Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
Jennifer E. Smith
Contemporary Young Adult
236 Pages
Poppy
Available Now
Received from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
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.

MY THOUGHTS
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is one of those surprising stories that packs an emotional punch where one wasn’t really expected, and the depth of our involvement has us flipping the pages with an unforeseen rapidity as we spend a short 24 hours in Hadley’s life. Told primarily in third person and present tense, Hadley’s journey to London and the wedding she wants no part of is a touch difficult to get into, the present tense throwing us off just a bit as we struggle to figure out just what about the way the words are flowing is causing us to stop and take notice. Once we get used to the present tense however, we find ourselves fully immersed in Hadley’s conflicted feelings toward her father, her sweet romantic interest in Oliver, and her attempt to come to terms with how her life is changing.

Hadley is a young woman it would have been so easy to disregard as a teenager who’s lashing out in anger are the injustice of her life; someone who works herself into a dramatic frenzy and forces all the focus to her while the other characters simply rotate around her trying to appease her and heal her wounds. Luckily for us however, Hadley is written with beautiful maturity, wanting so badly to hate her father and his soon-to-be new wife and keep them at a distance the same way she feels they’ve so easily distanced themselves from her and her mother, but ultimately she acknowledges that those feelings will only leave her with a sense of regret when they grant her the break from her father she thinks she wants. She says what’s on her mind to her father without screaming and ranting (though she certainly deserves to do a bit of that), and is able to address her hurt and her fears for their future together with far more grace than most would be able given the circumstances.

Hadley’s relationship with Oliver is adorably realistic and sweet, with no instant love or even instant smoldering attraction, but rather just an innocent connection to someone working through his own family issues as they both fly to meet those issues face to face. Their interactions are filled with humor and wit, and when they lose one another in Heathrow airport, our hearts pound double time in our chests, the extra beats working to help fill the void we feel at their separation despite the fact they’ve only known one another for hours. There’s nothing fantastical about the two of them; no special gifts or unique powers, and no tragic darkness or brutal pasts, just the lovely normalcy of lives filled with joys and pains to which we can so easily relate.

Overall, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight takes a minute or two to adjust to, but quickly becomes a read we cannot bear to put down, our need to see how events unfold for Hadley and her family as well as Oliver and his more important than the duties and responsibilities awaiting us in our own reality.

Rating: 4/5

38 comments:

  1. I loved this one! The relationship between Hadley and Oliver was adorable and I loved the fact that the story took place over 24 hours. Great review :)

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  2. I'm like in love head over heels with this book. I love how this book appeals to a really cute love story rather than just insta-love. Such an amazing read! :)

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  3. Great review as always, Jenny! I can't wait to get my hands on this one. I've only heard great things so far and I'm glad your one of those who enjoyed it. :D It sounds like something I'd definitely like.

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  4. That's a fantastic review! I loved The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight so much and you are so right about my heart being double time when they got seperated:D

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  5. Such a fantastic review, for such an amazing book. I've picked it up twice to read again, and I still get that painful gasp when Hadley realizes why Oliver is in London.

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  6. 3rd person present tense? Interesting. The only time I've read books with the present tense, it's been in 1st person. I'm curious how this one worked out.

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  7. I adored this one. It's one of those I wanted to read again immediately. It's funny how a book that takes place over 24 hours feels like it has so much depth. If I look back, I think that certain things were resolved too easily, like her issues with her dad, but it doesn't feel that way. The book makes everything seem realistic, amazingly.

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  8. I'm really surprised how much this book is getting mixed reviews over the blogosphere. Some seem to really enjoy it and others felt it was a bit underwhelming. I'm curious to see where my reaction lies. It's on my list "to get from the library ASAP".

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  9. Awwww, Jenny!! My copy is on its way right now and you just made me even more eager to have it in my hands! (Read: Going to go check my mailbox again LOL!) Insta-love isn't something I usually like to read, but the way you describe it as an innocent connection instead makes me feel so much better! I bet if I met a sweet boy like Oliver, I'd probably feel the same way! ;)

    Amazingly thoughtful review as always, Jenny! I can't wait to read this! :) <3

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  10. Tiffany - I really liked Hadley and Oliver as well. And the whole timeline. I blew through this one very quickly:)

    Roxy - I liked that there was no insta-love either, it felt realistic despite the short timeline.

    Rebecca - It was really cute! It didn't blow me away, but it was a fun read and more than worth a read.

    Page-Turner - I think I yelled out loud NO when she lost him at customs. I was worried he wouldn't come back until the end:(

    Ash - I will be rereading it I'm sure as well. It was just fun to read:)

    Amanda - Yes. It threw me for a loop initially. I'm so used to "She walked down the sidewalk" that it was strange for me to read "She walks down the sidewalk". It kept tripping me up in the beginning.

    Alison - I agree, it had more depth than I would have thought for a book so short in time and in page length. I agree her issues with her dad were definitely wrapped up a little too neatly, I would have been fare more angry than she was, but I was able to overlook that for the most part:)

    Rummanah - There were some things about it that were a little underwhelming for me, the issues Alison mentioned with her dad were a bit easily resolved, and the relationship with Oliver wasn't grand and sweeping, but then again that's in part what I liked about it. It was just a quick look at Hadley's life that felt real and had it's emotional moments, and was just a good read I thought:)

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  11. Mimi - Definitely no instant love. There's that sweet hesitancy that happens when you first meet someone that you think you could really come to like, and I loved that about the two of them. No premature declarations of love here:) Looking forward to seeing what you think!

