Really enjoyable--liked the alternate realities and seeing how things unfolded depending on one small decision. I liked the 3 main characters and felt they were realistic (especially Shane). They all, however, seemed a little whiny at times (it got tiresome to hear them complain about their parents over and over again), but overall, I recommend this one!

I got through the first half of the book although I didn't love it, but I just could not go through it again with the other side of the coin. It just wasn't worth it. I am sorry. Good luck with the book. I am sure that some readers will enjoy it, but I didn't.

Stevie's dad is a football coach. This means they move every couple of years when he gets a new job. In high school and sick of moving, Stevie fights having to yet again find new friends. For once, she'd like to stay put.
She meets two best friends, Drew and Shane, when she moves to New Jersey. Both guys are interested in her and flip a coin to decide who gets to ask her out.
The story is told in two ways. The first being when Drew wins and the second when Shane wins.
Opinion
This book is captivating. I love how Jennie Wexler chose to tell the story with each winning the coin toss. I'm not sure which version I liked better but both are intriguing stories. The first chapter, before going back six months, haunted me the whole book trying to figure out who it was.
I listened to the audiobook. Because the reading was so compelling, I had to hit pause anytime anyone would interrupt me. All narrators did a fabulous job.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ebook and audio ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars, I think that maybe all my pride month reading broke me. I love a Sliding Doors type plot - seeing what’s inevitable and what changes with small choices, so the premise of this was right up my alley. Unfortunately, I wasn’t really a fan of the romance, which was obviously a huge part of the experience. The boys flipping a coin hit me weirder than I expected, and as soon as Ray was introduced, I was shipping the girls 😂 I sort of wish the dual timelines had been playing out side by side all along, because I enjoyed that at the end, and that the relationships would’ve felt a little more deep. Stevie’s over exaggerated response to the coin toss is an integral part of the ending, and it made the ending that much shakier for me.

Overall, a fun enough read, and I liked the back and forth timelines at the end. I especially liked some of the relationship lessons learned with side characters - like Stevie and her Dad - and the friendships between Drew and Shane and Stevie and Ray more than the romance.

Audiobook : I thought the audio was well narrated and had no complaints about it. I thought the three narrators did a good job of differentiating the characters, were all easy to understand, and spoke at similar enough paces that I didn’t struggle to find a good speed to listen at.

I love the concept of this book! How much of a role does fate really have in your life? The ripple effect of messing with fate. The butterfly effect if you will. This is like a contemporary version of The Infernal Devices.

Stevie moved to a new town and met two boys. Drew and Shane. They flip a coin to see which of them will ask her out. The story is told in 3 parts... Heads plays out in Drew's favor and tells us what would have happened if he'd asked her out. Tails plays out in Shane's favor. And part 3 plays out the aftereffects of messing with fate.

Seriously a cool book!

Thank you NetGalley for an audio-ARC of Where it All Lands by Jennie Wexler.
The premise of this book is excellent and completely caught me off guard halfway through. Wexler introduces the three main characters, gets the reader hooked into the plot, and then changes the direction of the story answering the question, "What if..." An interesting story of how fate and circumstance defines who we are and how it all ends.
The audio was narrated by several voices and was easy to listen to. Each narrator's voice was a good representation of the character's personality.

NOTE : okay, it took me waaaaay too long to realize that part 2 was happening in a parallel universe timeline type of thing 😂

I absolutely loved this book! The narrators did an amazing job bringing the characters to life. I loved them all : they felt so real, their struggles, personalities, everything!!

The parallel timelines were both unique, and it was interesting to see both Drew and Shane from an outsider's perspective. I loved listening about Stevie's developing relationships with them, as with Ray (is this how it's spelled? You never know, with audiobooks 😅). Also, isn't Joey just the most adorable little kid EVER.

My heart broke a thousand times over during this read, but it was worth it. The endings both broke me and mended me back together.

I was drawn to read Where It All Lands because the premise sounds intriguing - - the idea of getting to see two different paths a story might take, giving serious Sliding Doors vibes - and I thought as a novel, that would give the author some chance to play with structure in interesting ways. Unfortunately, the structure was boringly straightforward (after an opening, we basically read one novella, then switch over to a second). Not the worst crime, but I was hoping for something more ambitious, more related to the premise, and it was disappointing not to find that.

