The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Publisher: Little, Brown (Poppy)
Pages: 236
Publication Date: January 2, 2012
Type: Hardback, bought

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.

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This book is so very misleading.

Look at that title.  The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.  Look at that cover, all pierced hearts and scribbles and kissing as if no one were watching.  Look at that pitch--British boy, airplanes, true love.  It sounds cute, right? A little corny? Hole-in-your-tooth sweet?

This book would you have you think that you are picking up a lovely little romance and no more.  You would be so very, very wrong.

This book is about family.  It's about finding love and losing it and finding it again.  It's about bringing yourself to forgive when all you thought you could do was hurt. It's about endings and beginnings and everything in between.  It's about two lost and lonely people whose lives cross by a string of chance.

It's absolutely beautiful.

It's very short for a YA book, shorter than almost any I can remember, and usually, that'd be an issue.  Usually, I'd turn the last page and think of all the things the author could have done but didn't, all the little ways this and that could've been expounded upon if it were only that much larger.  Not so with this.  In 236 pages, this book says everything it needs to say and more.  There are broken hearts and new loves, families shattered and families made, laughter and love and maybe even tears.  

And in the end, there is hope.  The characters change, more than I've seen in almost any novel to date, but they don't fool themselves; things will not magically be okay.  They will be better.  And maybe they will be alright, someday.  

I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone.  There is a 100% probability that you will love it.