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Now in paperback with a new cover, Jennifer E. Smith’s breathtaking novel about finding out where you are going by discovering what you’ve left behind.Emma and her neighbor Peter are both lonely in a way that only bothers them on occasion. They both come from families they don’t quite understand. They both feel like something big is missing from their lives—and they’re bot...more

Paperback, 256 pages

Published April 24th 2012 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (first published May 19th 2009)

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The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

2012 YA Contemporaries

54th out of 239 books — 1,807 voters

Summer 2012

42nd out of 82 books — 67 voters

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Feb 13, 2012 Cara rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of road trip reads

Shelves: 2011, sibilings, realistic-fiction, male-protagonist

Marketing can be a wonderful thing. Why you ask? Well I wouldn't have bumped up this book up on my to-read list if I hadn't seen the new cover. Shameful, I know! Then I made the connection this was the author coming out with The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and so of course I had to proceed with the next logical step: read the book.

Emma Healy is the youngest member of her genius family. Her parents are professors for the local college and she has three older siblings who are ju...more Marketing can be a wonderful thing. Why you ask? Well I wouldn't have bumped up this book up on my to-read list if I hadn't seen the new cover. Shameful, I know! Then I made the connection this was the author coming out with The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and so of course I had to proceed with the next logical step: read the book.

Emma Healy is the youngest member of her genius family. Her parents are professors for the local college and she has three older siblings who are just as or even more successful. She has always felt a bit out of place, the only "normal" or "average" person in the bunch. The summer seems to shaping up to be like any other, but she makes a discovery that will spur a need to find something, and the road trip is born. Her nerdy next door neighbor, Peter Finnegan, gets entangled on this trip. Both of them are trying to find something on this trip, and in the end they may end up with more than they thought they would.

First word I think of when I see this book is untypical. By the synopsis you think that Emma and Peter will have this spark of attraction right away and it will be filled with fun-filled antics. Nope, that is not the case. They have awkward silences, and they aren't that honest with each other at first. It *gasps* takes time for them to actually get to know each other? I know new concept right? They do have some fun stuff happen but mostly it's what a road trip would be like; kind of dull sometimes but having it's certain highlights. There is ridiculous stops, gas station food, weird sleeping arrangements, and the open road. They also have a shaggy dog as a companion, which needless to say makes things more interesting. They both take turns narrating but in third person so we get to see certain event through each of their point of views.

I fell hard for Peter because he is a person who is just so himself and though he may feel uncomfortable about it at times, he doesn't apologize about it. Now Emma on the other hand took some time to warm up to. She came off as insensitive and too self-involved at times. In time she comes around though. But she (for me at least) was what brought the book down a tad bit.

One of things I always appreciate reading about is family dynamics and even though this is mostly about the road trip, as the reader you get to see the intricacy and simplicity of family relationships. It's a hard thing to do but this author managed to do it.

The writing style isn't one I have come across too often. The author feels unbiased and I could feel the story unfold carefully. It was a cool reading experience, and one I hope to repeat with her other novels.(less)

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Oct 21, 2012 Natalie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

This review is also posted on my blog, Natalie Reads Books

Emma Healy has never fit in with the rest of her family.

She's grown used to being the only ordinary one among her rather extraordinary parents and siblings. But when she finds a birth certificate for a twin brother she never knew she had, along with a death certificate dated just two days later, she feels like a part of her has been justified in never feeling quite whole. Suddenly it seems important to visit his grave, to set off in searc...more This review is also posted on my blog, Natalie Reads Books

Emma Healy has never fit in with the rest of her family.

She's grown used to being the only ordinary one among her rather extraordinary parents and siblings. But when she finds a birth certificate for a twin brother she never knew she had, along with a death certificate dated just two days later, she feels like a part of her has been justified in never feeling quite whole. Suddenly it seems important to visit his grave, to set off in search of her missing half. When her next-door neighbor Peter Finnegan -- who has a quiet affinity for maps and a desperate wish to escape their small town -- ends up coming along for the ride, Emma thinks they can't possibly have anything in common.

