Meant to Be
Meant to Be book cover

Meant to Be

Hardcover – November 13, 2012

by
Price
$16.97
Format
Hardcover
Pages
304
Publisher
Delacorte Press
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0385741774
Dimensions
5.75 x 1.02 x 8.55 inches
Weight
15.2 ounces

Description

From School Library Journal Gr 9 Up-This delightful debut explores the excitement and insecurities of an unexpected first love. During the junior-year lit class trip to London, Julia, a rule-following, socially awkward swimmer/scholar, finds herself partnered with Jason, the obnoxious class clown. Her mission is to enjoy the historical sights while retracing her parents' honeymoon travels. He has plans to make the "Book Licker" break some rules and have fun. He drags her to a party, and after Julia has a few drinks, she exchanges numbers with a handsome British boy. Here is where the adventure begins. With a huge nod to Shakespeare, Jason agrees to help Julia compose love note texts and she agrees to write his cultural papers. The two form an alliance, and, although readers can see their feelings for each other grow, Julia believes her true "meant to be" love is her crush Mark, who happens to show up unexpectedly. Jealousy, some mixed messages, and a kiss that sends Julia spinning ensue. Even with the slightly contrived plotline, readers can't help but cheer for Jason as he opens up and wins Julia's heart. The good times they experience in London are a perfect balance to the painful secrets they reveal to each other, and girls will identify with Julia's angst when she believes she has been duped ("If I can go back to ignoring him, just like before this trip began, then I can forget"). A great choice for teens who enjoyed Jennifer E. Smith's The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (Little, Brown, 2012), Gabrielle Zevin's Elsewhere (Farrar, 2005), or Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's Dash & Lily's Book of Dares (Knopf, 2010).-Pamela Schembri, Newburgh Enlarged City Schools, NYα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. From Booklist Romance combines with a tense mystery in Boston high-school junior Julia’s wry, present-tense narrative of her 10-day student trip to London. She is assigned clumsy Jason as her partner, but he is just not her type, and they have fuming arguments. She texts her best friend in Boston about her longtime crush on Mark (who now wants to spend time with her) and the alluring texts she is getting from “Chris”—who is he? She daydreams about Chris and about perfect Mark; if only Jason would go away. But who is stealing her phone and reading and sending text messages on it? She does have a great kiss, but it’s with Jason: was it a huge mistake? The traveling details are part of the fun: her friends are into shopping, not Shakespeare, and there are raucous puns about Big Ben. The contemporary scene with consumer name-dropping will grab readers, though, of course, the details will date. Still, the core drama is the romance, with all its turnarounds and timeless realism. Grades 7-12. --Hazel Rochman "If you’re into swoony romances with a little bit of history thrown in, you’ll love Meant to Be . I love this book because it’s funny, it has a super-relatable heroine, and it features a ton of romantic tension...Lauren Morrill rules and this book is awesome." -- HelloGiggles.com "The author has a good ear for comic dialogue." -- Kirkus Reviews "Morrill’s debut is entertaining and quick-witted." -- Publishers Weekly "The traveling details are part of the fun: her friends are into shopping, not Shakespeare, and there are raucous puns about Big Ben. The contemporary scene with consumer name-dropping will grab readers...The core drama is the romance, with all its turnarounds and timeless realism." -- Booklist "This delightful debut explores the excitement and insecurities of an unexpected first love...A great choice for teens who enjoyed Jennifer E. Smith’s The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight , Gabrielle Zevin’s Elsewhere , or Rachel Cohn and David Levithan’s Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares ." -- School Library Journal Lauren Morrill is the author of MEANT TO BE, BEING SLOANE JACOBS , THE TROUBLE WITH DESTINY,xa0MY UNSCRIPTED LIFE, and BETTER THAN THE BEST PLAN . She grew up in Maryville, Tennessee, where she was a short-term Girl Scout, a (not-so) proud member of the marching band, and a troublemaking editor for the school newspaper. She lives in Macon, Georgia, with her family. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • A girl with it all planned out discovers a romance she never expected in this funny debut about a class trip to London that HelloGiggles.com says you’ll love “if you’re into swoony romances with a little bit of history thrown in.”
  • This spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.
  • Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.
  • ***
  • "Readers of Jennifer E. Smith and Stephanie Perkins will revel in this debate about love ruled by the stars or as a matter of the heart." --
  • Shelf Awareness
  • "Fun, fresh and irresistibly romantic. STB (SURE to be) loved!" --Sarah Mlynowski
  • “Star-crossed characters, hilarious dialogue, and a perfect London setting. I loved
  • Meant to Be
  • !” –Robin Benway, author of
  • Emmy & Oliver

