Book Review of Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith

I enjoyed reading The Statistical Probability of Falling in Love, This Is What Happy Looks Like, and Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between, so when I found out I was going to receive a complimentary ARC of Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith through the First In Line VIP program, I may have squeed a little, and that's before I saw the cover design. This is one of my favorite covers of the year so far, because it is simple, visually pleasing, appropriate for the book, and highly meaningful. The concept is one that is compelling before you read it, but holds even more symbolism afterwards. ...and, did I mention it is just pretty? I kept flipping the book closed to look at it.

If you've read and loved books by Jennifer E. Smith before, this will be a must-read for you. If not, be prepared to appreciate the delicate balance Smith has achieved between light I-like-him-does-he-like-me teen romance and heavy life situation/big choices-centered drama. Somehow, neither fully takes over the book, and the story of Windfall is the result of that happy collision.

That said, I felt this story could've been told more effectively with some significant cuts. Weighing in at just over 400 pages, it began to feel long, and things lagged 1/2 to 2/3rds of the way through the book before picking up again near the denouement. I don't dislike long books--in fact, I love them, but only if the length adds to the story instead of taking away from it. I didn't need to read the same character's rationale for a decision or recounting of an incident more than once.

But there are still several strengths that outweigh Windfall's extra chapters. I enjoyed the fresh and nuanced parental characters. I appreciated that many of the characters were dynamic: especially when they were unexpectedly so. And chapter Forty-Nine, a mere three pages long, is one of the strongest, most compelling, most poetic pieces of prose I've ever read in YA. It left me wishing that the book had ended right there: on the highest note there was. 

All in all, I'd still recommend Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith, despite the extra length. And, if you're thinking of giving it as a gift, consider tucking a special bookmark inside--a Lottery ticket... one of the ones where you choose your own numbers. Windfall comes out May 2nd.