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  12. I didn't connect with this one at all, but I really seem to be in the minority. I think this had a lot to do with the book being written in the third person, you know. I just couldn't connect. It was all a bit blah and instantly forgettable for me. Oooops! Glad you enjoyed it, though! :)

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  13. I've read a few reviews of this one, and it sounds like one that I would enjoy. I'll have to add this one to my wish list.

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  14. I'm among the few left who haven't read this yet, but I can't wait to do so! Most people seem to have nothing but great things to say about this book, so I'm looking forward to seeing what I think. I like that you mentioned the romance wasn't complete instant-love; I think you would expect it to be because of the title, but I'm glad that it's not. Brilliant review as always, Jenny! I'm glad this book was a good read for you.

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  15. I agree this was a sweet story, and I was surprised at how much was about Hadley's family instead of the romance aspect. I generally liked it, though... it was a good use of the short period of time type of story.

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  16. Leanna - It's definitely one that's getting mixed reviews. I had some small issues with it, and like I said in the comments above it didn't blow me away, but I just had fun reading it and I did enjoy Hadley and Oliver:)

    Jennifer - It's a short read, under 300 pages, so it's easy to just sort of fly through and enjoy.

    Sam - Yay for no insta-love! Everything felt very possible despite the 24 hour time frame, and I really liked that about it:)

    Ashley - I was surprised about the major family element too, I thought it would just be a quick contemporary romance. I liked the family addition though, that made the whole thing a little more emotionally interesting:)

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  17. I like the sound of this :) But that title is sure a mouthful! I love it too none the less

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  18. I have heard SO many good things about this book. It sounds amazing! I'm hoping my library gets it in soon so I can check it out. :)

    Great review, as always, Jenny!!

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  19. Innocent connections make me so giddy!

    I just finished listening to an audio book in 3rd person present tense, and it was so strange. I wonder if reading it would be better, but yeah, it's still kind of awkward.

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  20. Aww this one sounds really sweet, I love coming to your blog and finding surprises....:D And sometimes reading a book about just sweet love with no vampires or magic reminds me that there is great story's in just normalcy....:D

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  21. Linda - The title is a mouthful, and a lot to type:) Somehow it's easy to remember though!

    Christy - I enjoyed it. It's a fun read for when you just want something quick and easy.

    Missie - Me too! I like when I blush while reading:)

    Tina - Couldn't agree more. I get so caught up in the vampires and the shifters that sometimes I forget the realistic stories can be just as interesting:)

    Juju - Hope you get a chance to read it!

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  22. "There’s nothing fantastical about the two of them; no special gifts or unique powers, and no tragic darkness or brutal pasts, just the lovely normalcy of lives filled with joys and pains to which we can so easily relate."

    EXACTLY! I thought this book was just adorable! I did have a hard time with the third person present tense at first, but I guess I adjusted. Glad you enjoyed it as well!

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  23. I am SO FREAKING excited to read this one dude!!!!! I am seriously dying! I know I am going to LOVE it! Well... I hope! I'm so going to go ahead and order my copy right NOW!

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  24. I am slowly opening my eyes to contemporary romances ever since reading Anna and loving it. It sounds like this one'll be a good one to try out in the genre: sweet and realistic. So glad that the characterization and relationship was so well done!

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  25. Oh, I have this one and I can't wait to get into it! So glad you liked it and I loved your review of it. Now I have to forget it so I can review it after I read it! LOL

    Heather

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  26. I'm so glad you liked this one. I'm SO SO SO excited to read it. I've been wanting it for so long (even if it just came out, LOL). I just love the whole premise for the book. *squee* Sorry, book moment. :D

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  27. I loved this story! It touched my heart so much!! Loved the review :)

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  28. Your review makes me want to read this one, Jenny! Really cute title.

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  29. At first I figured this would be a cheesy read but I kept seeing good reviews for it so that made me put it on my wishlist. Despite the whole falling in love at first sight title, I like that it's not a case of instant attraction here but more of a connection to someone and then a spark of interest. Great review, Jenny!

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  30. I'm really glad you enjoyed this book Jenny :) !! I reall liked it and I also found Oliver and Hadley adorable ...
    Great review :)

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  31. I just had a winner on my blog pick this book as her win! I am glad that so many people are loving it!

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  32. *jumps up and down* I'm so happy you liked this one! Definitely one of my all-time faves of this year and it's barely begun *lol*

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  33. Really looking forward to this one! :)

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  34. I've really wanted to read this book ever since I first heard about it. I've just been so busy lately that I don't even have that much time to read anymore.

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  35. I have been finding myself in a bit of a reading rut lately, with all of the dystopians I have been reading, so I think that this is exactly the sort of book that I need, especially when you state: There’s nothing fantastical about the two of them; no special gifts or unique powers, and no tragic darkness or brutal pasts, just the lovely normalcy of lives filled with joys and pains to which we can so easily relate.

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  36. I absolutely loved this book and read through it like crazy to see what would happen with Hadley and Oliver. Them together were such cute scenes. Especially Oliver distracting Hadley from her fear of flying by saying the most random things. He was amazing and pretty funny. I also loved how this book packed a big punch of emotion throughout the story and how much both Hadley and Oliver grow by the end. Just Loved it and will definitely be rereading.

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  37. I really want to read this one - it sounds so fun, and different from other books.
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts, this was an interesting review to read.

    ~Ailsa

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