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(138)
★★★★
25%
(115)
★★★
15%
(69)
★★
7%
(32)
★
23%
(105)

Most Helpful Reviews

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One of the sweetest things I've read in a while

Thank you to Random House/Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this eARC!

Sometimes I read YA contemporary romance and I wonder if maybe I'll a little too jaded for my own good. I mean, is there nothing left in this realm that I can stand?

Turns out, there is. And it's this book.

I'll admit I had my reservations going into it. I mean, the premise is nothing new. The main character, Julia, has the nickname of "Book Licker" for good reason. She's a straight up nerd with a kooky best friend, a secret crush on a childhood friend and then she gets stuck with a guy she abhors for nine days in London. Quite frankly, I've seen this a million times with the variables tweaked.

But there's a saying, and that's that everything that is being written has always been written, and it's how you write it that makes a difference. If you've followed any of my reviews on romance in any kind of book, you'll know I'm very hard to please. That gives more weight to be saying that I fell head over heels for this book.

It wasn't perfect, and I'll get to that in a minute, but the point is that I found it amazingly cute. Julia's devotion to her parents and the concept of finding the one "meant to be" was absolutely touching. I was reading and giggling all the way through. Julia and Jason are the standard rom-com couple that can't stand each other, but the way they handle it and the things they say are just far too cute. They actually do end up getting rather nasty with each other too, which makes it more real--it's not just surface tension. I don't want to give away anything about the rest of the plot, but the twists thrown that complicate everything were actually interesting for the most part.

I do think that things fell apart a little bit on the characterization side. For one, there was an attempt to include way more characters then the story had real room for, and then to try to make those characters more than flat. I appreciate the attempt, but frankly it wasn't relevant, it got in the way and it bogged down the story. I really wish more of an attempt had been made to flesh out Jason's character as well. Throughout the story, he switches back and forth between sweet and immature way too easily. I understand that that's what Julia was seeing and everything, but honestly I never believed that there was another level to Jason beyond what we were seeing because it was never addressed in great detail. There is also the character of Mark, who I can't address without giving things away, but the way he was handled really annoyed me.

I think the greatest connection I made in this book was with Julia. She made the book for me. Sure, the nerd who's a secret romantic isn't a fresh story line by any means, but she managed to wrap her hands around my heart even so. She was funny, she was awkward, and--most importantly--she was real. Her reactions to all situations were genuine.
18 people found this helpful
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Super cute

I really loved this book. I've had a hard time lately getting into any YA debuts particularly the scifi/fantasy (can't get into Throne of Glass, Cinder, Shadow and Bone, etc), and so while I had hopes for this one (perks of knowing Lauren and knowing how lovely she is in real life), I didn't expect I'd be able to finish it.

To my surprise - and delight - I read this in a few hours and LOVED it.

I laughed through a lot of the scenes and dialogue. I could relate to Julia a lot especially with not wanting to break any rules. There were times I felt she was a little too self centered but aren't we all?

And though I felt the mysterious text messaging went on a little too long for my liking, I thought the end to that was great. I loved that Julia grew as a character throughout this novel and that she realized not everything is as perfect as she wants it to be.

I thought Jason was a hoot but I do wish he was one way or another - there were times when he was too immature for me to root for him and then the next he was really nice to Julia. He seemed wishy washy as a Love Interest but overall I felt the two of them fit each other.

