Across from the castle lies a vast labyrinth of strip malls all intricately puzzled together and called the Kanata centrum. It has some of the freshest produce, best restaurants, and liveliest entertainment in the suburb of Kanata. And, it has the pleasant socially unsociable Chapters, my favorite hang-out spot in Canada.
Chapters is the Canadian version of Barnes and Noble. Citizens love to browse through Chapters for hours but, unlike anywhere else in Ottawa, they do not greet each other in passing. There is a feeling of solidarity among us and with it a silent agreement to give each other space because, let’s face it, we’re worn out by all the $&@!#%¥ noisy idiots in the world and just want to pretend this is an extraordinarily clean library.
As I wandered through one night, many books jumped off the shelves at me. The big glossy photography books… The super-positive self-help books… Health guides. All the ones I always feel I should read, but leave me feeling exhausted. I opted for Starbucks. The barista chirped at me to try a red velvet frapp and I said no, I don’t like red velvet, and she gave me a sample anyway. I fled to a corner.
A title caught my eye: The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak by Brian Katcher. On the cover, algebraic equations surrounded two little pixelated figures: a girl and a boy. I picked it up, judging by the cover that it was probably a badly written teen novel. As I read, it turned out to be a teen novel, but one that wildly exceeded expectations.
The plot centers around Ana and Zak, the unlikely couple, and the point of view shifts between them throughout the story. Ana is a rabid overachiever in high school, pursuing an academic bowl victory she really cares nothing about. She’s bitter, overworked, and running from fears (hello, relatable character). Zak, on the other hand, seems unmotivated but is actually living in passive protest of his stepfather (not so relatable, but the bad boy with potential I love). Zak is dragged against his will to the academic bowl and when Ana’s younger teen brother runs off to the Washington sci-fi convention, the two team up to get him back before the night is over.
The sci-fi con sets the perfect stage for this adventure, where the randomness never seems to end and the array of colorful characters is actually plausible. I never thought I would need all the random knowledge I accumulated hanging out with con geeks in college… But it helped me get most of the references in this book.
Also, I love this book’s form. Structure and organization is so important to writing, almost an obsession for me, and I feel acutely when a book structure is unbalanced. Most of my dissatisfaction with a book will stem from bad narrative form. Improbable Theory is simple: Ana and Zak are racing to unlock their goal of finding Ana’s brother Clayton by the end of the night. It’s framed perfectly by our 24-hour day.
This book is funny. The comic timing is charming. And even the low humor points to great principles. For example, Ana and Zak are at a poignant moment in their relationship when:
“At that moment, a man in a suit of armor stumbles to his knees, yanks off his helmet, and proceeds to loudly vomit into it…”
And this is just one instance. This is why I have such hope for Ana and Zak. Their relationship was born in a chaotic, absurd environment that, for a few sweet hours, let them both suspend the realities of their lives while they got to the root of their emotional problems. Getting off balance was key to emotional progress. At the same time, it wasn’t the most romantic of times for them. We may not all have our conversations interrupted by puking guys in armor, but the point is, maturity knows that if a relationship takes itself too seriously, it probably won’t survive. If Ana and Zak turned out to be great teammates and friends back-to-back at a con AND still find romance… my money’s on them being a great couple in more peaceful times, too. Life is less about rainbows and butterflies… More about how you handle the pain and the absolute absurdity.
I wish I could talk more about this book without giving away spoilers that’ll make everyone angry. Ah, well. Just go read it. You won’t be sorry.
-The Dauntless Princess-