The Chaos of Standing Still

by Jessica Brody

Ryn Gilbert's life changed irrevocably a year ago when her best friend, Lottie, was behind the wheel of a T-boned car. Ryn has held onto many things ever since, including one text message that allows her to keep Lottie near— it has gotten to the point that she questions her own sanity, and even keeps her therapist from knowing that she still sees and speaks to her friend.

Now Ryn is stuck in the Denver Airport on the night before the anniversary of Lottie's death due to a blizzard with Xander, a boy she meets when they accidentally swap phones. The airport setting allows Ryn to open up to Xander, who is connected to her by circumstance and weighed down by his own issues.

It also allows them to interact with other unique characters, including a child prodigy and the slightly older airport workers Siri and Harvey, who throw an illicit New Year's Eve party, while helping Ryn work out problems that she has been unable to face in her own life.

Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance, Christmas, Fiction, Young Adult Contemporary, Realistic Fiction

406 pages, Hardcover

First published November 28, 2017

About the author

Jessica Brody is the author of more than 20 novels for teens, tweens, and adults including The Geography of Lost Things, The Chaos of Standing Still, Amelia Gray is Almost Okay, A Week of Mondays, 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, the Unremembered trilogy, and the System Divine trilogy which is a sci-fi reimagining of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, co-written with Joanne Rendell. She’s also the author of the #1 bestselling novel-writing guides, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel and Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel as well as several books based on popular Disney franchises like Descendants and LEGO Disney Princess. Jessica’s books have been translated and published in over 20 languages and several have been optioned for film and television. She’s the founder of the Writing Mastery Academy and lives with her husband and three dogs near Portland, OR.

Visit her online at JessicaBrody.com or WritingMastery.com. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram @JessicaBrody

Reviews

[Hailey (Hailey in Bookland) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Way more than I had been expecting to!

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

things i liked about this book:
- stranded! airport!
- quirky side characters
- grand gestures
- Making Memories™

things i did not like about this book:
- characters felt flat
- ending (especially of the mourning/grief character arc) felt rushed
- felt noooo chemistry for the romance
- how was this book so long if i didn't feel anything?

the cons slightly outweigh the pros, but i'm still going to give this a middle-of-the-line 2.5.

i'm wild like that.

bottom line: meh!

--------------

a contemporary about two characters who get trapped in an airport because of a blizzard? you've got my attention

[••Camila Roy•• · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: 4.5/5

I love books about grief. This one in particular is very well written and soooo bittersweet❤️ I connected with the storyline, the characters and the message so much! It had a lot of serious/sad moments but also fun, lighthearted ones. The romance was cute and it didn’t feel rushed at all, despite the circumstances.

I noticed something in this book that I’ve seen before but never really paid much attention to. It’s the dysfunctional friendship trope (not sure if that’s actually a thing but oh well...). This trope can be presented in many ways, from codependency to emotional blackmail.

In this book, the main character, Ryn, is grieving her best friend, Lottie, in a very...how do I put it...bizarre way. She’s not crying or acting out. She’s simply standing still. Ryn feels lost, since Lottie was the likable, dateable and more worthy one out of the two (Ryn’s words, not mine).

I think there was a severe lack of balance in this friendship. An introvert and an extrovert can be friends, of course. But I don’t think it’s healthy for someone to depend so much on their best friend, to the point where they forget their own worth. Ryn’s whole life seemed to revolve around Lottie before and after she died. I’m probably over-analyzing this but I still wanted to mention it, in case someone agrees with me. <

I’ve wanted to read this book for a while and I’m so glad it didn’t disappoint! Would definitely recommend it :)

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trying to decide how to review this book so I'm going with 3 stars for now. It was well-written and explores many issues -- but I'm just not sure I loved the book. Just because there is grief and loss and other heavy issues doesn't mean the book was "good"... I mean I think I enjoyed it? But also not really? I had a hard time connecting with Ryn. Which made me feel bad because she is a girl that is struggling to grieve for her best friend. But... I just didn't connect with her. Or like her. I probably should have felt really bad for her? Instead I just wanted to shake her. But people who are grieving (or not grieving, in this case) can be irrational? See why I'm having a hard time with this rating? *tears out hair*



***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

The Chaos of Standing Still by Jessica Brody
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: November 28, 2017
Rating: 3 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

Over the course of one chaotic night stranded at the Denver airport, Ryn confronts her shattered past thanks to the charm of romance, the uniqueness of strangers, and the magic of ordinary places in this stunning novel from the author of Boys of Summer.

Ryn has one unread text message on her phone. And it’s been there for almost a year.

She hasn’t tried to read it. She can’t. She won’t. Because that one message is the last thing her best friend ever said to her before she died.

But as Ryn finds herself trapped in the Denver International Airport on New Year’s Eve thanks to a never-ending blizzard on the one-year anniversary of her best friend’s death, fate literally runs into her.

And his name is Xander.

When the two accidentally swap phones, Ryn and Xander are thrust into the chaos of an unforgettable all-night adventure, filled with charming and mysterious strangers, a secret New Year’s Eve bash, and a possible Illuminati conspiracy hidden within the Denver airport. But as the bizarre night continues, all Ryn can think about is that one unread text message. It follows her wherever she goes, because Ryn can’t get her brialliantly wild and free-spirited best friend out of her head.

Ryn can’t move on.

But tonight, for the first time ever, she’s trying. And maybe that’s a start.

As moving as it is funny, The Chaos of Standing Still is a heartwarming story about the earth-shattering challenges life throws at us—and the unexpected strangers who help us along the way.

What I Liked:

The Chaos of Standing Still is a story about grief, loss, and hope, and it all starts with a blizzard in Denver. Usually I'm not one for YA contemporary, especially tough-issue YA contemporary, but I've enjoyed Jessica Brody's books in the past. I didn't hesitate to request this novel when I saw it on Edelweiss, because I had been fairly confident that I would enjoy the book. Sadly, that wasn't the case. While The Chaos of Standing Still is thought-provoking and hopeful, it is also messy and unorganized - unlike its heroine. I almost feel bad for not loving this book, because it is clearly supposed to be a powerful, moving novel. But it wasn't for me.

Ryn is heading home to San Francisco, and she has a layover in Denver. The kicker? A huge blizzard is currently dumping a ton of snow on Denver, and there will be no flights coming in or going out of Denver. This is the worst possible scenario for Ryn, who needs to be home for New Year's the next day. She's traveling alone, back to her mother, and no one in the airport knows how badly she needs to be home. No one knows that her best friend died on New Year's Day nearly a year ago. No one knows that Ryn hasn't grieved yet, and she's hearing Lottie's voice in her head. A night in the airport is going to be torture. But Ryn makes an unexpected friend when she runs straight into a cute guy who had the same phone case as her. She doesn't expect him to be so sweet and thoughtful and understanding. She doesn't expect to let down her guard with him. She doesn't expect to finally come to terms with Lottie's death - but it is this that is so hard to understand. Ryn doesn't realize just how much she needed someone, to help her move past Lottie's death.

