Where It All Lands

By Jennie Wexler

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    2 Book Lovers Reviews

​You don’t have to be in the young adult age range to appreciate and enjoy this book.  Where It All Lands is a thought-provoking debut that packs an emotional punch. 

I am always drawn to novels that have the characters contemplating the what-ifs in life.  What if we had chosen a different path in life, how would our lives be different?  How much do our choices and the choices of others influence/determine the outcome in our own lives?  With the mere flip of a coin, Drew and Shane wanted to decide which one of them would get to ask Stevie out.  If the penny landed on heads, Drew would get to ask her.  If it landed on tails, it would be Shane’s chance.  The story is told in dual timelines, and we get to see how each of these scenarios would have unfolded.  It also alternates from each of the characters’ perspectives.  I enjoyed this aspect.  Did I root for one character over the other?  I liked them both, but if I’m being honest, I did have a preference, especially as I got to know them better. 

A novel is nothing without its characters, and this book had some great ones.  Stevie, Drew, and Shane were well-developed characters.  Wexler made me feel as though I knew them.  She made me care.  They each had their own family issues that they were dealing with, but they had each other to lean on and confide in.  They were all likable, but I think that what touched me the most was the level of caring and loyalty between Drew and Shane.  Their bond was tight, and I think that everyone deserves a friendship like that.

Music plays a big part in this book.  Whether it was wanting to “make it” in a band, getting accepted into a prestigious music program, or simply finding solace and meaning in certain tunes and songs, these three had a passion for music that ran deep and connected them.

As soon as I read the synopsis for Where It All Lands, I figured that it would be a book that I would enjoy, but what I didn’t expect was for it to make me feel so much.  When I said that it packs a punch, I should have said that it felt like a punch right to the gut.  My heart hurt, my stomach was tied in knots, and the tears rolled down my cheeks.  And that ending…


*4 Stars