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Summary
Summary
In this contemporary romcom retelling of Jane Austen's Emma by USA TODAY bestselling author Jillian Cantor, there's nothing more complex--or unpredictable--than love.
When math genius Emma and her coding club co-president, George, are tasked with brainstorming a new project, The Code for Love is born.
George disapproves of Emma's idea of creating a matchmaking app, accusing her of meddling in people's lives. But all the happy new couples at school are proof that the app works. At least at first.
Emma's code is flawless. So why is it that perfectly matched couples start breaking up, the wrong people keep falling for each other, and Emma's own feelings defy any algorithm?
Author Notes
Jillian Cantor was born and raised in a suburb of Philadelphia. She earned her BA in English from Penn State University and an MFA from the University of Arizonia. She is the author of best-selling and award-winning novels for teens and adults. Her title's include The Hours Count Margot, The Lost Letter, and In Another Time.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up--This modern retelling of Jane Austen's Emma presents a coming-of-age story about love and friendship in the last, formative years of high school. Emma Woodhouse knows what she likes: numbers, not people. Her sister is a socialite but Emma would rather stay home and plan her future at Stanford University. Everything changes when she comes up with a project to write a code to find true love. Suddenly she's learning that not everything in life is as rational as a math equation, and that's not such a bad thing after all. Readers will find Emma by turns maddening and charming but always compelling as she navigates a time of difficult transitions. Her story of being a high-school outsider is sure to resonate with many tweens and teens who are similarly growing in their romantic and platonic relationships. This book has a tendency to tie things up a little too neatly--both at the end and in places where the story glosses over heavy topics like date rape. However, in this sense, the book again echoes Jane Austen and her sometimes surface treatment of romantic relationships. VERDICT A warm coming-of-age story recommended for readers who enjoy a good Austen-esque romp with more modern themes.--Talea Anderson, Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Though she's generally fonder of math than people, high school senior Emma, copresident of her school's coding club, thinks she has a winning idea for this year's New Jersey state competition: creating a matchmaking app for her schoolmates. After she and club members complete it, everything works beautifully at first, with those using it finding love, but when matched couples start breaking up--and going out with people who don't fit the formula--Emma starts to worry. She also surprises herself by becoming jealous when a fellow coder finds a match, suggesting that there's no algorithm for attraction. Those familiar with Austin's Emma, on which the novel is loosely based, will know how the protagonist fares from the beginning, but Cantor (In Another Time, for adults) adds enough modern twists to keep things fresh. Meticulous pacing and multilayered characters make this story a good choice for romance buffs looking for a light read. Ages 13--up. Agent: Jessica Regel, Foundry Literary + Media. (Oct.)
Kirkus Review
High school senior Emma Woodhouse, co-president of the coding club, is all about the numbers. After Emma's outgoing sister leaves for college on the other side of the country, Emma is forced to survive high school without her. She doesn't have any friends besides George--who also happens to be her coding club co-president. Numbers make sense to Emma but not people, and her inexperience with relationships leads her to react insensitively to others, making her come off at times as dense and unfeeling. Emma is the last person one would suspect to create a dating app, as she's never had a boyfriend and has no interest in one. So she surprises everyone when she writes The Code for Love to enter in the New Jersey state coding competition. While Emma thinks she can quantify love, other members of the coding club aren't so sure she'll succeed. At times dismissive toward those around her, Emma experiences growth throughout the novel by making friends and learning to stand up for herself. But when the couples the app matches start breaking up and she begins developing romantic feelings herself, Emma must come to terms with how complicated love can be no matter what her algorithm says. Insufficient character development leaves readers longing for greater depth and feeling a lack of investment in the outcomes of the pairings. Most characters are White. Two love matches, mentioned briefly, are same-sex couples. A middle-of-the-road retelling of Jane Austen's Emma. (Romance. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Emma Woodhouse is a math nerd and coding geek. And now that her older sister and best friend, Izzy, has left their New Jersey home for college in California, she's awkward and friendless, too. Emma doesn't know how to behave around people--she finds numbers make more sense. In trying to round out her application to Stanford, her dream college since she was 10, she hits on the idea of coding a dating app that judges by who a person is, rather than how hot their pictures are. The math works out who will be perfect for whom, and Emma trusts the math. When her algorithm matches her crush, the new guy Sam, with someone who's not her and other matches go awry, Emma has to wonder if math and love really add up. A delightful modern retelling of Jane Austen's Emma, this novel is fun and serious at the same time, and many mathletes will find common ground with Emma and her project. A fun read for fans of Morgan Matson and Lauren Barnholdt.
