Poudelivre

There is something relaxing in reading a love story. They’re usually soft, smooth, almost soothing books that doesn’t take very long to read. Something you pick up and read without really having to think too much. I’ve read a few so when I heard about a novel similar to that of my favorite writer in the love story department, I just couldn’t resist.

Meant to be is a story set in London with straight A student Julia as our protagonist. She has followed every rule ever set in her life without blinking, she loves her books and always has a chart or a plan or a map up her sleeve (or in her messenger bag). Julia especially love Shakespeare so when her school sets up a culture trip over to London during spring break, Julia just can’t resist signing up. She’s always heard so much about the city from her parents and she can’t wait to come there and experience it all for herself. But London does not turn out exactly as Julia has planned (and she has planned well). Julia is paired up with Jason Lippincott, class clown, to work with during the ten days spent in London and already on the first night there, Jason brings Julia to a party, definitely not something in Julia’s well-planned schedule. The day after, Julia wakes up to a text from a mysterious guy she met during the party the night before, but doesn’t remember, and so a wild chase over London begins for her, with help from Jason, to find this guy. But for Julia the chase seems a little unnecessary since she already has her MTB (meant to be) waiting for her back in the States. Well, not waiting exactly since they haven’t spoken for years, but Julia is quite sure that something that is meant to be will happen. And Mark is her MTB so she knows that will happen. But running around in London, chasing a guy she doesn’t remember with Jason makes her wonder, for the first time in her life. Is there really anything like meant to be?

Like I said earlier, when I heard that Lauren Morrill’s Meant to be was similar to Stephanie Perkins stories, though set in London, it was impossible not to pick it up and see for myself if it was true. And it was, sort of. Though both authors write love stories, they’re not the same, even though I definitely saw some similarities. But for me, Meant to be missed something that Stephanie Perkins books has and, looking back, I probably shouldn’t have dived into Meant to be hoping it would be like something that would have come from another writer.

But there wasn’t really any fault with the book. It just wasn’t quite as good as Stephanie Perkins and that got me disappointed (even though I shouldn’t have been). It was a nice story, like I said in the beginning, a soft and smooth love story. It was quite fast-paced and written lightly, in the way teens talk and that fit the story perfectly. There was an interesting main character in Julia and her goofy sidekick Jason, who both got me to laugh and scowl when doing some stupid stunt. The book in itself was quite funny and I laughed loudly more than once, but there was also moments when I got a little annoyed. Sometimes at the characters and sometimes at the turn of event, which wasn’t always what I would’ve liked, however, at times it feels good to read a book that turns right when you wanted to go left.

The only thing that really bothered me was the end. Not the ending in particular, not how it ended but the way it did. It was a love story and I will spoil a little here saying yes, there is a happy ending. And all through the book, all through 287 pages, Morrill worked toward that last moment between Julia and her guy. And then it was over in two pages. It was like starring out a window for hours waiting for the circus caravan to pass by and then blink once only to realize you missed all but the back of the last truck. The end in itself was smooth and I can understand why Morrill ended it where she did, I just think there could have been something more. A conclusion of some sort. It just stopped, practically in the middle of everything. There was Julia and she had been fighting for love for ten days and you’d been with her for every second of the ride and the moment she got it, it was all over. And that was a true disappointment.

I also think that there was just a few too many question marks left hanging in the air. I usually like that, like that the author doesn’t explain everything and every fate of every person ever brought up in the book. It gives the reader something to think about when the book is finished. But here it was just a bit too many things that wasn’t explain, or, during the book, wasn’t explained thoroughly enough. That and the end bothered me enough to say that this was a good book, but far from great. At least the cover was pretty, though.