I especially hooted/laughed so hard during the record store scene with them in the booth singing Neil Diamond. :-)

I could totally see this book as a teen movie and I look forward to Lauren's second novel.
3 people found this helpful
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Enjoyable

Meant to Be takes a nice, although uptight, honor student and throws her in partnership with the class clown who seems to take nothing seriously. I was prepared to read a story where Julia found that she didn't have to be perfect and showed a Jason that had hidden depths and for the most part, that was true. Unfortunately, the overall character development and plot development left me feeling a little let down. Jason is a funny character and a good foil for Julia and I did enjoy their interactions that left Julia flustered. I also enjoyed the class trip as a setting because I thought it was a great way to take this situation out of the normal "High School, USA" setting. However, the whole sub-plot involving the mysterious text messages felt out of place and I wish that more time had been spent on Julia and Jason's interactions because the hunt for the mysterious texter started to feel repetitive, after a while.

I guess I just wanted more from this book. It was a great premise, although some of the situations seemed a little far-fetched. The idea of finding romance that has been right in front of you all along is one of my favorite love story tropes, but I just couldn't get attached to the characters. I enjoyed reading about Julia's crush on Mark, but I didn't really believe it. I enjoyed reading about Jason's past and family history, but it was presented in a way that didn't quite mesh with the flow of the story. In the end, although this story was enjoyable, it didn't blow me away or make me swoon, which is what I want when I read a YA contemporary romance. I think that die hard fans of this category will like Meant to Be, but this reader just didn't fall in love this time around.
2 people found this helpful
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This book was pretty good. I LOVED all the twists and turns

This book was pretty good. I LOVED all the twists and turns. A teenager gets paired up with her enemy a boy who breaks the rules and doesn't care about his education on a trip to England. This later on comes as a blessing to Julia when Jason encourages her o take some risks and go to a party. The next day neither of them can remember anything and then Julia gets some text messages from a boy named Chris. Julia asks Jason if he can help her and of course he says no so she has to make a deal to do his paper for his help.

Later on a boy that she has been crushing on for a while comes to visit her and her emotions become unclear. She has to ask herself: Chris? Jason? Or the boy she's been crushing on forever/
1 people found this helpful
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5 stars

I did not expect to love Meant to Be as much as I did, this book was just downright awesome.

Okay so Julia is one of those uptight, very punctual always making sure to follow the rules type of girl and she is on her way to an educational trip to London with a bunch of kids from her school that she has nothing in common with. They end up having to buddy up and she gets stuck with Jason the one person she was hoping to avoid the most out of the whole trip.

I can't begin to explain how much I loved this book. The author did a wonderful job describing London.. it's streets and all the places they visited that I felt like I was there having the same experiences.

Besides the setting the characters were just very likeable. Even though normally a character like Julia would bug me a little I found myself loving her personality, she wasn't boring or dull she was actually very witty and entertaining to read about. Then there was Jason who got Julia to get out of her little bubble and have an adventure, discover London without a guide book and just break loose from all the rules. Jason was the guy who is the class clown but everyone loves him and he hangs with the populars. And he had his moments of being immature and annoying but when he wanted to he could turn on the charm and make a girl swoon. Another thing I really loved reading was the banter between the two the way the two went at it was just page flipping amusing.

Overall Meant to Be is a must read it's a romance yet so much more.
1 people found this helpful
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A Great Romance for Dessen and Perkins Fans!

"I ended up acting like every single word out of Mark's mouth is a jewel crapped out by a fairy princess."

There is something about a trip to a foreign land that makes romance so inevitable. Especially for a person who has never really experienced romance. In Lauren Morrill's Meant to Be, London sets the stage for crushes, love, and adventure.

Julia is a rule-abider. She follows the rules, does her homework, and is obsessed with all things British. She read Romeo and Juliet when she was in sixth grade, her favorite band are the Beatles, and she can't get enough of Jane Austen. This may have been the result of hearing of her parents' magical time in London before they had her. After her father died when she was seven, London became the connection Julia had to him, and to the magical love her parents found there. So when she has an opportunity to spend ten days in London on a school trip, she jumps on the chance... before she realizes none of her friends are going along. Leaving all of her friends and her crush (or Meant to Be, MTB), Mark, home, she packs her guide books, her No. 2 pencils, and her pocket Shakespeare and decides to take a risk once in her life.

