I really wanted to like this book. In most cases, Wednesday publishes some of my favoite titles. Of course, I was overjoyed to received Where It All Lands.
I DNF'ed this one.
The first thing that I did not like was the excessive use of the f-bomb. To me, it came off as trying too hard to sound like a teenager. I know that some do speak like that, but generally, not every person does it as depicted by this novel.
Secondly, I really could not connect with Stevie. I wanted to because I also love music like she does. However, she came off as spoiled and a bit entitled.

Rating: 1/5 DNF
Lanugage: f-bombs, lots of other words
Romance: lots of sex talk, kissing
Spiritual: some characters are Jewish
Violence: none up to the point where I stopped

*I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required. ( )

"Where It All Lands" was an unexpectedly very enjoyable red. I had no idea what it was about when I started but I found the front cover interesting. The story is divided into three parts based on the result of a coin toss - Heads, Tails and then alternating Heads/Tails chapters. I was concerned that the second part would be a rehash of the first, but I was invested in both stories and enjoyed watching the various relationships develop and events unfold in each timeline.

I loved the three main characters. Stevie, Shane and Drew were very likeable, complex characters and the fact that they all loved music was an added bonus. However, it was Shane who won my heart. He was awkward, selfless, kind and an incredibly talented drummer. The friendship he and Stevie developed throughout the novel was a highlight.

I am not a fan of love triangles, but this one worked. My only complaint would be the ending. I hated not having a concrete finale and I know this will frustrate many readers, myself included. However, when I reached the last page of "Where It All Lands", I was left thinking about choices - how each one matters and how one choice can impact the lives of so many. A touching read. ( )

Where It All Lands, Jennie Wexler's debut novel, is astonishing. When new girl Stevie Rosenstein meets best friends Drew and Shane, their interactions create an irreparable and unchangeable path.

Drew and Shane decide that the only fair way they can decide who is allowed to ask Stevie out on a date is by flipping a coin (as they do for every potential fight they have). While Drew and Stevie can relate to each other through commiserating over their famous fathers, Shane and Stevie relate and bond through their love of music. The story itself also has a major undercurrent of musicality, with all three main characters relating to music in their own way.

This book is told in three parts, showing the timelines that happen once the coin toss occurs. While the narratives do follow the same structure, the plots themselves are different, which is imperative for stories like this.

Wexler does the almost impossible task of crafting a narrative that simultaneously makes you feel warm and fuzzy but also hyper-aware of the potential darkness of reality. Critics have reviewed this book as great for fans of Sliding Doors, and I definitely agree. I was also definitely reminded of The Last Five Years to a certain degree, because of the different perspectives of events that the narrators offer. This story makes audiences question the paths that we use to reach our destinies, whether or not destiny and fate are real, and how our choices shape our future.

Overall rating: 4/5

Where It All Lands will be available for purchase on July 6th. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads shelf and see where it's available for purchase. Also, be sure to check out Jennie Wexler's website!

I was lucky enough to be able to listen to this Advanced Reader's Copy through my partnership with NetGalley. All opinions are my own. ( )

What if a single coin flip could change someone's life? When new girl Stevie shows up on the first day, best friends Drew and Shane fall hard. But they're determined that this won't ruin their friendship, so they decide to flip a coin to see who gets to ask her out.

If you've ever wondered what would have happened if you had made a different choice, this is the book for you. Wexler takes us through both outcomes, one of which brings life and death consequences for someone within their circle. This has a perfect rhythm, as we flip back and forth from Shane, Drew and Stevie's point of view. I loved how Wexler had the same events repeat in both timelines with very different consequences.

The characters are memorable and fun. Stevie's more than just the new girl, she's someone looking for affection from a distracted football coach dad and struggling with the impact of his decision to move for his job every few years. She's a talented saxophone player who dreams of music school. Drew's a football player who loves sci-fi and looks out for his geeky best friend. And Shane's a geek with a heart of gold who wants a chance to break out of the friend zone with the girl of his dreams.

I fell in love with this story that intertwined chance, fate and teenage angst into one beautiful package.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book. ( )

I like the “sliding doors” concept, it’s interesting to see how one decision impacts lives, it’s just that this would have interested me even more had it dialed back the romantic entanglements just a bit and expanded on the scenes of family life.

When new girl in school Stevie draws the interest of best friends Drew and Shane, the boys flip a coin, the winner asks her out, the other backs off. The book is then divided into three sections, the first is what would happen if Drew won the coin toss, the second is what would happen if Shane won, and lastly, the chapters alternate between those two scenarios leading to two different outcomes for the book.

While I felt for Drew where his dad is concerned, the whole thing of him effortlessly getting any girl he wants made awkward, vulnerable Shane the more engaging character of the two guys. So Shane’s POV is in part why I preferred the second section of the book, though also Stevie, she feels a bit more isolated in the first section, whereas in the second, she had a few more interactions with female friends which to me was a good thing, especially since Raye (Drew’s ex-girlfriend and a football player) was my favorite character in the book, the more of her the better.

Much like the second section was enriched by featuring more of Stevie’s friendships beyond the boys, I felt like overall the novel would have benefited from more family scenes as well. For me, more so than the romances, the most compelling aspect of the book is that each of the main characters is grappling with a father who is absent in one way or another and I wanted more scenes illustrating that, showing their home life, and showing more of their relationships with their mothers, like given that both Stevie and Shane have insomnia, I kept hoping for some scenes where their moms address it, same with Stevie’s bleeding cuticles.

Although I feel like this book could have dug a little deeper on the family stuff, this was still a solid debut, it’s probably too soon for the Sarah Dessen comparison in the blurb, but the potential is there and I’d like to read more from this author.

I received this arc through a goodreads giveaway. ( )