Book Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

(Source)

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
by Jennifer E. Smith

Release: January 2, 2012
Author Info: Website
Publisher: Poppy
Age Group: Young Adult
Challenge: Completely Contemporary

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. (Source)

This is the sweetest book I have read in a long time; sweet to the point it hurts but in warm fuzzy feeling kind of way. Which I personally found enjoyable.
This book is wonderfully written, it is both moving and thoughtful. Making it hard to believe the entire story takes place in the span of just 24 hours.

But it's strange, how so much can change in that amount of time. Once you're thrown out into the world. When you're given a chance to step back, think about your problems, and more importantly share them with someone. You might start to view things differently, once you discover other people have their own troubles.

An airplane is the one place you can feel at ease, maybe not in the sense of flying, but in being more open with yourself and someone else. Typically, you sit there for hours doing nothing, having no sort of interaction; everyone too focused on themselves in their in their own little bubbles. Although there is that rare occasion when you find yourself in conversation with the person you're next to. Farther more, feeling that you can be with your life and share it with them/someone. Finding yourself okay with that because you won't see them again. The moment the plane lands you will both go your own ways only looking back on a great conversation and a chance meeting.
But what if you find yourself longing to see that person again, to share more about your life and wanting to spend more time with each other. What do you do then?

There's a big mixture of past and present in this book. What's currently going on and looking back on things that have already happened. I, for one, love flashbacks. I love hearing detailed stories and looking back on things, only to have them explain so much more. Taking the past and relating it to what's presently going on, it's brilliant.
This book did an interesting take on. Some of the flashbacks happen as the story is going on (aka 'the present') but are skipped over, only to be brought up later. (I don't see that much.) Interesting, although a little confusing at times. ("Wait, when did that happen?")

Most of them were simple yet wonderful moments in Hadley's life. It's the way they are written that stands out to me. I honestly felt like I could have been standing at the train station waiting as my mind wandered. It was very well done.
That said, I didn't enjoy all flashbacks. I don't know why, but the little ones bugged me. Smaller things the author felt to explain through a story. Such as, there was one about birds, which had a very valid point, but I just.. I don't know, felt it was a little silly to be explained that way.

I personally love the idea of talking to someone on a plane. I still remember the longest trip I ever made I only had one person (in the 5 odd planes I was on in that day) talk to me, I mean really talk to me. It was a young man and his father who were interested in where I was from, as I had a different accent than them. (I was in another country.) I remember trying to explain what state I was from because they'd never heard of it.
It made for a much more enjoyable 4 hours all person the person next to me bothered to treat me like another person. I suddenly didn't mind (as much) being cramped next to them because they were friendly to me. It's a great feeling.

I highly recommend this book. It's a quick read, 200-something pages, but nonetheless a wonderful book that should be read.

Recommend: Romance, quick read, heartfelt.

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