Review: The Improbable Theory Of Ana And Zak by Brian Katcher

The Improbable Theory Of Ana And Zak by Brian Katcher

Publishing Date: May 19, 2015
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pages: 336 pages
Young Adult Contemporary

The Premise: The story follows two characters Ana and Zak, who find themselves thrown into an accidental first date at a sci-fi convention called Washingcon when Ana's brother leaves a school trip. Zak originally had plans to attend Washingcon, but because of his poor grades in Health class, he gets roped into being a member of the Quiz Bowl. Ana and her brother are original members of Quiz Bowl, but she knows that her brother leaving is a big deal because her parents are extra-controlling. Although they seem like unlikely companions, their friendship blossoms through their night adventures at Washingcon.

My overall thoughts and review: First off, let me say that I LOVE that this has a sci-fi convention involved. If you know me irl, then you know that I attend conventions yearly and I'm a big fan. It was so incredibly awesome to recognize some of the "spots" that Ana and Zak visited throughout the night. I am always a big fan of when two unlikely individuals become friends and more. It is as the title says, improbable, but somehow it works. It works in the best way, where what Katcher develops is realistic and is not rushed. Katcher weaves in their personal lives so that alone, they stand as individual characters with their own set of problems that they must solve. Zak's story about his mom, his dad and his mom's stepdad was quite interesting and I was surprised about the revelations in that. Ana's story with her parents and her sister demonstrates that there are two sides to every story, which in turn, helps her look at Zak as more than simply a slacker. I really enjoyed this contemporary read because it has everything in it: friendship, family and love. I would definitely recommend this for fans of contemporary YA reads that have a bit of a nerdy/geeky spin on things. This was my first time reading something from Brian Katcher and I definitely enjoyed his writing, so I can't wait to see what he writes next!

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮  (4/5 stars) 

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Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by HarperCollins Publishers (HCC Frenzy) for consideration/review. All opinions are my own.