3.5/5 stars
Poppy, 2012
236 pages
YA Contemporary
Source: Library
After seeing this book pop up on some the best of 2012 lists for bloggers, I was very glad I had picked it up at the library. I thought it would be a great fluffy read for the end of the year (and in fact I did finish it on New Year's Eve). However, I would not classify this as a light novel by any means and it kind of left me an emotional mess (compounded by my own hormones).
The title is what captured my interest at first. Anything referencing love at first sight suggests an optimism to me while statistics was a beloved math class to me in addition to adding some quirky seriousness to the topic. I also really like the black and white cover with the red accents-it's a great cover and I'm not thrilled that the paperback is changing. But let's move on to the contents of the book itself.
Hadley is on her way to London, to serve as a bridesmaid at her father's wedding to the woman he left her mother for after a semester teaching at Oxford. She is less than thrilled to be visiting him, having mostly avoided him during her parents' separation and divorce. Thus she procrastinates and ends up missing the flight by four minutes but getting a seat on the next one. In the meantime, she meets the charming British Oliver and they end up hanging out and sitting together on the plane as Hadley reveals all her feelings. Once landed, she races to the wedding while Oliver goes to his event but that's not the end of the story by any means.
OK-let's start with what I liked (beyond the cover as I have already gushed a bit about that). I thought it was really interesting that the story is told in third-person present-tense although it was jarring at first, just because I'm so used to first-person. I also always appreciate a standalone. Oliver is much less of a focus than Hadley but as I have a weakness for cute British boys, I found him a perfectly acceptable love interest. Hadley's father is a literature professor and books have been a connection between them; got to love with book characters love books as much as the people reading them do.
On to the emotional side: Hadley's father went off to Oxford for a semester but then he meets this new woman, cheats on his wife, and moves toward a divorce and remarriage. I'm not sure why this struck such a chord with me as my parents are happily married but I guess it's because the idea of them getting a divorce leaves me devastated and so I could easily put myself in Hadley's shoes and at least some of the emotions she was feeling. Additionally I railed with her, wondering about what happened to commitment and honoring your vows, you know-"Til death do us part" not "Til I want something else and you are an impediment." Although Hadley works through this (awfully fast to my mind), she also has the happy times with her father to remember while I have none of that. Then we add in Oliver's reason for flying, which I'm not going to share as it would be a spoiler; suffice it to say, it was nothing to rejoice about. I finished this book, close to tears and just very unhappy, the exact opposite feeling I expected to get from this book. Even now, a day later as I write this, I'm feeling sad again.
Overall: This book can elicit some powerful emotions. For many people, those feelings were positive and left them ranking this book as among their favorites of the year. For me, it was the opposite and left me a mess although I do commend Smith for writing such an intense read in under 250 pages.
Other opinions:
Belle's Bookshelf
Good Books and Good Wine
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
Saz101
I used to have an ARC of this book but I gave it away without finishing it. I didn't really like the writing style but now I wish I'd held on to it because your review makes me want to know what happens!
ReplyDeleteI loved this one. Yes, some things moved fast, but it was one of those "happens in one day" books so that was sort of necessary. And third person present is always a little jarring to me, but I'd read a prior book by this author that used the same tense so I was not surprised.
ReplyDeleteSorry it made you sad :)
I wasn't that emotionally invested in this one but I really liked it. I know all about hormones making books or movies or even commercials making me emotional.
ReplyDeleteI loved this one. I thought it had a sweet romance and I really felt for her having to watch her dad remarry and move away from her.
ReplyDeleteI have this sitting on my nook waiting for me to read, but a different reading project that doesnt involve this book takes precedence, so I havent read it yet.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your review it gives me a different look at the book (most other reviews I have seen were ranking it pretty high, but I understand where you are coming from on the divorce idea. Seems strange to tie that into a book about love. Maybe to have a difference in opinions to show what good love is? Not sure.
Anyways, I'll have to check this out sometime later this year I suppose. Still worth the read and I am interested in a third person writing style.
I just subscribed to your blog and cant wait to see more updates and reviews to add to my ever growing need to read list.
-Stacy at Longtime Lover Of Literature
Great review. I have seen this, but wasn't very sure. Sounds emotional and probably something I would like. I'll have to add it. :)
ReplyDeleteJenea @ Books Live Forever
Oh, you've NAILED this. I, too, was left a emotional mess.
ReplyDeleteI went into it expecting LOVE, and for a sweet, cute read and... it's intense.
My parents are long divorced and when I read this, I thought painful childhood memories were responsible for such a strong emotional reaction and... now I wonder if it's perhaps not more along the lines of what you said: honouring your vows. I am happily married. Really, truly, happy. But that happiness? It's taken hard work. And the idea that someone could decide they wanted something else, they were bored, and... Hadley's dad didn't just walk out on his marriage, he walked out on his daughter (oh, yes, there are my daddy issues :P). I also don't understand why any woman would want to marry a man who left his wife for them. It's not exactly a good precedent. And then there's likig the stepmum who, despite seeming nice, moved in on a married man. No matter how you want to look at it, he was MARRIED.
AND AND AND. AAAARGH. Oh goodness nothing makes me rant like this book. And yet... I still liked it? I have a great deal of fondness for it. WONDERFUL review. I haven't thought of the book in a while, and it's not just remembering the book, it's the emotion YOU elicited. WONDERFUL review ♥