Jennifer E. Smith

"Sparks fly when sixteen-year-old Lucy Patterson and seventeen-year-old Owen Buckley meet on an elevator rendered useless by a New York City blackout. Soon after, the two teenagers leave the city, but as they travel farther away from each other geographically, they stay connected emotionally, in this story set over the course of one year"--

Sparks fly when 16-year-old Lucy and 17-year-old Owen meet on an elevator rendered useless by a blackout. Soon after, the two teenagers leave the city, but as they travel farther away from each other geographically, they stay connected emotionally.

The geography of you and me

"There was no point in waiting for someone who hadn't asked, and there was no point in wishing for something that would never happen. They were like a couple of asteroids that had collided, she and Owen, briefly sparking before ricocheting off again, a little chipped, maybe even a little scarred, but with miles and miles still to go. How long could a single night really be expected to last? How far could you stretch such a small collection of minutes? He was just a boy on a roof. She was just a girl in an elevator. Maybe that was the end of it."


This book was just so undeniably perfect. Told in sad, melancholic, and hopeful tones, The Geography of You and Me fits the title perfectly, following the story of two people who meet once, and following them as they travel all over the world and find them living their lives yet unable to forget about each other.

Ugh. I am dying from the feelings this book instilled in me. Such a beautiful story worth every star I gave.

Nicole Dykeman

I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately but I think I'm finally coming out of it. This was a cute story, simple and sweet, and if I had been motivated enough, I probably would have finished it much sooner haha.

Alexis Martinez

Another banger from Jennifer E. Smith!
This one would be really good as a limited series… someone should get on that *looks at Amazon and HBOMAX*

Skye

I was super disappointed with this one. I think the biggest problem is that I never fell in love with either of the characters. I didn't feel a sense of who they were other than confused teenagers. Even the end of the book left me annoyed. It seems to be an ending that puts the characters right back where they started. I would not recommend this book.

Lorraine Fernando

After reading a quarter of the book, I knew exactly what was going to happen. I only kept reading so I could say I finished the book.
(Also when you’re having to rely so much on ‘fate’ for a couple to get together, instead of actual things that are foundations of a healthy relationship, maybe they should just not date?)

Lucy lives on the twenty-fourth floor. Owen lives in the basement. It's fitting, then, that they meet in the middle -- stuck between two floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, Lucy and Owen spend the night wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is back, so is reality. Lucy soon moves abroad with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father. The brief time they spend together leaves a mark. And as their lives take them to Edinburgh and to San Francisco, to Prague and to Portland, Lucy and Owen stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and phone calls. But can they -- despite the odds -- find a way to reunite? Smartly observed and wonderfully romantic, Jennifer E. Smith's new novel shows that the center of the world isn't necessarily a place. Sometimes, it can be a person.

The Geography of You and Me

Kathryn 

*3.5*

This was really cute! It was a little cliche (so many coincidences) but all in all it was a pretty cute read. Would recommend.

Sofie

Jennifer E. Smith has always had a knack for whimsical romances. The Geography of You and Me is no different.

It's a charming, sweet novel. I started it a while ago and to be honest, it was a little bit difficult to get into, but when I picked it up again yesterday, I finished it quickly. Owen and Lucy had a great report; though, at times, their chemistry was palpable, and at others, it was lacklustre. When they weren't fighting or communicating 1 short sentence at a time, their romance was great. 

The Geography of You and Me explores deeper themes like loss, grief, loneliness, and moving on. I found one of the most endearing character to be Owen's dad, who tried so hard to put on a brave face for his son, and never gave up trying to find work even after looking in countless cities with no luck. He's the kind of dad who knows he has a duty to his kid, and, despite his grief and his misfortune in finding a job, insists that Owen has the life he deserves: college, love, home.

Smith writes about what it means to really love someone, what sacrifices have to be made, second chances, letting go, moving on, and coming home again.

Ella Zegarra

Reseña Completa: El Extraño Gato del Cuento

Por alguna u otra razón no he podido leerme los libros anteriores de Jennifer, incluso están publicados en español, pero como siempre el tiempo es mi enemigo, y es justo eso una de las principales razones por las que no perdí tiempo con este.

Lo amé, así de sencillo, lo amé.

