Crown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley provided me with an Advanced Reader's Copy of Layover. The choice to review this book was my own.

Three step-siblings go on an adventure after revelations that their lives are about to change forever. They agree that a diversion is warranted given the situation. What happens when reality comes crashing down on the trio?

Three kids divert themselves from a planned trip, spending two days galivanting around the city with the help of a friend. Layover might have been a cute story, but the book takes a different direction from one about a journey. After adding a few crushes, mental anguish, and overall drama to the mix, the story takes on a different life. I wanted to enjoy the journey, but the predictable plot lines took over. The characters do not have any sort of depth, though Poppy comes the closest. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend Layover to other readers.

I really wanted to like “Layover” by Amy Anderson and Emily Meyer but it ended up being a total hit and miss. It has the potential to be something great, but it really falls short overall. The plot and characters were not fleshed out enough to capture and maintain my attention for long. There characters have very little depth to them and it just ultimately caused the plot to drag on.
A read that was very close to being a DNF.

A copy of the book was provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

I saw some bad reviews for this book, but honestly I don't get why. Yes the book felt rush at times but I really did enjoy it. I liked seeing Flynn, Amos, and Poppy travel around LA. I liked their Disneyland trip. I enjoyed seeing them grow together as a family and more. I look forward to more books from the authors.

A cute read about how one missed flight can really have a huge impact. Layover was a cute read, a bit different than I expected but in a good way.

Enjoyable, but a bit too fluffy chick lit romance for me, not quite what I was expecting, so disappointed.

Will no longer be reading or reviewing this book due to lack of interest in the title following the publication of other reviews, and the fact that the title has been archived.

I read this book while traveling and cannot say enough good things about it! I love that it focuses on family and friendships, that it explores the aftermath of exposed secrets. I love the sudden adventure that ends with healing and understanding. I felt that the writing style was engaging and that the characters felt real. This is a book that would appeal to many of my students and would be a great fit for an upper middle and high school classroom library. Depending on the group, it might also make for a great literature circle. The cover is eye-catching and I have recommended it to teens browsing at my local bookstore.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

This is a great emotional roller coaster. Teens will love this book and it's a sure pick for any reading list involving road trips and a great American adventure.

Musings:

If I would have read the synopsis at all before I requested this book I would have know that it wasn’t my cup of tea. I assumed this was a kind of story that it wasn’t. I imagined two people meeting at an airport taking off, going on adventures, and falling in love. That is not what this book is. I’m very sad about it.

What I Liked:

The writing. Even as I wish the words that were told were telling a different story all together, I did like the way this book was written. On its own it was told well.

The idea. I did like the idea of this story even if I wish that if it was step siblings that there was either no romance between them or in a way that they were characterized differently. The way the romance was done left a bad taste in my mouth.

The little girl. The step-siblings shared half sister was a gem with bipolar disorder. She was adorable and I loved her point of view. If there is anything I want to take it of this story and hold in my arms forever it’s her. She was so genuine it was heartbreaking.

What I disliked:

Spoilers ahead

The romance. I’ll get right to it I pretty much despised the romance in this novel. Flynn’s two romantic interests both sucked. Neither were actually truly good to her. One had shown interest and flocked to the bed of another girl almost the next day. The other her stepbrother, a boy whose chemistry with her I can only see if I squint my eyes really hard and turn my head to the side. Both boys suck. One only interested in getting into her pants and the other too caught up in his own head to realize the things he says are really really hurtful especially when they are said out of jealously. I could go on and on about this, but I’m just so done.

The neglect of the little one. Because the siblings had there minds so far away in a land of stupid drama they completely forget about there little sister in so many ways I couldn’t comprehend it. Letting her get drunk of Jell-O shots because they both were too far interested in there individual romances to pay attention to her (even though none of them should have been at the party in the first place). Literally so into there own argument that there sister takes off in Disney land and has a breakdown before they could find her. Even to the point that they don’t even realize she doesn’t have her medication which should have been one of the first things they spoke about before leaving the airport.

Final thoughts:

I wanted to like this book, but it was never meant to be. I’m tired of seeing certain types of relationships being portrayed as romantic when they are really toxic. Even when there were moments when they acted like a family it wasn’t enough. There was just too many red flags in this book for me. The reason it is not a one star is because of the little girl (she was too well-written and I love her).

Wealthy NYC step-siblings Flynn and Amos and their biological half-sister Poppy are enroute to Bora Bora for the holidays, when they find out their parents are getting divorced. They ditch their connecting flight at LAX to give themselves time to figure out a plan. Told in three alternating points of view, they rehash the past, take a trip to Disney Land, and explore wild partying and their feelings for each other in this glitzy road trip novel.

The cover is SO pretty and perfect.

I couldn’t wait to read this. Then I changed my mind for some reason and forgot why, so I decided to read it because the cover WAS SO PRETTY.

