REVIEW – THE GEOGRAPHY OF YOU AND ME by Jennifer E. Smith

Posted April 21, 2014 by Emma in Blog / 21 Comments

The Geography of You and Me
by Jennifer E. Smith
Publisher – Headline
Release Date – April 10th 2014
Buy – Amazon | Book Depository

Owen lives in the basement. Lucy lives on the 24th floor. But when the power goes out in the midst of a New York heatwave, they find themselves together for the first time: stuck in a lift between the 10th and 11th floors. As they await help, they start talking…

The brief time they spend together leaves a mark. And as their lives take them to Edinburgh and San Francisco, to Prague and to Portland they can’t shake the memory of the time they shared. Postcards cross the globe when they themselves can’t, as Owen and Lucy experience the joy – and pain – of first love.

And as they make their separate journeys in search of home, they discover that sometimes it is a person rather than a place that anchors you most in the world.

“And the geography of the thing – the geography of them – was completely and hopelessly wrong”

I have enjoyed Jennifer’s books for ages now, especially last year’s This is What Happy Looks Like. Even though they are long titles, they have a quirkiness to them that I just adore. The Geography of You and Me is as it goes. When New York has a state blackout, Lucy and Owen are coincidentally stuck in a elevator at the time. With 24 floors between them, they have only really seen each other in passing. With Lucy’s parents away in Paris and Owen’s father taking the day off, they are stuck with each other… They never really thought that they would spend a night on the top of the roof both watching the stars until they slept.  When Owen’s father is fired from his job they take the unexpected to leap to travel around state to state, trying to find work and a house. While, Lucy is said to move to Edinburgh with her parents, after her dad’s promotion. With each on opposite sides of the Earth, how would they communicate with each and will their friendship or relationship blossom or disappear?

Lucy is your average teenager, getting by school but with a passion for travelling and truly seeing what a place has to offer. So when her parents are constantly traveling due to work, she is left to the space of her own apartment. In the past it was different, she had her brothers, but now they have flown the nest and have gone off to university. Lucy is lonely, she has acquaintances, never friends, she walks the sights of New York by herself, and chats endlessly to the doorman, George. So when she is stuck in this hot elevator with a boy, she has only seen once, that space of half an hour, her life will never be so different.

However, Owen is the same but in his own way. After his mother passed on, his dad and himself sold the house and took a job offer in New York. He kept to himself and saw everything as nothing. He wanted to go ‘Somewhere’ rather than ‘Nowhere’. He wanted to be home… But when he met Lucy, things started to look up and that unnerved him more than ever. Owen and Lucy don’t share a long distance relationship but a global love story. From New York to London, from state to state, country to country they would communicate through a postcard, a personal touch that they would only know.

“We are a pair of idiots together.”

The Geography of You and Me is a very personal read for me and it hit all the right buttons. Jennifer E. Smith has created an original version of a contemporary, through original concepts that are so memorable that people forget the nature of a pen to paper or a pen to postcard. Ever since I was a little girl, my family and my friends would always send me postcards from all over the world, from when they traveled. That tradition for me hasn’t changed even now as an adult, I keep all my postcards in a collection. A postcard isn’t just a card with a picture, it’s a piece of themselves sent a miles away and that’s what Jennifer captured in her latest novel.

Overall, what I enjoyed the most is Jennifer’s writing, it’s addictive, flawless, simple and creates all the right emotions. I connected with the characters easily and was completely captivated by Owen’s and Lucy’s relationship. I would say that this is one of Jennifer’s best contemporaries and I look forward to more of her loving adventures.

Rating – 5

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21 responses to “REVIEW – THE GEOGRAPHY OF YOU AND ME by Jennifer E. Smith”

  1. Siiri

    I love the sound of these characters and I'm so happy that you enjoyed this, Emma! Ha! One of my best friends sent me a postcard from Italy for Valentine's Day and it arrived like 2 months later, but was still such a great surprise 🙂 I miss sending actual letters and cards. Gorgeous review, hon!

