Skip to main content

THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT by Jennifer E. Smith


copyright date: January 2012
primarily marketed for: young adults (12 and up)

After reading a few heavy books, I picked up The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith from my shelf of to-be-read books expecting a light, fluffy romance. 

I should know better by now.  I wouldn’t have purchased it if it were just a light, fluffy romance. 

Of course I was completely sucked in by the premise that everything happens for a reason, even if the reason is not apparent at first.  Hadley is on her way to London for her father’s wedding—the beginning of a marriage to a woman Hadley has never met because why would she want to meet the source of the affair that broke her family apart?  Anyway, she misses her flight because of a series of choices and mishaps. 

Now, having changed her path to London, Hadley encounters a guy.  An attractive guy.  A charming guy.  A guy who insists on keeping her company and happens to have a seat near hers on the next flight to London. 

The well-written, genuine, sometimes humorous voices of Hadley and Oliver definitely helped the story ring true, as well as the honest relationships amongst family members (and soon-to-be family members) Smith has crafted add to the authenticity. Although there are still many aspects of this story that are completely implausible, I just didn’t care.  In fact, while I was reading I didn’t even notice.  I was so wrapped up in Hadley’s journey that I wanted to believe it all. 

Hadley’s story is much more a coming-of-age story than a romance.  Through twists of fate and spontaneous decisions, she mends her broken relationships with each of her parents and learns how to be herself.
Labels:

Comments

  1. ShannonApril 4, 2013 at 11:31 PM

    I just bought this on my kindle the other night-I think it was maybe $3.99 at the most. So it's sitting on ready.....

    Right now I'm reading Skinny-about an overweight girl who chooses to have the gastric bypass surgery. It's a good one!

    Shannon
    http://www.irunreadteach.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Deb DayApril 21, 2013 at 9:41 AM

    Haven't been able to read this yet...it keeps getting checked out! Thanks again for gifting our classroom with it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. MandyMay 21, 2013 at 7:03 PM

    I have two copies of this!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. greenteahimandspecialed.blogspot.comJuly 2, 2013 at 2:15 PM

    I LOVE your blog. I come back to it time and time again to click on your categories and read your reviews. I have a new list for back to school now, thanks to you. I appreciate these great posts. Keep on reading! Heather

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I HUNT KILLERS by Barry Lyga

copyright date: April 2012 primarily marketed for: young adults (high school) I’m just going to put this out there:  I like books about death.  I didn’t know this about myself as a reader until my students this year pointed out how many of the books I booktalk (basically all of them) involve someone who died or someone who is dying. I am not sure if that is just a me thing, or if that is a common thread in books since it is such a major part of life and conflict.  I’d like to think it is the latter. At any rate, I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga , is obviously my kind of book—it is quality literature with sophisticated vocabulary, and it is about death.  Jasper Dent, known as Jazz, is a teenager who is struggling to overcome the odds, to say the least.  His father, Billy Cornelius Dent, is the most infamous serial killer, with victims totaling triple digits.  Since his father’s arrest, Jazz has had to care for his grandmother ...
2 comments
Read more

JAKE AND LILY by Jerry Spinelli

copyright date: May 2012 primarily marketed for: intermediate readers (8 and up) This is another book for younger readers.   So, although the time you spend actually reading Jake and Lily by Jerry Spinelli won’t be long, the time this story spends traveling around in your heart will be immeasurable. Spinelli is a master at getting straight to the heart of what keeps people from accepting one another: differences.   Through the story of young twins Jake and Lily, he tells a story of tolerance, acceptance, and ultimately friendship.   Jake and Lily have a very special relationship.   They are able to connect with one another through dreams and across distances.   In fact, as they write their stories for us in alternating chapters, they don’t even need to read to know what they other has written.   Conflict settles into their lives when growing up threatens to come between them.   As Jake begins to spend more time with a g...
3 comments
Read more

NOTHING SPECIAL by Geoff Herbach

copyright date: May 2012 primarily marketed for: young adults (12 and up) This is Geoff Herbach 's sequel to Stupid Fast and continues Felton Reinstein’s story in true Felton fashion.   This is definitely a smart guy book—a book for smart guys, who definitely love a good chuckle. The story opens at the end of summer with Felton typing a letter to his girlfriend Aleah while flying in an airplane on his way to retrieve his younger brother from Florida.   The entire book is written as one giant letter to Aleah explaining how his summer led him to this moment in time.   After Felton and his brother Andrew got some help with their mother’s issues, Felton went right back to throwing himself into football and track—because he is stupid fast.   However, Andrew did not cope quite as well as Felton did.   Felton ignores his brother’s cries for help and continuously lets him down.   His brother ends up cooking up an elaborate plan to run ...
1 comment
Read more