The Half-Life of Planets
Emily Franklin Brendan Halpin
Read 113 reviews from the world’s largest community 
    for readers. Lianna is an aspiring planetary scientist…and also a kissing addict. This summer, though, …
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March 21, 2011

Thank goodness for Michelle, the YA librarian at my local library. She ordered this book, you see, and I'm very glad she did because I completely enjoyed reading it. I laughed aloud in many places, and I cringed (oh how I cringed) at others - not so much at the horrible muddle that resulted when Hank (a teen musician with Asperger's) spilled a terrifically embarrassing secret of Liana's (a teen scientist with a bit of a reputation) in public, but definitely at other places - most of them involving Liana's conduct, really.

I won't say more about what caused me to cringe, since it would be terrifically spoilery of me, but I will say that I am shocked - SHOCKED, I tell you! - that I hadn't heard about this book before I scooped it off the "New Releases" shelf in the YA department.

The chapters alternate between Liana's and Hank's perspective (starting and ending with Liana, actually), but I'll be darned if I can say for certain that they were written that way, since Hank sounds just like Hank and Liana sounds just like Liana regardless of which of them is the narrator (although, of course, you get the benefit of insight and thoughts and emotions when you're in a particular person's head).

The book is full of musical detail - in part because music (and the sort of trivia found in liner notes and such) is a big deal for Hank - and full of space-related science information too, since Liana is taking a summer AP course in Advanced Planetary Science, trying to discover why it is that stars twinkle. From the moment that Hank bursts into the Ladies Room, Hank and Liana have an interesting dynamic to their relationship - one that shifts and changes as they spend more time together and start sharing their secrets, and one that affects how they interact with their families at home, too.

This one has stuck with me, and the more I think about it, the more I love it.

December 15, 2010

I have to agree with the other reviewers. Hank was an interesting character and the story did a good job of showing his difficulties with social interactions and fixation on music. On the other hand, Liana just didn't ring true as a character and that dragged down my overall rating of the book.

She's a girl who is intelligent enough to be working on a college level study during the summer. She admits to have kissed a number of boys and liking it, but it isn't clear how much further any of these relationships progressed. I think at one point she mentioned kissing a guy when they were both shirtless, so she may have on occasion done some moderate "hooking up" but she is still a virgin. From what she says it is kissing guys that she enjoys, not anything else that might progress from kissing. She rattles off the names and locations of a number of guys she's kissed over the years but there is never any indication that she has developed any sort of "reputation" around school for anything she has done. Then she gets an anonymous note accusing her of being a slut and suddenly she gets plagued with doubt and self-recrimination. The thought has never occured to her before and now all of a sudden it turns her into an emotional cripple.

Sorry, I just couldn't buy that this highly intelligent girl is going to suddenly equate liking to kiss guys with being a slut. Especially just based on an single anonymous word stuck in her locker when there is never any proof it was even intended for her. That she then fixates on enough to carry the note around in her wallet so her mother can conveniently notice it and add to the drama. And because she is a budding scientist, she decides that, rather than rationally examining the note for how meaningless it really is, she is guilty of unacceptable behavior (in some unknown person's eyes) and must therefore redeem herself in the guise of calling it an experiment.

Overall, consider it a 4 for Hank and a 2 for Liana.

This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.

July 7, 2014

Disclaimer: I am the mother of a teenager with autism. And not the high-functioning kind-and I found this book to be near-perfection.

I really wanted to find a book that could capture the inner-voice of a teen on the spectrum, as well as present him in a non-stereotypical manner. THE HALF-LIFE OF PLANETS succeeds on both fronts. In many ways, the book is about two teens, Lianna and Hank, who meet, and really like each other. Their growing closeness throughout the book is sweet, and Lianna’s reaction when she discovers Hank has Asperger’s is touching and realistic.

I adore the fact that both characters have intense interests outside of finding a boyfriend/girlfriend (Hank and his music, Lianna and her astronomy) and that they complement one another in character and demeanor. Another “thumbs up” comes from the depiction of family in the book. I am sometimes Hank’s mom, fussy and exasperated, and in the next breath loving and coddling my son with autism. Lianna’s relationship with her family is strained, but believably so and not over the top.

I do love books with dual points of view, and what made this one work well is that two authors wrote the book, each writing from either Hank or Lianna’s POV. The authors also did an excellent job of describing the other character and events from their character’s POV. Each character had a solid, discernible voice, and their observations about the other character blended in seamlessly.

If you have someone with special needs in your life—or even if you don’t and just want to read a story about people with a different perspective—read this book.

