebook, X, and/or BookBub pages.

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won't be sharing a full content review of this book, but it wasn't bad. I was in the mood for a little Contemporary YA book and started this one on a whim. I will say that the main girl felt much younger than 16yo and it was a pretty basic plotline, but again, not bad. Some typos, but nothing too noticeable.

Main Content:
Casey believes in God and prays; Casey starts wondering about God's will and starts reading her Bible; Mentions of God, His will, & Bibles; Mentions of churches, church going, youth group, etc.

Language like 'crap', 'screwed up', 'stupid', etc. are used. Mentions of brand names, movies, celebrities, etc.

Many mentions of dating, dates, exes, breakups, boyfriends/girlfriends, flirting, & crushes; A mention of young teen girls asking the big questions about dating, sex, and boyfriends;

[Sara Watterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of "Feelin' the Chemistry" in exchange for an honest review.

Overall I enjoyed this fun young adult romance. Casey is a likable character dealing with major life changes. Her mom remarried, and she's moved away from her hometown, her friends, and an ex-boyfriend who recently broke her heart. Casey now shares a room with her sister in a house crowded by her stepdad's three sons. Not to mention, she's starting a new school in the middle of the year, where she's already behind in Chemistry. Luckily, her cute and super-smart chemistry partner agrees to tutor her.

I was drawn into the story and read it quickly. It was fun and light-hearted and carried several positive messages. I liked the author's style of conveying important information in the form of a quiz.

I, however, could have done without some of the exclamation points and all caps. Casey's ease of transition into a new family felt a bit unrealistic at times. A little more conflict would have felt more authentic. But I suppose I don't read for reality, I read for fun, and it was fun.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

the chem lab of life

To us, navigating through life can be just like a chemistry experiment. I’m glad God is with us all the way and really has a purpose for it all. Well done!

[Feather Chelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very relatable

There are so many things for teens to relate to within these pages. A girl has moved to a new school because of the blending of families. Making new friends and figuring out long-distance relationships with old ones are skills that we all must develop. The protagonist in this book sets a good example for learning to navigate those interactions. I highly recommend it to upper middle grades and older readers.

[Andrea Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good start for this series! This is a uniquely written book. I love how introspective the MC is, and how Melissa brought it all back to Jesus subtly. Definitely recommend this for teens.

[Quill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good high school romance where the girl isn't just another dumb blonde who tries to act like she's better than everyone else, that and I love the main character to be someone who's trying to better themselves after the mistakes she's made.
That, and I love that it's not a cliche, girl gets the most popular guy book.
The only problems I have is the editing and the printing, but that's due to Amazon book publishing and not at all towards the author.