Theoretically, I should have enjoyed this book. Even though I'm not a YA contemporary fan, and definitely not a tough-issue YA contemporary fan, I tend to like books dealing with a hero and heroine stuck together. And I did really like the setting. The airport is a great setting, especially since all flights throughout the entire airport were grounded for the night. No way in, no way out, not even for the employees. It was a long evening and night, but everyone made the most of it.

The setting, I liked. I also adored Xander - he is a sweetheart. He is fun and charming, filled with energy and good humor. He is Ryn's "manic pixie girl" except he is a guy. She is a mopey sad girl, but when she meets him, he makes her do all sorts of fun things with him around the airport, and suddenly, she isn't feeling so mopey anymore. Xander is a good guy with good intentions and a good heart - and quick frankly, he deserved someone better than Ryn.

I didn't really like Ryn. More on her below. And the story. And the ending.

What I Did Not Like:

I really wasn't able to connect with Ryn, which make me feel bad, because it didn't feel fair to dislike someone who was clearly repressing grief. Ryn is not a happy person, and not a nice one at times. She never really grieved for Lottie, and it has been a year. She makes things so hard for her therapist, like not volunteering anything to talk about. She lies about so many things, even though she is a terrible liar. Ryn hasn't been coping well, and this has been affecting more people than just herself. It was hard for me to like Ryn because she wasn't very nice to people, especially Xander. She was flat-out rude to him on their first encounter, and she didn't try to be nice to him after that. It was only about halfway into the book when she started to treat him like a human being, but by then, she started to act a little crazy (her words, not mine). Granted, she owned the fact that she was acting crazy (again, her words, not mine), but she was getting bent out of shape with Xander and other people who were trying to help her.

I feel bad for disliking someone who went through a traumatic experience, but the traumatic experience and survivor's guilt aren't free passes to be a complete a** to anyone. Not to your parents. Not to your therapist. Not to strangers who are trying to help you.

I didn't care for Lottie, which I probably shouldn't say since she is dead. She was fun and inhibited and caused all kinds of trouble - #richpeopleproblems. She had so much time and money and freedom on her hands, with little to no parental supervision. Lottie had no filters, no barriers, no rules, which made her a fun friend, but a dangerous one too, especially for someone like Ryn (a non-rule-breaker, a good girl, a straight-laced citizen).

There was too much going on in this story. Ryn and all of her grief and shenanigans was enough. But there was too much going on with the airport too. The crazy storm, okay. The grounded flights, okay. The weird prodigious 14-year-old who was working on his Master's degree and trying to chase down a conspiracy theory in the airport? Random, unnecessary subplot. The bingo game that was probably supposed to be fun but seemed stupid? Random. Ryn making friends with the employees of an airport restaurant? I find it hard to believe in real life. Some stranger giving Ryn his VIP Million Mile-High Club card? Not plausible at all. There was so much random and unnecessary parts to this book that made it so busy and messy. The grief/loss aspect paired with the storm and having to stay overnight at the airport was enough.

The romance was so pitiful. This book would have benefited by having no romance at all. Ryn pushed away Xander at every turn, even right down to the second she wanted him to kiss her and he wanted to kiss her/her to kiss him. She literally turned her cheek. Again, I understand the fact that she isn't grieving well and she's messed up in the head with hearing Lottie's voice and blah blah blah, but she wasn't very nice to Xander. And then there is the fact that they weren't even going to board the same flight - he was going to Miami, she was going to San Francisco. I'd rather not read romances that have an expiration date, like this one. The romance was so lackluster and not-there, but of course it was there. And the thing is, this book takes place in the span of about twenty-four hours. This isn't enough time for a solid friendship to blossom, let alone a romance.

The ending is exactly what you would expect, in terms of the romance. In terms of Ryn... it's amazing how, after less than twenty-four hours, she has come to terms with many things (like Lottie's death, that one unread text message left by Lottie, all of Ryn's lies to everyone). Kind of a miraculous turnaround, don't you think? I was a little skeptical.

Would I Recommend It:

I feel like there are better books dealing with grief and loss out there. I can't think of any off the top of my head because I typically don't read these types of books, but I'm sure there are better ones. The thing is, I didn't find this book funny, or moving, or heartwarming, or any of those adjectives in the synopsis of this book. Instead I was a little annoyed as I was reading, and even when I wasn't annoyed, I wasn't super excited or in love either. This book was okay and not absolutely terrible, but it really isn't worth the time either.

Rating:

3 stars. I didn't really love Brody's previous two books and I didn't love this one so I think it's time to break up with this author's books. I did love 52 Reason to Hate My Father, but I feel like I haven't truly loved another one of her books since that one. Liked, yes, but mostly I've felt kind of ehhh towards her books. Like this one - I could see it having potential, being pretty good, but maybe not for me. I didn't connect with the heroine and that was the downfall there (for me).

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

***Actual rating: 3/5 R(V)eginald Stars***

If Lottie hadn’t died, I never would have known Xander.

The Chaos of Standing Still is mainly about how Ryn learns to move on after her best friend, Lottie, died in a car accident one year ago. Long story short, Ryn was stuck in Denver International Airport due to a blizzard and she accidentally bumped into a guy named Xander when she tripped over her own feet while googling frantically on her phone. That was how the story began.

Throughout the book, I’ve learnt a lot about Ryn:
＊She was extremely obsessed with her smartphone because 1)there was the last, tiny piece of Lottie—an unread text message from her—for her to hold on to whenever she wanted and 2)there was Google. I kid you not, Ryn googled literally everything she could think of, from how a blizzard was formed to why someone died and others didn’t.

＊She was addicted to finding answers. Ryn believed that everything happened for a reason…except Lottie’s death because Lottie was such a sweet friend and she didn’t deserve to be killed by a drunk driver, who barely got a scratch in the accident.

For the past year I’ve been searching for answers that I may never find. That may not even exist. No matter how many times I look at all the information, no matter how many times I replay January 1st, 10:05 a.m., in my head, Lottie’s death may never make sense to me.

＊She’d been underestimating the power of drawing/sketching/art all this time when she should’ve grieved Lottie properly. Since she was stuck in the airport for a night, she met a child prodigy, Troy, who was a scientist looking for answers most of his lifetime and he was figuring out the meaning of some murals in the airport. Apparently, Ryn gave him some profound interpretations that at the same time, showed him how much art had impacted on her life.

Throughout the story, I also learnt quite a lot about Xander:
＊He was actually a rebellious teenager when most people considered him to be the opposite. His relationship with his parents wasn’t exactly as perfect as people thought and I admired him for who he was.

