November 24, 2014: 'The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight'

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Date: November 24, 2014

Spoilers Ahead

Headline
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Jennifer E Smith

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

City Calendar:
This is what happened during the week.
Hadley misses her flight. She meets Oliver. Oliver and Hadley have lunch together. They get on the plane with Hadley going first. They talk about different things while they sit next to each other. They talk about marriage. Hadley finds a book from her dad. She reads a line her dad underlined. They both sleep. They wake up and talk some more. They almost kiss by the bathrooms. Hadley sleeps again. They land. Hadley and Oliver kiss by customs. They separate. Hadley gets to the chapel on time. She sees her dad get married. She finds out there is a funeral where Oliver said he was going. She finds the funeral and finds Oliver who is at his father's funeral. They kiss before Hadley leaves and sees Oliver with his ex-girlfriend. She goes back to the reception. She has a father-daughter dance with her dad. She goes outside and calls her mom. She sees Oliver waiting outside. They kiss. They go inside and dance.
And that's what happened this week.

Personal Ads:
Hadley.
American girl. Seventeen. On bad terms with Dad. A bit of a reader. Dreamer. Doesn't believe in marriage. Ends up with Oliver at the end. Doesn't want to go to her father's wedding. Loves her mother.

Oliver.
British boy. College guy. Funny. Knowledgable. Goes to his father's funeral. A bit of an artist. Ends up with Hadley. Has three older brothers. Goes to Yale.

Opinions:
I don't see why everyone loves this series. It is just okay with me. Just okay.
I like some of the quotes. These teenagers are quite smart. They aren't Augustus Waters. Which is actually good for me. They have nice quotes. They mean some things. They aren't the best, though. They're just endearing enough.
I also like how it has family as well. It isn't just romance. It's Hadley trying to come terms with her father moving on. She has to fight her first instinct  and what she finds out about her family. Family is an important thing. It isn't just romance between a couple. It's family. Blood before water, right?
The question that I have formed from this book is: what is love? I don't know. I don't think I'll ever know. It's confusing. It's complicated. And is love at first sight real? Another question. It makes me think. More than I usually do about love.
I don't like a lot more than I like. This book isn't a favorite book of mine. I don't see why everyone likes it so much.
I don't like the characters. They don't have much depth. They make lame jokes. They don't have much to their name. Hadley is boring. She doesn't change much. She starts as a single girl who hates her dad. And ends as a maybe-not-single girl who understands her dad better. She doesn't have an epiphany. She stays the same really. I prefer when the character realizes something major. Sure. She understands her dad, but that isn't a major change. Oliver is just...okay. He makes odd jokes. Awkward in a way. I don't particularly like these characters. Some might love him. British. College guy. Those might be enough for some people. But I prefer dark and mysterious characters.
I also don't like the rushed romance. They met only a day ago. Where does the romance form? I can't tell. If you look, as I say later on, they don't talk too much. Where is the chemistry? I know that the chemistry can be there even if I don't see the reason why the romance forms. But this book doesn't have the chemistry. They flirt for a bit. That isn't enough. Not enough for a full on relationship. Running away from the wedding to meet a guy? Why? Did he really make the best impression? Wow.
The romance seems slightly impossible. Love at first sight isn't something I believe in. I don't see why they have to kiss so soon. I feel like physical looks is part of this. Not entirely just romance. If you look at it, they have only a few parts of dialogue. And their conversations aren't with much depth. Marriage. The weather. Ducks. They just jump in and start kissing. Physical attraction. I can just tell.

Weather:
Cloudy with a 80% chance of rain
2/5