February 12, 2022

3.75 stars

it was such a cute book! With a really good autistic rep, i also love that we could see Hank's feelings and Liana's feeling.

Liana is lonely, something is missing inside of her: she's living in a big house with her mother, a house counselor, and her father, a hypochondriac, who is almost never at home. To fill that void she kisses boys. But she's also passionated about astronomy!

Hank has Asperger's syndrome and could talk for hours about guitars, he know everything about them. Everything. But he doesn't know how to have a "normal" conversation, it's really hard for him.

Overall i totally recommend this book! I think that Liana's character could have been a bit more deep maybe.

December 23, 2010

A true page turner: Franklin and Halpin create perfect balance between entertainment and insight. Yes, perfect.

Liana is, surprisingly, far from the one dimensional “Smart & Pretty Girl” Mary Sue you might peg her to be. There’s more to her than brains and being a kissing addict; it takes a short while for that to become apparent, but in the end, it makes sense. It fits her just right. She’s the character you want to hate but can’t, because she recognizes her own flaws – she just doesn’t know how to correct them, or if she wants to. And you can’t help but give her credit.

On the other end of the character spectrum, there’s Hank. You can’t help but adore him. He’s comic relief, but also genuinely funny and straightforward – whether he means to be or not. He’s incredibly different in comparison to the male main characters in other novels, but in the best possible way. His personality is transferred from the pages to the reader. Essentially, Hank is more than a character; he may as well be real. True to himself and his quirks, he’s the one to admire.

The writing relies heavily on the dialogue, and less on description, but it works. The dialogue is both sharp and fun. And frankly, while the plot works nicely, Liana and Hank are so likable, real, and overall a great duo, that I feel as though I wouldn’t mind reading about any specific event, so long as they’re both involved.

Bottom line is, The Half-Life of Planets is a great new novel, with vivid, unforgettable characters and a plot that - although predictable - allows them to shine.

(www.thegrammariansreviews.blogspot.com)

October 20, 2015

“The Half-Life of Planets” is a book I have mixed-feelings about. On the one hand, it is a really great portrayal of the thought processes of someone with Asperger’s and their first experiences with the opposite sex. On the other hand, it seemed quite a bit over-simplified in terms of how the neurotypical half of the relationship reacted to their own circumstances.

Hank is a boy with Asperger’s and a very complicated home situation. Lianna has quite a few things going on in her own life and has some self-esteem issues related to her family life. I love the way that Hank is written, along with the authors not excusing some of the mistakes he makes by chalking it up to Asperger’s. I believe quite a few middle-grade aspies will love reading about such a relatable character, and I also believe that it will be quite an eye-opener for those who may know someone on the spectrum but not closely.

Lianna, on the other hand, seemed to handle things unrealistically at the end. I don’t mean her interactions with Hank, though those are understandably awkward. She does quite a few over-the top things that seem to just be swept easily under the rug at the end in favor of a nice, tidy ending.

In spite of my thoughts on Lianna, I still recommend “The Half-Life of Planets” for readers 7th-9th grades. There are a lot of valuable insights to be found in the book. However, I think it will lose the interest of older readers.

This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

October 3, 2010

I so wanted to fall in love with this, to be charmed by a sweet,simple and touching summer love story. Half of the book delivers; Hank,a teenage boy with Asperger's syndrome is funny, sincere, and sympathetic without ever crossing the line into pathetic. He's probably the best character with Apserger's I've ever read. (Not that I've read that many, but some just do it so wrong. Curious Incident, I'm talking to you...). Anyway, the only problem in Half-Life is the other Half-- Liana is such an unexciting, dull character. She never shows much of a personality, and I never really felt like I got her... why is she really so upset by the slut comment? (I mean, I get why that would deeply hurt a teenage girl, but I felt like there was something else there that was never really revealed.) Why is it exactly that she doesn't have any friends? Does she even actually like Hank? Are her issues with her sister real, or are they just a cheap ploy by the authors to make her into a "deep" character? Sigh, I think the character had potential, but she really just emerges as a very flat character with very, very simplistic problems and desires.

Despite that, still giving it four stars. I really did enjoy reading it, and its better than a lot of other ya lit out there...

June 26, 2010

Liana rattles around in a big house with her mother, a school counselor who substitutes baked goods for meaningful conversations, and her father, a hypochondriac who's only home a few days a month. To fill the emotional void, she kisses boys. Lots of boys.

Hank is a guitar genius with Asperger's Syndrome. He can list dozens of songs about girls named Jenny and knows what kind of guitar was used on every hit between 1950 and 2003, but he can't figure out how to relate to people or have a normal conversation.

