The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

by Jennifer E Smith

Quirks of timing feature in this romantic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver find that true love can be unexpected. Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having just missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother 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 sitting in her row. A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

• ISBN10: 0316122394
• ISBN13: 9780316122399
• Publish Date: 1 January 2013 (first published 1 January 2012)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Little, Brown & Company
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 272
• Language: English

Reviews

[mrs_mander_reads]

Super cute - loved this one.

[jeannamichel]

This book was gorgeous in its simplicity- felt as easy as breathing. Review to come.

[Bianca]

In the end, it’s not the changes that will break your heart; it’s that tug of familiarity.

[ellieroth]

Original de: El Extraño Gato del Cuento

Con un título como "La Probabilidad Estadística del Amor a Primera Vista", no me daba generaba exactamente un gran ansia de empezarlo, se lee algo cursi. (Aunque no tan cursi como algunos libros que han salido en estos últimos meses, la verdad :v Esos sí no los leo, no puedo :v) Los títulos de Jennifer E. Smith aunque largos, tienden a ser bastante irónicos. Eso lo notas una vez que llegas a hasta la parte exacta del libro donde la ironía cobra fuerza. Lo bueno es que casi siempre es al inicio.

Con esta historia estaba algo insegura, me esperaba una historia bastante cursi, al menos es lo que muchas reseñas me hicieron entender.

Tiene un romance bastante dulce, es un romance exacto para poder llevar los temas duros de la historia. Tanto Hadley como Oliver, han pasado por cosas similares en su familia, y la experiencia de uno ayudará al otro a llevar mejor el momento actual.

Para mí fue difícil leer ciertas partes, porque el perdón no es algo que esté en mí. A mi software le falta ese plugin. A mi libro le falta ese capítulo. A mí... Perdonar no es algo que se me dé bien. Y en esta historia tenemos las dos posibilidades: perdonar a la persona que te lastimó o no hacerlo y quedarte con el "qué tal si". Siendo totalmente franca; este es otro de esos libros que me recuerdan que todavía tengo mucho en lo que trabajar en lo personal.

HADLEY Y OLIVER

Centrándome únicamente en el romance:



Smith tiene esa cosa tan... No sé cómo llamarlo, todos sus personajes tienen historias de amor bastante dulce, pero que te dejan un toque agrio al final. Creo que porque son finales ligeramente abiertos. Te quedas pensando "¿¿¿Fin???"

BOOK TO MOVIE

No sé qué tan bien funcionará, se me hace más fácil visualizar libros fantásticos en una posible película que humanos normales, no sé por qué. :v Este libro en especial me da un poco de temor, es una historia sencilla y puede desbaratarse rápido de no tener un buen guión, se lee de manera entretenida, pero ¿verla? Ojalá los dioses de las adaptaciones sean buenos con esta película.

Una lectura dulce y agria, si solo me concentro en el romance, vomito arcoiris, pero si veo más allá de lo bonito, esta esa cosa agria qué dije más arriba. Es como una fotografía antigua cuando la miras con cuidado, sigue siendo bonita, pero... sí.

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[nightingalereads]

3.75 stars

[girlinthepages]

I wish I had been able to read this book in a single sitting. Set over a twenty four hour period on two continents and one long plane ride, Smith’s novel clicked along at a natural pace that had me experiencing what it was like to be in Hadley’s shoes, whether it was sitting in the airport or navigating the London Underground. Had I been able to read this relatively short text in one sitting, I would have truly felt the experience Hadley has- of meeting and bonding with a stranger through the artificial intimacy of travel and all of the significant moments that are blurred together within a single day in one’s life.

Though readers only get a short time with protagonist Hadley, Jennifer E. Smith does a wonderful job really exposing Hadley’s emotions and thoughts through a third person narrative (which is refreshing to see nowadays in YA). Hadley’s pain and conflict about her parent’s separation, divorce, and father’s remarriage were raw and tangible enough without being overdone, and though I only spent a few hours with Hadley I empathized with her situation through Smith’s quietly striking writing. Smith also uses third person present narration, which can be tricky but really gives the reader the feeling that they are with Hadley through her twenty four hour journey from New York to London, and the chapters span mere minutes rather than days, so very little narration is wasted on filler content.

Surrounding the idea of romance in this book is also a focus on relationships in general- between family, between acquaintances, and the impact minutes or hours can have on such relationships. Whether it’s an overheard comment, a sidelong glance at someone, or a missed call, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight enables readers to view relationships in a twenty four hours microcosm and see the small, daily interactions and impacts the contribute to the ever changing ebb and flow of interpersonal relationships.

Also, what I really want to state about this book: It’s not insta-love. Sure, Hadley and Oliver’s relationship is only examined over the course of one day and night, and the “probability” of finding someone who you really click with while traveling may be low, but the beauty of having the book set over a twenty four hour period is that the reader really gets to examine each interaction between the two characters in careful detail, and see how the companionship and connection blossoms. It’s really cool to read, to see the little (seemingly) mundane interactions between a protagonist and love interest that most novels skip, and after twenty four hours with Hadley and Oliver I’m more convinced by their interactions and connection than I am by many YA couples that get together after several days or weeks. Again, this is not insta-love and it’s up to the reader to really decide where their relationship goes, it’s merely watching two people find a connection over a short amount of time. And it was short, sweet, and authentic.

Favorite Quotes:

“…and Hadley- buzzing with a kind of anger that made her feel both entirely invincible and incredibly young-…” (italics are mine, pg 39)

“It was his fault, all of it, and yet her hatred for him was the worst kind of love, a tortured longing, a misguided wish that made her heart hammer in her chest.” (pg 65)

“It wasn’t that she was meant to read them all. Maybe someday she would, but for now, it was more the gesture itself. He was giving her the most important thing he could, the only way he knew how. He was a professor, a lover of stories, and he was building her a library in the same way other men might build their daughters houses.” (pg 153)

(Doesn’t that last quote just make your bookish heart swoon at the beautiful way books are given importance?)

Overall Thoughts:

It’s a quick read that won’t necessarily change your life, but Smith has a narrative voice of quiet confidence that brings the reader into the twenty-four hour journey of Hadley and Oliver thoroughly and emotionally. Read it all in one sitting if you can to get the full experience, and bask in how refreshing it is to read a budding romance that doesn’t fall into the clutches of insta-love.

Read more of my reviews on my blog!

[whisperingchapters]

I enjoyed the book. Oliver is such a funny character. I was a short book and I liked how it gave the somewhat twist about Oliver.

[Sam@WLABB]

JSmith never disappoints me. Another book where she left me feeling warm and fuzzy and wanting more.

[bumblingbookworm]

This review was originally posted on The Bumbling Bookworm

This is a cute, fun and quirky romance, and I really enjoyed it. I first read it when I was on a plane to the US last year, and is devoured it one sitting - I was looking for something to take my mind off the 12 hour flight, if only for a little bit, and this certainly delivered. It had all the things I love wrapped up in a REALLY cute cover. British boy - check. Travel - check. Cute romance - check. What more could I want?

Check out the rest of my review here!

[stefu1]

Saw a friend reading this and I decided to read it based on that at first i was like:


then I was all:



When Hadley left him i was all:


Then i was all:
FOLLOW HER OLIVER

then when he came back, i was all:




over all this book was