And then I remembered why I decided not to read it.

The main character is into her stepbrother. They didn’t grow up together and their parents are probably splitting up anyway, but that did NOT make me feel better about their mutual crushes on each other. It was a little too close to incest for me and I am not interested in finishing it.

Unfortunately all of my reviews of books that I haven’t finished get just one star.

“Layover” is a family drama that tugs at the heartstrings and features a sweet romance. While the plot is somewhat implausible, the family dynamics are something many of us can identify with on at least some level. Recommended for the romance lovers out there looking for a story with bite.

cute story of siblings that decide to get off a plane in LA and have adventures. They also go to Disneyland and make choices about themselves and see absent father.

A unique take on a rich, nontraditional family struggling with family drama and conflict. On route to meet their parents at a vacation destination where they know bad news awaits, the step siblings decide they have had enough on a layover in California. The kids find a way to escape reality and avoid their parents' news. The adventure definitely has some troubling turns and interesting twists. A fun read!

This book was a whirlwind! I loved every minute of it, and thought that the story was wonderful. I loved how the characters grew throughout the novel, even in the short time that the story takes place.

Come visit me at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

Neglected siblings Amos, Flynn and Poppy are suppose to fly to Barbados to meet their parents for a family vacation over Christmas. But when they get from New York to California for their layover, the discontent kids decide to escape from the trip and family drama and instead have a few days of freedom away from the oppression of their lives.

​This review will be really short because I do not like to be negative, but I was disappointed in the story. Boy was this kind of a mess! And not at all what I thought it would be and I feel slightly confused about that- I had an idea of what this book was and it was not what I got. I expected a cute romance about being stuck at an airport and falling in love, but instead this was an angsty, depressing read about three lost kids who need each other more then they knew when family drama shows up

I could not connect with any of the characters or really the plot. The book was narrated by the three main characters: step siblings Flynn and Amos and their shared half sister Poppy. Poppy seemed like a sweet enough kid, a 9 year old who suffers from anxiety, irrational fear and OCD who can't cope well. Flynn and Amos were two self-centered kids who try to be older than they really are, their one redeeming feature that they very obviously love Poppy (and teach her great morals like stealing a credit card to get into Disney Land and purchase souvenirs...).

I guess it is suppose to be maybe a love story between Flynn and Amos (which I was thrilled about because I am a sucker for inappropriate romances!!), but in actuality they treat each other really terribly, like honestly the way you treat your arch enemy or somebody you have zero respect for​. It was painful to read the interactions between the two, I just wanted to cringe away from the pages. And the thing was is that Amos talks about the girls he has slept with as well as he hits on a girl at a party during the book and Flynn hooks up to have drugged out of her mind (with booze and an unknown pill cocktail) sex with a guy she vaguely knows from camp that was her best friends boyfriend. Yeah, and remember that Flynn is 15 and Amos is 17. I guess the two have a shared relationship that was great, but I never saw it, I only saw the hate, anger and disgust, and it made for the most uncomfortable read (for me at least). Also, I know that sometimes kids in NY grow up sooner (hey I saw Gossip Girl, totally real life right?), but Amos and Flynn feel more like college age than 15 and 17 due to their actions, drinking and sex.

Overall this was not a book for me, but maybe somebody else would really love it.

I am a sucker for any book with a good romance hook, and a good contemporary! This did not fall short for me. It was a fun fast paced book from the beginning and I loved getting attached to all the characters that were involved. I cannot wait to put this on my shelves to let my romance loving teens read!

I can’t say I was a fan of this one. I really liked the idea of the three teenagers running around Los Angeles together and seeing the sights, but unfortunately it wasn’t executed very well and I had massive issues with the romance.

 

I didn’t mind the idea of the step-sibling romance to begin with when I first read the synopsis because I didn’t know the full story. But once I found out more about the relationship and the characters, I was a bit creeped out. Firstly, the two had been step-siblings since they were children. They weren’t teenagers who had been thrown into this situation. So even though they didn’t really grow up together (they lived in separate houses), I was still a bit creeped out. They also share a half-sibling, which is the part that I really took issue with.

 

I thought the characters made some really stupid decisions, like ditching their phones as they left the airport. Of course, they’re teenagers, and teenagers do stupid things, but it really aggravated me. I could buy them wanting to rebel to keep their (step-)parents together, but I couldn’t get over them getting rid of their phones.

 

I also really disliked Amos, the male main character. He was a complete ass. And the female main character, Flynn, kept going on about how she wasn’t like other girls. So yay.

 

I’m really disappointed with Layover because I really liked the concept. I just wish it had been executed better, and the characters had been given some development instead of staying so awful.

I really wanted to enjoy this, but unfortunately it's just not keeping my interest and I will not be finishing the book at this time. Thank you for the opportunity to review Layover.