After finding an anonymous note calling her a slut, Liana starts to reevaluate her life. She decides to spend her summer focusing on the astronomy internship she's doing at a local college and vows that she won't kiss anyone, no matter what. But then she meets Hank...

This is a solid romance, although it sometimes feels like a geekier Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. Hank is a great character - not an over-the-top caricature, but a hapless, funny, sweet guy just trying to figure things out. Liana's mix of passion and intelligence is great to see in a teen novel, but the writing in her chapters could have been tightened up. The plot is nothing special, but the supporting characters, especially Hank's long-suffering Punk Rock mother & Frat Boy player brother, keep things moving along when the story could otherwise devolve into endless navel-gazing from Hank and Liana.

Overall, a good read for teens who like music, science, or misfit romance.

June 8, 2011

The novel The Half-Life of Planets follows the stories of both Lianna and Hank . Lianna has kissed and dated many guys, has a pretty face, and has a major knack for science and wants to be a planetary scientist. After getting a note in her locker labeling her as a "slut," she goes into science mode and decides to conduct an experiment where she doesn't kiss anyone all summer. This sounds like an incredibly easy plan until Hank, whom she meets at the hospital, comes along. Hank is a teenage guy who has Asperger's syndrome and really can't seem to know when he's talked about his passion for music just a tad too much. Although he can go on for hours simply talking about music, he doesn't have much to talk about when it comes to girls. After an awkward encounter in the women's bathroom, (yes, Hank accidently ran into the women's bathroom) they both started to talk to one another. They decided to meet at a cafe where they play Hank's playlists, and there lies the spark of their relationship. Will Lianna complete her lip-locking experiment? Can Hank stop rambling on about music and talk to a girl and possibly even get his first kiss? I simply loved this book because of all of its witty, funny, and remarkable moments. This is definitely a great story to read over the summer because it's about the start of a summer romance.

August 3, 2015

(Digital ARC)

This is the newest book on my list of "YA favorites that should become movies."

Hank and Lianna are both extremely likeable. You root for both of them as you switch back and forth between their points of view. They're deeper than a lot of YA lit. characters and although it's a romance, they have actual lives! They have interests, families and other relationships that are not one-dimensional mentions.

Hank's autism is ever present but not in a "let's make a cute book about autism" way. He, rightly so, is valued. This is not a book about an autistic boy. It's a book about a boy with autism and his maybe sort-of first girlfriend. It's a book about a serial kisser labelled a slut and her maybe sort-of new boyfriend whom happens to have autism. I want more fiction books in my high school library that handle autism and other differences with such respect and honesty.

This is definitely on my purchase list. ,

Read

January 15, 2012

Maybe it's impossible for me to be unbiased in my enjoyment of this work, but so far my favorite thing I've read for this year's MetroLibrarian Reads Challenge. Liana is a kissing-addicted, aspiring planetary scientist trying to get over a problem with lead singers. Hank is trying to pretend he was named from Hank Williams not Henry Rollins, working in a guitar store to save up for a Jazzmaster, and knee deep in mixes and music miscellany. Both are trying to lead lives not just defined by one word applied to them by others- "slut" for Liana and "Aspberger's" for Hank.

So yes it is yet another he said, she said tome set in a seaside resort town (seriously I think I'm already 3 works deep since January with seaside resort towns). But I laughed aloud constantly and rooted for both characters. Also, arcane music trivia, unlike for other reviewers, is a boon not a bane for me.

April 28, 2011

Hank, the kid with Asperger's, is a great character, nicely done. Liana, not so much. The big unspoken problem with this book is that - frankly - the authors are using "kissing" as a metaphor for, uh, something a little stronger. Think about it. The girl gets called a slut for kissing a few guys. Come on! She wouldn't get called a slut, and even if somebody called her that, she would know better than to half-believe it as she does in this novel. The publisher is owned by Disney, so maybe the authors had to use kissing as a substitute for what we all know they were really writing about. But it makes for one weird book. ...In spite of all that, I read it all the way through, partly because I liked Hank, and partly to see if they ever made sense of the kissing issue. They didn't.

January 16, 2016

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! The Half-Life of Planets was such a cute wonderful book. Just what I needed at the end of summer. Perfect! I loved the characters and the story and everything! It was a happy story with sad bits at just the right times. When I read it I was pulled into the story and read more than I planned to, which is totally ok. It was perfect the whole way through, not too long it didn't have any useless parts or boring bits. At the end the story was wrapped up perfectly(though Liana's dad would complain at my wording). I could say more, but I am too giddy right now. So I'll just settle with the simple fact that you should read this, but not in the fall, winter, or spring. It is definitely a perfect summer read.