A far worse problem for me, though, was just fundamentally mediocre writing. There are some truly bad lines in this book (like describing someone looming intimidatingly over another character as "like a bodyguard in reverse"), but even at its best, the writing feels flat and full of cliches. Meanwhile, the plot ended up leaving a lot to be desired, as well. It starts with two boys, best friends, who have exchanged all of five words with the Hot New Girl (the extent of what they know about her at this point), flipping a coin for which of them will get to ask her out. This is, of course, the Sliding Doors moment, where the storylines diverge - in one story, Shane gets to ask her out, and in the other, Drew does. Even trying to leave aside the absolute shudderiness of these boys treating a girl like an inanimate object, a prize to be won between them, it doesn't actually make a lot of sense as a divergent point. It's just a coin flip for who gets to ask her out...but surely the girl's own agency matters here, and which boy she herself might be interested in, right? ...right??

In terms of the audiobook production, I was a bit disappointed as well. Though Bailey Carr's reading of Stevie's POV chapters was fine (a little slow for me, but otherwise perfectly fine, easy to follow, and pleasant to listen to), I didn't care for either of the narrators who read the boys' chapters (Dan Bittner and Michael Crouch). The reader of Drew's chapters wildly over-acted, making every innocuous line sound over-the-top dramatic, while Shane's narrator, though a little more restrained, had a somewhat unpleasant voice - wobbly, nasal, breathy - and I'm not sure if it was a character choice or simply his voice. Either way, despite Carr's work, the narration didn't lift this audiobook above the text's mediocrity for me.


I received an advance copy from Macmillan Young Listeners via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of the movie Sliding Doors, I was intrigued when this book was described as having similarities to that movie. Instead of "sliding doors," fate seems to be triggered by the flip of a coin...whether it lands on heads or tails. I found it to be a clever premise. However, I needed something more out of the story than I received. I'm not exactly sure what I was looking for, but it felt unfinished and incomplete to me. It's possible this was the author's intent. Unfortunately, for me, with the level of intensity in this story, I needed it to have a solid resolution.

The story centers around three teenagers....Stevie, the new girl in town and Drew and Shane (best friends who both find themselves interested in Stevie). Each of these characters has struggles they are dealing with. For others looking at them from the outside, it will seem as if they have everything they could possibly want. However, once you find out about each of their backgrounds, you discover that they each have a battle they are fighting and have all experienced some type of loss.

Overall, this was a well-written young adult romance. It had an unusual and interesting storyline. I just wanted a little bit more from it.

In addition, I listened to the audiobook and the narration was well done. It kept me tied to the story.

Thanks you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Portions of this book were SUPER enjoyable to read, and I think this overall wasn't a waste of my time, but I think a lot of this novel is trying to accomplish something super deep and meaningful, which just does not translate at all. I love the concept of the book: two best friends do a coin toss to see who gets to ask the new girl out, and the book is split into 2 parts showing alternate realities in which either of them win. I really enjoyed reading about Stevie getting to know both of the boys in their prospective halves, and I loved both of the romances. However, the book tries to get ~meaningful and philosophical~ and it just didn't... work at all. It felt very cringy, and very cartoonish.

I liked all three of the main characters, however there's just so much exaggerated teenage angst that gets super repetitive and over dramatic. Perhaps this is just how teenagers will be, but it was super annoying to read. We know all three main characters have daddy issues. We got it the first... 10 times it was mentioned😭 You seriously can't get through a single chapter in this book without the characters whining about how their dads are rich and famous. I get that it sucks to have absent parents... but that should not be a characters only personality trait. So much of that repetitive space could've gone to building the characters actual personalities.

I thought the chemistry between all the characters was wonderfully written, and the relationships all had their moments of beauty mixed with the bad. Some lines were just *so* stand out beautiful, they made the repetitiveness of the plot worth it.

I really enjoyed the audiobooks: these narrators are among my favorites, and I think they did the characters justice in narrating their journeys. I would definitely recommend listening to the audiobook, it elevated the reading experience for me.

