Review: This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Publish Date: April 2, 2013
Kindle {p. 416}
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Publisher
Ellie O'Neill, Graham Larkin

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

I was immediately drawn into this story. Graham was a hit for me throughout. I felt bad for him, even though he was a big-time movie star, he seemed to lead a very solitary life.

At first I was a bit confused as to why they continued to emailing each other. Only because I found myself wondering what teenagers still use email as a form of communication when things like text and IM exist. Sure, adults emailing is believable but teenagers, not likely. But once I set that aside, I truly enjoyed their email exchange.

At times I would get annoyed with Ellie and her behavior, but then at others I felt bad for her as well. The secret that her mother was making her keep was entirely wrong on her mother's part. That is such a heavy burden to lay on a child at an early age.

I did feel that the ending was a letdown. It provided no closure and was rather abrupt. I would have liked to see some of the loose ends tied up, not only with Ellie and Graham's relationship, but the relationship of Ellie and her dad. But other than that, it was a great, light read.

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

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Jennifer E. Smith
Publisher: Poppy
Publish Date: January 2, 2012
Hardcover {p.236}
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult
Hadley Sullivan
Challenge: 100+
Buy the Book: Amazon

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.

What drew me to this book was the fact that it was set over a 24-hour time frame. I was intrigued to see how the characters could possibly form a connection in such a short amount of time. Not to mention how the reader would connect to them. But I enjoyed their story from the start.

Both Hadley and Oliver are great, well-written characters. I felt like I knew them both better than some characters in novels that are set over the span of years.

Hadley’s struggle with her parents’ divorce was extremely real. She not only felt that her father abandoned her mother when he chose to remain in London, but abandoned her as well.

As for Oliver, his struggle with his own father and the childhood he had, helped Hadley put her relationship with her father in perspective. Oliver was a great guy who genuinely cared about Hadley from the start.

I truly loved this book; I only wish it didn’t end. I would have loved to see what became of Hadley and Oliver when they returned to the states. Or if her mother ever remarried. Or if her relationship with her father truly mended. That is how invested in their story I became.

But even with all that, I still loved every second of it. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thursday Three {5}: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

What is Thursday 3? It's a new monthly meme, hosted by me, in which we will be discussing our love/hate relationship with our current read. I will be posting the first Thursday of the month, and you are welcome to link up anytime throughout.

Here is how Thursday 3 works:

• Take your current read, or book you previously finished, and tell me the following 3 things about it.

1. Character from the book you LOVE (This can be a character you want as your BFF or someone you want to take home to meet the parents)
2. Character from the book you HATE (This character does not have to be the villian, just someone you disliked)
3. Your overall LOVE/HATE of the book. (If you haven't decided your feelings for the book yet, or if you prefer, just provide a snippet from the book containing either the word "LOVE" or "HATE")

Anyone can participate!! Just link your posts in the linky! In your post, please provide a link back to my blog so that other people can find the information and participate.

Loved: Hadley ~ Such a truly believable character with her struggles with her father. I would love to hopely see a follow up to this novel.

Hated: Andrew ~ I didn't hate him per se, I just hated that the left his wife and child, moved to a new country and married someone else.

Overall: I loved this book. I only wish it didn't end.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
{New York/London}