But as they head from upstate New York toward North Carolina, driving a beat-up and technically stolen car and picking up a stray dog along the way, they find themselves learning more and more about each other. Neither is exactly sure what they're looking for, but with each passing mile, each new day of this journey, they seem to be getting much closer to finding it.
Kindle Edition
Published (first published May 19th 2009)
Review from my own copy.

My first experience with Jennifer E. Smith's writing style was when I bought The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight on a whim when it came out at the beginning of this year. I wasn't looking for much more from that book than a sweet love story, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a depth to the story that made it all the more believable and beautiful. Smith's choice of using the third person present threw me at first, because that's not the typical style in YA novels, but it added a certain charm and careful feeling to the story that I ended up really loving. That was a five star book for me, one I wasn't expecting, and so when I was looking at my to read shelves the other day and realized that this was by the same author, I made it a priority and bought a copy for my Kindle. I'm happy to say that I'm glad I did.

Smith also uses the third person narrative in this novel, and it is a perfect fit for our two main characters. Peter and Emma are both loners of a sort, although for different reasons, and this perspective highlights their respective struggles to connect with others and to face the issues in their lives. They are unlikely partners in crime--and there is, technically, crime--and yet at the same time it seems like neither of them could embark on this journey without the other. To me this was really a story about understanding and making peace with the past. Peter is obsessed with maps and history but while he can recite the Gettysburg Address and navigate all over the country without consulting a map, he doesn't know much of his own personal history. Emma has always felt out of place in her family and so distanced herself from them and from everyone, but upon the discovery of her deceased twin, she feels the need to search for answers. Together, and through their trip, they manage to find some resolution, and you get the distinct feeling as you read that neither of them could have reached that place without the other.

This wasn't a light and fluffy read. It was a quiet, reflective novel that made me think without pushing too hard. It wasn't quite the five stars of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, but it was definitely worth reading. I have a feeling this will be one of those books that I revisit when I need some good self reflection time. If you like books that make you think and somehow seem to sneak up on you, then this is a good one to pick up.(less)

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Dec 19, 2012 Dakota rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Imagine this: You're running away to find yourself, to know who you are. You leave your brother's car at a rest stop in New Jersey and you call your neighbor to run away with you. Your neighbor happily obliges and you two, together, run away from what to was and straight into what will be.
Emma Healey and her neighbor, Peter, are off to see the world.
The tension that was in this book was spectacular, and at the end you could see the sparks. This book made me grin at Peter and give him props...more

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Oct 24, 2009 GirlwiththeBraids rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The way Emma Healy thought of her childhood and family changes. At the age of sixteen, she finds a birth certificate in the attic of her supposed twin brother. And with it, his death certificate dated two days after. Emma never felt like she belonged with her scholarly family and now she can imagine that there had been someone else like her, someone ordinary. Though she doesn’t own a car, she wants to visit her brother’s grave, states away in North Carolina. Her neighbor, Peter, offers to drive...more

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Sep 14, 2010 Katelyn *Constantly-Dreaming* rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked this book up thinking it'd be a cutesy book to read to pass the time. But it ended up being a lot more.
Emma and Peter are next door neighbors who've never really had a conversation in the whole 8 years they've lived next to one another. However, they have one thing in common - both feel like they simply don't belong amongst their family members, though neither would ever come out and say it.
One day just before her birthday, Emma stumbles upon a birth certificate for a twin brother she...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Syahirah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

All I can say is that Smith's a wonderful writer. I love how she writes, the words she uses, her dialogues. Everything is absolutely perfect and I think I'm going to cry.

After reading The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight, I decided to check out her other works and this book is my second. I loved everything so much. From the characters to the history. Everything was just amazing. Most books, sometimes, are suffocating. They give unnecessary crap that I don't actually want to know a...more

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Nov 03, 2010 Sara rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, young-adult, did-not-finish

After Emma discovers a birth certificate for a twin brother she never knew she had, she sets out on a road trip with her neighbor, Peter, heading for North Carolina where her brother was born (and supposedly buried a few days later), hoping to find answers about this unknown part of her life. Along the way, the two of them get to know each other, and I'm pretty sure a romance develops between them, although I stopped reading before that happened.

