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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
I received an advanced digital copy of this book for free from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers via NetGalley. In spite of this kindness, my honest opinion follows.
I have enjoyed Jennifer E. Smith's novels before and was excited to get an advanced copy of her newest book.
This story takes place over the course of 12 hours the day before Aidan and Clare leave for colleges on the opposite coast. These two have been a couple for 2 years but are still unsure of what their future holds. Clare plans out an evening of journeying around town reminiscing in all of the places which hold sentiment for their relationship. This exploration of their past though is also supposed to help them determine how to proceed with their relationship in the future. During the course of the evening, there is laughter, tears, and revelations. They must recognize their love and why sometimes really loving someone means letting go.
This book reminded me of what is was like to be in that position where the whole world is about to be open to you. How scary and exciting it is at the same time. It also brought in memories of first love and how much you're willing to do to make it work.
I did not enjoy it as much as some of Ms. Smith's books but it was still well written. I think my reason for not enjoying it as much was because it was the opposite plot format as most of her stories. Rather than people falling in love and ending up together at the end, this story was two people in love who were trying not to break up. It's not that it was not a good story, it just seemed to flounder at points. I would still recommend it though to people who enjoy YA, first love, and remembering what it's like to be young again.
I have enjoyed Jennifer E. Smith's novels before and was excited to get an advanced copy of her newest book.
This story takes place over the course of 12 hours the day before Aidan and Clare leave for colleges on the opposite coast. These two have been a couple for 2 years but are still unsure of what their future holds. Clare plans out an evening of journeying around town reminiscing in all of the places which hold sentiment for their relationship. This exploration of their past though is also supposed to help them determine how to proceed with their relationship in the future. During the course of the evening, there is laughter, tears, and revelations. They must recognize their love and why sometimes really loving someone means letting go.
This book reminded me of what is was like to be in that position where the whole world is about to be open to you. How scary and exciting it is at the same time. It also brought in memories of first love and how much you're willing to do to make it work.
I did not enjoy it as much as some of Ms. Smith's books but it was still well written. I think my reason for not enjoying it as much was because it was the opposite plot format as most of her stories. Rather than people falling in love and ending up together at the end, this story was two people in love who were trying not to break up. It's not that it was not a good story, it just seemed to flounder at points. I would still recommend it though to people who enjoy YA, first love, and remembering what it's like to be young again.
Maybe 3.5 stars but I’m being generous because I know the Netflix movie version will drive some to read the book. I learned about this through my cousin, who is a senior in high school, and I want to be up on the book-to-screen titles so that we have them when kids come looking. This is not great literature but it’s romance-y and vivid and contained because it takes place over 12 hours. And it’s relatable- what do you do when you and your boyfriend are going off to different colleges on opposite coasts? I’ll talk it up to kids for sure.
a sweet little book; just nothing particularly fresh or compelling
I didn't think this book would make me cry, but it did because goodbyes are never easy. I'm expert at that. Smith has always managed to touch my heart and she certainly hasn't failed to do just that this time around. I loved Claire and Aidan's relationship and the realisticness of it. I don't even care that realisticness isn't a word. Stella might be upset with me, but that's alright. The book has beautifully constructed what goodbyes are like.
“The only thing harder than leaving is being left behind.”
Stars (Out of 10): 10/10 Stars
Overall Thoughts: This book really hit hard, since I’m in a long-distance relationship myself. I related to the deciding, and while it was never as open conversation wise as here, I remember talking about it and figuring out how to work around the problems. I was the Aidan in the beginning, wanting to try without thinking of the consequences, so I actually thought his character was pretty accurate in that thinking. This book was also extremely realistic in all aspects of it, which I won’t go into detail of here due to spoilers. A great, yet very emotional, read.
SPOILERS BEGIN HERE
The Good: I loved how realistic it was. The night didn’t end in a happily ever after, even as it seemed to be heading that way. There was tension between Clare and Aidan, tension built up due to the incoming pain and stress of having to leave each other. While I didn’t necessarily relate to the characters personally, the way it was written still made me able to feel for them, and understand where they were coming from in each situation.
The Bad: There wasn’t much to put in this column actually. It was short, yes, but it didn’t need to be longer to tell the story better. It may have been simple, but that’s all this plot called for, just simply emotion and how it was dealt with.
