I wasn't so sure about the love triangle but Wednesday books rarely lets me down so I decided to check it out. It actually was a great love triangle, and even though it was a main part of the story, it somehow wasn't the focus/purpose of the story. This is more a story of self growth, what ifs and how a decision can change the course of your life. This was a lot like Sliding Doors and I think today's teens will enjoy a fresh take on the story. The characters are perfectly high school; you can find the struggle of friendships, the changing feelings, family issues etc. within all the characters. I'd definitely recommend this to my students.

I loved the premise of this book, but ultimately it just wasn't a fit for me. I had trouble sympathizing with any of the characters. As a reader, I really need a dose of humor with my heavier topics and this book didn't have that, so I get that it's a me thing. I also think this is a YA book that will resonate more with teens (the obvious intended audience) than adults like me since the characters did seem young.

Oh how I adored this book. I thought it was going to be your typical YA love triangle book. It was anything but.

I don't want to recap the book itself, the author does that so well with the summary, but I truly adored this book. The friendship between Shane and Drew, oh it is such a beautiful friendship. You don't really read about male friendship like this. This is a tender sweet story about friendship and love.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Wexler presents a YA novel with a more serious edge to it, compared to the flood of rom-coms that have been published recently. Centering around two possible outcomes for a love triangle between two best friends and the ‘new girl,’ we hear from Drew, Stevie, and Shane. Some of the emotions and outcomes are inevitable, no matter how it starts, and while there is some romantic elements, it isn’t swoony and there isn’t really an HEA.
I would rec this to my patrons that are looking for something a little emo, a little grey-area, a little bit thought provoking. Not so much for a teen reader looking for a romance. Lots of friendship psychology and, as often seen in YA, some very well developed, thoughtful, wide teens who conduct very involved inner dialogues. Great for helping a teen find empathy for kids who move a lot, who have parents that are work-focused and absent, have bullies, have lost a parent or a close friend.

Thank you to Netgalley and St.Martins Press for the e-arc of this book.

Unfortunately, this was a book that I wasn’t grabbed by, and felt rather disappointed as I was reading it. The concept was innovative and cool, but the overall story didn’t really do much for me.

Where It All Lands is a story about two best friends who fall for the same girl. A classic, right? Well, this book has a unique twist. At the start, the boys both want to ask Stevie on a date, but being best friends, they don't want to step on the other's toes, so they decide to flip a coin to determine who asks her out. The proceeding story is told in two parallel timelines, showing us the results of each side of the coin toss. I loved this format and found it to be very well crafted. The little things that remained the same or differed in each one were almost as compelling as the big differences and I honestly had a hard time deciding which timeline I liked better. I loved both Drew and Shane, and their friendship, and getting to read from both of their perspectives gave us so many different layers and discoveries about their characters. Stevie was the constant throughout both timelines and seeing how her relationships with both boys altered her in different ways was fascinating. There was a depth to all of these characters that impressed me and gave the book a serious yet youthful tone. It really makes you think about life's choices and how seemingly little ones can make a big difference, leading your life down a new path. This book packed an emotional punch that I was not expecting but fully appreciated. I came in anticipating a teen love triangle romance but came out with a really beautiful and thought-provoking story.

This is a go to read for fans of Jenny Han, Emma Lord, and Sarah Dessen. Quick, fun, romantic. Great book.

I will admit that when I first read the blurb for Where It All Lands, I was very worried about a love triangle. I usually avoid those at all costs, but I'm so glad I took a chance on this story. Because of the dual timelines of the book, I'm hesitant to even call what unfolded a love triangle. There isn't overlap or wishy washy back and forth, but rather a series of what ifs and an exploration of how decisions (big or small) can impact our lives in unexpected and sometimes tragic ways.

I really enjoyed this YA novel with a unique twist on a love triangle. Stevie moves often due to her dad's job as an NFL coach. On her first day at a new school, she meets best friends Drew and Shane, who both want to ask her out. They flip a coin to avoid fighting over her, and we get alternate timelines for each outcome. I was 100% team Shane and enjoyed the second half of the book more, but even in the beginning, I couldn't put this book down. Stevie, Drew, and Shane all deal with really hard things and it's YA so expect drama and big emotions, but there's also so much hope in their story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early digital review copy!

