Field Notes On Love by Jennifer E. Smith

Book Review #264

Title: Field Notes On Love

Author: Jennifer E. Smith

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Genres: YA, Contemporary

Format: Paperback (Courtesy of Times Reads)

Publication Date: March 5, 2019

Pages: 271

Having just been dumped by his girlfriend, British-born Hugo is still determined to take his last-hurrah-before-college train trip across the United States. One snag: the companion ticket is already booked under the name of his ex, Margaret Campbell. Nontransferable, no exceptions.

Enter the new Margaret C. (Mae for short), an aspiring filmmaker with big dreams. After finding Hugo’s spare ticket offer online, she’s convinced it’s the perfect opportunity to expand her horizons.

When the two meet, the attraction is undeniable, and both find more than they bargained for. As Mae pushes Hugo to explore his dreams for his future, he’ll encourage her to channel a new, vulnerable side of her art. But when life off the train threatens the bubble they’ve created for themselves, will they manage to keep their love on track?

This was a really interesting short read about falling in love, what it feels like to be in love and so much more than that. The title pretty much gives it away what this story is actually about. I didn’t think too much about it but once I had a grasp of the message that was conveyed in the story, I understand it.

Honestly, this book was just okay. It wasn’t extraordinary like that. It felt quite ordinary after all. It was mostly just like any other Contemporary book whereas two people who are full of hopes and dreams start to fall in love with each other. This book also highlights on dreams and hopes for the future and I really love that. It suddenly made me want to take a leap and fight for my own hopes and dreams.

I’ve read about a characters who are twins but I’ve never read about sextuplets. That was definitely interesting and I really wish that I could see more of them in the story. It felt unique and says a lot about what it feels like to be a part of a big family. As I come from the latter, I would really like to see more of that in books.

This story doesn’t seem to broach into tough aspects in life, just a few problems that can be solved if one knows how to approach it. So, I find that it made my reading process easy and breezy. It was a story where I can forget about reality, go on an adventure and just unwind in these characters and what they have to say. It really felt as though I was there with them, boarding on trains all across America.