The Chaos of Standing Still by Jessica Brody (Review)

The Chaos of Standing Still
by Jessica Brody
YA Contemporary
Hardcover & ebook, 320 Pages
November 28th 2017 by Simon Pulse

Summary

Over the course of one chaotic night stranded at the Denver airport, Ryn confronts her shattered past thanks to the charm of romance, the uniqueness of strangers, and the magic of ordinary places in this stunning novel from the author of Boys of Summer.

Ryn has one unread text message on her phone. And it’s been there for almost a year.

She hasn’t tried to read it. She can’t. She won’t. Because that one message is the last thing her best friend ever said to her before she died.

But as Ryn finds herself trapped in the Denver International Airport on New Year’s Eve thanks to a never-ending blizzard on the one-year anniversary of her best friend’s death, fate literally runs into her.

And his name is Xander.

When the two accidentally swap phones, Ryn and Xander are thrust into the chaos of an unforgettable all-night adventure, filled with charming and mysterious strangers, a secret New Year’s Eve bash, and a possible Illuminati conspiracy hidden within the Denver airport. But as the bizarre night continues, all Ryn can think about is that one unread text message. It follows her wherever she goes, because Ryn can’t get her brialliantly wild and free-spirited best friend out of her head.

Ryn can’t move on.

But tonight, for the first time ever, she’s trying. And maybe that’s a start.

As moving as it is funny, The Chaos of Standing Still is a heartwarming story about the earth-shattering challenges life throws at us—and the unexpected strangers who help us along the way.

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My Review

THE CHAOS OF STANDING STILL is a crazy roller-coaster ride as one girl tries to deal with the loss of her best friend as she approaches the anniversary of her death while also stuck in an airport during a snow storm. Recommended for YA contemporary fans who love drama, chaos, messy characters and sweet endings.

I was really anticipating this book. It sounds like a protagonist that I'd be able to relate with and then laugh and cry with. However, it turned out this wasn't really my type of story. I just could not connect with Ryn. I would start to and then her thoughts or actions would disenchant me. Just too crazy, unrealistic, overboard, or senseless to me. I knew there had to be something better, so I kept reading. I did like Xander and some of the other characters were interesting, although at the same time some felt completely in consequential. I didn't really like the story until seventy percent in and then rather enjoyed the last thirty percent. I especially thought the ending was super sweet.

In the end, was it what I wished for? Not really my cup of tea, but I did enjoy the last third of the book and I think other YA readers will enjoy this one more than I did.

Content: Innuendo and swearing (including f-words).
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the tour host/NetGalley/ebooksforreview.com, which did not require a review nor affect it in any way.

Have you read this one? Any thoughts?

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