Do you love a good opposites attract story? The kind where the guy and the girl fight like cats and dogs right up until they fall into each other’s arms? Well I usually don’t but I’ve stumbled across a few lately that are so well written that they sucked me in and won me over just like a guy I thought I totally hated!
So if you’re on the love side of the equation I can practically guarantee these will do it for you and even if you’re on hate side I recommend giving them a shot. You might find (book) love in a place you least expected it. (Disclaimer: I'm kind of a sci-fi nerd so you can add that to my "dating" profile.)
Most trilogies simply tell the ongoing story of one set of characters but Amie Kaufman's are different. Her trilogies tell what may at first seem to be unrelated stories with different sets of characters that merge together in the end. The first of these books, These Broken Stars, starts out with a seemingly shallow teen romance scenario that grows deeper and darker as it goes along. This one has a couple of big twists so hang in there and keep reading until the end. Then read on as the saga expands and becomes more complex in the rest of her Starbound Trilogy.
Kaufman's second trilogy, the Illuminae Files, is even more unique in its storytelling. Each book takes the form of a dossier presented at a trial and composed of transcripts, diary entries, and drawings that tell the story of an evil futuristic corporation and the shadowy collective that works to expose its' crimes.
In this series, Kaufman also pulls off the even rarer feat of writing a follow-up that outshines the original. In Gemina, she once again starts off with a seemingly clichéd teen romance and makes it come alive as the characters face off against mercenaries from the evil BeiTech corporation who have invaded their space station home.
Both of these trilogies have also been made into excellent audiobooks featuring full cast narration.
In the very near future world of Connie Willis' Crosstalk, the hottest new trend in social media connectivity is an empathic link to your significant other's brain. This sharply drawn satire of our always-connected world tells the story of Briddey Flannigan, who wants to be closer to her boyfriend Trent but also really wants to escape the constant scrutiny of her overbearing family and nosy co-workers. All of Briddey's plans are overturned when the procedure to connect her to Trent goes haywire and she ends up telepathically linked to nerdy IT guy C.B. Schwartz instead. Most readers will see this mix-up coming but the book has many more twists and turns in store as Briddey tries to deal with her newfound abilities while avoiding everyone but C.B., whom she has no choice but to become more intimate with.
Do you have a favorite opposites attract story? If so, tell us about it in the comments and I promise to at least give it a first date, even if it isn't sci-fi!
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