February 3, 2011

I thought that this book was a lot of fun. What is not to like, you got rock music, a teen girl who loves kissing boys but has decided to take a sabbatical, a teen boy who has Asperger's syndrome. I tell you that the discovery process of the girl (Liana) and boy (Hank) of what they both need and how they both cope is a hoot.

Summer romances may not always last but I found myself wanting a happy ending to this book. Liana is screwed up and has to find out why, while Hank has to learn how to navigate the unfamiliar territory of human interaction. Life is soooo complicated, as we all know. Do you remember? I do and that is one of the things that appealed to me so much.

December 23, 2011

I really enjoyed spending time with this pair of mixed-up crazy kids. The dual narrative worked extremely well because their different voices came through clearly. I liked that Liana was the science geek - great to see girls being depicted this way, but I also enjoyed all of Hank's music references, and there were a few of them!

Humour, heart-break and happiness. The best combination in a contemporary YA novel.

February 6, 2013

This is a really sweet contemporary romcom told in two points of view - Lianna who wants to study planets and Hank who is obsessed with music and also has Aspergers. They develop a friendship which blossoms into more and it's just so sweet and genuine. Definitely recommended for contemp romance fans.

April 19, 2012

A sweet romance between a teenage girl looking for connection, and a boy with Asperger's. I loved the alternating narration between the two, especially when they are reflecting on the same event. Fun, sweet, romantic, and thoughtful.

May 23, 2012

Great story about a girl trying to overcome her reputation, and her romance with a boy with Asperger's syndrome. The characters were real and likeable - this is a refreshing break from all the vampires and zombies that permeate young adult fiction recently.

June 3, 2012

A romance that will satisfy any music lover's appetite. A true gem!

June 7, 2020

Ok, so I have not been winning lately with my book picks.

I bought this book at a used book sale ages ago. I loved the idea of showing representation with a main character on the Autism Spectrum. And I certainly wasn't going to turn down a book about music.

But the execution was...ok, like the whole book was melodramatic to an extreme.

When we first are introduced to Liana, she's just found a note in her locker that labels her as a "slut." So that keeps coming up over and over and over and over in the book because she's now decided to stop kissing boys for the whole summer to prove that she's not one. (It's never very clear how this is supposed to help.) Her family virtually never communicates about anything real anymore, which (while realistic in some families) just added to the overall melodrama.

As for Hank...ok, I've had many autistic students in my classes over the years on varying ends of the spectrum. While Hank is not on the highest functioning end of the spectrum, he's definitely closer to that end than the middle. He doesn't pick up well on social cues, but he generally knows how people are "supposed" to act in a certain moment--he just doesn't understand why. That part--and his fixation on music--were more or less accurate.

What bothered me the most about Hank is the fact that he is constantly thinking to himself about his physical...reactions...to Liana. I cannot say I have ever been in a teenage boy's head (nor would I ever want to be), but I showed some of these passages to my boyfriend, who also commented that this was weird. Hank is constantly staring at Liana's...chest...or commenting on his...desires. Never to Liana. Like I said, he knows enough to know that would make Liana uncomfortable, but as a reader it was highly uncomfortable for me. It's one of the more explicit YA books I've read in a long time.

I actually rather enjoyed the book at the beginning, but it was hard to keep that momentum going when everything felt like a sad soap opera. I mean, the big "plot twist" at the end had me rolling my eyes and thinking about putting the book down--except I only had about 20 pages left.

Such a weird book. I had higher hopes than this.

January 4, 2020

I would just like to point out that the people on the cover are nothing like descriptions in the book...

Lianna is smart, aspiring to be a planetary scientist. She has one problem, she likes kissing boys. So after someone left a note in her locker she decides to spend the whole summer doing nothing but lab work for extra credit. Only, she meets Hank.

Hank has never had a girlfriend. Hank has never been kissed. Hank has Asperger's syndrome. His summer plan is to work at his job at the music store to save up enough money to by a super expensive guitar, a Fender Jazzmaster. It's worth a small car...

Hank struggles with social indicators, but is very capable of cracking jokes and realizing that he rambles and focuses entirely too much on his own injuries. It's interesting...cause even though it is mentioned in passing that he has a 'coach' for teaching him 'proper' social protocols, he's...understanding enough to mostly keep within 'proper social protocols' if that makes sense?

