Originally, I thought I would begin by reviewing my favorite book. Then I laughed. And then I sighed. Let's be honest here, practically everyone's favorite book is from the Harry Potter series. It's quite redundant, therefore, to even go there. So, instead of figuring out just which book besides Harry Potter would claim the pedestal, I figured I'll simply grab a random book from my book box and go with it.
So, here we are. *dramatic gesture*
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult Novel
Pages: 236
Favorite Quotes: "There's always a gap between the burn and the sting of it, the pain and the realization", "It's not the changes that will break your heart; it's that tug of familiarity", "It's one thing to run away when someone's chasing you. It's entirely another to be running all alone."
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother 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 sitting in her row.
A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?
Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.
I stumbled across this book in the 'new books' section in my local library last year. The cover drew me right in - the bold writing, the catchy title, the background setting. Not least to say the one intriguing sentence on the back cover: "Who could have guessed that four minutes could change everything?" I knew this book was going to be amazing.
I wasn't wrong.
This is Jennifer E. Smith's debut novel (she has released a couple of more books by now), and let me tell you, she's doing everything right. Her writing is incredible, everything you really want in writing, to be honest. It's witty, eloquent, original and very, very entertaining. The story, despite featuring some darker aspects still manages to be light and colorful. Her characters are endearing and real. The sheer skill in which Smith manages to depict emotions is unbelievable. She has you bawling your eyes out one minute, an anxious and emotional wreck, and before you're even done with your feels you're already laughing hysterically at the character's antics. It's brilliant.
I loved the concept of time and chance in this. The inner monologue that Hadley has when she considers what is happening around her as well as her feelings and the relationships (or lack thereof) she builds around her never feel rushed or forced, which sadly seems to be becoming a trend in recent romance novels. The memories she has from the past never feel out of place and, honestly, I found her character development superb.
Oliver was excellent too, of course. I fell in love with his personality, he's just genuinely charming and cheeky (seriously now, we all live for this). The way he manages to engage himself in this strange relationship with Hadley also seemed so natural (I know I keep going on about how real the characters seem, but they really do!). And their relationship? Feels. All the feels.
Go pick up a book kittens, you won't regret it. From the character's quirks, the endearing story line, and the incredible writing, it's a must read.
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