Review: The Chaos of Standing Still by Jessica Brody
Hello! First of all, happy new year! We are finally into 2021! Anyways, I recently finished reading The Chaos of Standing Still and I really enjoyed it, so I thought I’d share my review of it.
Book: The Chaos of Standing Still
Author: Jessica Brody
Genre: Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Young Adult
Series? Standalone
Summary (from Goodreads): “Ryn Gilbert’s life changed irrevocably a year ago when her best friend, Lottie, was behind the wheel of a T-boned car. Ryn has held onto many things ever since, including one text message that allows her to keep Lottie near— it has gotten to the point that she questions her own sanity, and even keeps her therapist from knowing that she still sees and speaks to her friend.
Now Ryn is stuck in the Denver Airport on the night before the anniversary of Lottie’s death due to a blizzard with Xander, a boy she meets when they accidentally swap phones. The airport setting allows Ryn to open up to Xander, who is connected to her by circumstance and weighed down by his own issues.
It also allows them to interact with other unique characters, including a child prodigy and the slightly older airport workers Siri and Harvey, who throw an illicit New Year’s Eve party, while helping Ryn work out problems that she has been unable to face in her own life.”
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. I don’t usually read books that are in a short time frame, like this one which was only about 24 hours, but it was really well done. So let’s talk about the plot and characters.
Plot
The plot was interesting and the romance between Ryn and Xander didn’t feel rushed, which I was glad about.
However, one thing that I didn’t really like was the fact that Lottie was almost controlling Ryn in a way. She was in Ryn’s mind most of the time throughout the story, and it was like she make Ryn’s decisions for her. I understand that Ryn was thinking of her friend a lot and reliving memories and everything, but putting Lottie’s opinions of something before her own was something I didn’t really get.
I enjoyed the small subplot with Troy, it added a little diversion from the rest of the story.
Characters
Ryn was in a difficult situation. Her best friend is dead and the one-year anniversary is almost upon her. She’s not really sure what she’s supposed to be doing and according to her therapist, she “isn’t grieving properly” or something along those lines. I like Ryn. I feel like I can connect with her and understand how she’s feeling.
Xander was extremely funny. He’s witty and slightly impulsive and actually a little rebellious. He’s got his own issues and hardships as well, letting him connect with Ryn and really understand some of her own problems.
Lottie was in Ryn’s head so much she’s practically a main character. Also adding the flashbacks that happen throughout the book. She’s extremely impulsive and though she seems fearlessly brave, she’s actually scared a lot. That’s why I think she doesn’t often read situations correctly or think about the consequences of what could happen if she did something.
Siri and Jimmy were an interesting pair. (By the way, Goodreads got it wrong, the name is not Harvey, it’s Jimmy). They were funny as well, trying to throw a New Year’s Eve party that wasn’t even legal. In a way, they also helped Ryn.
I really liked Troy as well. He was a child prodigy and the first time he came into the book, I thought he was ten and had an unusually large vocabulary. He helped Ryn also, by telling her that not all things have an answer.
Overall
The Chaos of Standing Still was an enjoyable read. Though there was one aspect I didn’t exactly like, overall the story was a fun read for me. It really showed how much Ryn changed as a person from the time she stepped off the airplane at the beginning of the book to when she boarded the plane at the end.
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars
HAVE YOU READ THE CHAOS OF STANDING STILL? WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THIS REVIEW? CHAT WITH ME IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!
One Comment
Pingback: