Book Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Title: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Publisher: Headline Review, Hachette India
ISBN: 978-0-7553-8403-7
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 215
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4/5

Do you believe in love at first sight? And does love at first sight happens because of collective circumstances that lead to it? The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is a book as the title says, quite what it is – love and the chances of it at first sight.

When Hadley misses her flight to London by four minutes, she never expects to meet Oliver – someone she instantly connects with, someone who has his own set of problems and so does she, and it is quite interesting to see how they solve their own problems, one by one, over the course of one day.

The book is a young adult romance so to say and yet it is written with so much maturity on so many levels. I could relate to Hadley in so many ways when I was seventeen – the same anxiety, fears and worry about the future. Hadley has had an estranged relationship with her father. She is on her way to London from New York to attend her father’s second marriage and does not know how to react to it.

Oliver on the other hand, has his own life which he doesn’t share initially but the layers are soon peeled and reality sinks in. The reality that when they are done with the journey and land in London, (they are seated next to each other 18A and 18B for seven hours on the flight) what will become of their friendship/relationship. Will they meet again? What does life have in store for them, if it does for the two of them together?

I found the book a sweet read. There were no mushy romantic moments and I liked that. The book in that case does not get boring. Jennifer E. Smith knows the craft of writing for young adults. It is not the typical romance novel, and that’s why it worked well for me.

Jennifer writes with a quick pace. She doesn’t make the reader wait for things to unfurl. She knows that the reader expects this and this is what needs to be given. The ending worked very well for me. It is sweet for almost all characters and a little fluffy. The book makes you want to travel, because at the end who knows what might happen on an airplane ride to two strangers. To read something light without it being too mushy, you must pick up this book.

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Book Review: The Oracle of Stamboul by Michael David Lukas

Title: The Oracle of Stamboul
Author: Michael David Lukas
Publisher: Headline Review
ISBN: 9780755377695
Genre: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction
PP: 306 pages
Price: £12.99
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5/5

“The Oracle of Stamboul” by Michael David Lukas is not just a novel, it is a literary portal that transports you to the streets of Turkey in the late 1800′s. And while you are there, Michael David Lukas takes you on a magical journey – with his beautiful prose, he builds the city around you, surrounds you with the smell of its spices, and the warmth of its people. It is this particular quality in Lukas’ writing that really gives this novel its edge.

Eleanora Cohen is born to Yakob Cohen on a tragic day in Constanta. The Ottoman Empire is coming an end, and two ladies who assist her birth claim that her birth was predicted by the last Tartar king, and that they had followed the signs to their home. Losing her mother on her birthday, little Ellie is raised by her loving and devoted father, and her cold and disciplinarian aunt, who ends up marrying her father. As Ellie grows, it is apparent to anyone that crosses paths with her, that she is an exceptional child – in a way that is beyond their comprehension. And it is due to her nature, that she is kept at bay from the world.

But when Ellie’s father leaves for Stamboul on business, Ellie cannot stand to live in her house with her frigid aunt, and escapes in one of his carpet trunks, and finds herself on board the same streamer as her father as a stowaway. It is in Stamboul that Ellie truly flourishes, and finds herself immersed in a world of knowledge and literature. She learns to speak various languages, memorizes passages from books by heart with much ease, and breaks ciphers and codes with even more ease. It is due to talents such as this, and her pack of hoopoes, along with the prophecies that surround her birth that bring her to the attention of the then king, Sultan Abdulhamid II. Upon meeting little Ellie, the Sultan is immediately impressed by her knowledge and mannerisms, and despite oppositions from his Vizier and his own mother, he heeds her advice. It is due to her advice that he breaks ties with Germany, and the Kaiser. Unfortunately, for Ellie, these turn of events come under scrutiny by an American reporter, and Ellie is soon more famous than she cares to be. Will Ellie be able to handle the pressure that being an Oracle brings her? Will she become the Sultan’s advisor in court? Or will she become a beloved Oracle to all of the world?

Michael David Lukas’ “The Oracle of Stamboul” is an enchanting and fascinating read, full of magical realism and written in lilting prose, this book impresses from the first chapter to it’s last. Also, for those who may not be sure about its significance, hidden under the layers of beauty, fantasy and magic is a bit of truly magnificent history – a turn of events which, had they not come to pass, could very well have resulted in an entirely different world today. Eleanora, although a child, will astound you with her curiosity, maturity and humility and “The Oracle of Stamboul” will cocoon you into its world, and leave you breathless with the many beautiful views of Turkey.

You can purchase the book here on Flipkart