The Geography of You and Me

by Jennifer E Smith

For fans of John Green, Stephanie Perkins and Sarah Ockler, THE GEOGRAPHY OF YOU AND ME is a story for anyone who's ever longed to meet someone special, for anyone who's searched for home and found it where they least expected it.

Owen lives in the basement. Lucy lives on the 24th floor. But when the power goes out in the midst of a New York heatwave, they find themselves together for the first time: stuck in a lift between the 10th and 11th floors. As they await help, they start talking...

The brief time they spend together leaves a mark. And as their lives take them to Edinburgh and San Francisco, to Prague and to Portland they can't shake the memory of the time they shared. Postcards cross the globe when they themselves can't, as Owen and Lucy experience the joy - and pain - of first love.

And as they make their separate journeys in search of home, they discover that sometimes it is a person rather than a place that anchors you most in the world.

• ISBN10: 0316254762
• ISBN13: 9780316254762
• Publish Date: 3 March 2015 (first published 1 January 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
• Imprint: Poppy
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

JE Smith: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways......

Smith is one of my go-to authors. After I read one of JES's books, I am always left happy. Her stories are always charming and heartwarming and The Geography of You and Me is no exception.

This story begins during a black out in an elevator in Manhattan. Lucy and Owen are trapped together awaiting a rescue. In that elevator, in the dark, a connection was made. It was a connection that would endure through time and distance and everything else that was thrown their way.

The more I read, the more I invested in Owen and Lucy's lives. I wanted things to work out. I wanted Owen to heal, and Lucy to work things out with her family. I wanted Lucy to fit in better and Owen's dad to snap out of it. I wanted them to find each other again, because, although I am who I am, I need love to win and an HEA.

Overall: an adorable, sweet romance, which gave me many feels.

[Linda]

*I received a free ARC of The Geography of You and Me from Little, Brown for Young Readers via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review*

Fresh, cute and filled with longing, The Geography of You and Me transported me to faraway places.

This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews

[Kelly]

3½ Stars
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2014/06/the-geography-of-you-and-me-by-jennifer.html
The Geography of You and Me is a heartwarming read with a sense of adventure. It follows both Lucy and Owen, two teens from different worlds who meet simply by chance. The story begins and the two and thrown together immediately, capturing the readers attention and falling in love with the city of New York and both teens. No parents, no interruptions, just an impromptu date that is a result of circumstance. Their night together didn't involve any physical interaction, but through both points of view, you feel a sense that the chance meeting is significant to both of them. But they're both realistic, exchange email addresses and simply go their separate ways.

The two keep in contact through Lucy's emails and Owen sending quirky postcards on his travels. Life moves on and so do both teens, promises were never made, therefor cannot be broken. But still, they both seems to gravitate back towards one another, even from oceans away. I really enjoyed it. It's fun, fluffy and allows the reader to travel from Edinburgh and San Francisco, to Prague, Portland and eventually Paris. It's incredibly charming.

This is my second Jennifer E. Smith novel, after reading and adoring The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. Although The Geography of You and Me isn't as engaging, she's quickly become my favorite young adult adventure romance author. It truly is the book for all seasons, a flirty summer read or heartwarming winter romance.

[Ashley]

This book was sooo not what I thought it was. It felt too much like "Just One Day", where a couple meets ONCE, then can't stop thinking about each other for a freaking year. They weren't actually dating or anything; they just randomly thought about each other for a whole year and only saw each other like once.

Most of the book was just about their day-to-day activities and family dynamics, and that kind of bored me. I just wasn't interested in that aspect of the story.

Disappointed. :(

[anne]

Nice romance. Low 4.

[Leah]

When I read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E Smith a few years ago I loved it – it was such a warm and charming read and Jennifer became an author whose books I had to keep reading and buying whenever they were released because I just couldn’t miss out on such an enjoyable author so I was super happy to download a copy of Jennifer’s new release The Geography of You and Me and I couldn’t wait to dive in! I may have only read one of Jennifer’s novels – though I have the another of hers on my shelf to be read, but I thought her new book sounded amazingly charming, even more so than The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight any any book that begins with a blackout and a stuck elevator is going to seriously appeal to me.