There was nothing particularly wrong with this boo...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, psc-reviews, realistic-fiction, young-adult

Emma feels a bit like the outcast in her eccentric, academically focused family. She is average compared to everyone else with no special interests to make her stand out. When she discovers that she had a twin brother who died when he was two days old, she sets out to find out what she lost and why no one has ever told her about him. She is joined on her road trip by neighbor boy, Peter, who fits in really well with her family. He has a crush on Emma – enough of a crush that he steals a car from...more

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May 31, 2012 Danielle Paglia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

This book has a great opening line about Emma stealing her brother's car, but then it immediately dives into backstory and I felt bogged down in history for several chapters before it actually got moving again. Once it did, I was hooked. Peter and Emma both have such strong story lines and you're routing for each of them in very different ways. I actually found myself liking Peter much more than Emma, especially in the beginning, but Smith wraps up Emma's story so beautifully that I couldn't hel...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Taylor rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a really cute story. The road trip aspect really made this book a lot of fun and lighthearted, although there is some more serious issues thrown in as well. When i first started reading this I was confused for the first few chapters because I kept mixing up Peter and Patrick, but after that I got into the story and started to enjoy it. The plot was a little bit slow paced at first and i am glad that Peter went along with Emma otherwise it wouldn't have been nearly as good. I thought the...more

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May 05, 2009 Steph Su rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jennifer Smith certainly knows how to write. Her narrative reads like one of those twelve-page character description exercises that writers occasionally do in order to get to fully know their characters. At the end of the book, we know Emma and Peter inside out. Neither one is without flaws, but all of their complexities, worries, passions, and dialogue simply sing through the pages. Jennifer is in real command of the language here.

I think that the book’s weak point, the one thing that made me n...more Jennifer Smith certainly knows how to write. Her narrative reads like one of those twelve-page character description exercises that writers occasionally do in order to get to fully know their characters. At the end of the book, we know Emma and Peter inside out. Neither one is without flaws, but all of their complexities, worries, passions, and dialogue simply sing through the pages. Jennifer is in real command of the language here.

I think that the book’s weak point, the one thing that made me not like the book as much as I would’ve wanted to like it, was its plot. Road trips are a pretty common plot in YA lit, and so it’s hard to redo the age-old plot without falling into a rut. Emma and Peter’s road trip, while completely realistic, with things such as the New Jersey Turnpike and the Gettysburg battlefield described in a mesmerizing yet straightforward and thus believable way, was also unfortunately not very exciting or engaging.

They pick up a stray dog who never gets a name, they visit a bunch of random places and have conversations that sometimes run deep and sometimes turn into arguments…these are all nice things to think about, because they happen in everyone’s lives, but when these incidents and family flashbacks make up the majority of the novel, something gets lost. Never mind the fact that this book has a strong message: family is not just about similarities, but also about staying together despite the differences. It’s a great message…provided you don’t get lost along the way.

I also wasn’t much a fan of the Emma-and-Peter romantic coupling. I felt like I knew it was going to happen, and yet while reading the book I REALLY didn’t want it to, I wanted the book to break the stereotypes of boy-girl get-togethers at the end of the novel, but alas. Maybe I didn’t get a clear image of Emma and Peter as compatible human beings. They are great as individuals, yes, but together? I need more convincing.

Overall, however, YOU ARE HERE is far from being a bad and unenjoyable book. Jennifer Smith is definitely a strong writer whose talent deserves to get noticed. Readers who enjoy character-driven books will like YOU ARE HERE, and for those of us looking for a faster-paced read, well, you’re going to have to wait for another book.
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Jun 15, 2009 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Emma Healy has just had the surprise of her life. While in the attic searching for a book for her father, she discovered the birth and death certificate of her twin brother Thomas. Why has nobody ever mentioned this to her? Is this why she always feels like she doesn't fit with her family?