3 stars
The book begins at an unrevealed MC's funeral and then takes off with one (almost complete) timeline and then halfway through, switches to the other timeline--all the results of a coin toss. Heads or tails determine the events.
First, I enjoyed the characters and their backstories. I love the musical elements and the message of dedication and determination to reach your dreams.
While I like the idea of a dual timeline, especially due to a coin toss, there are some bigger issues that I struggle with...
InstaLove is tricky when it is one-sided, but an InstaLove Triangle? Yeah, I'm not feeling that.
However, the major issue I have is that the author chose the tragedy to result in death. Why? Why go to that extreme? My YA students and I have had a year of death at our school, so I may be more sensitive to this outcome, but I didn't feel that emotional draining was necessary to tell the story. The characters and readers are not only left in this devastation but then they are asked to question the influence of a coin toss vs fate.

Where It All Lands by Jennie Wexler is just phenomenal. This book is about Drew, Shane, and Stevie. Drew and Shane have been best friends for the majority of their lives and when the new girl, Stevie, arrives at the school and they're both immediately infatuated with her they decide who gets to ask her out the same way they figure out all of their other decisions — they flip a coin. This book is told in three parts and covers dual timelines based on which way the coin lands.

This book. Wow. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version of it because it helped me get in the right headspace for the book. I listened to this book in a single day. I read 95% of it in one sitting when I was supposed to be asleep. Each chapter left off at a place that sucked me into the story even further and left me needing to continue reading until it was magically 4 in the morning and I was crying at the end of the book — as one does.

I absolutely love the way Wexler wrote the friendship between Drew and Shane. They mesh so well as friends and balance each other out in such spectacular ways.
The setup for this book was perfect for the story that Wexler was telling. On top of being split into three parts, within each part it rotates between whichever boy is the main love interest and Stevie's point of view. Then the third part is only in Stevie's point of view which I think was super important for the story. I love the way Wexler shows the different things that Drew and Shane each bring out and Stevie. They each bring something else to the table and draw out certain parts of her and unique ways.

Another element of the story that brought this book from a 4-star to 5-star reading experience was the plot twist. I'm not usually one to read books that have unpredictable plot twists but the one in this book rivaled my reading experience with All This Time, which is written by Mikki Daughtry and Rachael Lippincott. Once I finished the book I went back and read listened to chapter 1 because the book has a circular feel to it. It added extra experience to the book I guess.

I had a love-hate relationship with the way this book brought to my attention the way that every single choice that you make in life impacts the trajectory of your future. I am not usually one that tries to think about that for too long but this book had me going into a bit of an existential moment once I finished it. This book is perfect for people who love the movie Mr. Nobody. It will have you questioning a whole lot about your life and provide an opportunity to reflect.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Young Listeners for giving me access to an ARC of the audiobook. I enjoyed the narrators that were selected for this novel.

The parallel stories complimented each other perfectly without feeling repetitive. I loved Drew and Shane's friendship, but the romance didn't do much for me honestly. But I did really enjoy seeing Drew, Shane, and Stevie grow closer together over the course of the story. And I like the ambiguous ending too - it, like the trio, was filled with possibility.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

This one was so amazing! I loved the alternate storylines and all of the main characters. I really appreciated the Jewish representation in this one and wish there were more books with Jewish representation! I loved the narrators for this and always appreciate when there are multiple narrators for multiple characters. Overall I really enjoyed this one!

One small decision can change everything. Drew and Shane have been best friends since childhood. Whenever they fight over something, they toss a coin. One day, something becomes Stevie, the new girl at school. Drew flips the coin and the side facing them gets to ask Stevie out. Stevie has moved more times than she cares to remember. The only constance in her life has been her passion for music. Music is what brings Shane and Drew crashing into her life. This book is told in three parts. There is Heads which is the coin landing in Drew's favor. There is Tails which is landing in Shane's favor. Then there is part three, a mix of both. These boys have so much loyalty to each other and try their best to stand aside and watch the girl they are in love with fall for the other.

Jennie Wexler did a great job weaving these two scenarios in a captivating manner. Both stories were easy to follow and I did not expect the events to play out the way they did. I was very impressed with her work and look forward to more from her! The audiobook had good narrators. Thank you NetGalley and the Publishers for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Where It All Lands is a love triangle (sort of!) / dual timeline novel about Stevie Rosenstein, the forever new girl in town, and two best friends, Drew and Shane. Stevie is always the new girl, thanks to her father’s job taking them to different cities, her family never fully unpacks and she never makes too many friends. Drew and Shane have been through a lot together: Shane’s father passing away and the deterioration of Drew’s relationship and his parent’s relationship. This book is also deep with musical references, as our three main characters are musicians who meet because of their love of music.

