The Love Hypothesis

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Download PDF

Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Chapter 3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-8

Chapters 9-11

Chapters 12-13

Chapters 14-15

Chapters 16-19

Chapter 20-Epilogue

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Chapters 9-11Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 9 Summary

A few days later, Olive goes to Adam’s place to chat with Tom about her research and report. Tom offers her a spot in his lab next year, and Olive’s heart “explode[s] with joy in her chest” (157). Adam drives her back to campus, and they discuss academia. Adam almost gave up on research until Tom helped him find a new project and rekindled his love. Adam notes that academia is tough and that, “It’s hard to stick around without a good reason to do so” (160). The way he says it reminds Olive of the guy she met in the bathroom before her interview, and she wonders if that guy was Adam.

Olive proposes they get coffee to celebrate, even though their coffee day isn’t until tomorrow. Adam agrees, but when Olive also suggests they get flu shots, he refuses. Olive realizes that he’s afraid of needles and tells a story about her mom that makes her cry. She reiterates that Adam is getting his shot, and though he protests, he goes with her. As they walk across the quad, Olive takes his hand, which feels warm and natural.

Chapter 10 Summary

The next morning, Olive is in the lab when Adam sends a text telling her his arm hurts from the flu shot. She teases him and giggles to herself while her lab rat watches her. Anh enters partway through the text conversation and announces she’s there to borrow gloves and is being grossed out. Olive asks why she’s grossed out, and Anh replies “because of how in love you are with Carlsen” (169).

Olive tries to argue she and Adam are just casually hanging out, but Anh maintains they are in love and very cute together. Anh admits she was worried about Olive when she started dating Jeremy but isn’t any more now that Olive’s happy and then leaves. Alone, Olive realizes Anh is right—she’s fallen in love with Adam.

Panicked, Olive meets with Malcolm and explains her feelings. Malcolm is equally supportive and sarcastic as they work through Olive’s emotional crisis. He asks if Olive plans to inform Adam about her feelings. When she says no, Malcolm follows up with the idea that Adam might want more out of their relationship. Olive refuses to consider this. She’s convinced Adam wouldn’t stick around because “all the people I’ve cared about are gone” and she’s destined to be alone (176).

Olive rambles on about her feelings and how she couldn’t possibly tell Adam while Malcolm tries and fails to get her attention. When an alert comes in, Olive looks at her phone, sees it’s time for her to meet Adam in the coffee shop where she’s sitting, and whirls around to find him standing behind her.

Chapter 11 Summary

Adam heard everything. Rather than come clean, Olive tells him what she said was about someone else but is cut off from explaining further by the arrival of Holden Rodrigues, another professor. Adam and Holden grew up together, and they tell Olive stories from high school and college, making Olive realize how little she really knows about Adam.

Holden leaves, and Olive makes excuses about needing to get work done. Before she goes, Adam haltingly tells her how amazing she is and that Jeremy—the guy he thinks she likes—would be lucky to have her. Olive leaves, wondering if she’s ruined everything by telling “a half-assed lie that she was too afraid to take back” (188).

Chapters 9-11 Analysis

Adam’s relationship with Tom is complicated and shows how smoothly people can lie. Adam doesn’t suspect Tom of poor behavior until Olive reveals Tom’s abuse. This is partly because Tom is nice to Adam’s face and partly because Adam is blinded by how Tom helped him during grad school. Tom demonstrates how people can worm into someone’s life and gain their respect without deserving it.

Olive starts to fall in love with Adam in these chapters. Her feeling of rightness when she holds his hand in Chapter 9 shows how comfortable she feels touching him and in his presence. During the text message exchange in Chapter 10, she giggles and grins, even though they aren’t talking about anything overly amusing or meaningful. Anh’s observation shows how other people are often the first to realize peoples’ feelings as they watch from the outside.

Olive’s lies in Chapters 10 and 11 are the next in a long line. She fears what will happen if she tells Adam the truth of her feelings or Anh the truth of her relationship with Adam. Though Adam and Anh care about her and would likely be understanding, Olive can’t see past her anxiety about what might happen and instead piles on lies because they feel less stressful than the truth. When the truths do eventually come out, Olive feels calmer and better about everything, showing how she’s still amid her character arc.