With the help of her nerdy neighbor Peter Finnegan, Emma sets off to visit the gravesite of her brother on the one day that she shares with her, their birthday. Along the way they run into some snags in their p...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Mei Lin Zheng rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 07, 2010 $hanel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Emma Healy will do anything to fit in with her family. Everyday after school Emily comes home to a lonely house were her family is somewhere without Emma. One day Emma finds a birth certificate of when her little brother Nate, who she never knew, and then finds a death certificate of when Nate has died. Emma is shocked when she finds the certificate! Soon Emma goes on a journey to North Carolina to visit the cemetary were Nate had died. While driving to North Carolina Emma invites her next door...more

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May 12, 2013 Audrey Wilkerson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-books-read, books-reviewed

Rating: 3.5

I read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight a few weeks ago and loved it. I wanted to check out other books by this author as well, so I found You Are Here. Ms. Smith seems to have plots and subject matter that hasn’t been thought of (or beaten to death) yet; that’s part of what makes her books interesting. Her stories aren’t huge, bloated episodes but small, thoughtful happenings that delve into a person’s or a family’s particular stories. The first dealt with randomnes...more Rating: 3.5

I read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight a few weeks ago and loved it. I wanted to check out other books by this author as well, so I found You Are Here. Ms. Smith seems to have plots and subject matter that hasn’t been thought of (or beaten to death) yet; that’s part of what makes her books interesting. Her stories aren’t huge, bloated episodes but small, thoughtful happenings that delve into a person’s or a family’s particular stories. The first dealt with randomness, really, and the effect that the unexpected can have on our lives. This book had more of a trajectory, about a girl who decides she needs to go on a road trip to see the grave of the twin brother she never knew she had.

In this story, Emma Healy is the daughter of highly intelligent professorial parents. Her siblings are much older than she, so she basically grows up as an only child, surrounded by college students, intellectuals. The problem is that Emma always feels like she’s different than her family, not as incredibly smart or super focused on one area of study. Then one day, when she is getting something from the attic, she comes across the birth certificate of her brother, Thomas, who had died just two days after he was born.

Emma has a neighbor, Patrick, who feels more comfortable with Emma’s parents than his own father. Mr. Finnegan is a policeman, and his beloved wife died giving birth to Patrick. Patrick and his father don’t relate very well, especially since the only thing they have in common has died. And they do not speak of her. Patrick has only once left his birthplace to visit New York City on a school trip, but his love of maps and other locales makes him yearn to travel. His father thinks otherwise, knowing that their town was loved by his wife, so it was good enough to never leave.

Little does Emma know that not only will this journey help her to see her family in a new, more human, light, she will find new companions that will help her along the drive. And maybe she will end up helping them, too.

So, Basically: I must mention that I started this book three times before I got into it. It could have just been timing, but I did end up liking the characters and the story. As I said before, I love the fact that this story is huge for the characters involved, but it is one that resonates on a personal level.

The Bottom Line: I wouldn’t call this a “coming of age” novel, but it’s a nice, thoughtful story that feels true and real.

You Are Here by Jennifer E. Smith was published May 19, 2009 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Ink and Page picked this book up from the library, so no one had a choice about whether it was reviewed.

Genre: Young Adult Fiction Contemporary
Ages: 12 and up
You Might Want to Know: Nothing of note(less)

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Mar 19, 2012 Waiting For Wentworth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed reading You Are Here, but I thought it was very wordy with little action throughout the book. It just sort of meandered along, and I went with it. The plot was really good, but the story itself felt really flat. The book revolves around Emma and Peter's road trip, which had various stops along the way, but nothing overly exciting ever happened. The writing was good, and the story was mostly believable, but I felt that it just wasn't engaging or interesting.

I liked Peter and his love o...more

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Jan 22, 2010 Ashley - Book Labyrinth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Overall, I did enjoy this book. I enjoyed Peter's geekery over the Civil War and battlefields, and I loved the dog (although I wish he had been given a name!). I didn't really get a good feel for Emma's character... I didn't really feel a connection to what she was feeling at all, even though it was described so often. I found myself agreeing with Emma when she wondered why Peter would put up with her. Maybe I just like to root for the underdog, but I definitely thought Peter deserved to hang ou...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Dianna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: road-trips, covergasm, read-in-2013, reviewed, contemporary

