Book Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
Jennifer E. Smith- The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight Format- Paperback Source- Delhi airport Publisher- Hachette/ Headline Publication date- May , 2012 Synopsis- Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?Imagine if she hadn’t forgotten the book. Or if there hadn’t been traffic on the expressway. Or if she hadn’t fumbled the coins for the toll. What if she’d run just that little bit faster and caught the flight she was supposed to be on. Would it have been something else - the weather over the Atlantic or a fault with the plane?Hadley isn’t sure if she believes in destiny or fate but, on what is potentially the worst day of each of their lives, it’s the quirks of timing and chance events that mean Hadley meets Oliver...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. Review- I was in search of a quick, light read at Delhi airport for my flight home via Singapore. It was a midnight flight so I wanted something I could read quickly and when I came across this book and realised it was about a flight and inevitably a twenty-four hour love story, I decided it was an appropriate read. Plus, I remembered seeing some good reviews for this earlier in the year.The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is a sweet story about falling in love, growing up and being open to new experiences in a very short period of time.Hadley is just four minutes late to board her flight from the U.S to Heathrow, only to miss her flight and possibly her father’s wedding the next day in London. But it seems there’s a reason for everything and if Hadley didn’t miss her flight then she may not have met Oliver, the cute, puppy-eyed boy with crumbs on his shirt.Hadley is devastated that her father is remarrying, to a woman whom she has refused to meet. At seventeen, Hadley is caught between the role of child- wanting to rekindle her childlike relationship with her father- and becoming an adult and accepting his life choices. Oliver on the other hand has a family event of his own to overcome and seeks refuge in Hadley as a distraction on their night-time flight across the Atlantic. As the cabin quiets and the lights dim, Hadley and Oliver become caught in a magical connection in the air and both wish they could remain suspended there and not have to face the reality that comes with landing.Hadley and Oliver are both very likeable characters and I immediately wanted to see their friendship develop further. It did, from discussing parent dramas to cumulus clouds; they form an emotional connection over international waters that become the foundation for something that leaves a lasting impression on both as they part ways in Heathrow following an impulsive kiss.It is through Oliver that Hadley begins to see her relationship with her father from a different perspective and she finds a way to have a mature relationship with her father while overcoming the loss of their childhood connection.Of course some of the events are a little far-fetched as Hadley and Oliver seek each other out, but it was these corny, magical aspects that made me love the story even more. I can see this being a movie, one that I would cry and laugh in just as I did with the book. A great, 200 page read that will leave you in a feel-good mood for the rest of the day… or flight :-)
4/5 rating
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