＊He was destined to be with Ryn. The moment they accidentally took each other’s phone because as unlikely as it was, they had exactly the same phone cases, made in the same country as well (duh = =). Anyway, what’s the odd of two people with the same phone cases bumping into each other in the same place, at the same time?

My favorite part of the story was probably when Ryn shared her thoughts on the murals in the airport with Troy. Troy may be a 14-year-old genius, but he was mature enough to read Ryn’s mind. I loved the way he explained how unreasonable, unanswerable things were sometimes and how people should just move on without seeking the absolute solution to Ryn, because again, 90% of the book Ryn was trying to rationalize Lottie’s death.

I blow out a frustrated breath. “But we can’t just stop here. Don’t you want to know? You said this was one of your big problems. Don’t you want to solve it? Get to the truth? You’re a scientist! Aren’t scientists obsessed with finding answers?” And there they are again. Those inquisitive eyes of his. That calm, observing gaze. Except this time, there’s something else in there too. Empathy. “Yes, we are,” Troy says in his usual blunt tone. “But as a scientist, you also need to know when to let go and accept the fact that sometimes there are no answers.”

What’s more, I really, really liked Ryn’s new friends in the airport because they always provided her with different perspectives on her personal matters (for example, constantly googling stuff that shouldn’t be a problem for most people and ignoring her talkative friends). Her new friends were funny, humorous and so down-to-earth that I wish I could befriend them as well. Of course, one of the friends was Xander, whom I adored the most among all the characters since he was the one who truly understood and sympathized Ryn the entire time without complaining about her certain behavior. Most importantly, I appreciated how he brought Ryn to her senses in the end. I mean, just because she couldn’t let her best friend go and lead a normal life doesn’t mean she could push those who cared about her away. Although I didn’t 100% agree with what Xander did to make her read—or NOT read— that unread message, I still thought he did the right thing after all.

”Just read the message, Ryn. Stop avoiding your feelings and read the damn message! Look, it’s easy.” His finger plunges toward the screen, and it may as well be a knife plunging into my heart.
“Nooooooo!” I scream, causing a few sleeping passengers around us to stir. But it’s too late. He’s done it. He’s clicked it. He’s reading it. It’s read. It will never be unread again.

The last thing I absolutely loved in this story was when Ryn finally, truly moved on one year after Lottie’s death by sketching the Lottie she remembered and cherished in her heart. Ryn refused to do the only thing she enjoyed most—drawing and creating a piece of art—because she felt wrong doing it when her best friend was dead. Therefore, it was a huge step in her life when she made up her mind to pick up a pencil and paper just to reminisce the beauty of Lottie for Xander. In other words, I had to thank Xander for finding back who she was before Lottie died and for helping her look forward.

But this isn’t drawing. At least not like any drawing I’ve ever done before. This is an outpouring. This is a release. These are all the lines and all the shadows and all the shapes that have been trapped inside me for almost a year. That have been following me around wherever I go. Waiting to be made real. This is like something moving through me, piloting my hand, emptying my mind until everything around me disappears. The room. The snow. The people. Even Xander. This is trying to catch water from a pitcher in a thimble. This is a year’s worth of demons channeled into a fragile piece of paper. This is me finally breathing life back into Lottie.

Enough with what I liked in the book, let’s go on to the disappointing part. As much as I was satisfied with Ryn’s character development and her interaction with her new friends from the airport, there was something that’d been bothering me the whole time when I was reading this book: The fact that Lottie was on Ryn’s mind 95% of the time in the story almost drove me crazy. I was totally fine when Ryn missed Lottie a lot and shared some of their precious memories before that dreadful night with us, but I simply couldn’t stand the way Lottie occupied most of Ryn’s thought in real life. For instance, when Ryn was in a predicament with her friends/Xander, Lottie was there to tell her what to do and what not to do and Ryn would seriously consider Lottie’s advice instead of making her own decisions. Although Ryn eventually realized that she was not Lottie and she would never be Lottie in the last 5% of the book, I personally thought it was still too late for her to come to her senses. I knew it was hard to fully let her beloved friend go and that she missed Lottie all the time, but I’d appreciate more if Lottie wasn’t dictating to Ryn so often.

”And I thought I could hang on to her forever. I thought if I could just keep one tiny piece of her alive, then everything would be fine. She would never really be gone. But now that piece is gone too, and I feel so alone. I feel more alone right now than the day she died. I thought if I could just control the rest of the world, then this one uncontrollable part of it wouldn’t matter. Or it couldn’t hurt. But it turns out, I was wrong. Because it hurts like hell.”

All in all, The Chaos of Standing Still is a rather quick read for me and despite the disappointing element in the story, I’d recommend this to everyone who’d like to have a winter read because the overall plot was pretty well-thought-out. This book showed how much Ryn had come from the person she was after Lottie’s death to the one she is now thanks to her friends and Xander. And also thanks to that unexpected blizzard which got her stuck in Denver International Airport in the first place. The Chaos of Standing Still will be a wonderful read in the holiday season and hopefully you’ll love it more than I do.

What if life is predictable? What if people leave for no reason? What if losing is just another part of living? What if the universe can’t be controlled? What if chaos is good? What if some questions can never be answered? What if that’s okay?

I think that’s okay.

***Thanks to the publisher and FFBC for sending me an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.***

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

I really enjoyed this book! I liked watching Ryn grow as a character and really liked the romance, but it wasn’t my *favorite*.
A good quick read, though!

[Stacee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I looooooove 24 hour time frame books. They’re frustrating and fantastic and I was beyond excited to see that Jessica’s book was all about one day. And it didn’t disappoint.

Love love love Ryn and Xander. She’s so deep in grief, it’s almost like she’s drowning. Xander is fun and flirty. Together they’re both going through stuff and it was captivating to see how they worked it out. Of course there were some sweet swoons and laughs and they’re sprinkled through at the best moments.

Plot wise, it was perfection. I loved seeing the small flashbacks with Lottie and the way it’s shared truly shows how Ryn felt so alone. The location of an airport sets up so many fun things and this cast of characters is one I could read forever.

Overall, it was hopeful and heartbreaking and hilarious with an ending that made me hug the book when I was done.

**Huge thanks to Simon Pulse for providing the arc free of charge**

[Amy Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about grief. Everyone grieves differently and Ryn is no exception. I felt I had a personal connection with Ryn and that made me love this book even more. Xander was adorable and I hope there will be a second book where they reunite. I laughed and straight up bawled my eyes out throughout this book.

Ryn is trying to mourn the death of her best friend Lottie, who was killed in a car accident while the drunk driver got away without injury. She hasn't been able to grieve and has prolonged her release by holding onto Lottie's last text message to her and leaving it unread. She gets stuck in a Denver airport due to a blizzard and chaos ensues.

