What if there was an app that could predict your future like the game MASH used in grade school? Would you participate? Would you believe it?
In Seven Percent of Ro Devereux, a debut young adult novel by Ellen O'Clover, Ro Devereux creates an app, MASH, like the popular grade school game Mansion, Apartment, Shack, House for a senior project. The app is meant to match people with their soulmates, based on questions she came up with using the help of a retired behavioral scientist.
It was meant to be a school project, but soon gathers the attention of investors from a popular tech company. Now they want her to work with them promoting the app...by finding her own soulmate. Her soulmate? None other than her former best friend Alister Miller, who she has not spoken to since a party their freshman year. Now they need to prove to the world, and themselves, that the app works.
This book brought me through a whole lot of emotions, from Ro's drive to create and prove herself in the tech world to the loss she experiences along the way. Ro and Miller are a great pair, whos relationship changes from enemies, to friends to eventually lovers. Their former friendship rekindled as they try to fight the chaos caused by the adults around them. I enjoyed the writing, especially having Ro's inner dialogue at crucial parts of the story. Ro is a determined character, who knows what she wants but soon finds that sometimes the things we love can hurt us, and we need to decide how we move on from there.
There is a supporting cast of friends, parents and employees of the tech company, all who bring different elements to the story. These characters also have great arcs throughout the story, proving to Ro who she can trust as she finds her way through this crazy journey.
Another topic this book covers, that is an important discussion in the current world, is how what the internet tells us impacts our lives. At a certain part of the book, the users of MASH find themselves questioning their relationships, career paths, and life journeys, due the the results they are receiving on the app. I think this book brings up an important conversation about still realizing we have control over our own lives and the paths we choose to take are what make the difference. As well as showing how toxic the internet can sometimes be.
This book was a 4 out of 5 star read for me. I highly recommend it for those who love a good young adult story, with a great lesson learned throughout the way.
Seven Percent of Ro Devereux will be published January 17, 2023.
For more information and to preorder from an independent bookstore, please check out the links below.
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