Review | Hello, Goodbye And Everything In Between by Jennifer E Smith

Hello, Goodbye And Everything In Between by Jennifer E Smith
Published By: Headline
Published On: Sepetmeber 1, 2015
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 248
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

On the night before they leave for college, Clare and Aidan have only one thing left to do: figure out whether they should stay together or break up. Over the course of twelve hours, they retrace the steps of their relationship, trying to find something in their past that might help them decide what their future should be. The night leads them to family and friends, familiar landmarks and unexpected places, hard truths and surprising revelations. But as the clock winds down and morning approaches, so does their inevitable goodbye. The question is, will it be goodbye for now or goodbye forever?

First things first, THIS COVER! How beautiful is this cover? I think I am genuinely in love. Based on cover alone I would give this 5 stars! But onto the other important stuff...

I have been so hit or miss with Jennifer E Smith previously so I had no idea what to expect from this, I was more just giving her another chance to wow me like she did the first time. I will say I definitely didn't love this as much as I loved The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight. However, it was an improvement on The Geography Of You And Me, which I didn't hate but it didn't blow me away. I did really like this one.

I have seen a fair bit of negativity surrounding this and I can understand why people didn't like the premise. However, for me this was so relatable. A lot of reviews I have read complained that this situation was unrealistic and that even considering breaking up for going away to college was stupid. I can tell you this kind of thing does genuinely happen. I went through a very similar situation before I started university and I completely regret the decision we made, so I fully supported these characters in taking the time to decide on what was best for them in the situation.

There was one thing that really sold this book for me - I LOVE books set in one day/night. This was the same thing that attracted me to The Statistical Probability and it was my favourite thing about this book. I don't know what it is, I just love them! They can sometimes drag or have parts that seem unnecessary but this was very well done.

I really liked Clare & Aidan's relationship. It seemed very genuine and natural with none of the usual annoying cliches or instalove. The fact that this book dealt with an already serious, long-lasting relationship was interesting and I enjoyed getting glimpses into their past as a couple while they navigated the present. I really felt their connection and enjoyed reading about them.

I thought this book was very unique in that it dealt with a relationship ending rather than beginning. It is most common to read stories of discovering a first love or blossoming romance but much less common to read stories of relationships ending. I thought this was a very interesting twist to the norm and it was done very well.

This book was full of raw emotion. There were times where I related so strongly to what was happening or felt such a strong connection to the characters that I felt as though these things were happening to me. Particularly when the characters were all saying their goodbyes before leaving for college, I felt as though I was saying goodbye myself.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Though some parts were a little predictable, I thought it was very well written and enjoyable. I loved the characters and their story, particularly the one night setting and the relatability of the story.