January 13, 2012

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight - Jennifer Smith






Young Adult
Pages: 256
Publisher: Poppy
Release Date: January 2, 2012

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

So there's this new thing or story style I'm crazy about and I've been calling it the 24 hour book or Before Sunset books (if you have not seen Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, do it now!) after THIS POST I wrote when I had first read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.

Needless to say, the story takes place in a very short period of time. Which means, it's so much about feelings and moments and the feeling of the moment, and less about consequences and future. Still, you know those really long days that somehow change everything and you end up telling the story of that day over and over? It's one of those days. Sigh.

There's something about traveling and airports that can make a great story. Airports and planes normally constitute a leap out of our normal lives. Traveling involves excitement and change along with beginnings and endings. The plot was delightfully thought out. "Airports you are like suspended, not here and not there. Anything can happen" -Oliver says in the book. SO true.

Hadley and Oliver are both flying to England on family business. They meet in the plane. It's magic, and the heart-warming romance just takes off from there. A romance so true and sweet that it wins you over. In good contemporary, romance doesn't feel pushed or hurried. Even when they fall in love in a day. When you spread out that day in a whole book and you feel like you're living it, you understand how it happens and it makes it believable. So yeah, I had previously stated that I don't believe in literary love at first sight. Now I correct: I don't believe in literary love at first pages. This book makes that distinction. It never feels rushed. That's how it should be.

For romance and realistic YA lovers, this is a must read.


6 comments:

  1. tnx 4 the review
    it's on my wishlist

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  2. Hmmm interesting. I'm normally not a big romance fan but I have this on one of my challenge lists this year so I will definitely be trying to read it! It almost sounds reminiscent of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist because of the whole 24 hours thing. :)

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  3. Bahhh I want to read this one SO bad! Dang me and my book ban until I get some stuff read off my shelf!

    .....I still really need to see those movies, btw.

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  4. I've heard GREAT things about this one. It's everywhere these days. Guess I'll have to give it a read.

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  5. I had such a fun time reading this book. As soon as the UPS guy gave it to me, I was reading and not wanting to stop. The timeline in the story fits how long I read this book lol. Hadley was such a cool girl. She was very real and relatable and easy to like. She only misses her flight by four minutes, but those minutes change her life forever. Enter Oliver. Oh how I love Oliver. He's British, sweet, totally random, hot. He helps Hadley with her bags and from then on they were together. Walking around, eating, sitting on the plane next to each other. They were so cute together and if this book doesn't make you believe in first sight then I don't know what will. This story may take place in 24 hours but it seems longer and makes the love more pure and sweet and real. I loved every part of this book. It was well paced, well written, well everything lol. I will definitely be picking this book up again in the future.

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  6. Oh, I loved the deeper meaning of being in airports and the in between (nowhere) state of being on a plane.

    Also, I'm a HUGE fan of the Before Sunrise/Before Sunset films. No wonder the 24 hour book trend often works for me. Great review. :)

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