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Jennifer E. Smith is definitely one of my most favorite authors when it comes to contemporary. Her stories are so light and her writing is so nice and makes the story flow so naturally. Before reading her newest book This Is What Happy Looks Like I wanted to read all her books that were already out, and so I picked You Are Here. After having a great reading experience with The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, I was so excited about this book. I wanted a lig...more Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Jennifer E. Smith is definitely one of my most favorite authors when it comes to contemporary. Her stories are so light and her writing is so nice and makes the story flow so naturally. Before reading her newest book This Is What Happy Looks Like I wanted to read all her books that were already out, and so I picked You Are Here. After having a great reading experience with The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, I was so excited about this book. I wanted a light and meaningful book and You Are Here was definitely that. It was a very nice mix of friendship and the difficult journey of getting to know yourself and everything tied together so nicely. But even though it was all sweet and beautiful there were also some things that bothered me a little. But I'll try to run over everything quickly, step by step.

The two main characters Emma and Peter were very likable. Both of them were equally important in the story and both of their personal stories were very well developed. Even though I had problems understanding Emma's reasons for taking the journey, I still learned how to accept that. I liked her impulsiveness and the way she grew from the first page to the last. I liked how she didn't have some big GREAT realizations about her life, and how she learned life's lessons in the hard way. I have to say though that her temperament sometimes made things really difficult and sometimes I just wanted her to shut up and stop ruining things, especially with Peter. But either way, I could relate to many things she went through and she totally deserved being a main character.

Peter is also another great character. I can say that I could relate to his story way more than Emma's. He feels like there's something out there that's way better than what he's currently living and he seeks freedom and I absolutely loved that in him. I also liked his geeky/nerdy personality and his obsession with history. I have to say though that there were many times when him rambling about past events just got kind of boring and repetitive and I almost wanted to skip a few pages. Also, I got lots of telling, rather than showing. And you might have noticed that I mention that a lot in reviews because that's very important in my opinion. I don't like being told something, but I love being shown. Probably I'm one of those rare readers with this pet peeve but that's just me.

One of the main reasons why I didn't love this book as much as I wanted was the romance. Or better say the lack of it. Emma and Peter had been friends ever since they were kids and they looked just fine inside of the friendship zone. I didn't feel a connection between them, or a spark and it felt very forced when the author wanted to make them a couple. I might have enjoyed this more if they had just been best friends and not more.

Over all, this is a great book. Past the flaws this is a great journey where you see two teenagers getting to know themselves and it doesn't feel unnatural but rather 'been-there-done-that' kind of experience. I got to find myself a lot in these characters and I think the book reached its goal -- delivering a great self-discovery story it the most original way it could.(less)

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Nov 05, 2010 Say rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: november-2010-reads

i actually bought this book way back and its one of those books that i buy and just leave it in my shelf for later reading. but since i needed to read a book that starts with y in a certain challenge here i have no choice but to read it. and guess what i was wrong for keeping this book dusty in my shelf for so long! it was a good and touching story on family relationships and the way a family deals with death. its about emma and peter's journey to find themselves and the missing piece in their l...more

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May 23, 2013 Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 17, 2012 Jaun rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: YA-readers, Dessen-fans

Shelves: books-i-own, books-i-loved

Rating: 3.5 out of 4

Wow, I've almost given up on this in the final chapters and decided to delay on reading it, but I am very glad that the story turned out well!

Firstly, I have to say it wasn't so much gripping or had me awe-struck like some self-discovery books (Dessen?) but nonetheless it was worth my vacant times at the office. I loved Emma and Peter's friendship that soon blossomed to something more, and also how their relationship with their families improved as well. This book shows that...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Rivka rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book got off to slow start for me. But the voices held true. So much so that I repeatedly forgave the author for sloppy, easy jokes at New Jersey's expense. The switches in perspectives, from Emma to Peter, were a little rickety as were some of the plot points and the silence on some key details (who exactly was paying for gas?). That being said, I haven't read a YA book in a while that captured the quietness of feeling so wonderfully. Really a lovely meditation on the insidiousness of untre...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Esther Shaindel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Full review on Reader's Dialogue: http://readersdialogue.blogspot.com/2...