Hizo que ir en elevador tuviera un nuevo significado, me ha dado un nuevo recuerdo prestado que le voy agradecer toda la vida. No voy a negar que, antes de leer el libro, siempre pasaba por mi cabeza (de manera aterradora) el quedarme atrapada en un elevador, este libro me ha quitado un poco al miedo a que pueda pasar de manera negativa (soy claustrofóbica) y considerar las posibilidades, sí, sé que es improbable que conozcas al amor de tu vida en un ascensor ¿Pero quién dijo que no es divertido saborear la idea? Sobre si te ayuda con el miedo u.u

Otro de los puntos a favor que tiene el libro es que la escritora usa mis escenarios favoritos en la historia: Nueva York, Londres, Edimburgo (mi nuevo lugar favorito), describiendo no solo los alrededores sino también los olores, la claustrofobia que sienten en siento punto Lucy y Owen. Me encantó.

Hablando de Lucy y Owen me gustó mucho su relación, si bien hay una atracción a primera vista, las circunstancias que la historia desarrolla no deja que su relación se convierta en un instalove más. Las postales, los mensajes, los celos... Me gustó sobre todo que sea ellos actúen como lo que son, adolescentes, que viven el momento, que les asusta la idea de lo que están sintiendo. No voy a negar que durante un rato lo quería golpearlos por no tener paciencia, no es que hayan hecho algo malo, es solo que... Ay, yo soy así.

Conclusión: Me encantó, me gustó mucho experimentar la narrativa de esta nueva escritora para mí, Jennifer E. Smith sin duda devoraré tus libros anteriores porque tengo la esperanza y la sospecha que quizá seas de esas escritoras que hace cameos con sus anteriores personajes. Ojalá :D

Elena Garcia Navarro

laura

I liked this book better because it took place over like a year not a day. I LOVE both characters pov and also the aspects of traveling. I really loved the pace and plot of this novel and the characters were adorable and i like that they got to grow in to their romance as well.

Leigh Osborne

Allyson Marrs

I'm giving this a 3.5 (because I have commitment issues with a 4). I liked it enough to finish it fairly quickly, but there was definitely room for improvement. Namely, the story felt rushed. We only skimmed the surface. Plus, perhaps it's the cynic in me (who usually disappears when I read), but I didn't believe, or understand, how these two were so drawn to each other based on all we got in the beginning. I couldn't feel any real emotions, which is what bothered me throughout the book. It could be a character development problem; it could be a voice problem; it could be a me problem. I like the idea of the story, I like it generally, but I wished for a whole lot more.

Find this review and more at 
  kimberlyfaye reads
.

It seems like I waited forever for The Geography of You and Me. One of my favorite YA contemporaries was written by Jennifer E. Smith – The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, if you were wondering – and I love New York City. Of course I wanted to get my hands on this book. After initially being denied access to an ARC, I pre-ordered it and then got wrapped up in other books and didn't get around to it, even though it's been on my iPad this whole time. Then it was made available on NetGalley again and I was lucky enough to snag a review copy and I figured there's no time like the present to read it. 

This book had a great setup and was, initially at least, set in the best city in the whole world. The first 25%-30% was fantastic. I loved Lucy and Owen introduction and the time they spent together the night of the blackout. I loved the author's description of the city during the blackout. I don't ever want to experience something like it firsthand, but thanks to Jennifer's descriptive writing, I felt like I was right there with them. Things started to go a bit awry for me once the characters went on their own journeys, but not because the story failed at that point, but just because I'm a sucker for romance and I wanted more. That was my only real problem with the book – the lack of MORE. More of Lucy and Owen together. More banter. More romance. More New York. More everything. Except travel. It definitely had enough of that. 

Now I'm going to slightly contradict myself and say that, while I wanted more of Lucy and Owen in the same zip code, I loved how realistically Jennifer handled their time apart. The postcards were sweet and unexpected of teens these days. They weren't about the instant gratification of social media or email, but something deeper. They didn't wait around for each other – at least not completely. They each had relationships with someone else and, while that bothered me at the time because I was shipping Lucy and Owen, it was believable. These two had no idea if or when they would ever see each other again. It only makes sense they would try to recapture some of what they felt together with new people. I can't really fault them for it. I think it would have been easier for Jennifer to write a story where they sat and pined away for each other and didn't date anyone else. But it wouldn't have been as real, either. 

