Tuesday 15 April 2014

The Geography of You and My by Jennifer E Smith




The Blurb:
For fans of John Green, Stephanie Perkins and Sarah Ockler, THE GEOGRAPHY OF YOU AND ME is a story for anyone who's ever longed to meet someone special, for anyone who's searched for home and found it where they least expected it.

Owen lives in the basement. Lucy lives on the 24th floor. But when the power goes out in the midst of a New York heatwave, they find themselves together for the first time: stuck in a lift between the 10th and 11th floors. As they await help, they start talking...

The brief time they spend together leaves a mark. And as their lives take them to Edinburgh and San Francisco, to Prague and to Portland they can't shake the memory of the time they shared. Postcards cross the globe when they themselves can't, as Owen and Lucy experience the joy - and pain - of first love.

And as they make their separate journeys in search of home, they discover that sometimes it is a person rather than a place that anchors you most in the world.

My review:

The Geography of You and Me tells the story of Lucy and Owen. It begins when they become stuck in a lift together during a mass blackout in New York. Once freed from the lift the blackout continues and they spend the night together on the roof of their building. During this time a chemistry develops. Whilst Owen and Lucy don't spend much time together the book shows that what they feel is very strong. Owen and Lucy both move out of their apartment block soon after, but remain in contact via postcard, which I thought was a beautiful idea. The book takes the reader through the time they're apart and we see what happens to each of them.

I enjoyed reading this book, and the style of writing was lovely. However, I felt there was something missing. I never quite got truly engrossed in the book. I love a good romance, and appreciate that, as a young adult book, it is not written with my age group in mind, but it still lacked something for me. I didn't feel that I really warmed to the characters, perhaps because I felt we only got to know them on a basic level, so didn't develop enough empathy and rooting for them as I have in other books. 

There has been a lot of hype around the book, with many comparisons to other writers and books, such as John Green. Perhaps this had an effect on how I viewed the book. I expected something grittier and more compelling. Because the characters and storyline lacked some of the oomph of other books I was disappointed. I didn't feel the book lived up to the hype. 

I still think people who enjoy young adult books will like the book, as it is a love story of sorts. It is easy reading and does make you smile. It's just not as explosive and all consuming as other books I have read recently. 

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