Peter and Emma are both misfits, but both of them don't realize just how much of their own doing this is. Peter at least has some sense of his problems in a wider context - he keeps responding to Emma's complaints about her family that "most families are like that." But Emma is safely ensconced in her misery in thinking that she is the most unfortunate person in the world because she doesn't fit into her family. By the end...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Candice Avila rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love this book.It features the oddness some people might posses that may interest and attract others as well, its very rare to see books with teens involved in this kinds of themes. It's more on self-discovery rather than romance.It may not be the typical teenage love story but it gave me the flutters every time i turn the page. It contains the perfect details and the characters are relatable in some way. The book can bore you a bit at first but read along and you'll find yourself wanting more...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Tiff rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013, romance-flava-flavs

The great thing about Jen Smith is that she treats a really simple plot and makes it seem like an extraordinary story, as if an ordinary event taken out of a universal timeline is worth reading about. She may not have the poetic command of David Levithan, but she holds the words in her hands and makes them shine. I love how her characters are so ordinary and yet they all have something unique in them, and this story about finding a long-lost (dead) family member brought these two (Peter and Emma...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Trisha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-z-challenge, love-triangle-challenge

[he] understood the opposite of lost was: that it had nothing to do with maps or direction or stay on course; that is was, in fact, nothing more than being found"

Emma - quirky family with siblings that range in ages. her parents are professors at colleges and spend their time from college to college roaming the US. They have finally settled, now that only Emma remains in the house. She's never felt like she fit in. She's not intelectual, not a huge fan of school - and when she always wanted ball...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

Originally posted on hello, chelly.

***

The good: You Are Here incorporates some of my favorite things in young adult books. Chapters that alternate between two different characters, a quirky family, the boy next door, that journey of accepting who you are and.. road trips! Compared to some of the other books I've read with a similar premise, this one is a bit slower because it's a lot more introspective. Emma and Peter are two very real, very normal and somewhat awkward teenagers and I appreciat...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Hermione rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: realistic-or-contemporary, i-would-rather-kick-myself, disappointments, blargh, never-getting-my-brownies

After reading The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight I almost felt as if it were my duty to read You Are Here. It was a lovely novel, full of so many morals and virtues, but I found that, perhaps, it wasn't exactly my type of book.

Emma Healy and Peter (last name forgotten) are neighbors that find that they don't fit quite well into their respective families. Sixteen-year-old Emma is the youngest of four in the family, and she pays no heed to the intelligent and erudite conversations...more

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May 22, 2012 Bree T rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, romania, young-adult

Emma Healy is sixteen and has always felt like she didn’t belong in her overly academic family. Her parents are both professors and her two brothers and one sister are all much older than she is, in their thirties and living in other cities with degrees and high achieving jobs or attaining more post-graduate qualifications. Emma is only average at school and for her, life has just been a long story of not fitting in, of feeling like something is missing.

When her father asks her to find a text fo...more Emma Healy is sixteen and has always felt like she didn’t belong in her overly academic family. Her parents are both professors and her two brothers and one sister are all much older than she is, in their thirties and living in other cities with degrees and high achieving jobs or attaining more post-graduate qualifications. Emma is only average at school and for her, life has just been a long story of not fitting in, of feeling like something is missing.

When her father asks her to find a text for him for a paper he is writing, Emma is stunned to find both her birth certificate and one for that of her twin, Thomas and then a death certificate issued for two days later. All of a sudden so many things make sense to Emma, her loneliness, her sense of being isolated from the family. If her brother had of survived, he’d have been like her, he’d have been someone she could relate to. Someone who would keep her company in the family she felt so removed from. Emma is devastated that her parents didn’t tell her about Thomas and she makes a plan to go and find out more about him, to visit a place where they lived with her and Thomas were born.

Her neighbour Peter loves maps – mostly because they all lead away from this small town he is trapped in. Born on the day of his mother’s death, bookish and quiet Peter doesn’t relate to his sports-loving, beer-drinking, poker-playing town sheriff of a father. He works hard with a goal to apply for a good college, but more importantly, a college far away from where he is so that he and his father don’t have to live their awkward, stilted existence any longer. When Emma calls him requesting help on her road trip, he doesn’t hesitate to join her, if they can visit a few places he wants to see too.

