Everyone needs a great book to bring to the beach, a book that you find compelling enough to drown out the surrounding noise and lose yourself in the plot. That book, however, should be able to be put down and picked up two hours later without the reader missing a beat. The criteria for a beach book is simple - a fast read, a book in which the plot moves along steadily and holds the reader's attention.
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith is just such a book. The entire book encompasses just 24 hours in the life of our main character, Hadley. The book opens with Hadley missing a flight to London for her father's wedding. Through flashbacks, we see how this wedding has come to pass, and grow to understand how it has affected Hadley and her relationship with both parents. As Hadley grudgingly accepts the fact that she will be getting on the plane for the dreaded event, she is pleasantly surprised to meet Oliver, a freshman at Yale who is traveling back to London to see his family.
As the plane traverses over the ocean, their relationship grows with the sort of intimacy only found in people thrown together for long periods of time. When they arrive in London, circumstances change and both characters learn their own place within their families and how they approach the world as young adults.
This book demands being devoured in short time, as the plot moves along swiftly and time passes so quickly. The author draws the reader in so close we can almost feel Hayden's crushing dread (and jet lag) as she accepts the changes impacting her life, and learns to move forward with grace and confidence.
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith is just such a book. The entire book encompasses just 24 hours in the life of our main character, Hadley. The book opens with Hadley missing a flight to London for her father's wedding. Through flashbacks, we see how this wedding has come to pass, and grow to understand how it has affected Hadley and her relationship with both parents. As Hadley grudgingly accepts the fact that she will be getting on the plane for the dreaded event, she is pleasantly surprised to meet Oliver, a freshman at Yale who is traveling back to London to see his family.
As the plane traverses over the ocean, their relationship grows with the sort of intimacy only found in people thrown together for long periods of time. When they arrive in London, circumstances change and both characters learn their own place within their families and how they approach the world as young adults.
This book demands being devoured in short time, as the plot moves along swiftly and time passes so quickly. The author draws the reader in so close we can almost feel Hayden's crushing dread (and jet lag) as she accepts the changes impacting her life, and learns to move forward with grace and confidence.