Xander bumps into Ryn and they happen to have the same phone case and accidentally grab the wrong phones. Now they are connected and have to find each other to exchange phones. This begins a fun escapade through a shut down airport and the beginning of Ryn's worst nightmare (after Lottie's death). She meets so many people in the airport and starts opening up little by little.

[The Candid Cover (Olivia & Lori) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full Review on The Candid Cover

The Chaos of Standing still drew me in right from the start. It is the story of a girl stranded in an airport, but with a twist. There are so many interesting side characters and some super cute moments throughout the book. While I enjoyed the story, I found the constant interruptions for flashbacks to get annoying, and I wish I could have enjoyed it more.

This book is cute, funny, and heart-wrenching all at once. It tells the story of a girl stranded in an airport on New Year’s Eve, which also happens to be the anniversary of her best friend’s death. She ends up befriending a boy because of a strange coincidence, and she finally starts to move on. I loved reading about Ryn and her new friends’ adventures together and their way of ringing in the new year. There is a good amount of comic relief and a couple of plot twists in the story, which add some more excitement. I’m not normally a fan of super depressing books, so I was glad to see that this one isn’t actually that bad.

I adored the cast of characters in The Chaos of Standing Still, or rather, the side characters. I’m still not entirely sure what I think of the main character. I found Xander to be so sweet, and I loved how patient and encouraging he is with Ryn. He has a great sense of humour and problems of his own, making him a pretty complex character. I also really enjoyed the quirky characters Ryn and Xander meet at the airport, such as Siri (the barista) and Troy (the fourteen year old genius). They make the book more fun, and I loved reading about their humorous interactions.

Since the book takes place during one day, there are a lot of flashbacks that tell the story of Ryn and Lottie’s past. I appreciate a good flashback every once in a while, but in this case, the flashbacks seem to occur right when the story is picking up. Just as I’m getting invested in the story, there is an interruption, and it really takes away from the action. I would have preferred it if the flashbacks occurred at the end of the chapter, instead of right in the middle of an interesting scene. That and the pretty unrealistic events at the airport lowered my rating of what could have been an amazing novel.

The Chaos of Standing Still is a complex novel about coping with the death of a loved one. There is plenty of comic relief and some pretty adorable moments, so the book isn’t pure sorrow. I loved the unique side characters throughout the story, but the flashbacks became annoying for me. I didn’t hate this book, but I definitely believe that it could have been better.

[Cesar · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

“Any system, if left unattended or isolated, will eventually result in entropy. Or chaos.”

I was in the mood for a contemporary reading and as I was pondering, it started to snow here in Texas. Texas, of all places! It just so happens I bought The Chaos of Standing Still a week ago and the book is set in winter so it all played out in the end.

This is my first book by Jessica Brody and I'm impressed so far. It's a nice, sorta-cute novel about grief, loss, and acceptance with shenanigans and a possible conspiracy.

This is a book that takes place in 24 hours and surprisingly I liked it. Usually, when a book takes place in the span of 24 hours, I tend to avoid them because you can only put so much development in 24 hours. A lot can happen in 24 hours but most of the time (in sci-fi or fantasy books) many things happen and I'm sitting here trying to process what the hell is going on.



Thankfully, The Chaos of Standing Still did a good job handling the 24-hour span. It didn't feel rushed and there was a substantial amount of development throughout the story.

As mentioned above, The Chaos of Standing Still deals with grief and loss as Ryn - our protagonist - is in an airport waiting for her plane to take her home back to San Franciso on New Year's Eve. Tomorrow is the anniversary of her best friend's death and she is still living with her inner demons about her friend's death. Enter Xander. The two accidentally swap phones and when they return the phones to the respected owners, their adventure begins.

Ryn and her arc is probably my most favorite thing about the story. She has a straightforward attitude and wants things done and for wants questions to have answers instead of nothing. She does this with her phone asking random questions. Her finding answers assure her; knowing that everything has an answer... sometimes.

I think her journey of trying to come to terms with her friend's death is something we all can share with. The questions of 'what ifs' is the main driving force of the story. There's a small talk about Schrödinger's cat and it something that can be mind opening when you understand the meaning of the theory. Especially since it deals with the loss of a loved one.

Of course, the book does have it's fun and sort-of cute moments that brightened up the story. From talking about random stuff to a conspiracy theory, there are bright happy moments where Ryn can feel happy.

There is romance in the story but it doesn't take up most of the plot. And it wasn't something like a love at first sight trope. Thank God because I cannot understand how someone can fall in love in 24 hours.



My only issue would have to be some misunderstandings Ryn and Xander. I hate it when these things happen because it can be easily fixed with honesty but as always, they don't tell the truth, creating unnecessary drama.

Verdict

The Chaos of Standing Still is a light contemporary with some dark moments. Even with those dark occasions, it's a good and fun read.

Thanks for reading my review!

-Cesar

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75*

I don't have time to read because I should be studying so I skimmed 2/3 of this book and only read the last 1/3 completely. It still took like 3 hours to read though. The story was pretty interesting.

The main character Ryn is grieving over her dead best friend Lottie and it took over her life. Ryn talks to Lottie in her head for the whole book. (I actually do this a lot with people I know, but they are not dead. I like it. I'm pretty sure it's not too weird.) There are also flashbacks to her and Lottie's friendship while she was still alive. I didn't really like Ryn or Lottie much. Ryn seems desperate and Lottie seems like an asshole. I know that the message of the story that Ryn needed to start living for herself, but still.

I didn't like the romance with Xander. (Xander is a stupid name too. I'm sorry that your name is Xander.) I thought they were pretty shit together. I guess it was ok for the story though. I'm glad I didn't read the whole book and only read the last 1/3. I hated her therapist. The therapist seemed useless and annoyed me.

I just read a review that kind of pissed me off so I just want to say Xander was a piece of shit too and not just Ryn and Lottie. His personality just rubs me the wrong way and he's annoying as his stupid name. I feel like he's supposed to be swoonworthy, but comes off as a try hard.

[Zainab · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooh this is the 100th book I've read this year! And I'm so happy it was this one! It was so friking cute!! I lovvvved it!! Exactly what I needed!

[Lindsay (pawsomereads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a rollercoaster wow!

This was super entertaining and cute yet sad at the same time and I had all the feels.

I loved this as a holiday book and it was a super quick read!!

[TS · Rating 2 out of 5]

the writing was ok, the plot was recycled, the romance was meh; this took me like 2 months to read if that's any indication on how I felt about this book

1.75 stars

[Jay G · Rating 4 out of 5]

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One year ago, Ryn's best friend, Lottie passed away. Since then, Ryn has been standing still, unable to move on from this tragic event in her life. On the eve of the one-year anniversary of Lottie's death, Ryn finds herself stranded in the airport where she meets a boy, who may just help her move on.

