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

Hadley misses the plane to her father's wedding by four minutes. Barely anything in the scheme of things. But those four minutes could change everything, because it's while she's waiting for the next plane that she meets Oliver. Could those four minutes have led to love at first sight?

I've heard lots about this but only got round to picking it up a few weeks ago while I was down in London. I raced through it in less than a couple of hours - Smith has a really easy to read writing style, which is both sweet and humorous. (It also stands out from the crowd by being written in third-person limited, focusing very strongly on Hadley. It's an interesting technique and not one that I've seen much of in YA recently - certainly not done this well.) She's also got a talent for creating memorable characters - I loved both Hadley and Oliver and thought they had a great chemistry between them. It's not the kind of instant passion which gets on my nerves - instead, they seem to be a really well-matched couple who build a strong friendship over the course of a day as the basis for their relationship. I also always like to see well-developed parents and step-parents, and thought that Hadley's father, the woman he's marrying and her mother and the man she's dating were all realistically portrayed.

I've always had a soft spot for books told over a short period of time and this is a perfect example of how a good author can pack a ton of character development (particularly for Hadley) into one day. I love the way she seems to be in much more of a position to move on with her life at the end of the book than she was at the start.

Highly recommended, if you're looking for a light romantic YA contemporary this is well worth checking out.