Book Review | 'The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight'

 The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Jennifer E. Smith
Poppy
236 pg., U.S. Hardcover
3 stars | C



From Goodreads:

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.

This novel comes off as a very romantic type novel (the title precedes this reputation, as does the synopsis commonly recited with the novel's presence), but I saw romance as being a relatively small part of the story, and the big picture being a coming-of-age novel documenting one girl's trek from the States to the UK for her father's wedding. As she departs, she meets a boy called Oliver who seems to be able to empathize with the situation of being duped into watching her father marry a strange woman, or so it seems. The reader embarks on this intellectual and emotional journey with Hadley Sullivan as she experiences what it is like to accept human faults and move on with life.
I did have a few nit-picks with this novel, though. I didn't like how it seemed like the characters were too perfect, save for Hadley's father. Hadley's mother has these philosophical quotes about love that are too good to be true. I mean, my mom would probably say something along the lines of "LOVE IS LOVE, RILEY," but Hadley's mother seems to be so experienced in the art of love that she is able to provide insight on the oh-so-tragic thing that is falling in and out of love. I feel like the author was just trying to slip in her own thoughts on love and being really eloquent with them, something I didn't like. I also didn't like how every single time that Oliver leaned in to kiss Hadley, it was always 'to her surprise.' I think, at that point in the story, Hadley should learn to be expecting a kiss from a boy who's been flirting with her for twenty-four hours.
Overall, the novel was a nice breeze to get through, although it was sort of a pain when it came to characterization. I think that's the problem, though, with books that take place in one day like this one.