Review: Field Notes on Love
Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith
Publication Date: March 5th, 2019
Format/Source: eBook, borrowed from library
Rating: 5/5 stars
Part of a series? Nope!
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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?
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?
I've been a fan of Jennifer E. Smith for quite some time now. Her debut, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is one of the first YA books I remember buying ever, and I've enjoyed every book I've read of hers since. Even though they're contemporary and there's no actual spells or potions or crazy creatures to be found, her books have a certain magic and whimsy to them, and Field Notes on Love is no exception.
This was a love story through and through. And it wasn't just Mae and Hugo's (though of course theirs was central and wonderful). Smith beautifully covers love in all forms as the dynamic duo travel across the country gathering field notes on love. We get to meet people who are romantically in love and people whose definitions of love span from pizza to togetherness to joy. We also see the love between Mae and her best friend Priyanka, which is just as strong as the love Mae and Hugo have for each other, showing that love doesn't have to be romantic to be real and true.
Other integral parts of the novel were the relationships Mae and Hugo had with their families. They come from very different family backgrounds - Mae is the only child of two gay New Yorkers and she's very close to her Nana, while Hugo is a sextuplet from England whose best friends are his five other siblings. I loved reading Hugo's interactions with his siblings because they're all so different, yet still all on the same wavelength. All they really know is each other, and while Hugo is a little frustrated and wants more for himself, he's not resentful of them. There's genuine love and respect there, and I loved it. I liked Mae's dads as well, but the shining star for me was her Nana. She really was Mae's biggest fan, and their relationship warmed my heart.
Watching Mae and Hugo fall in love as they figure themselves out was so beautiful. Starting college is such a strange and wild time in your life and I remember it so well; I felt every bit of their pain and joy and confusion and happiness, and it made me want to be their friend. As much as I absolutely adored Field Notes, I do wish we saw a bit more of the places they visited along the way, but I understand that the relationships really are what carry the book.
Field Notes on Love is hands-down my favorite Jennifer E. Smith book. It's charming and entertaining and so wonderfully written. It had me laughing and crying and smiling from ear to ear by the end of it, and I highly, highly recommend you pick it up immediately.
