The Geography of You and Me
by Jennifer E. Smith
Released: April 15, 2014Publisher: Poppy
Page Amount: 337, US Hardback
POV: 3rd Person
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon
OVERALL:
SUMMARY:
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. -Goodreads.comThis book was exactly what I expected when I picked up this book. I knew it was going to be more character heavy than plot heavy, because that's what all romance stories are. However, when I first started this book, I was blown away. I absolutely love how Owen and Lucy met in a stopped elevator. It was romantic and believable. No trace of insta love in this book! Lucy and Owen's relationship started out very slowly, even though the connection was present from the start. I really liked how Smith didn't rush their relationship, it made their connection flourish with each postcard exchanged.
This book also talks a lot about long distance relationships, whether they be romantic or just friendly. Every place Lucy and Owen visited or moved to they sent one another a postcard from said place. I found this to be absolutely adorable. I was swooning during the entire first quarter of this book. The chemistry between the two was so powerful, I couldn't help but root for their relationship even when every odd was against them. This book may not be plot heavy, but the relationships within this book, whether they be between Owen and Lucy or Owen and his dad, made this book a worthwhile and emotional read.
The characters were very well drawn out. Lucy was a stereotypical, lonely girl, but her voice went hand in hand with the way she acted. Even though there was nothing special about Lucy, she was very likable and relatable because she embodied most female teenagers trying to navigate life and love. On the other hand, there was Owen. I'm sure you all know by now that I love me a good male protagonist. Owen didn't disappoint. His sending postcards to Lucy made me wish that I could take Lucy's place. He's a wonderful person. People are complicated though and distance puts a lot of strain on a relationship, so of course there is some drama. Even the secondary characters were well characterized. Owen's father was a very intriguing character due to his dealing with the death of his wife. It was also interesting to see Lucy's relationship with her mother develop throughout the book. All in all, this book had an entertaining cast of characters.
The ending tied everything up in a nice little bow. It wasn't super spectacular, but the ending still was super cute. I really enjoyed how New York connected Lucy and Owen. I'm glad Smith reinforced that idea on the last couple of pages. It gave this romantic book a thoughtful ending. I really hope Smith writes a novella about Owen and Lucy because I'd love to find out what's in store with them next. Long distance relationships are difficult and I'd be interested to see how they make it work. If you want a romantic, contemporary book, this is the pick for you.
My Favorite Part: The beginning was absolutely perfect!
ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, it's a fun, romantic tale!
Thanks for reading!
It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥
