Ramblings of a Daydreamer: Wanderlust Wednesday Review: The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E Smith

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The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E Smith
Series: Standalone
Published: April 15th, 2014
Publisher: Poppy
337 pages (eARC)
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Acquired this book: Via NetGalley in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Chapters/Indigo}

{Read my review of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight || Read my review of This is What Happy Looks Like}

Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they’re rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

Lucy and Owen’s relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and—finally—a reunion in the city where they first met.

A carefully charted map of a long-distance relationship, Jennifer E. Smith’s new novel shows that the center of the world isn't necessarily a place. It can be a person, too.

Having read two of Jennifer E Smith’s previous books - The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and This is What Happy Looks Like - I knew to expect one thing from The Geography of You and Me: Cuteness. Smith’s books are adorable and fluffy, with plenty of grin- and swoon-worthy scenes, a sweet romance, and an overall positive, hopeful message. Underneath the light tone, there’s always a good dose of feels, plus a fun and original story, making for well-rounded and well-written books. The Geography of You and Me was no exception.

The story starts with Lucy and Owen getting stuck in an elevator of their apartment building during a blackout. They distract each other from the darkness, the all-consuming heat, and the worry about being trapped indefinitely. They don’t know each other well, but they form the type of bond people tend to form when they’re thrust together in stressful situations. From there, even though they both move away and have sporadic contact, they’re never far from each other’s minds.

I’m going to assume Smith was inspired to write this story by the wide-swept blackout of 2003 that stretched from Canada down into the States. I remember that blackout well, and since I live in a high-rise apartment myself, it was easy to imagine what it would be like to get stuck in an elevator and experience the suffocating heat of the hallways, stairwells, and your own apartment. I loved Smith’s descriptions of the heat, the city, the stars, all of it. New York City became its own character, larger than life. The same happened wherever the characters went - each new city had a life of its own, stirring my ever-present wanderlust, especially when Lucy visited places I’ve fallen in love with firsthand, like London, Paris, and Rome. I connected with Lucy’s desire to travel, and was so happy when she finally started seeing the places she’d always dreamed of. Another thing I loved: the running inside jokes between the characters throughout the book.

There were great side characters in the book, too. I loved Owen’s relationship with his dad, and initially felt so bad for Lucy being left behind and seemingly forgotten by her parents. As the story unfolds, Lucy’s mom is surprisingly complex, and I really enjoyed seeing the bonding moments between the two.

My only small complaint about the book was the pacing. It started and ended strong, but parts of the middle dragged. That being said, when it did pick up again toward the end, I flew through the pages and even got teary a few times because it all came together in such a lovely way. I appreciated that things weren’t tied up in a neat little bow - it was a far more realistic ending than a lot of other YAs, and yet it was easy enough to believe that with all this pair had gone through, both separately and together, they’d find a way to make it work and get a happy ending one way or another.

If you’re looking for something light and sweet, with just the right amount of humour, swoons, feels, and romance, I highly recommend The Geography of You and Me.

Have you read The Geography of You and Me? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Have you read any of Smith's other books? Did you experience the big black-out of 2003?