What I absolutely loved about this book was that the parallel timelines were not repetitive at all. Each timeline had its own rich story with unique situations, all working toward the ending. Every decision and action made has its own consequence and reaction. I loved that it kept me guessing and I didn’t actually know what would happen. I also had “Teardrops on My Guitar” by Taylor Swift in my head for about half the book and I feel like I can’t be the only one, right?!

Overall, I really enjoyed it and loved the characters. I simultaneously read and listened to the book over the course of a few days. I especially loved the audiobook and narrators. I loved that they used three narrators and I got to have a special glimpse into their worlds and their hearts.

Reviewing
Where It All Ends
By Jennie Wexler

Jennie Wexler delivers an intriguing, emotionally driven teen drama that explores the choices we make and the consequences that follow.

Readers tag along with Stevie, a Jewish freshman struggling to find her place after her family’s fifth move. Her passion for music leads her to best friends, Drew and Shane, who let a coin flip decide which of them should ask her out.

The dual timelines keep it interesting with part one following a heads outcome and part two following tails. In both timelines, the characters experience growth, desire, love, and loss but in completely different ways. Well-developed and realistic characters are what keep the readers going during the more repetitive moments.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars for Wexler’s tear jerking teen drama with a PG rating.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Wednesday Books, Jennie Wexler, Bailey Carr (narrator), Dan Bittner (narrator), and Michael Crouch (narrator) for the opportunity to listen to Where it All Lands in exchange for an honest review.

I used the NetGalley Shelf app to listen to this audiobook. The three narrators are absolutely fantastic. Each character is brought to life with pristine voice acting and this book was an absolute joy to listen too.

Stevie love to play music, but it's hard to get into a good music program. Not only is she a sophomore, but she has moved from city to city too many times to count because her dad is a football coach. When she meets best friends Shane and Drew, their paths are determined by a coin flip.

Shane and Drew are both interested in asking Stevie out. Being best friends, they always do a coin flip to prevent themselves from fighting with each other. Drew: Heads. Shane: Tails. Told in alternating timelines depending on how the coin lands, the story is told first as Stevie is with Drew and then as Stevie is with Shane and how the two paths differ. After part one ends with its own part of the climax, part two is like beginning the book all over again. Then part three alternates chapters between timelines after the climax of both timelines have occurred. Looking at how different choices can bring people down different paths is a very interesting aspect of this novel.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable audiobook. Each timeline is a fantastic story in its own right, and the approach of this novel is bold and complex. I highly recommend the audiobook, though reading this book for a teen audience or someone looking for something just a bit different, this is a great choice.

I LOVE a good Sliding-Doors concept, and this was a really good spin on it. The audio did a great job of bouncing from character to character -- no easy feat when you've got three teens as MCs. It was a little angsty, but then again, what's YA without a little angst!

Two high school boys toss a coin to decide which of them will get a chance to ask out a new girl, to whom they are both attracted. The book is all about what happens after that coin toss. Or is it?

This book is not quite what I expected, based on the publisher’s description. Rather than “dual timelines” which to me evokes a novel that takes place in two different time periods, Wexler has written two different stories with the same people and the same starting point. I was quite confused when, in the middle of the book, everything was sort of repeated, but in a different way with different outcomes. Once I figured out what the author was doing, I thought it was an interesting concept. The final part of the book flips back and forth between the two versions of the story.

The author poses the question - Does one random thing lead to another and another? Or is it many small decisions and twists and turns that lead us to where we are?

I enjoyed the New Jersey setting. But utimately I didn’t “get” the big deal being made over the coin toss. Stevie could’ve said yes or no to any boy who asked her out. I don’t know why Shane was so obsessed with telling her about it.

Warnings: death, divorce, drugs and alcohol use.

The audiobook has three distinct narrators who all do a wonderful job: Bailey Carr, Dan Bittner, and Michael Crouch.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.