I definitely liked this book! But there's something I can't quite put my finger on that prevented me from rating it higher. The structure of the book made it hard to really fall into these characters. Overall, it was a good read, and a strong debut: emotional and interestingly structured, but could use more character depth.

"Every action has its equal, opposite reaction"

Based on the cover I knew I would like Where It All Lands, but I didn't realize how much I would ADORE this novel.

Dual timelines, a love triangle, emotional turmoil, and dreams on the line all coalesce into Jennie Wexler's emotionally gripping novel Where It All Lands---a story about three teens on the verge of something beautiful, or something utterly tragic. Highly recommend this book as its take on choices and consequences will resonate deeply with readers.

Back to Newton and Hamilton: When a coin flip between two best friends determines the fate of three teens, no one can predict the intensity, the gutwrenching twists, and finality of a simple choice.

Drew and Shane are the best of friends, brothers really, and have each others' backs always. Until the new girl, Stevie Rosenstein shows up with her red saxophone strap. Both boys are instantly drawn to her and decide to flip a coin to decide who gets to ask Stevie out. NOW HOLD UP BEFORE YOU JUDGE THE GUYS TOO HARSHLY! A coin toss is a way Drew and Shane have historically settled any disagreements before they turned into fights. This toss is not for the ownership of Stevie, but a way for the guys to let fate decide who gets to ask her out. Stevie still has full autonomy here. She can and does say no to the boy she is not interested in at first...

What's remarkable about this story is that both possibilities playout for the reader and we will never know which one was the *real* timeline. There is a monumental twist around the halfway point and will leave you breathless.

We have all contemplated it - how our lives would be different if we had made one choice over another. We come across so many of these life-changing moments over the course of our lives, and it is easy to get caught up in the "what-ifs." What if I hadn't taken that job? What if I didn't agree to that first date? What if I hadn't picked up the phone that day? What if I had left the house 5 minutes later? What if I chose one guy over the other? That's the what-if explored in Jennie Wexler's debut YA novel, Where It All Lands, a book that examines the choices of three New Jersey teens.

Where It All Lands begins with a coin toss after two best friends, Drew and Shane, both lay eyes on the new girl, Stevie, and want to ask her out. Of course, they both can't, so they flip a coin to determine who will receive the honor. That coin toss alters the trajectory of all three of these teenagers' lives, which is the premise of this novel.

It helps to have some understanding of the book's arrangement before going into it. The first half of the novel spotlights what would have happened had the coin landed on "heads," giving brooding and mega-rich heartthrob Drew the opportunity to ask Stevie out. The latter part of the book highlights what would have happened if the coin had landed on "tails," and Shane, the sensitive and gifted musician, had received the chance to go for Stevie. Just who will Stevie choose by the end of both of these stories? And how big a part does our everyday choices play in our destinies?

The concept of Where It All Lands is really interesting. It made me think and consider my life choices, and also opened my eyes to the numerous possibilities awaiting at the end of every "what if." On the other hand, I didn't really care for the characters, especially Drew, who was volatile, pretentious, and spoiled. Stevie wasn't much better, constantly lamenting over her dad's job as a NFL coach. The book reeks of privilege, and Stevie and Drew come off as whiny and ungrateful. The plot was also not the most compelling, focusing on typical teenage fare - friendships, relationships, and problems with parents - without offering up much to provoke the senses. But the coin toss makes it interesting and turns this story into something more than a typical teenage love triangle. If you are looking for a unique storyline format, then you may quite enjoy Where It All Lands.

This book is such an interesting concept but it totally works!! I loved the multi POV, which is something I look for in books.

I enjoyed Drew, Shane, and Stevie and learning about their backstories. The multi POV really lets us see into their world and get to know them.

This book is bittersweet and sweetly moving!

I love a story with an alternate timeline. The “what could have been” is one of my favorite kind of stories, just like in “Sliding Doors”. Where It All Lands was a pleasant surprise. It was a cute, fun, and quick read. It took me two sittings to read, and that is only because I had to eat. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

This book threw me for a loop halfway through, as I went into it a bit blind. What had started out as a feel-good be-careful-what-you-choose kind of novel, turned into one that showed just how impactful one small choice can be, and just how much can potentially change because of it.