This book was both heart-wrenching and heart-warming all at once. I really liked how this book took place in the span of 24 hours. It was interesting to see the flashbacks, from before the accident to show the friendship between Ryn and Lottie. I loved watching Ryn come out of her grief as she continued her adventure with Xander and the rest of the people she met in the airport. I definitely liked Xander more as a main character than Ryn. I found it very hard to connect with Ryn and what she was going through, probably because I haven't lost anyone close to me. I liked the balance between the sad bits and bits of comic relief. I think the side characters were very quirky and fun. They were definitely my favourite parts of the story, to be honest.

One thing I wasn't the biggest fan of with this book was how unbalanced the friendship between Lottie and Ryn seemed to be. It seemed that Ryn relied solely on Lottie for her happiness, and it just rubbed me the wrong way at times.

[Carah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book about grief and moving on. I thought it was very realistic and the format worked so well for this book.... it was the perfect example of showing not telling, and it felt like you were grieving right along with the main character. What the character learned and discovered through out the grieving process was so important and incredibly well done.... and came together so great at the end. Not only that, the characters were amazing. They felt very fleshed out and unique to themselves. Did the main character feel a little dramatic and unlikeable at times? yes... But through grieving, its okay to not be perfectly likable all the time. This would make a great movie. Very John Green-esque

[Thamy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As my first book by Brody, I had no idea how it was going to be. I just didn't expect to like it so much.

Ryn lost her best friend almost a year ago and still hasn't found the right way to grieve. Instead, she holds on the one unread message in her phone and keeps searching for answers to every random question that pops up into her head. Stranded at the Denver Airport during a snow storm on the day before the first anniversary, she meets Xander and a parade of unique people. They seem to get the closest anyone has ever been to making her move on.

This was lovely, both funny and emotional. I don't have enough words to describe how much I connected with Ryn's situation. Some times, it felt like I had really lost my best friend. I think Brody's win was to really focus on this instead of the same-old "love can cure any hurt"—we do have a plethora of cute romantic scenes too, don't worry. But as I said, the story also had funny moments, lots of them. She knew how to insert each of these moments in a way the book felt at the same time hilarious and heartbreaking.

The side characters aren't very believable but the whole situation of being stuck at an airport on new Year's Eve is so unusual that you don't question the chances. Brody's writing contributes to the idea of being sent into a parallel dimension, and it's so much fun even I wanted to be in the middle!

The only character that really bothered me was Lottie. She was Ryn's best friend, killed in a car accident, but Ryn can still hear her speak only to her. My problem was with how much Ryn idealized Lottie. I know it's part of the intention, but I still find it too much. It took me a while to warm up to Lottie thanks to that.

The part with the conspiracy theories in the airport was also distracting, making me wonder why the author and even some kid prodigy would waste time on that.

Aside from that, I wish we had a little more about Xander. In the end, I was left with a feeling something lacked. He could have received more depth. Aside from that, he was an okay book boyfriend. Not my type but not one I would ever hate. I'd say many readers will like him, in fact.

This is very recommended for book clubs, since the themes on grieving and family might generate nice discussion.

So yes, I really liked this book. You can see by how trivial my complaints are. I'm sure fans of contemporary YA will fall in love. I believe it should also please who enjoyed Before I Fall and If I Stay, since the storytelling reminded me of those. Brody's style really got me so I'm looking forward to more of her works.

Review based on an ARC provided by Edelweiss. I also want to thank the publisher for giving me this opportunity.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ryn lost her best friend almost a year ago and she isn't coping well in the aftermath. After being stranded at the Denver Airport due to a raging blizzard, she spends twenty-four hours before the one day anniversary of Lottie's death reminiscing about the past, falling in love, finding new friends, and discovering that there is hope in moving on.

At first I felt sorry for Ryn losing her best friend, but during flashbacks we meet Lottie, and that made me wonder why Ryn was friends with her in the first place. Lottie was manipulative, self-centered, bossy, and impulsive. She regularly forced Ryn to do stuff she didn't want to do and always guilt tripped Ryn into acting as her compliance. Their friendship was toxic right from the beginning with everything revolving around Lottie. One prime example of Lottie's manipulative personality was ordering Ryn to apply for a summer job with her and then officially changing her name (from Kathryn to Ryn) and demanding she go by that name from now on. Ryn never had a backbone to stand up for herself whenever she unwillingly tagged around with Lottie (for instance, Lottie blackmailed her into shoplifting, not caring that Ryn didn't want to).

Lottie was a horrible, toxic person who only cared for herself. And while Ryn wandered the airport, she had conversations with Lottie (her brain talked back to her in Lottie's voice which made me wonder if she was schizophrenic). Even Lottie's voice in Ryn's head was bossy and narcissistic which made me confused on why Ryn remained friends with her for so long.

She met Xander right away and they fell in love by the next morning. Her new friend Siri was like Lottie, demanding, bossy, self-centered, and only thinking about herself and how Ryn could benefit her. Ryn pretty much was a self-centered child since she ignored every text her mother sent her asking if she was alright. Like Katniss in The Hunger Games, Ryn went off on tangents that had nothing to do with the story.

The synopsis made me interested, but upon reading I was very disappointed, mainly in the characters and the lack of development. I only finished because I was granted an ARC.

I received an ARC of The Chaos of Standing Still from Edelweiss.

[Danielle (Life of a Literary Nerd) · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Any system, if left unattended or isolated, will eventually result in entropy. Or chaos.”

This is the holiday contemporary you should reach for if you want more than just an adorable romance. Don’t get me wrong, it’s got that too, but The Chaos of Standing Still is all about friendship and healing and learning to move on when you’re desperately holding onto the past. The snowed-in airport was the perfect setting for the story, and we got to meet a lot of interesting characters. While there were some weird side plots, Illuminati airport conspiracy theory anyone? For the most part, this was a fun and heartfelt read that is perfect for this holiday season.

I received a copy of the book from Simon Pulse via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[&#x1f90d; Bookish Em &#x1f90d; · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Wanna hear something crazy?”

This book made me cry, laugh AND want to punch someone in the face, depending on the chapter. It is so well written and I was so deeply invested in the story from start to finish.

I’m not rewriting a synopsis for this one. Just read it. Trust me, it will hold on to your heart from the very first sentence until you turn the last page.

5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


✨

[Dayle (the literary llama) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

QUICK NOTES: I must admit that I have a fondness for stories that take place in an airport. Although, besides the Tom Hanks movie, Terminal, I'm having a hard time coming up with a few examples right this very second. But that's neither here nor there! The fact is, airport settings make me want to read (we could analyze that but that's not why you're here so let's move on).

So we start with an airport (DIA, which I loathe...nothing against Denver, I just don't like your airport...once again, I'm off topic). Add in a teenage girl with survivor's remorse and anxiety, a seemingly care-free guy with secrets looming, and top it all off with a blizzard. The result is a deeply touching story filled with hijinks and humor, thanks to a colorful and unruly secondary cast.

