The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight [Hardcover]

SPoLaFS has some really great marketing--the cover, the plot summary, all of that. I was thinking this would be a Before Sunrise, but on an airplane. Because, you know, Before Sunrise is amazing. Unfortunately, fairly or unfairly, those expectations weren't met for me. And, to frustrate me further, there is a very sizable storyline about Hadley, the main character, and her father (a straight up cheater, who ran off with a woman he met while serving as a visiting instructor in England) that did not sit well with me and was far too tidily wrapped up.

The first 50 percent or so of SPoLaFS was delightful, really. I loved the main character's good humor, the dynamics between she and Oliver--it was all very charming (yay!). So much so, that I would have loved the entire novel to be about the flight. For, for that portion of our journey, I'd give the book a solid 4 stars.

However, the second half takes place in England, and it deals with Big Family Issues. Now, I have no problems with novels about Big Family Issues (ie, I just 5-starred Bittersweet, which is very much about Big Family Issues), but the resolution to these Big Family Issues takes place in a very abbreviated timeframe and I had a very hard time believing that they should have been resolved at all. This book falls into a common trap in YA lit, in which the young person is expected to forgive the Parent Who Did a Bad Thing, even when they're not deserving of it. The more I've thought about this in the days since I finished the novel, the more this (fairly sizable) portion of the novel bother me. This section of the book would get maybe 2-ish stars from me.

I do think that its intended audience (teens, especially those on the younger side of things) will gobble this book up and enjoy it to pieces. Recommended as a light, easy read, but perhaps not for pickier adult YA readers.

4.5/5 stars

Could hitting a red light change your life? Losing your phone charger? Getting a paper cut? Can a string of seemingly insignificant moments amount to something life changing? When Hadley misses her flight to London by four minutes, she never expects to meet Oliver - someone she instantly connects with, someone who's dealing with his own personal demons, someone who makes her view the world in a slightly different way.

Hadley. I love Hadley. Though I can't empathize with her particular set of circumstances, she's a character with whose situation, whose frankness and honesty I connected with. Hadley is a girl who has been greatly affected by her parents' divorce and it has left her very hurt and embittered toward her father, who left her and her mother. When her father decides to remarry, to the woman he left Hadley's mother for, she unwillingly finds herself in the one place she never hoped to be - on a plane to London, wedding-bound. I love Hadley's confusion in her feelings toward her father - her anger and resentment combined with her undeniable longing for the way things used to be. I love her gutsiness. I love how she wears her heart on her sleeve. I love her journey towards closure as her chance meeting with Oliver causes her to finally start dealing with some of her repressed issues.

Oliver's character is a wonderful compliment to Hadley's. Where Hadley doesn't hide her emotions well, Oliver is a bit more of a mystery. Though not quite as transparent as Hadley, I never felt as though he is anything less than genuine. I love Oliver's intelligent (and sometimes wicked) sense of humor, his keen insights, his rare moments of vulnerability, his kindness and general optimistic outlook.

I don't believe in love at first sight, though I think people can form instantaneous and lasting connections; that souls are drawn to other like souls. One of the biggest draws of this novel for me is the idea that one could meet another person by a simple twist of fate and, in a very short space of time, form such a powerful bond. From the meet-cute and throughout the book, Hadley & Oliver have so many toe-curlingly good, sigh-inducingly hopeful moments. This is interspersed with deeper instances of personal revelation and introspection as they both deal with the issues they're individually sorting out. They each are perhaps exactly what the other needs in that moment, and it's just beautiful to watch their relationship as it begins to grow over the Atlantic and across the armrest of seats 18A and 18B.

Though this book focuses mainly on Hadley and Oliver, it was also about Hadley's damaged relationship with her dad. Her journey towards coming to terms with her parents' divorce and her dad's abandonment of her and her mom was a plot point I loved. She's so conflicted by her feelings for her dad - anger, betrayal, sadness. There's this lovely poignant wistfulness to the story as Hadley remembers snippets of their lives before the separation and a sense of incompleteness as she refuses to honestly confront her feelings about her current family situation. Her emotional progression throughout the book felt very natural, and had me a bit teary-eyed and snuffly as this storyline worked toward it's resolution.

Smith's writing style is another reason I fell in love with this book. She sets the scene masterfully, effortlessly giving the reader an abundance of detail without being verbosely descriptive. I don't know if an author can write cinematically, but Smith does. She also has a wonderful way of taking the everyday mundane and turning it into something noteworthy and extraordinary. Waiting in an airport terminal, grabbing food at an airport bistro or being cramped into an airplane seat for 8 hours are not usually events to write home about. It's not particularly unusual or special for those things to occur. Yet, Smith's storytelling through Hadley's soul-searchingly honest voice makes it magical and engaging.

Overall, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, while a fun, romantic comedy, has some really insightful things to say about relationships, love, closure and healing, and Smith manages this beautifully without the serious moments becoming too heavy. It's the kind of story that had me considering the relationships and events in my own life and the insignificant moments that have had such a lasting impact on the direction of my life. I love when a book can achieve that perfect balance between light-hearted fun and introspective depth, and this book did that for me.

Wow. This book completely blew me away.

From the blurb on the cover, you would expect this novel to be romantic and cheesy, dealing you extraordinary and unbelievable events on every page.

But this is so, so not what this book is about.

Yes, Hadley and Oliver do have a chance meeting. Yes, there are "twists of fate" and "quirks of timing" that are romantic and sweet. But no, this book is not the touchy-feely, chance-happening-with-a-beautiful-stranger book that will either sweep you off your feet or make you puke, because it is believable.

When Hadley and Oliver meet, there are no perfect one-liners or smoldering glances, because when you meet a stranger, especially a handsome stranger, it is bound to be a little awkward in real life. It is no different in The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. Hadley knows that when she agrees to let Oliver help her with her bags that he is a complete stranger, yet her circumstances, as well his, make it possible for them to connect despite their disconnect.

While most of Hadley and Oliver's interactions are endearing, they are also seared with grief and heartache, both known and unknown, as well as the uncertainty that comes with getting to know a person and trying to decide when they actually qualify as a friend instead of a stranger.

The way that Smith infused this quirky love story with Hadley's past experiences with her father, her parent's failed marriage, and the anger/confusion/grief that comes along with these types of situations was poignant and emotional. I felt very connected to Hadley during these moments. The story was definitely richer with the addition of a complicated, messy divorce, as well as Oliver's own story. Without these serious elements, the story would have felt like just another teen romance; without substance and not worth your time.

After reading this story straight through, I pre-ordered the hardback version, which I plan on marking up with my favorite lines and quotes.

If you love contemporary stories, or books about travel, or stories that are as heartbreaking as they are heartfelt, or books that aren't cookie-cutter, or novels that are written by a clearly talented author, then please. Please. Buy this book.