    • admin

      The characters were brilliant. I think for me the whole concept of postcards between each other is just so lovely. I loved it! I can't wait for you to read this one Siiri! Thank you, my friend! 🙂

  2. Amanda Gray

    I could not have agreed more with this review! When I read this early, I knew people would love it, it's too beautiful not to. The writing, the characters, the romance, it's all so damned adorable, and Smith has a way of writing one of those slow burn realisation romances, and has proven she can do it anywhere, over any time, with anyone. Marvelous woman of many writing talents! Fantastic review Emma! 🙂

    • admin

      Everything was spot on! It was so cute, and I devoured it in like two days. It's definitely one of Jennifer's best romances to date. It was slow and steady, not in your face romance if that makes sense. Thank you Amanda! So glad you enjoyed it too!

  3. Jenny

    YAY EMMA!!!! I was so hoping this would get a high rating from you, it's been getting pretty mixed reviews but I still really want to read it. How awesome that you and your family still exchange postcards when traveling, I'm jealous. I vow to send a postcard home to my parents the next time we travel. So much better than shooting them an email from the hotel's computer 😉 Can't wait to read this!

    • admin

      I can't wait for you to read it too! I've loved all of her books recently and this one is her highlighted novel so far. Sending a postcard is so original and different, that I love doing it. I hope you get to read this soon. Thanks Jenny! 🙂

  4. Anonymous

    I'm so happy you enjoyed this one because i need to get my hands on it immediately! i LOVE how you described it as being a "global love story" and find that it fits so perfectly! great review Emma! You make me want the book even more!
    Lily @ Lilysbookblog

    • admin

      It's brilliant! I love the covers and titles, it certainly one to pick up straight away, that what I was like when I first started her books. I think 'Global love story' will be my tag line for this book. Hope you get to read this soon, Lily! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

  5. Keertana

    I'm so glad you enjoyed this one, Emma! I adored The Probability of Love at First Sight but haven't read any of her recent reads. I hope to get to them soon, though! Fantastic review. 🙂

    • admin

      I didn't read hers in order. I loved This is What Happy Looks Like and that sparked my interest in her books straight away. I loved it! I would recommend this one definitely. Thanks Keertana!

  6. Rachel

    I do love stories where a couple is stuck together and forced to get to know each other. This sounds lovely with the exchanging of postcards as a way of keeping touch. Lovely review, Emma!

    • admin

      Me too! I knew I was going to like it from the beginning. Postcards is definitely an original and refreshing way to communicate each other. Thank you, Rachel!

    • admin

      I don't think I read enough long distance romances before, but I love the premise of travelling romances like this one. I hope you get to read this one soon, Jeann, I would definitely recommend it! 🙂 Enjoy and Thank you!

  8. cloveryness

    I always feel really bad when I see a review of this book as I started reading it awhile back, got distracted by something else and then never finished reading this. Should really get on that!

    • admin

      I would so urge you to finish the book, its brilliant. It won't disappoint. But it is horrible when you get distracted. I know what you mean! Hope you finish it soon. I'll look forward to what you think!

  9. Jasprit

    I'm thrilled to know that you enjoyed this story Emma! I started it the other day, but just keep getting distracted by other books, yours is the second five star review I've read from a blogger whose opinion I highly trust, so will certainly make more time for the book. Gorgeous review!

    • admin

      I really did. I hope you do get around to finishing this one Jasprit. It's one of her best books. Thank you Jasprit!

  10. Aman

    I'm currently reading this and I have to say, I'm not getting the same feels as you did, Emma. I'm still hoping that it ends up being a 5 star for me too like Jennifer E Smith's previous reads. The one thing I really like so far are the postcards. I've never received a postcard but just the thought of it is so cute. Thanks for sharing your postcard story 🙂

    • admin

      Oh no. I'm sorry to hear that Aman. I hope it picks up for you in the end. I think the postcards was definitely a highlight of mine rather than the characters at times. Thanks for stopping by!