Field Notes on Love – Jennifer E. Smith

Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Penguin Random House Canada
Published: March 2019
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Recommended Age: 12+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Romance, Road Trip, College, Family, Passions

REVIEW:

Everything about this book is cute: the characters, story, writing, themes and even the conflicts. It was my first book from this author and I regret not having tried her sooner. She gets what it’s like to be a teenager in love and someone who is lost and in need of finding themselves. The premise is also extremely cute: Hugo’s girlfriend breaks up with him after having planned a whole trip they were supposed to leave on together and Hugo is left with two choices: he either forgets everything about this trip or he finds someone with the same name as his ex to unlock all the reservations made under her name.

I couldn’t get enough of Hugo and Mae’s interactions. They are meeting under strange circumstances but meeting nonetheless and maybe sometimes you need to step out of your comfort zone and do something a little bit bizarre to experience something new, refreshing and much needed. Maybe that’s how you grow and develop your character. Maybe that’s how you find yourself. There is nothing about this story that made me roll my eyes or shake my head in exasperation. It is not cliché or cheesy, despite the love-at-first-sight vibe the premise may give you.

I don’t have strong negative points to make about this story. It’s true that it’s a simple story with topics and elements that have been explored before. It’s also true that it’s shorter than your typical contemporary. But I just had a great time reading it and that’s all I was hoping for.

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