The Characters: I liked that the book still focused on the main couple, but still had some scenes with their best friends and such, making them seem a bit more well-rounded friendship wise. I also liked how the only conflict wasn’t Aidan and Clare and their decision, but also dealing with Scotty being left behind, and Stella in general. Goodbyes are tough in all aspects, not just relationships, so I’m glad Smith touched on all aspects.
The Plot: This was mainly touched on in the character section, but once again I liked how this was well-rounded. We saw all sides of the hardships of leaving, family, romance, and friends. I also liked how we got an insight into their past, rather than just being thrown into the present, somehow expected to wish for a couple’s happy ending that we know no history about.
The Favorite Character: Aidan
Buy it, Borrow it, or Bin it: Buy it!
This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/
Stars (Out of 10): 10/10 Stars
Overall Thoughts: This book really hit hard, since I’m in a long-distance relationship myself. I related to the deciding, and while it was never as open conversation wise as here, I remember talking about it and figuring out how to work around the problems. I was the Aidan in the beginning, wanting to try without thinking of the consequences, so I actually thought his character was pretty accurate in that thinking. This book was also extremely realistic in all aspects of it, which I won’t go into detail of here due to spoilers. A great, yet very emotional, read.
SPOILERS BEGIN HERE
The Good: I loved how realistic it was. The night didn’t end in a happily ever after, even as it seemed to be heading that way. There was tension between Clare and Aidan, tension built up due to the incoming pain and stress of having to leave each other. While I didn’t necessarily relate to the characters personally, the way it was written still made me able to feel for them, and understand where they were coming from in each situation.
The Bad: There wasn’t much to put in this column actually. It was short, yes, but it didn’t need to be longer to tell the story better. It may have been simple, but that’s all this plot called for, just simply emotion and how it was dealt with.
The Characters: I liked that the book still focused on the main couple, but still had some scenes with their best friends and such, making them seem a bit more well-rounded friendship wise. I also liked how the only conflict wasn’t Aidan and Clare and their decision, but also dealing with Scotty being left behind, and Stella in general. Goodbyes are tough in all aspects, not just relationships, so I’m glad Smith touched on all aspects.
The Plot: This was mainly touched on in the character section, but once again I liked how this was well-rounded. We saw all sides of the hardships of leaving, family, romance, and friends. I also liked how we got an insight into their past, rather than just being thrown into the present, somehow expected to wish for a couple’s happy ending that we know no history about.
The Favorite Character: Aidan
Buy it, Borrow it, or Bin it: Buy it!
This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/
Full review below:
http://southernbredsouthernread.blogspot.com/2015/09/hello-goodbye-and-everything-in-between.html
Clare and Aidan are on the eve of the day they leave for their separate colleges across the country from each other. After going back and forth with options for months, it is finally time to decide if they are going to stay together or break up. Unfortunately, that is not as easy as they seem to think. Clare makes a list of all the important places in their life and plans for a full night of going down memory lane so that they can come to a reasonable decision together. Things do not go as planned and they are thrown off course and forced to face a lot more hard decisions than they originally thought. Now it is time to say goodbye to their friends, their parents, Clare’s dog, and finally each other… Will they stay together or break up?
Both of the main characters are pretty likable. I didn’t really feel Clare for a good part of the book because I thought she was being very selfish and making everyone’s life harder than it needed to be, but as I got to know her I was able to understand her more. Clare is practical to a fault and she has this fantastical idea about going away to college and starting the rest of her life. It is hard for her to look at Aidan in California while she is in New Hampshire and imagine their life together. Aidan, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He sees his life and sees how big of part of it that Clare is and can’t image her in it. While Clare is practical and logical, Aidan is whimsical and spontaneous. He doesn’t want to plan out all the details of his life, but instead just see where the chips fall. I loved Aidan and thought he sounded so sweet. My heart hurt for him, as he had to begin to see that staying with Clare isn’t the only option. The supporting characters were great too. I loved Stella and her sass. I love that she puts Clare in her place and makes her realize that her problems aren’t the only problems. Scotty is like a lovable puppy. He makes poor choices but you know he is the type of friend that will always be there for you. I think their story would make for a great spin off story.
The book is very nostalgic in that I think we all have someone at some point in our lives that we have had to decide whether to stay or go (figuratively or literally). Because of that I was able to relate to both characters because I have been in both of their shoes at some point in my life. I think everyone will be able to relate to one of the characters in the book at least a little bit. Everyone has had to make hard choices and sometimes have made the wrong choice and had to live with it. This book is all about weighing the risk and the outcomes and trying to decide what is easier to live with.
