Such a good read. I was hooked at the beginning and stayed engrossed to the end. The dual timelines weren't intermingled. It was one then the other. The ending(s) smacked me in the gut.

Shane and Drew have been best friends since they were little and spend most of their waking hours together. Stevie Is the new girl at school but she is used to it because her father moved them around so much. When Drew and Shane both notice her and want to ask her out they do what they always do when they have a disagreement: they toss a coin. This story is about the choices we make and the how small decisions can change the trajectory of our lives.

I enjoyed this book. It’s a typical new girl in town where everyone falls in love with her story but the differing storylines and timelines really made it different. The book is told alternating between the three main characters and also between whether the coin flip was heads or tails so you get a lot of different perspectives.

There are two very different outcomes to each of stories and timelines which was difficult for me to come to terms with. Also Stevie seems to know things in one timeline that she doesn’t in the other which was odd to me. Overall though I would recommend this to my high school students who enjoy a thoughtful romance.

Where it All Lands is akin to a YA “Sliding Doors”. This is a cute trope and the writing is fairly well-done, but basically this is a book about three rich white kids in a love triangle. The reader is told right off the bat that one of the boys in the story dies, but not which one. This is one of the reasons I kept reading this book.
Where it All Lands doesn’t feel repetitive, which is nice. Sometimes in this trope, the “alternate” story can feel like just a reworded version of the original, but the author does a good job of glossing over repeat storylines and focusing more on details that were skipped the first time around. For me, where I struggled was with the characters.

A quick summary:
Drew: cool kid, rich kid, super attractive, other kids like him because his dad is a music producer and they’re hoping Drew will hook them up with concert tickets, likes Ray Bradbury and singing. Drew’s parents are splitting up and he is very angry about that. Drew’s mom doesn’t seem to have a job.
Shane: not very cool for reasons not thoroughly explained, rich kid, talented drummer, intelligent. Shane’s dad died a few years ago. Shane’s mom seems to be a teacher.
Stevie: new girl in town, so pretty that she knows it and everyone knows it, rich kid. Her dad is an NFL coach. Her mom doesn’t seem to have a job, but she paints or does some sort of art in her spare time.

In one version of events, “Heads”, Drew “wins” the coin toss and he asks Stevie out and they begin dating right away. Immediately her dad hates him and they sneak around trying to be together.
In the other version of events, “Tails”, Shane “wins” the coin toss and hangs out with Stevie. They become friends and eventually develop feelings for each other.

Two stories=two endings. While I wasn’t entirely happy with the ending, I felt like the book was overall an ok YA read. I would recommend to students who like this trope and who frequent the Romance section.

I really enjoyed this book, and I found the storytelling really compelling and delightful. The story follows two best friends, Drew and Shane, who flip a coin over Stevie who is the intriguing new girl in town. Stevie's father is an NFL quarterback coach and she harbours a lot of resentment due to having to move around constantly to follow his job. I loved how strongly music played a role in this book, it felt seamless and fluid and I loved seeing how it blended throughout the story to further imbue it with meaning.

The story is told in alternating points of view on a dual timeline, which really added to how much I loved it. We as readers have an even stronger "outside looking in" perspective than usual, which is at times as heartbreaking as it is hopeful. This book is exactly what I think a lot of us picture when we think of good YA, it's beautifully and elegantly told while never talking down to the reader, always holding space for us to fall more in love with these characters and their stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ebook in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I gave this YA title to my 14yo daughter to read...she loved it but said it "wrecked" her which I'm guessing is a good thing? :) We heard all about it over dinner last night so thank you for the advance ebook.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review for NetGalley. This was a cute YA read - I got through it in a day. While I enjoyed the parallel timelines and the "what-if" explorations, I didn't love the ending - I guess I was expecting it to go a different way and was left a little puzzled. I did love all the characters - while they were each flawed, the beauty of being young is that it's easier for me to forgive any mistakes the characters make as growing opportunities. This is a solid recommendation for YA fans.

This good was a great read! I very much enjoy stories that show alternate timelines, and the author here executed on that beautifully.

This tells the story of Drew and Shane who have been best friends since they were little and have seen each other through many difficult times, including the death of Shane's dad and Drew's father leaving their family. When Stevie Rosenstein moves to town, Drew and Shane are both immediately drawn to her. They decide to flip a coin, their usual means for resolving disputes when they arise, to decide who will ask her out. And the books tells the story of what happens with both outcomes.

All three of the main characters are compelling, and the author does an excellent job of letting us see different perspectives on them and their choices through the two timelines.

Highly recommended!

I was intrigued by the parallel storyline and following how one small change could drastically alter someone’s life. I truly enjoyed following along in both scenarios and seeing the course of the three main characters lives play out. I was hoping for more of a concrete ending - a “what’s meant to be, will be” situation but overall am very happy with this book.

I really enjoyed this book but the one thing I did not enjoy was the end since we do not get to know where the coin really landed. I was skeptical about the two timelines scared it would make the book feel repetitive but that was not the case and I enjoyed shanes timeline even more than drew's but overall I liked this book a lot!

Heart-wrenching in a good way, 'Where It All Lands' follows Drew, Shane, and Stevie through both potential results of the coin toss used to determine who would get to ask out the new girl. Thankfully, the majority of this book follows one of the boys' coin toss win, and then the other boys' coin toss win; it is only in the ending chapters where the 2 alternative time lines are spliced together, revealing a little at a time and switching back and forth quite often. Recommended to anyone who enjoys exploring what-if's and alternative time lines.

