I first discovered Adele Parks last year when I read The Stranger in My Home and loved it. When I posted my review, Sally from Life Loving suggested I should try The State We’re In next so here it is.
The State We’re In: Back Cover
What are the odds that a stranger sitting next to you on a plane is destined to change your life? Especially when they appear to be your opposite in every way.
She’s a life long optimist, looking for her soul mate in every man she meets; he’s a resolute cynic – cruel experience has taught him never to put his faith in anyone.
People can surprise you. In the time it takes to fly from London to Chicago, each finds something in the other that they didn’t even realise they needed.
Their pasts are such that they can never make one another happy and it’s when they get off the plane that their true journey begins…
The State We’re In: My Thoughts
Jo and Dean, the main characters in this book at first do seem to be total polar opposites. As the books goes on, we start to see that deep down, maybe they aren’t all that different after all.
There’s a really pleasing symmetry in the characters, as they both slowly accept that the other person maybe isn’t the lost cause they at first thought. Deep down, Dean wants to trust and deep down, Jo wants to be more realistic.
What I really liked about this book is it doesn’t do the typical “girl meets boy, girl hates boy” before falling for him. Instead, although they are kind of wary of each other at first, they are friendly to each other to an extent.
Jo is taken aback by Dean’s bluntness, and Dean is puzzled by Jo’s fairy tale view of the world, but they are intrigued by each other. I found this to be much more realistic than the seething hatred that makes me cringe in romance stories.
The State We’re In is more than just a romance – it’s a journey of self discovery for both Jo and Dean and some of the supporting characters too.
The State We’re In: Conclusion and Rating
As any regular readers here will know, The State We’re In is a long way from my usual genres and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this book didn’t disappoint.
Through the combination of likeable characters, an easy-to-follow plot and Adele Parks’ engaging writing style, I found myself quickly pulled into this book.
Definitely worth a read. 4.5/5
You can grab your copy of The State We’re In here.
You can find me here: Twitter Facebook Bloglovin Pinterest and Instagram Please do stop by and say hi!
Leave a Reply