Hank's older brother is an ass who is a borderline alcoholic and has a thing for picking up and dropping ladies like hot potatoes. So when Hank starts bringing Lianna around as a girl he potentially hopes to date, guess who starts attempting to make moves on her.

All in all this was an okay read.

October 12, 2017

Liana kisses a lot of guys, and the note left in her locker right before summer break is evidence enough that someone thinks she kisses too many of them. The only way to fix that is to take a vow of renewed lip virginity and hope that no one distracts her from her self-imposed hermithood studying astrophysics.

Hank knows more about songs released pre-2003 than almost anyone you'll ever meet, and plans to work a lot this summer so he can get that Fender he's been eyeing off since forever. He also has Asperger's - which is going to make things difficult, given that he seems to scare girls off and he kind of likes this one.

I didn't mind that this wasn't an Autism Book, or a Book About Teen Issues - it was just nice to read a fairly fluffy romance that happened to feature a boy whose life is impacted by being on the spectrum. If you're looking for a lighthearted read, then I'd recommend this one.

February 11, 2024

Une lecture sympa mais sans plus. Je ne lis habituellement pas de romances, et je dois dire que ça fait un peu de bien aha. Les points forts sont les personnages, qui sont assez complets. Cela m'a appris des choses sur le syndrome d'Asperger, et c'était bien de faire face à un personnage entier et complexe. Malheureusement, je ne comprenais pas très bien le personnage de Liana. Par exemple, elle ne pense souvent qu'à ses baisers avec des garçons même à des moments critiques, ce qui m'a un peu gavé. L'histoire d'amour est ok, quoiqu'un peu prévisible. L'écriture est assez poétique, mais les nombreuses références à la musique et à l'astronomie, les deux passions de nos protagonistes, étaient un peu lourdes. Le récit est assez décousu, et il est parfois difficile de suivre tout correctement car on peut passer du coq à l'âne en quelques mots. Cela reste une assez bonne lecture qui aborde pas mal de thématiques très intéressantes sur les relations humaines.

August 28, 2021

4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I know enough about Asperger's syndrome to feel like this isn't an accurate description of it. Hank seems to have fluctuating levels of emotional awareness, seemingly to suit the needs of the plot... I guess it felt really inconsistent.

Anyhow, I liked the plot enough to give it 5 Stars, BUT then got turned off by the clunky romantic development, which felt hurried and not wholly believable. Hence the docked star.

My issues with the plot:

⏩These two go from hanging out to "love" too fast.

⏩The betrayal was too awful to come back from.

⏩The "grand gesture" was super cliché.

⏩The portrayal of Asperger's syndrome didn't sit right with me; it felt inconsistent and off, somehow.

This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.

March 1, 2018

I didn’t anticipate enjoying this book as much as I did, but it really was a wonderful story. It has one of the truest voices I think I’ve ever seen in a story about/narrated by teenagers. Right from the beginning I loved Hank and Liana; even when the conflicts were caused by them being dumb kids I understood where they were coming from. Too often stories about youth written with the benefit of hindsight seem to forget what it was like. But these experiences felt real. There is (dare I say) a poignancy to conversations about things like forgiveness and how scary it is to not just see your own flaws, but to do something about them. Would absolutely recommend.

February 25, 2019

Language - PG-13 (68 swears, 3 "f'"), Sexual Content - PG-13; Violence - PG

Liana has kissed a lot of boys, but this summer she is determined to not kiss any. However, Liana becomes conflicted when she gets to know Hank. Hank is different and she really wants to kiss him, but what about her pact? Will she let one boy change that?

I started out liking this book and I enjoyed reading it. It has a lot of interesting facts about astronomy and music trivia, but the story itself isn't as good as I wanted it to be. I didn't like all the PG-13 parts and I couldn't get into the book as much as I wanted to after them.

Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/

April 15, 2018

Another awesome read that I am positive I never would have found if it weren't for Book Battle! The point of view goes back and forth between Liana who has recently been branded as the school slut and Hank a musician with Asperger's Syndrome. I love both as main characters and how they interact with each other. There are some really good heartfelt moments along with some really funny ones! The ending could have been expanded a little more I feel but that just because I enjoyed the characters and story so much I didn't want it to end.

December 22, 2017

i read this book to fulfil the goal read a book about astronomy. it's a boy meets girl story and falls in love. i liked this book espiscally because it had a character with ausburgers snydrome. although neither me or my family have this syndrome, we do have a lot of the same characteristics. i have a very difficult if not impossible time reading the subtle cues of conversation. i also like the happy ever after ending :)