Here is the thing with this book, you know it is going to end one of two ways: they break up or they stay together. That’s what it all ultimately boils down to. It ended how I thought, but the second prologue (once you read the book, you will understand) surprised me a little. Usually with these kinds of books, it ends and that’s it. We don’t get a peek into the future because that’s not what the story is about. I liked that we got a little glimpse of how the two fair a few months later. Though it is predictable, it is nothing if not sweet. I experienced lots of warm and fuzzies and closed the book with a smile on my face.
If you are looking for a quick, easy read then I encourage you to pick this one up. I read it all in about two hours and probably could have finished faster than that if I didn’t have to start and stop. Jennifer E. Smith’s books all have the same type of formula for the story, so if you like one of her books then this won’t be any exception.
http://southernbredsouthernread.blogspot.com/2015/09/hello-goodbye-and-everything-in-between.html
Clare and Aidan are on the eve of the day they leave for their separate colleges across the country from each other. After going back and forth with options for months, it is finally time to decide if they are going to stay together or break up. Unfortunately, that is not as easy as they seem to think. Clare makes a list of all the important places in their life and plans for a full night of going down memory lane so that they can come to a reasonable decision together. Things do not go as planned and they are thrown off course and forced to face a lot more hard decisions than they originally thought. Now it is time to say goodbye to their friends, their parents, Clare’s dog, and finally each other… Will they stay together or break up?
Both of the main characters are pretty likable. I didn’t really feel Clare for a good part of the book because I thought she was being very selfish and making everyone’s life harder than it needed to be, but as I got to know her I was able to understand her more. Clare is practical to a fault and she has this fantastical idea about going away to college and starting the rest of her life. It is hard for her to look at Aidan in California while she is in New Hampshire and imagine their life together. Aidan, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He sees his life and sees how big of part of it that Clare is and can’t image her in it. While Clare is practical and logical, Aidan is whimsical and spontaneous. He doesn’t want to plan out all the details of his life, but instead just see where the chips fall. I loved Aidan and thought he sounded so sweet. My heart hurt for him, as he had to begin to see that staying with Clare isn’t the only option. The supporting characters were great too. I loved Stella and her sass. I love that she puts Clare in her place and makes her realize that her problems aren’t the only problems. Scotty is like a lovable puppy. He makes poor choices but you know he is the type of friend that will always be there for you. I think their story would make for a great spin off story.
The book is very nostalgic in that I think we all have someone at some point in our lives that we have had to decide whether to stay or go (figuratively or literally). Because of that I was able to relate to both characters because I have been in both of their shoes at some point in my life. I think everyone will be able to relate to one of the characters in the book at least a little bit. Everyone has had to make hard choices and sometimes have made the wrong choice and had to live with it. This book is all about weighing the risk and the outcomes and trying to decide what is easier to live with.
Here is the thing with this book, you know it is going to end one of two ways: they break up or they stay together. That’s what it all ultimately boils down to. It ended how I thought, but the second prologue (once you read the book, you will understand) surprised me a little. Usually with these kinds of books, it ends and that’s it. We don’t get a peek into the future because that’s not what the story is about. I liked that we got a little glimpse of how the two fair a few months later. Though it is predictable, it is nothing if not sweet. I experienced lots of warm and fuzzies and closed the book with a smile on my face.
If you are looking for a quick, easy read then I encourage you to pick this one up. I read it all in about two hours and probably could have finished faster than that if I didn’t have to start and stop. Jennifer E. Smith’s books all have the same type of formula for the story, so if you like one of her books then this won’t be any exception.
I read an ARC of this a few weeks ago and completely forgot to review it, which I think says a lot about my reaction to it.
I loved this. I read it over the summer a few years ago and i just loved this. It made me cry, laugh and so much more. I loved this so much.
I wanted to love this book so much. How can you NOT love Jennifer E. Smith's romances? However, this one really paled in comparison to her other novels. It's incredibly short, lacks depth, and feels very repetitive. I wasn't worried about the potential for those things going in seeing as how The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight takes place in just a 24 hour time period, but I felt such a deep connection to both of the characters. This lacked drawing any empathy from me, and I found the characters whiny at surface level most of the time. There were still glimpses of Smith's writing style that I love here and there, such as certain turns of phrase and playful elements such as the scavenger-hunt feel, but this is at the bottom of the list out of all of her works for me. I'll still pick up her books in the future, but this felt incomplete to me from both a length and quality perspective.
2.5 stars.
2.5 stars.