After reading and loving The Statistical Probability of First Sight earlier this year I decided I had to read more of Jennifer E. Smith’s books so recently I ordered this one and also The Comeback Season. I love road trip books – there’s just something about them. I love road trips in general, although it’s been some years since I’ve been on one!

When you really love something, especially the first book you’ve read by an author, it’s hard not to compare their other works to it. When your expectations are exceeded by the first book, all the subsequent books have a lot to live up to and it’s inevitable that some will fall short. Did I enjoy this book? Yes, I did…quite a bit. Did it hit the same chord with me as TSPOLAFS? No. And I’ve been pondering on that for the last day or two and I think the reason why, is Emma herself.

Emma is quite a complex character, she’s struggling to fit in with her eccentric and also over-achieving family. All she wanted was one normal birthday with a cake and maybe a bouncy castle, but she got academics, reciting papers and drinking red wine. Her grades are average, nothing spectacular and the age gap and physical distance between herself and her siblings means they are not especially close. Emma is prickly and very sensitive, she’s demanding and also quite a bit selfish. She wastes no time calling Peter when her roadtrip goes a bit wrong – but not because she really wants him along. She doesn’t really like him all that much, she’s more tolerated him for the past 8 or so years. She calls him because he’s a way for her not to get caught or have to go home. She shows little interest in his life, bored by the stops he wants to take along the way and often derisive of his interest in maps or in the battle grounds (such as Gettysburg) that he wants to see. She also knows that Peter has a bit of a crush on him (she states in the novel she probably knew before he did) which makes her squirm inside. Ultimately she’s not very nice to him for a large part of the book (she does have her moments of humanity) but she’s mostly quite self-absorbed. It did make her turn-around at the end of the book feel very rushed and abrupt!

What I did really enjoy about this book was the road trip itself. They’re driving a classic clunker, they sleep in camping grounds and in the car. They eat from gas stations and convenience stores and Peter counts his pennies at every stop. Plus the dog they picked up along the way does add a nice touch of character to the trip. I felt the road trip was quite realistic in terms of their ages and their capabilities. I also really, really enjoyed the way that Smith writes dysfunctional family relationships. I really did believe in Emma’s isolation and Peter and his father’s fractured relationship and inability to really communicate with each other. I felt that I could understand why Emma never knew about her twin and even though I felt for her, and felt that it was wrong she didn’t know, I could also understand why parents and children old enough to really feel the loss (her brothers and sister were in their mid to late teens at the time of her and Thomas’s birth) could clam up about it and just find it easier to never have to talk about it.

It’s not often I say this, but I actually feel this book was a bit too short. I feel as though the ending was a bit rushed and lacking in depth compared to the rest of the novel, which worked so hard to establish so much. Another 30-40 pages could’ve really made a huge difference in Emma’s change of mind for me, how she realises that she was so wrong. A bit more on Emma’s acceptance of her feelings and Peter’s role in her life would’ve made a big difference for me.(less)

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Apr 13, 2013 Angela (: rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-library-owns, contemporary

I don't know what to say other than that this was really really boring.

I didn’t expect much out of this because, well, it’s written by Jennifer E. Smith. The Comeback Season was a DNF for me and I only sort of liked The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. Even if I never read any books written by her, I’d still be hesitant to start because it doesn’t seem like a book I’d like. The main reason I wanted to read this was because Emma and Peter go on a road trip. I’ve never actually been...more

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About Jennifer E. Smith

Jennifer E. Smith is the author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, The Storm Makers, You Are Here, and The Comeback Season. She earned her master's degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and currently works as an editor in New York City. Her writing has been translated into 28 languages.

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The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

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“But a small part of him also knew that the reason he'd never ventured anywhere was because of the worry that the reality of the world wouldn't match up to his dreams.” — 11 people liked it

“There are certain things in life that you'll be forgiven for, no matter how thoughtless or stupid or reckless, but if you do that same thing twice, you're on your own.” — 10 people liked it

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