It should also be noted that I really enjoy stories of grief and all it’s stages. I love the depth that the characters are written in and through. When it’s well written, like this one is, it’s beautiful. And luckily, though the characters were trapped in an airport, there were so many places to explore and take those characters, and not just in a physical sense. The airport afforded so many growth opportunities.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend!

[Heba (Heba Land) · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the stars in the world 😍

“Grirf changes the way you see things forever. Because it changes you forever ”

This is the best contemporary book i have ever read in my entire life 💕 it is the second book that made me cry this year and actually i don't cry while reading any book but this book was incredibly heartbreaking and beautiful bravo jessica Brody you are a genius persone to wrote this 24 hours sitting book in a very pretty way 😍

[amara ☾ · Rating 1 out of 5]

The characters were annoying. And if I have to listen to them whine for another second longer, I will punch a bitch, good sir.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Apologies if this review is all over the place. In honor of this New Years-themed read, I'm writing this review while watching New Year's Eve TV specials...

I read this because I needed a fun New Years-themed book to end my reading year with, and I'd heard great things about this book, particularly from someone I follow in the book community who raved about it. Unfortunately... I really didn't think this book was exceptional. It was very much a typical cheesy YA contemporary with sub-par writing, even with the theme of grief interwoven.

This is another example of a book where I love the concept of the book—being snowed in at an airport on New Year's Eve—but something about the story just didn't sell it for me, and I think a big part of why I didn't like this book was that I couldn't stand Ryn as a character. I just find her to be so, so annoying and she comes across as really immature a lot of the time: in how she handles situations, in how she tries and fails to think logically... And I get it, I get it. She's gone through something incredibly traumatic. Of course she isn't going to be thinking right. Of course she's going to do things that make me want to shake her because she isn't at all in a great headspace and you can't tell someone that there's a wrong way to grieve. But even with all of that, I still can't help but think that she acts so much more immature than she should be. She's, what? 17 or 18 in this book? But she literally acts like she's twelve years old.

I know this is a symptom of her grieving process and it has a larger significance in the novel, but I'm sorry, I couldn't stand how she constantly needed to Google search random questions into her phone every two seconds—it's just fucking stupid. Not to mention how scarily obsessed she is with her phone in general to the point where she freaking screams like a child having a tantrum any time someone even tries to take it from her. Regardless of how annoying she is though, she still ends up meeting a boy, Xander, who can't help falling in love with her because he likes everything about her, which is perhaps the biggest puzzle of all, because she's honestly the most unlikable person imaginable. Seriously, I'm going through the whole novel trying to piece together what this boy sees in her and I'm really stumped; I mean, she's not exactly a fun girl. She literally spends the whole novel dismissing every fun idea or adventure that Xander has, resists him at every turn, is pouty and irritable toward him, lashes out childly... I'm sorry, where are you seeing this girl who's so interesting and irresistible??

Even taking the grief of Lottie's death out of the equation, Ryn still isn't even a remotely interesting person in the shadow of Lottie, which leads to two issues I had with this novel:

1. I really didn't like how Ryn was so, SO dependent on Lottie. I get that that's part of the issue she has to confront in the novel, but it sort of just reveals how weak and boring of a character she is if she has to have Lottie as a crutch for the entire novel, to the point where Lottie subsumes her entire existence and Ryn doesn't know how to live or BE without Lottie. So she just doesn't have any identity at all? She's just an amorphous blob without Lottie?

2. For how much this novel tried to convince me how amazing Lottie was, I really didn't find her so great. It's so typical and I feel like I've seen this SO many times in YA contemporaries: the gorgeous, rebellious best friend who always captures everyone's attention and is just effortlessly cool in every way. Think Allison from Pretty Little Liars. Everyone gushes to you about how perfect this person was, but the more they tell you, the more you start thinking, "...Is this person really all that?" It partly goes back to good writing: if you really have to spend the entire novel trying to sell this character to me on how great she was, that's sort of saying something. Great writing is simply writing the character and letting me figure it out for myself. In this case, I found Lottie such a carbon copy of every "cool/glamorous" best friend trope, not to mention she's incredibly reckless, flighty, and not very clear-headed. Oh, but that's just Lottie! That just makes her who she is! There's even a ridiculous scene where Lottie drags Ryn to play poker in an underground poker joint, and not only is it honestly something out of a really bad, cliche movie scene (Lottie even says "See you boys next time!" after collecting her winnings... ugh) but it's just entire pages gushing about how effortlessly perfect Lottie is:

"Lottie ended up winning over six hundred dollars that night. It turned out she was a natural at poker. Not that I was surprised. Lottie was a natural at most things. It also probably didn't hurt that she blatantly flirted with every guy she was in a hand with. I watched her convince a six-foot-four dude with multiple piercings that her crappy two-seven offsuit was something to be afraid of simply by the way she pursed her lips as she bluffed up the pot. It seemed like regardless of which cards she was dealt—rags, pocket aces, high kickers, low kickers—it never mattered. She always won. Just like in life."

... Like, really? Reeeeeally? Is she really just that amazing? For some reason, I'm just not buying it...

Other things
-- This book also happens to have one of my least—least—favorite tropes of all time: a character who acts so much older than they realistically should, to the point of coming across as obnoxiously pretentious. I sometimes call it the John Green Effect. There's a character in the book, Troy, who's a child prodigy of sorts. And I swear to god, his whole existence is one big eye roll. Every time he speaks I just want to grown inwardly, because his dialogue is so over-the-top and similar to Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, which, I'm sorry, is just too much for me. I don't find that realistic to everyday life at all, no matter how smart you are. No one talks like this Here's just a lovely example:

"Oh, come on! the boy yells. "This is preposterous!"
"This is the perfect example of common sense tripping over the frivolity of bureaucratic red tape... I am fully capable of using the lavatory myself!"

Again: no one talks like this. It just comes across as so cliche and I can't take any character seriously who talks like this.

-- Uggggh, for the love of god, it is 2018: We are too far progressed to still be using words like "crazy super slut" in YA novels, especially for an entire page straight. Yeeeah. This is that kind of novel.

-- Another detail that kept popping up and annoying me was the how the author kept describing Lottie's brain splattered across the dashboard or over the clock stuck at 10:05 a.m. Over. And over. And over again. Yes, I totally get why this description is powerful, I get how visceral and raw and heartbreaking this description is. But the beauty of it is, you only need to write it once for it to leave an impact. The problem is, the author kept relying on this description so many times, it eventually lost its significance and intensity. After a while, it just becomes repetitive and lazy writing.
* * *

Final Thoughts: Again, the concept of this novel seemed really fun and promising, but I was really let down by this, especially with how much it was hyped by certain people (*cough*) At the end of the day, this was just a very mediocre YA contemporary with immature teenagers who brought this entire book down. What a disappointing note to end my 2018 reading on!