The second part of the book shows what would have happened if one action had resulted differently. And then readers get to see both play out in the end.

A lesson I took away from this book: Sometimes there are things outside of our control, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be mindful of the choices we do make in life.

A quick note: I really enjoyed this story, but I didn’t personally enjoy the audiobook. The voices came across as breathy and as though they were trying to seduce you at times, which just felt awkward since the story wasn’t one of sexual nature. Just my personal preference here, but I thought I’d share!

This book was a lot heavier & much more of a downer than I was expecting for a YA romance. It actually made it more difficult to read because everyone more or less spends the whole book unhappy. I also thought the epilogue was completely unnecessary & really felt like it was tacked on because the book needed a couple of extra pages. I did, however, like that we got a lot of the “Heads” story and then a lot of the “Tails” story instead of switching off every chapter as other “what if” books I’ve read have done.

Jennie Wexler’s debut YA contemporary novel Where It All Lands is one of the more unique stories I’ve read recently. It’s a story about love, friendship, missed opportunities and second chances, and it’s about how something as simple as the flip of a coin can alter the course of a person’s journey.

The story follows three teens: new girl Stevie Rosenstein and Shane and Drew, who have been best friends forever. Both Shane and Drew find themselves drawn to Stevie and want to ask her out. They don’t want to step on each other’s toes though and have a girl come between their friendship, so they do what they always do when they need to resolve something and move on – they flip a coin. Whoever wins the coin flip gets to ask Stevie out and the loser steers clear.

It’s here that the story takes a unique turn because the author presents the rest of the story in a dual timeline: in one timeline, Shane has won the coin toss and becomes involved with Stevie and in the other timeline, Drew has won and it is he who gets to ask out Stevie. I have to admit I was a little nervous when I realized it was somewhat of a love triangle, but I really loved how the author presented the relationships in each timeline. She really fleshes out all three characters and shows how sometimes even the smallest choices people make can have a huge impact on their lives and the lives of those around them.

Even though it was the unique concept of the love triangle/coin flip dual timeline that drew me to this story, what really made me love it was the cast of characters. I adored Stevie, Shane, and Drew. I was particularly drawn to Stevie because she had spent her whole life moving from city to city because of her father’s job. Every time she makes friends, she immediately has to pack up and move. She’s lonely and at this point in her life is hesitant to even bother trying to make new friends. I felt so bad for her and was immediately rooting for her to find some great friends and convince her dad to settle in one place so she can put down roots.

I also adored Shane and Drew, especially because of their friendship. They’ve both been through so much and no matter what, have always been each other’s number one support system. I didn’t want them to let a girl, or anyone else for that matter, come between them, so I was anxious to see if they would really be able to abide by the rules of their coin toss or if the tension would come to a head and cost them not only Stevie, but also their lifelong friendship. Wexler does a wonderful job creating tension and straining these relationships to the brink. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but I’ll say that this book also had me in tears a few times. I just became so invested in these characters that when tragedy strikes (also presented in a dual timeline with different outcomes) I was immediately a wreck.

Even though there’s definitely quite a bit of heartbreak sprinkled throughout, overall Where It All Lands is still a heartfelt and hopeful book. If you enjoy unique stories that feature love, friendship, trust, second chances, and possibilities, you’ll want to check out Where It All Lands.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Stevie is new to town, again, after her family relocates for her father's new job. Her first day she meets Shane and Drew, two best friends who use coin tosses to settle everything. Both boys see potential relationships with Stevie and flip a coin to see who gets to ask her out.

The story is told in 3 parts: heads, tails, and after. The concept of the book is so intriguing of a ripple effect of what changes when one or the other outcome happens. I found myself enjoying the first perspective, but not loving "repeating" the story in another way.

The characters are definitely what you would expect from YA, but they learn and grow so much throughout the story that they become endearing. Stevie has a lot of growth of learning that life is more what you make of it than your situation.

I recommend this book to music lovers, band geeks, fans of dual timelines, and hopeless romantics.