I enjoy YA novels as a break from some of the heavier genres that I mostly read. The easy dialogue, the intense emotions, the overall lightness provides a welcome respite. This novel, however, fell short. The idea was unique; I liked the switch in perspectives halfway through the novel but the friendships and the interactions seemed too contrived and over the top. For example, an insecure new girl wouldn’t so quickly lock onto a guy and alienate female friends in the process.

This was heartbreakingly beautiful. I loved the way it was told in alternating timelines, giving us a really nice full picture of the story that was happening. All three main characters have different relationships with their fathers, making that something they can bond about. I loved Shane, I wanted to hug Drew and Stevie grew to be an amazing young woman she develops into. I hate that Shane has such sad outcomes in both storylines. I did love this book so much and I do believe that Stevie and Shane belong together. I absolutely loved the Jewish rep and Stevie's internal monologue about wearing her star of david.

Beautifully written novel where three characters are intertwined in each other's lives after meeting. The novel is told from the different character's perspectives that reveals the story behind what is going on. Stevie moves into town and has to start life over. She gains new friends and has to determine if they are friends with her because they like her or they want something from her. She finds two new friends, Drew and Shane. She soon discovers their motives for being her friend. The trials and angst a teenager goes through is compounded by so many different elements throughout the story.

This one stunned me! A YA romance that begins with two best friends flipping a coin to see which one is allowed to ask out the cool new girl, Stevie, who has just come to town. The characters are all likable and have realistic insecurities that make your heart go out to them. Without giving too much away, this book has a unique narrative style that explores both sides of the coin and shows how one second or one choice can change everything. I also loved how it showed that there isn’t always one right choice in a situation- sometimes there is more than one way to be happy- and I think that’s a great message for teen readers. And the ending.... so perfect.

4.5 STARS

Well that was utterly moving and heartwarming. What an emotional read. What a journey. In a lot of ways, this felt like a mystery to me, the way these three lives were intertwined and how just a simple coin flip could change the journey. My heart. Oh my heart.

I truly fell for this trio.

If you’re a fan of chances and the exploration of the family dynamic in teens, this book is going to score big for you as a reader.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to all YA lovers. It’s a treat! A true gem.

Thank you netgalley for the advance reader copy.

What a wonderful story. My heart is so full after this novel. I didn't know which way I wanted the coin to land and the end had me begging for more pages. Every teenager who's ever had a best friend or a first love should read this immediately

The premise of this book sounded very interesting with the two best friends flipping a coin about their love life however I found it far-fetched at times and did not love the dual timeline. I can see how teens would like it. I received this novel as an advanced reader copy and exchange for an unbiased review.

When I first read the concept of this book and that it was going to all come down to a flip of a coin it made me question if I was really going to enjoy it. For YA novel, I have to be very hooked to truly dive in and get captivated by the characters and plot. This book did just that and is now on the top of the list for me when it comes to YA.

Jennie Wexler did an incredible job of making you feel for all the characters and brought up some very hard emotions as you are following the stories of Stevie, Shane, and Drew. Wexler really had you thinking about all the choices you make and the consequences of them. This was one of the first books I've read that I knew had a dual timeline, but just couldn't figure out how the author was going to do it. Then it hits you and your left smiling with tears in your eyes through the end.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review!

Thank you to the publisher and @letstalkbooks for a gifted copy of the ebook. This was told in past and present and 3 POVs (Paige, Betsy and Adam). The story’s premise is so relevant and I have friends that have found their birth parent through DNA testing.

I loved reading about Paige as she figures out what to do with the revelation. Her support system is amazing with her fiancé and her friends. The past was equally interesting with Betsy and Adam’s POV. I cold not put this down and read this in 2 days.

Where it All Lands by Jennie Wexler centers around the lives of three teens: Drew, Shane, and Stevie.

Drew and Shane have been best friends since childhood, bonded by the loss of their fathers (Shane’s due to death, Drew’s from divorce). They also share a deep passion for music.

Enter Stevie Rosenstein. Stevie has moved to yet another new town, as her father’s career as a sports coach, has uprooted them on almost a yearly basis most of her life.

Both boys are instantly drawn to Stevie, who is determined to simply get through the year without forming any deep emotional attachments. With a flip of a coin the boys decide which one of them gets to ask Stevie out first. In the first half of the book, the coin lands on heads, with Drew winning the toss. In the second half of the book, the coin lands on tails, with Shane as the winner. What follows is a retelling of how that toss has a sort of butterfly effect on their lives.

Each of the characters is well developed with relatable flaws and issues. Drew is consumed with anger towards his father for breaking up their family, while Shane would give anything to have his own father alive again.

Chapters alternate by character, each told from their perspective. The voices are well established and distinct enough that it is easy to tell which character you are reading simply by the tone of the narrative.

Wexler weaves music throughout the story, deeply impacting the way Drew, Shane, and Stevie view and process the world around them.

The book is divided into two distinct tellings of the same events, each one unfolding in a different way, but Wexler intersects them in such away that they read as a single narrative.

Readers who liked All the Bright Places by Jennifer Nivens, or Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, might also enjoy Where It All Lands.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.