Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between

June 1, 2015
The day before going off to separate colleges on opposite sides of the country, Clare and Aidan have an important decision to make: are they going to break up or attempt a long-distance romance? They might be at the end of the road, as Clare believes, but there is also a chance that they’re just beginning, as more idealistic Aiden hopes. Over a 12 -hour period, the couple revisits sites marking significant moments in their time together. They collect keepsakes, visit mutual friends, and ponder the next—and perhaps final—step of their relationship. Told from Clare’s point of view, Smith’s (The Geography of You and Me) novel persuasively evokes her roller-coaster emotions as hours pass and waves of exhaustion, longing, and regret come and go. Although Aidan’s thoughts aren’t explicitly stated, his words, gestures, and reactions clearly express what’s in his heart. Readers—especially those whose own time has come to leave the nest—will strongly feel the tug of war between growing up and clinging to the familiar. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jennifer Joel, ICM.

June 15, 2015
Tomorrow Clare and Aidan head to colleges at opposite ends of the country, leaving just 12 hours to decide whether to break up now or, as they fear, to allow distance and change to do it for them-either way, it's going to be a long night. Clare, one of nature's planners, has crafted an agenda for this last night, a sentimental road trip through their past. Easygoing Aidan favors a spontaneous "let's not overthink this" approach but, as usual, cheerfully accommodates her. As the hours pass, each goes through multiple changes alone, together, and with friends and family. Friendships come unglued, secrets are revealed, and the unexpected occurs. A party, jail, and an icy nighttime swim find their ways onto the itinerary. For Clare and Aidan it's a literally bruising experience. While theirs is a niche slot in the greater social strata (white, middle-class, small-town teens unburdened by catastrophe or major social ills), the challenges they grapple with are universal: adapting to change, choosing what to keep and what to let go, and taking responsibility for the outcome. Testing the limits and durability of youthful romance across separation and distance is a common theme in Smith's work, which relies on high-concept storytelling; what keeps it fresh and on the literary side of the genre are engaging, closely observed characters, Clare and Aidan among them, portrayed with such intimate, intense authenticity that readers too feel invested in their choices. Another smart and savvy book to add to Smith's oeuvre. (Fiction. 12-18)

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July 1, 2015

Gr 8 Up-The author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (Little, Brown, 2012) returns with a sentimental story about high school sweethearts who, on the last night before they leave for college, revisit meaningful locations to decide the fate of their relationship. Clare is the levelheaded and logical pragmatist who thinks they should break up. Aiden is the romantic and spontaneous optimist who thinks they should stay together. But this work is not just about their relationship; it's about the frightening and exciting transition that all new college students go through as they leave everything they've known behind and venture into the unknown. For Clare, high school, her friends, her hometown, and all of what felt so important to her for so many years already seem tinged with nostalgia and are miniscule compared to the life ahead of her. Many readers will be able to identify with that feeling and with the realistic characters and experiences presented in Smith's latest work. VERDICT Students approaching the college transition, those who have already experienced it, and fans of romantic, realistic fiction will most enjoy this relatable, emotive story.-Tiffany Davis, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2015
Grades 10-1 The end of summer is looming, and for Clare and Aidan, that means one thing: change. In another day, she'll be leaving for college on the East Coast, while Aidan heads to California. For practical, pragmatic Clare, that means a breakup is inevitablethink of all the college experiences they'll miss out on if they stay together!but exuberant, romantic Aidan wants to risk it. On their last night, they revisit all the places significant to their relationship while weaving in and out of interactions with friends and family as they try to find a way to say good-bye to both their childhoods and each other. Their struggles, both in deciding the fate of their relationship and in navigating this in-between time, ring true. Clare and Aidan are well-handled characters with a sweetly believable relationship, and the dynamic both have with their respective parents is especially strong. For those teenagers in Clare's and Aidan's shoesor just approaching the end of high schoolthis will be a familiar companion.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)