I've seen some other reviews slamming the author's writing in some of the later chapters in the book. Personally, I enjoyed these chapters. They were some of my favorite moments in the entire book. I loved seeing the parallel in their lives in each new city they were in. There was a huge focus on waiting in this book and it was illustrated perfectly for me in these chapters. 

In a nutshell, I *liked* The Geography of You and Me. It was better than the last of Jennifer's books that I read – This is What Happy Looks Like – but nowhere close to as good as The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, IMHO anyhow. The pace was slower than most YA contemporaries I read and at times I found my attention wavering a bit, but then I would get pulled back in with an event or turn of phrase. But mostly, I just really wanted to see what would happen in the end. This book wasn't as big on swoons as I hoped it would be, but I was able to appreciate it for what it was. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Chantale

I kept hearing about this book all over the internet. A lot of people were so excited about The Geography of You and Me so when I saw it on NetGalley I decided to request it.

The story wasn't nexciting and I was having a very hard time getting into this book because it didn't keep my interest and I actually just couldn't finish reading it because the story just kept dragging on and on. 

I know some really liked this book but personally it just didn't do it for me.

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

2.5 stars

Maybe they were never meant to have more than just one night. After all, not everything can last. Not everything is supposed to mean something.

I have to start out by expressing my love for Jennifer E. Smith. The first book of hers that I read was The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, which I devoured and one sitting and loved to pieces. Next I read This is What Happy Looks Like, which I really enjoyed as well. I guess because of this, when it comes to Jennifer E. Smith my expectations are pretty darn high.

The Geography of You and Me was a bit different from the other two. I can’t really explain what it was, it just didn’t have the oomph that the others had. The characters were cute, especially Lucy. I was a fan of hers right off the bat. She was super sweet and definitely wise beyond her years. Her parents were rarely around, forcing her to basically survive on her own. She always tried her best to see the glass half full, and made the best of every situation. Owen was adorable as well. With a father who he felt a need to care for more than he should, he was also sweet, yet he had more difficult seeing the glass half full. Things just didn’t always appear wonderful to him.


Sometimes it seemed as if his whole life was an exercise in waiting; not waiting to leave, exactly, but simply waiting to go. He felt like one of those fish that had the capacity to grow in unimaginable ways if only the tank were big enough. But his tank had always been small, and as much as he loved his home- as much as he loved his family- he’d always felt himself bumping up against the edges of his own life.

The two meet in an elevator, and I was immediately interested. I guess I was hoping the elevator scene would last a lot longer and be a more important part of the story, but it just ended so quickly. Then the two basically went back to their own lives.

For some reason I was a bit bored while listening to this. There were good parts, yes, but overall I just kind of didn’t care. I had to say that. I feel so mean. But I just didn’t really care about the story. I liked the beginning, I liked the end… but the entire middle was just blah.

I’m still definitely a fan of Jennifer E. Smith, and I’m looking forward to reading whatever it is she comes out with next. This one just didn’t have the strong impact on me that the others did. If you’re a fan of contemporary books I would strongly recommend any and all of Jennifer’s book. Don’t let this review hold you from reading them. She’s a talented contemporary writer that I know many people really enjoy.

AUDIOBOOK IMPRESSIONS:

Since I have listened to all of Jennifer E. Smith’s on audio, rather than reading, I had to continue on with the pattern. I really enjoy contemporary books on audio. I like listening to lighthearted, fun, sometimes fluffy books in my car while driving. (Helps with the road rage. >.< ) Corey and Leslie were both great narrators. They were perfect contemporary picks.

Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

Kate

The Geography of You and Me was a cute contemporary read. Unfortunately I wasn't too invested in the characters and I've never been the biggest fan of instalove but I thoroughly enjoyed the vivid descriptions of each individual city and country this book travelled to. Having now read a few of Jennifer E. Smith's books, I'd say this was my least favourite when it came to the writing. For me, it didn't flow as smoothly and have the same fun, quick dialogue as the previous books I've read of hers. However, this was a cute read and I'm always all for anything with a stargazing on a New York rooftop scene!

The geography of you and me

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