The Love Hypothesis

“HYPOTHESIS: When given a choice between A (a slightly inconveniencing situation) and B (a colossal shitshow with devastating consequences), I will inevitably end up selecting B.”

Each chapter of the novel begins with a hypothesis relevant to what happens in that chapter. Olive’s decision to abruptly kiss Adam and the consequences that follow are hinted at with choice A and B—to kiss or not to kiss—and provide insight into how Olive views the events that take place. These hypotheses show Olive’s scientific influences and how she thinks about relationships and social encounters through that lens, as though they could be experiments.

“‘Did you…Did you just kiss me?’ He sounded puzzled, and maybe a little out of breath. His lips were full and plump and…God. Kissed. There was simply no way Olive could get away with denying what she had just done. Still, it was worth a try. ‘Nope.’ Surprisingly, it seemed to work.”

Olive realizes she kissed Adam and Adam enjoys the kiss, foreshadowing the feelings he hides from her. Olive’s reaction is an example of her rambling thought processes. The ellipses and interjections illustrate her delayed comprehension of what’s happening and what it might lead to. Her attempt at denial shows she’s willing to try any solution, no matter how unlikely it is to work.

“Suddenly, the enormity of what she had just done fully dawned on her. She had just kissed a random guy, a guy who happened to be the most notoriously unpleasant faculty member in the biology department. She’d misunderstood a snort for consent, she’d basically attacked him in the hallway, and now he was staring at her in that odd, pensive way, so large and focused and close to her, and…”

Olive’s thoughts explore consent, both as it applies to real life and as it’s handled in romance novels. Olive shows how any gender can be guilty of not gaining consent. Romance novels where men kiss the female lead in early chapters, generally without asking first, and taking only signs of attraction as a cue, are also commented on as Olive’s humiliation blooms.