Meet Me in Outer Space

 

"Meet Me in Outer Space"

By Melinda Grace

Today, I completed my reading journey with "Meet Me in Outer Space" by Melinda Grace. Once again, my local Half Price Books store didn't disappoint with its fantastic clearance finds. As I skimmed through the opening pages of this book, I couldn't help but anticipate a heartwarming tale of love blossoming between a woman with a learning disability and her French teacher's personal assistant. However, once more, I found myself somewhat let down by the story's resolution.

The book kicks off by introducing us to Edie Kits, our central character. Edie is a college student with aspirations of pursuing a career in the world of fashion design. The entire novel revolves around Edie's relentless pursuit of her dream to spend the summer in Paris, where she hopes to fulfill her fashion designer aspirations. However, there's one significant obstacle standing in her way: her French II class grade. However, it's essential to clarify that her struggle with language retention isn't a reflection of her intelligence but rather a result of an underlying learning disability called CAPD ("Central Auditory Processing Disorder"). In essence, whenever Edie encounters difficulty comprehending speech, especially in crowded or noisy environments, her brain tends to either reinterpret the speech into something that does not make any sense, or produce complete gibberish. This poses a significant challenge as it hampers her ability to grasp the foreign language accurately, putting her at risk of not succeeding in the course and potentially missing out on her dream trip to Paris this summer.

Previously, Edie's teachers had made sincere efforts to accommodate her condition and support her academic progress. However, her current French professor seems less receptive to understanding her underlining disability, largely dismissing it as inconsequential. Initially, he opposed the idea of Edie recording the class and was hesitant about her using a transmitter. It was only through the intervention of his teaching assistant, Hudson, that he reluctantly agreed to permit the use of the transmitter. Hudson's advocacy for Edie was the catalyst that sparked the beginning of their budding romance.

 Edie's disability sets her apart, not just in terms of her physical appearance but also in how she perceives herself as distinct from others. This distinction is reflected in how people treat her and the challenges she faces when seeking assistance. That's why when Hudson extends a helping hand to assist Edie, she initially hesitates to embrace his kindness. When he suggests tutoring in the quietest room at the tutoring center, she feels a bit offended, as it seems like he's openly highlighting her perceived flaw. 

The ongoing battle of Edie pushing Hudson away while diligently guarding her condition forms the backdrop for a deep emotional conflict that shapes her emotional distance from him. Initially, she used Paris as a pretext to shield herself from delving into a relationship with Hudson. However, beneath this surface justification lay her determined reluctance to let anyone truly understand her, both in terms of her personality and her condition. Hudson's sole desire was to connect with her on every level and help her excel in the most meaningful ways possible.

While it was enjoyable to witness the gradual development of their romance and the passion and love that grew in their relationship, Edie's initial resistance remained a constant source of annoyance from the very beginning. I grasp that the context of the story necessitated Edie's resistance to realize the depth of her feelings for Hudson. However, I sensed that the narrative didn't solely attribute her reluctance to her disability but also to her overall personality and apparent lack of empathy, driven by her self-centered ambition to depart for Paris. This is why I couldn't fully embrace Edie as a character or the book as a whole. While we do witness the rollercoaster journey of their romance evolving from friends with benefits to genuine love, I found it hard to believe that Edie truly deserved to have Hudson in the end. I had anticipated that the book would primarily focus on the blossoming romance, driven by Edie's success in her tutoring sessions with Hudson. However, what we observed was that this connection lasted only a few weeks before she abruptly cut ties, driven by her self-centered aspiration to depart at the end of the summer. Subsequently, she began to struggle and laid blame on Hudson for her failures, which left me somewhat dissatisfied with her character and the overall story. It seemed to me that Hudson was putting in a significant effort for someone who didn't truly appreciate his efforts or his love.

Although they do ultimately find their happily ever after, I have to confess that the book's ending left me somewhat unsatisfied. I couldn't shake the feeling that Hudson deserved someone who appreciated him more than Edie did. She finds it challenging to accept that she has the power to alter her dreams. What once appeared as mere distractions doesn't need to remain that way. It doesn't have to be a choice between love and a career; she can create a future where both coexist harmoniously. While it's a quick and decent read, I had hoped to see more positive growth in Edie, particularly in terms of embracing the relationship instead of repeatedly pushing Hudson away in almost every chapter until the very end.

Overall, I would give the book a 3 out of 5-star rating. Would I revisit it? Probably not, but I would certainly recommend it to anyone grappling with any type of learning disability that they may be struggling with.