[Sylvie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 stars

Overall I found this book average. I had fun with it but a fast-read athis was a bit too lot of chapters, because I was bored with it also this was a bit too long, but I'm not surprised because whichever Jessica Brody book that I read tend to be quite long for a ya contemporary.

What I've written below may be spoiler-y. Just sayin'
However, there was a scene where Xander (the 2nd main character) sang 'Eternal Flame' by the Bangles to Ryn (the main character) in a restaurant and that part made me extremely giddy and happy. The best part of the book, if you ask me.

[mads · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW: blood, car accident, death, grief, infidelity, panic attacks/disorders, vomit.

I enjoyed this overall, but man that was a lackluster ending.

[Jessy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich glaube ich muss meine Buch Ratings nochmal überdenken, weil ich gefühlt immer nur 3 Sterne Ratings gebe. Ich stand bei dem Buch zwischen 2 und 3 Sternen.

Story:
Die Story hatte eigentlich Potenzial. Ein Mädchen, was den loss von ihrer besten Freundin grieved (mehr oder weniger) sitzt am Flughafen fest und trifft auf n Jungen, der ihr helfen wird aus dem Loch rauszukommen. Aber irgendwie muss ich sagen war das alles jetzt nicht so meins. Es ging damit los, dass sie die beiden ihr Handy vertauscht haben und sich so kennengelernt haben und dann sind sie zusammen Essen gegangen, nachdem sie erst abgelehnt hat. Die haben sich zu Beginn auch nicht mit deren echten Namen vorgestellt sondern hatten made up names was n bisschen komisch war (considering das deren Namen Reginald Schwarzenegger und Vegina Starbucks war). Dann haben die train Surfing gemacht und wurden von der Airport Police eingenommen for questioning, dann haben sie andere Leute kennengelernt und auf einmal mussten sie ne Silvester Party planen... Es ist irgendwie so viel passiert was eigentlich Sinn macht, weil n ganzes Buch gefüllt werden muss und die time Frame in der das Buch spielt halt Silvester ist und alle Leute aufgrund eines Schneesturms am Denver Airport feststecken und nicht wirklich viel anderes zu tun hatten, aber irgendwie haben sich die ganzen Events nicht so geschmeidig und richtig angefühlt.
Ich muss aber sagen, dass mir der ganze grieving Prozess von Ryn n bisschen schnell ging dafür, dass sie ein ganzes Jahr lang passiv gelebt hat, aber dann an in einer Nacht gelernt hat, dass sie auch ohne Lottie weiterleben muss. Die ganzen ersten 350 Seiten gehen einfach darum wie Ryn Lottie vermisst und ohne sie nicht leben kann und sie keine eigene Person ist ohne Lottie und dann in den letzten 50 Seiten auf einmal kriegt sie ne Erleuchtung, hört auf Lottie zu halluzinieren, wird gefühlt auf einmal zum Philosophen und spricht ne ganze Ansage an sich selbst, dass Lottie und sie sich gegenseitig gerettet haben und kommt mit Xander zusammen, obwohl sie die ganze Zeit nicht wollte und denied hat, dass sie ihn überhaupt mag.

Charaktere:
Die Namen von den Charakteren haben mich so gestört einfach. Der MC hieß Ryn (von Kathryn) und ihre beste Freundin hieß Lottie. Idk ob das nur ich bin aber ich mochte die Namen nicht so gerne und so oft wie die Namen geschrieben im Buch war das nervig zu lesen. Der love interest hieß Xander was ig n okay-ish Name ist. Das eine Mädchen, welches die beiden kennenlernen am Flughafen heißt einfach SIRI?? Das so ein komischer Name (no offense an alle die Siri heißen).

Ryn war so obsessed mit ihrer besten Freundin zu dem Punkt, wo ich wirklich dachte, dass das einzige was interessant war an ihrem Leben Lottie war. Was ziemlich traurig ist und bisschen unvorteilhaft, weil Lottie gestorben ist und sie noch lebt, aber alleine ja komplett langweilig ist. Ryn sagt die ganze Zeit immer von sich aus wie Lottie das "Licht in ihrem Leben" war oder dass Lottie "die Lustige" war und sie nur lustig war, wenn Lottie n Witz gemacht hat und sie zu dem Witz adden konnte. Ryn lebt gar nicht mehr ihr eigenes Leben zum Punkt, wo sie anfängt Lottie zu halluzinieren, obwohl sie selbst lebt und Lottie tot ist, nur damit sie noch mit Lottie reden kann.
Sie hat auch noch die eine letzte Nachricht, die Lottie ihr vor ihrem Tod geschrieben hat nicht gelesen, weil sie nicht will, dass Lottie endgültig weg ist. Im Buch wird die ganze Zeit diese 1 gementioned, die Ryn sieht und dann relieved ist, weil sie so sehr an dieser Nachricht hängt, aber ich konnte jedes Mal nur daran denken wie ich die Nachricht sofort lesen würde, damit die 1 da wegkommt. (UND AM ENDE HAT XANDER DIE NACHRICHT EINFACH AUS VERSEHEN GELÖSCHT JUNGE. als ich das gelesen habe wollte ich legit noch nie so sehr einen Charakter schlagen. Am Ende stellt sich zwar heraus, dass er sich noch an Lottie Nachricht erinnert und Ryn erfährt was Lottie ihr als letztes geschrieben hat, aber in dem Moment war ich echt am Ende mit meinen Nerven.)
Ryn konnte sich auch gar nicht so öffnen und neue Leute kennenlernen und ihr first encounter mit Xander hat mich richtig gestört, weil sie so ohne Grund grumpy war, obwohl Xander voll lieb und freundlich zu ihr war dafür, dass nicht nur ihr Handy vertauscht war sondern seins halt auch.

Was noch viel schlimmer ist im Buch, ist einfach, dass Lottie nicht mal ne gute Freundin war. Sie war so ein unfassbar schlechter Einfluss auf Ryn: Sie hat sie dazu ermutigt zu klauen, weil der Lippenstift ja "eh nur $5 wert ist und deswegen eig fast nichts ist" oder hat Ryn mit zu Underground Poker games geschleppt, weil sie Poker spielen lernen wollte, obwohl die Orte absolut Sketchy waren und Ryn mehrmals gesagt hat sie fühlt sich nicht wohl. Das war so ne richtig einseitige Freundschaft, wo die ganze Zeit das gemacht wurde was Lottie gesagt hat und Ryn hat sich gefügt, weil sonst nichts interessantes in ihrem Leben war.

