The Half-Life of Planets is a 2010 young adult novel by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin. It follows the romance between Hank, a music-obsessed teenager with Asperger's, and Liana, an aspiring astronomer.
The Half-Life of Planets contains examples of:
- Air Guitar: Hank often starts playing chords on an air guitar without realizing it.
- Comforting Comforter: Hank comes home to find his mom passed out drunk on the sofa, with her wedding album open on her chest. Hank puts her wine glass in the sink, puts the album away, and pulls a blanket over his mom before going to bed.
- Dating What Daddy Hates: Hank's wealthy paternal grandparents don't get along with his mom, who they feel derailed their son from what he was supposed to be. Even after Hank's dad dad died, the family received almost no financial help from them.
- Florence Nightingale Effect: Invoked by Hank's older brother Chase. When he's in the hospital to get his knee scoped, he plays up his weakness and anxiety over the future so the student nurse Patti will be attracted to him. It works well enough for them to enter a brief relationship before messily breaking up.
- A Good Name for a Rock Band: In the hospital, Liana hears her parents mention specific gravity while talking about her dad's test results and thinks that Specific Gravity would make a good band name.
- Gosh Darn It to Heck!: Liana's dad hates swearing and makes the family say things like "phooey" and "shucks" instead.
- Grammar Nazi: Liana's dad likes correcting people's grammar so much that he designed a successful grammar check program.
- Hypochondria: Every few months, Liana's dad will panic over some minor pain and go to the hospital for a bunch of tests. It always turns out to be nothing. Until he's finally diagnosed with actual heart problems that he needs surgery for.
- Meaningful Name: Liana's last name is Planet (pronounced "pluh-net," not "plan-it").
- The Mourning After: Hank's dad has been dead for five years, and his mom is still grieving.
- Named After Someone Famous: Hank was named after Henry Rollins, and chose his nickname after Hank Williams.
- When You Coming Home, Dad?: Liana's dad has to take so many business trips that he's usually only home for a few days per month.
