The Geography lesson of a lifetime

The Geography of You and Me tells the love story between two teenagers, Lucy and Owen, and their crazy journey after meeting on a hot night in New York. 

Lucy has lived her full 17 years of life in New York while her parents were out traveling around the world.

Owen spent his days in Pennsylvania before his mother died. He and his dad began moving from place to place, eventually ending up in New York and moving into the same apartment building as Lucy.

I saw this book in one of my teacher’s libraries. The title and cover caught my eye. The cover shows a couple on the roof of a building and shows an arrow connecting the You and Me. Kind of like how a map connects two destinations. This struck a question in my head. What can geography possibly have something to do with a love story? So, I got a copy of my own and began to read, finally realizing the choice of words in the title and the choice of symbols.

After being rescued from a broken down elevator caused by a city-wide blackout, they wander the dark, crowded streets of New York. 

But once the power returns, so does reality and they go their separate ways.

But they never forget about one another.

The story really captures the meaning of “life behind closed doors” and what teenagers might struggle with.

Lucy lacks a social life and barely spends time with her family anymore. Her parents are in Paris and her brothers are in college. She keeps to herself and doesn’t talk to others.

Owen longs for a complete family ever since his mother died in an accident. His father struggles to keep them on their feet. Moving from one place to another and from one job to the next. 

At first, I thought this would be like any other love story. But I was proven wrong. Way wrong. The story is told in the third person. The book tells the story from Owen and Lucy’s point of view. It has a total of five parts, all telling the beginning and end of their journey.

Some of the chapters are only a few words long describing their movements and thoughts of one another. 

It states some events that might happen during a relationship. At first they are all full of love. But after a while they lose interest and eventually find someone new. But in this case, although they move thousands of miles away from each other, find new people, and face new problems, they still think of one another and try to make things work. 

This book exceeded my expectations. The roller coaster of events and feelings was different from all the other books I’ve read. I was in love with the book and still am. If you are ever in search of a book that involves romance and geography, this is the book for you.