The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith, Paperback

Publishers Weekly

02/17/2014
Owen and Lucy meet when they get stuck in a New York City elevator during a widespread power outage. They quickly connect, spending an intimate (but chaste) night looking at stars from the roof of their building. When the electricity returns, so do real-life complications: Owen and his father, devastated by his mother’s recent death, decide to drive west for a fresh start; meanwhile, Lucy moves to Scotland for her father’s work. At first, they stay in touch—Owen mails sweet postcards, and Lucy sends “slightly rambling” emails—but they begin to doubt the strength of their connection (“How long could a single night really be expected to last?” Lucy wonders). Smith (This Is What Happy Looks Like) has written a sweet, moody story that can also be deeply heartbreaking, as when Owen and his father return to pack up their old house, only to find “the real measures of the lives here were now well and truly gone.” There are plenty of romantic sigh-worthy moments, too, but it’s Owen and Lucy’s individual journeys that really hit home. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jennifer Joel, ICM. (Apr.)

From the Publisher

Praise for The Geography of You and Me:
A VOYA Perfect Tens 2014 Selection
A YALSA 2015 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers Selection
A YALSA 2015 Teens Top Ten Nominee

• "The meet-cute master behind The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and This Is What Happy Looks Like delivers her best book yet, a straightforward, old-fashioned swoon-fest that, in another time, would be a film starring Audrey Hepburn."—Booklist, starred review

* "Fans of Smith's previous works, namely The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, and other love stories like John Green's The Fault in Our Stars and David Levithan's Every Day will like this novel, which is a similar combination of head and heart...A welcome addition to any library."—VOYA, starred review

"A heart-shaking exploration of a fragile long-distance relationship...Deftly romantic and anchored in an age when the Internet has made long distance a much more familiar concept for teenagers, this is a fantastic story."—Vanity Fair

"Truth about love always gets our attention, and this book will catch readers'."—Kirkus Reviews

"Fans of Sarah Dessen, Elizabeth Eulberg, and Susane Colasanti will enjoy Smith's latest meet-cute romance."—SLJ

"Smith has written a sweet, moody story that can also be deeply heartbreaking...There are plenty of romantic sigh-worthy moments, too, but it's Owen and Lucy's individual journeys that really hit home."—Publishers Weekly

"Smith captures the romantic sparks that fly in unusual situations and the way love can build even when circumstances keep people apart. If you like your romances with a bit of European adventure, some New York glamour, and a lot of honest heart, this one's for you."—E. Lockhart, author of The Boyfriend List and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

"The greatest space between two people is measured in emotions, not miles. The Geography of You and Me is a true, tender long-distance love story guaranteed to strike a resonant chord in hopeful romantics everywhere."—Megan McCafferty, bestselling author of the Jessica Darling series and Bumped

"Jennifer E. Smith represents the absolute best in YA writing, and readers will carry this poignant love story in their hearts long after the last sentence is read."—Susane Colasanti, bestselling author of When It Happens

"The Geography of You and Me is a magic, magic book. It will take you to a place where we all want to live, where true love overcomes any distance."—Huntley Fitzpatrick, author of My Life Next Door and What I Thought Was True

"If it was just a travel story or just a love story, The Geography of You and Me would still be perfect, but it's both and more. I loved this book!"—Lauren Morrill, author of Meant to Be and Being Sloane Jacobs

Lauren Morrill

"If it was just a travel story or just a love story, The Geography of You and Me would still be perfect, but it's both and more. I loved this book!"

Susane Colasanti

"Jennifer E. Smith represents the absolute best in YA writing, and readers will carry this poignant love story in their hearts long after the last sentence is read."

Huntley Fitzpatrick

"The Geography of You and Me is a magic, magic book. It will take you to a place where we all want to live, where true love overcomes any distance."

E. Lockhart

Megan McCafferty

starred review Booklist

* "The meet-cute master behind The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and This Is What Happy Looks Like delivers her best book yet, a straightforward, old-fashioned swoon-fest that, in another time, would be a film starring Audrey Hepburn."

Children's Literature - Heidi Hauser Green

When a blackout occurs, the elevator stops. Lucy, a long-time resident of an apartment on the twenty-fourth floor, and Owen, a new resident of the basement-level building superintendent’s apartment, are stranded. A kinship forms and, after their rescue, they spend a memorable night together in the city’s darkened streets and on their building’s rooftop. Falling asleep beneath a canopy of stars—celestial bodies generally not visible due to New York City’s bright lights—they each feel a sense of happiness. But the next day lacks the same magic. Owen’s dad has walked back from Coney Island; when Owen finds him, he is severely dehydrated, and the teen spends the day nursing him back to health. As soon as the power is back on, Lucy’s parents summon her to London. They are barely reunited at the apartment a week later when Owen is headed west with his dad, while Lucy is flying to Scotland. As Owen wanders across the western United States and Lucy moves throughout Europe, what will happen to their blossoming romance? Jennifer E. Smith presents a moving romantic tale of love ignited, disrupted and—dare we hope—rekindled. Readers will enjoy this heartfelt story of love lost and found. Those who want more can look for Smith’s The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. Reviewer: Heidi Hauser Green; Ages 12 up.

VOYA, June 2014 (Vol. 37, No. 2) - Kate Neff

Lucy and Owen meet one fateful afternoon in New York City when all the power goes off; they are then split apart abruptly afterward when Lucy’s family moves to Scotland and Owen and his father embark on a cross-county journey to find a new home. While Lucy is well-to-do and has parents who love her but do not show it in the traditional sense, Owen and his father have plenty of love between them but are grieving the recent loss of Owen’s mother. Although they come from very different backgrounds and only have one night together, the two find themselves attracted to each other like magnets, no matter where they end up on the globe. Lucy jumps from Scotland to London, and Owen travels from Chicago to Seattle, but their affections never wear thin, despite one upsetting meeting they have in San Francisco. Fans of Smith’s previous works, namely The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight (Little, Brown, 2012/Voya February 2012), and other love stories like John Green’s The Fault In Our Stars (Penguin, 2012/Voya April 2012) and David Levithan’s Every Day (Random House, 2012/Voya December 2012) will like this novel, which is a similar combination of head and heart. The book is perfectly wholesome, without any harsh language or sexual content, so it will be a welcome addition to any library. Reviewer: Kate Neff; Ages 15 to 18.

Kirkus Reviews

2014-03-03
As she did in The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (2012), Smith fashions long-distance travel into a metaphor for the leaps of faith that love demands. Lucy and Owen live in the same Manhattan building but don't meet until they're stuck in a sweltering elevator during a blackout. Their brief ordeal's long enough for them to connect while their defenses are down. Grief over his mother's death has numbed Owen to his changed life—moving from rural Pennsylvania with his father, now the building's superintendent. With her affluent parents abroad and her brothers newly away at college, Lucy's long-standing loneliness has acquired a sharp edge. The blackout continues after they're rescued, and dealing with it together shatters the cocoon each lives in. They ramble the crowded streets before ascending to the roof, where they fall asleep under a starry sky. When Lucy wakes up, Owen's gone; his dad needs help managing the blackout's aftermath. By the time they reconnect, Lucy's moving abroad, while Owen and his newly unemployed dad are heading west. The alternating narration builds tension as the two both live their separate lives and recollect their fragile bond, giving readers access to the closely observed emotions of each, something neither has. If the emotional authenticity points up less-believable plot points (if only applying to college were so easy!), it also eclipses those lapses. Truth about love always gets our attention, and this book will catch readers'. (Fiction. 12-18)

The Geography of You and Me

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