The Chaos of Standing by Jessica Brody drew me in right from the start. It is the story of a girl stranded in an airport, but with a twist. There are so many interesting side characters and some super cute moments throughout the book. While I enjoyed the story, I found the constant interruptions for flashbacks to get annoying, and I wish I could have enjoyed it more.
Title: The Chaos of Standing StillAuthor: Jessica Brody
Also by this author: A Week of Mondays
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: November 28, 2017
Rating:
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.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Review: The Chaos of Standing Still by Jessica Brody
This book is cute, funny, and heart-wrenching all at once. It tells the story of a girl stranded in an airport on New Year’s Eve, which also happens to be the anniversary of her best friend’s death. She ends up befriending a boy because of a strange coincidence, and she finally starts to move on. I loved reading about Ryn and her new friends’ adventures together and their way of ringing in the new year. There is a good amount of comic relief and a couple of plot twists in the story, which add some more excitement. I’m not normally a fan of super depressing books, so I was glad to see that this one isn’t actually that bad.
❀ Quirky Characters
I adored the cast of characters in The Chaos of Standing Still, or rather, the side characters. I’m still not entirely sure what I think of the main character. I found Xander to be so sweet, and I loved how patient and encouraging he is with Ryn. He has a great sense of humour and problems of his own, making him a pretty complex character. I also really enjoyed the quirky characters Ryn and Xander meet at the airport, such as Siri (the barista) and Troy (the fourteen year old genius). They make the book more fun, and I loved reading about their humorous interactions.
❀ Flashbacks are Distracting
Since the book takes place during one day, there are a lot of flashbacks that tell the story of Ryn and Lottie’s past. I appreciate a good flashback every once in a while, but in this case, the flashbacks seem to occur right when the story is picking up. Just as I’m getting invested in the story, there is an interruption, and it really takes away from the action. I would have preferred it if the flashbacks occurred at the end of the chapter, instead of right in the middle of an interesting scene. That and the pretty unrealistic events at the airport lowered my rating of what could have been an amazing novel.
❀ A complex novel
The Chaos of Standing Still by Jessica Brody is a complex novel about coping with the death of a loved one. There is plenty of comic relief and some pretty adorable moments, so the book isn’t pure sorrow. I loved the unique side characters throughout the story, but the flashbacks became annoying for me. I didn’t hate this book, but I definitely believe that it could have been better.
Book Quotes: The Chaos of Standing Still by Jessica Brody
Book Beginning:
The view from the window of seat 27F is like trying to look through a snow globe after you’ve shaken it so hard the artificial white flakes don’t know which way is down.
Fridy 56:
Most of the people have resigned to their fate and are sitting on the floor. Some are still trying to get to places. Imaginary destinations with imaginary deadlines.
About Jessica Brody
Jessica Brody knew from a young age that she wanted to be a writer. She started "self-publishing" her own books when she was seven years old, binding the pages together with cardboard, wallpaper samples and electrical tape. Brody graduated from Smith College in 2001 with a double major in Economics and French and a minor in Japanese. She went to work for MGM Studios as a Manager of Acquisitions and Business Development, and then, in 2005, she quit her job to follow her dream of becoming a published author. Brody is the author of two novels for adults--The Fidelity Files and Love Under Cover--and the young adult novels The Karma Club and My Life Undecided. Jessica's books are published in over ten foreign countries including the U.K., France, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, Brazil, China, Portugal, and Taiwan. She now works full time as a writer and producer, and currently splits her time between Los Angeles and Colorado.
Thank you for the honest review. That’s too bad the flashbacks were a distraction from the story, still it sounds like there are enough good things about the book to give it a try.
It really is a sweet story. There are definitely lots of great things about it, for sure!:)
As someone who’s lost a best friend recently, and didn’t want to delete any old texts, I can relate to this character. Sounds like a good read! Thanks for the review!
Awww!!! I can’t imagine having to go through that.
Too bad about all of the flashback interuptions. Not sure if I’m going to read this book, but if it ever gets translated I probably will borrow it from the library.
Lovely review! This book sounds like something I could enjoy – I love the synopsis and have read a few books from this author already. Glad to hear you overall enjoyed it 🙂 thank you for sharing! xx
Sounds like a book after reflection and self discovery. Great review!
This is an awesome review! Very honest and I still think I’ll check it out
I hope that you enjoy it if you do give it a try. 🙂
Great Review! The concept of this book sounds fun! I’m sorry it didn’t meet your expectations but I’m glad you still enjoyed it. I hope you enjoy your next read! Happy Reading! 🙂
I don’t know if I found the flashbacks disruptive or that I just didn’t like Lottie. She was sort of selfish and self destructive, and I questioned why Ryn wanted to be her friends. I loved all the present day interactions though. The airport scenes were the best and that is why the book was able to get 3.5 stars from me. I thought the ending was really strong too, and a going out on a high note is always a good thing for me.
Those airport scenes were fantastic! I do agree that the ending was quite satisfying. 🙂
It would SUCK to be in an airport on a holiday, without your family. This sounds interesting I might have to check it out.
Sounds Awesome.
I agree with you – the side characters were totally charming.
I really need to read this. Such a sweet storyline.