The Geography of You and Me is yet another sweet, charming read. Jennifer E Smith is one of the best YA novelists around and you always know what you’re going to get when you pick up one of her novels. The Geography of You and Me opens with a city wide NYC blackout and Lucy and Owen find themselves stuck in a lift in their apartment building. Once freed, they spend the evening together, chatting and getting to know one another and end up sleeping on the roof. The two form a bond like neither have ever felt, but when Lucy’s parents inform her of their decision to move to England and Owen’s father is told his job is no longer his own, the two find themselves on opposites side of the continent. Their only form of contact is postcards and emails, but is that enough to keep these two together or will their friendship fade into oblivion?

The opening few chapters of The Geography of You and Me were super great. I really felt the connection between Lucy and Owen, it was instantaneous not helped by the circumstances which made it all the better and all the more intimate. It’s the sort of fairy tale meeting you dream of, and this is something Jennifer E Smith excels at – she can go no wrong with the way her characters meet, they’re dreamy and perfect. (But also disappointing – as I have yet to meet my perfect guy on a plane or in an elevator!). As Lucy and Owens paths diverged I felt super sad because I enjoyed their back and forth chatter so much and it just wasn’t the same for me when Lucy was in England and Owen was travelling across America, although I did like reading about Owen’s travels, mostly because I am a sucker for road trips and especially when a novel is set in parts of America I love to visit!

The Geography of You and Me is another funny, sweet, charming read. I wasn’t perhaps as engrossed as I was in TSPOLAFS but I still kept reading on and in because I was desperate for Lucy and Owen to meet again, it was surely written in the stars – or, an elevator! Jennifer E Smith is easily one of my favourite YA writers – I always fall in love with her characters and her writing is sublime. No one engages me with third person narrative as Jennifer E Smith does and she does it in such an easy way – her writing just flows and seems to easy to read. I enjoyed the novelty of Lucy and Owen sending each other postcards – a lost art, let’s be honest! It’s another fantastic, cracking read and I can’t wait until next year when we’ll hopefully get another new Jennifer E Smith novel.

[ellieroth]

Reseña Completa: El Extraño Gato del Cuento

Por alguna u otra razón no he podido leerme los libros anteriores de Jennifer, incluso están publicados en español, pero como siempre el tiempo es mi enemigo, y es justo eso una de las principales razones por las que no perdí tiempo con este.

Lo amé, así de sencillo, lo amé.

Hizo que ir en elevador tuviera un nuevo significado, me ha dado un nuevo recuerdo prestado que le voy agradecer toda la vida. No voy a negar que, antes de leer el libro, siempre pasaba por mi cabeza (de manera aterradora) el quedarme atrapada en un elevador, este libro me ha quitado un poco al miedo a que pueda pasar de manera negativa (soy claustrofóbica) y considerar las posibilidades, sí, sé que es improbable que conozcas al amor de tu vida en un ascensor ¿Pero quién dijo que no es divertido saborear la idea? Sobre si te ayuda con el miedo u.u

Otro de los puntos a favor que tiene el libro es que la escritora usa mis escenarios favoritos en la historia: Nueva York, Londres, Edimburgo (mi nuevo lugar favorito), describiendo no solo los alrededores sino también los olores, la claustrofobia que sienten en siento punto Lucy y Owen. Me encantó.

Hablando de Lucy y Owen me gustó mucho su relación, si bien hay una atracción a primera vista, las circunstancias que la historia desarrolla no deja que su relación se convierta en un instalove más. Las postales, los mensajes, los celos... Me gustó sobre todo que sea ellos actúen como lo que son, adolescentes, que viven el momento, que les asusta la idea de lo que están sintiendo. No voy a negar que durante un rato lo quería golpearlos por no tener paciencia, no es que hayan hecho algo malo, es solo que... Ay, yo soy así.

Conclusión: Me encantó, me gustó mucho experimentar la narrativa de esta nueva escritora para mí, Jennifer E. Smith sin duda devoraré tus libros anteriores porque tengo la esperanza y la sospecha que quizá seas de esas escritoras que hace cameos con sus anteriores personajes. Ojalá :D