Where It All Lands is such an engaging book that I didnt want to return to my real life for a bit while I was reading it. It follows three separate people, best friends Drew and Shane and a new girl Stevie that started school and meets the two boys the first day of school. Told in dual (triple??) POVs we get to see the sides of all characters only the first half is from the POV of Drew if he won a coin toss to ask Stevie out and the second half of Shane did.

I loved getting to know all the characters though I didn’t connect to Drew as much as Shane or Stevie. He was closed off and had the tell tale angst of teenagerhood which is to be expected. I found it so interesting to see how the trio’s lives changed depending on who won the coin toss and the twist at the end of both stories had me speed reading the last 50 pages to see what happened.

Overall I greatly enjoyed reading it and it was an easy but engaging read. Nothing too in depth or hard about it but definitely got my out of my reading slump!

Heads, you win; tails, you lose. What if everything hinged on the way the coin fell? How different would the results be? That is the premise in Jennie Wexler’s Where It All Lands.

Drew and Shane see Stevie Rosenstein on the first day of band practice and both decide they want to ask her out. Drew falls back on the habit they’ve always had to avoid arguments: toss a coin. Heads, he gets to ask Stevie out; tails, Shane does. In the first iteration of the story, the coin lands on heads and the reader follows the consequences of this. In the second part, the coin lands on tails and it becomes Shane’s story. At the point of the story’s climax in both novellas, the chapters alternate between the “Heads” story and the “Tails” story until an inconclusive ending that the reader is supposed to guess at.

Besides music, Drew, Shane, and Stevie share some pretty hefty daddy issues. Drew’s dad seems to be more interested in his career in music than in his family; Shane’s father has died causing an expected chasm; and Stevie’s dad is a professional offensive football coach who finds himself frequently out of a job and moving to the next one, taking his family with him, which results in Stevie feeling like she never fits it. Much to Shane’s chagrin, neither Drew nor Stevie appreciate the fact that they still have a living father in their lives. Their issues with their fathers predominate in a repetitious fashion.

In the “Heads” side of the story, melodrama rules and this is never so apparent as when one listens to the audio version. All of the self-absorbed tirades and whining is kind of painful when it’s performed. The relationship between Drew and Stevie seems destructive and there’s little in the way of character development until after the “significant event.”

The “Tails” version is a lot more palatable. In both versions, Shane is my favorite character. He has it more together and seems to work on himself as a person and is open to other people. His relationship with Stevie is sweet. I think that this version really could have raised the novel above average if the author had understood how important it was to have the characters progress, change, evolve, and have a different outcome than having to pass through the predetermined “significant event.”

Now I’ve thought about the format quite a bit since I finished reading. The format of presenting both versions hinging on the same significant event seemed clunky. It meant repetition. It also signified that, regardless of what decision you make, some events will occur either way–which I don’t buy. In the “Tails” version everything has built to a scene at All-State (the music contest Stevie and Shane have prepared for and attend) to show Stevie’s elevated confidence and it could have been such an empowering scene but the author decided to adhere to the same “significant” event needing to happen. And the reader finds themselves at a tragic situation instead of something better. A lost opportunity to have an inspiring moment, I think. Evidently, it was better to stick with melodrama than have a feel-good moment.

Also built way out of context is the coin toss and the expected and actual reaction to it. With all of the hand-wringing, you would have expected it was something much bigger than it is when examined. Two guys tossed a coin to see who would ask a girl out. The decision was still left to the girl. The guys weren’t in control. Stevie’s reaction when discovering they tossed a coin was an over-reaction. In some ways, that over-reaction is a continuing issue with the novel with so many over-the-top emotions and melodrama.

Where It All Lands is also a novel that incorporates quite a bit of music. If you follow me, you know that makes me a happy camper. One of my favorite groups, Pearl Jam, features quite significantly, especially their album “10.” I did wonder, however, why these three teenager weren’t listening to anything contemporary and why when someone contemporary, Taylor Swift, comes on the radio they take it as an opportunity to diss her despite the fact that she continues to push creative boundaries. Good music is always being made, and I would have presumed music nerds would have been on top of it.

Where It All Lands is a very ambitious debut novel, one that lovers of angst will completely adore. I loved the “what-if” ideas but wished they’d been examined further. It is definitely a novel that begs you to keep turning pages as you see that one decision can completely change a life.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.