Kommen wir zum love interest für Ryn: Xander. Ich hab das Gefühl die Autorin hat so versucht depth in die Charaktere zu bringen, aber es hat nicht so wirklich funktioniert. Xander hat einfach so ne große Sache daraus gemacht wer seine Eltern sind, dabei ist das eig so irrelevant gewesen. Nur weil seine Eltern weltbekannte Psychologen sind wollte er das vor Ryn verheimlichen und fand es dann richtig schlimm als sie es erfahren hat was so ???? dumm war. Er war zum Teil so richtig abenteuerlustig und fröhlich drauf, aber dann als er so von seiner Story, wie er von der Schule geflogen ist erzählt hat, war er richtig auf Krampf so "mein Leben ist voll schwer und niemand versteht mich". Xander hat auch teilweise so unangenehme Sachen gemacht wie um 3 Uhr morgens im Flughafen McDonalds ein Lied performt für Ryn und dafür kriegt er einen *sigh* kiss von Ryn ey *barf* wie fucking unangenehm. Da hätte ich mich ja mal so schnell vom Acker gemacht wäre ich Ryn, sag ich SO wies ist.

Siri war ein Mädchen was am Flughafen arbeitet und Xander und Ryn kennenlernt und danach die große Silvester Party geplant hat. Sie hat Ryn als "Mopey girl" bezeichnet und Ryn hat sich offended gefühlt, aber (ich bin ehrlich) wäre ich Ryn über den Weg gelaufen hätte ich sie nicht nur Mopey genannt, die war anders depressed und grumpy. Weiß nicht wieso Siri sich mit ihr angefreundet hat. Gegen Mitte des Buches hat Siri das Handy von Ryn weggenommen, um die Feier zu planen und es hat mich so anxious gemacht die ganze Zeit, dass Ryn ihr Handy nicht mehr hatte und Siri wollte es auch so richtig nervig nicht zurück geben ey.

Schreibweise:
Mir hat eigentlich gut gefallen, wie das Buch geschrieben wurde. Man konnte es richtig schnell lesen und war auch nicht schwer zu verstehen: easy read. Was mich aber ein bisschen gestört hat war, dass die ganze Zeit so infinity Zeichen zwischen einzelnen Paragraphen waren und dann gab es so Zeitsprünge.
Bsp.
es wird von Ryn in der Gegenwart erzählt, wie sie am Flughafen ist, was sie macht blabla
*infinity Zeichen*
Es wird von einem Erlebnis von Ryn und Lottie erzählt und wie die beiden halt beste Freundinnen geworden sind blabla.

Da musste man dann immer aufpassen in was für eine Zeit es spielt (was nicht so kompliziert jetzt war), aber manchmal wollte man wissen was als nächstes passiert in dem einen bestimmten Teil, aber musste erst mal die langweiligere Vorgeschichte oder die Gegenwart lesen. Da finde ich hätte man manche Teile einfach zusammen fügen können, damit länger der eine andere Part erzählt wird.

Insgesamt fand ich das Buch also durchaus okay (auch wenn ich jetzt so viel geschrieben habe was mich genervt hat, aber die guten Sachen, idk kann ich nicht so viel zu sagen, wie bei den nervigen sachen oops) und man konnte es schnell durchlesen. Ich glaube dadurch, dass das Buch an Silvester spielt und ich es ungefähr in dem Zeitraum gelesen habe, hat es das Buch noch n bisschen besser gemacht.

[Kristi Housman Confessions of a YA Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm kind of surprised how much I liked this book and how much it made me feel. The whole book takes place in one day, but there are flashbacks. But so much happens in that single day.

Ryn hasn't been able to live a happy life since her best friend, Lottie, died almost one year ago. Ryn is flying home and needs to be there before 10:05 am, the time Lottie was killed. But the Denver weather had other ideas and she is stuck at the airport with no where to go.

Xander is heading to visit his parents in Miami when he runs into Ryn. Actually, she falls into him, and they accidentally swap phones. This little moment in a day changes everything for both of them.

Ryn and Xander end up spending the entire night having adventures around the airport. Ryn is hesitant for most of it, but something about Xander makes her feel alive. But Lottie is still on her mind (she actually talks to Ryn inside her head). She can't get the last message Lottie sent out of her mind. She refuses to read it, thinking that once it's gone, Lottie is really gone, too.

Ryn and Xander meet others in the airport and some of those characters really made the story for me. Especially Siri and Troy. Siri helped break up some of the tension and Troy was just an interesting character. I loved when Ryn went with him to explore the conspiracies of the airport.

While I loved the growing relationship with Ryn and Xander, I really loved how they both helped each other without even really trying. I also really liked all the backstory. While it was obvious to the reader that Lottie wasn't a perfect person, Ryn just had a hard time letting that image of her friend go. Ryn didn't know who she was without Lottie. She thought Lottie made her who she was, improved her. But Ryn didn't see how damaged Lottie was and that she needed Ryn just as much.

There were so many emotions that Ryn went through and everything felt very real to me.

I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher.

[Rahma · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars. Definitely a new favourite!

The Chaos Of Standing Still is a well-written, surprisingly funny story about Ryn trying to grieve her best friend’s death. It takes place over the course of one day, when Ryn gets stuck in an airport during a layover because of an unprecedented snow storm.

I always love it when I pick up a book on impulse and end up loving it that much!
This book was funny, honest, and sad, all at the same time.
The main character, Ryn, was highly complex and extremely relatable. Xander was funny and outgoing, which smartly balances out Ryn’s reserved nature and wry sense of humour. The side characters (Troy, Siri, Jimmy) were also a very welcome addition to the story.
The writing is excellent, definitely my favourite type of writing (with a lot of metaphors that actually make sense).
The plot was also well-done. Not that much happens, but it was still a fun ride, full of equally as many laughs as tears. And the flashbacks were as interesting as the actual present events, which isn’t easy to achieve (flashbacks are usually very bland in my opinion).
The only reason I gave it a 4.75-rating is the occasional errors that were apparently not caught during editing, which took me out of the story a number of times, but I got immediately sucked back right in, so it wasn’t that bothersome.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially if you enjoy YA contemporaries that deal with heavy subject matter.

[Tapasya · Rating 3 out of 5]

So Kathryn is drowning in sadness since an accident took her friends life one year back. She has one unread message in her phone. It's the last message received from her friend before she died. She hasn't opened it. Its New Year's Eve and she is traveling to Atlanta to San Francisco via Denver. But unfortunately she gets stranded at Denver Airport due to Heavy Snowstorm. There she meets Xander, with whom she accidentally swap phones. There are also some other interesting side characters.

So basically what her therapist couldn't do in the whole year is been done in these two days. She lets go the feeling of guilt. She finally reads the unread message. I honestly kept reading this book due to the unread message mystery. The beginning was awesome and intriguing. But later the story kind of dragged. It even got to the point that I started skimming. The flashbacks with her friend was uninteresting. I honestly hated that so called friend. Overall, it was good, but not as amazing as I thought it would've been by the end of the book

If you want a light winter read, then you can check this out.