Once in London, it is clear to Julia why her parents loved it so much. All the history and culture surrounding her is everything she could have hoped for. Unfortunately, she is stuck with Jason as her "trip buddy". Forced to go everywhere with Jason is a nightmare, but nothing is going to stop Julia from experiencing the London she has dreamed about for years. When Jason makes her sneak out of the hotel and drags her to a party in the city, she decides to break the rules for once. Of course the hangover she experiences the next day pretty much solidifies it won't happen ever again, but she is intrigued by one experience from the night before- a boy she apparently met (but doesn't remember) named Chris keeps texting her. He wants to meet her. He finds her irresistible!

When in London! Julia answers the texts, but with Jason's advice, plays a little hard to get. Meanwhile, she realizes Jason is quite so bad after all. He might be annoying and his brutal honesty might blow her romantic ideals out of the water on a daily basis, but at least he isn't as awful as she thought he was. But now Julia, a girl who has never even told a boy she liked him, is caught between the crush she has romanticized for so long, the boy who believed she was a model, and the boy who makes her so angry she could throw him into the water. Sometimes it takes a foreign country to bring out the truth in your emotions!

At first, when I started this book, I thought Julia was a little too juvenile for the age she was, but it didn't take me long to realize she was just very sheltered. She had self-imposed that sheltering, throwing herself into books and school and anything else that couldn't get her hurt, because she had experienced the biggest hurt a child could ever experience- the loss of a parent. Basically, Julia was a big ole nerd! And she was unapologetic about it! She loved her No. 2 pencils and her Shakespeare, and she didn't make any excuses about it! But she is also pretty sassy. And there is nothing that makes me happier in YA than a snarky nerd who loves her nerdiness and isn't afraid to tell people to stuff it!

But the romance in this story is so much fun. Lauren Morrill is the next Sarah Dessen or Stephanie Perkins, who are some seriously heavy hitters to be in league with! But Morrill belongs there. She can write fabulous contemporary romance without all the "I saw him. He is the one. My life will be over if he doesn't pledge himself to me" nonsense we see too much in YA. She was able to make Julia finally see into the depths of her different relationships, friendship, crush, parental love, etc., without making it feel cheesy. Instead, it felt really honest and beautiful. I loved this story, and if you like Dessen and Perkins, you are going to love it to. It is also an incredibly clean romance, so feel free to give it to any age who meets the reading level (moderate). I truly feel my journey to this book was Meant to Be!!
1 people found this helpful
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Love is hard and unexpected, and not always "meant to be."

The Gist:
Love is hard and unexpected, and not always "meant to be."

First Lines:
"There are certain things in life that just suck. Pourting a bowl of Lucky Charms before realizing the milk is expired, the word 'moist,' falling face-first into the salad bar in front of the lacrosse team..."

"Bird strike!"

"Being on a plane with Jason Lippincott is another one of them."

Our Hero:
Julia lives by the rules. She's serious and organized, and she likes art and history. But because she's always doing what's expected of her, Julia doesn't have the same sense of adventure as many of her peers do on their London escapade. That's where Jason comes in.

Love/Hate:
First of all, I absolutely love the cover. So pretty. This was a really fun read. It was sweet and fun and a really lovely story.

Part That Made Me Cry:
I had tears in my eyes early on with this one. There's a section when Julia describes how her parents met and how they were together until the day her dad died. *sob
1 people found this helpful
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Laugh-out-loud awesome.

4.5/5 stars

I love & heart this book.

I love Julia and her adorable know-it-all ways, her painful nerdiness, her knack for being clumsy, her fantastically hilarious inner monologue, and her stubbornness. And Jason! Where do I start?! He’s the kind of guy who’s SO incredibly IRRITATING, just begging to be kicked in the shins… and yet… there’s just something about him that’s so charming and completely adorable.

Good banter. Fantastic chemistry. Fun, realistic teen romance.

Overall, with laugh-out-loud hilarious misadventures and giggle-inducing missteps, Meant to Be is a super adorable, can’t-put-it-down kind of book about finding love in the most unlikeliest of places.
1 people found this helpful
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Such a great contemporary read!!

Meant to Be is one of those contemporary romances that are SO hard to put down, and when I do have to go do other things I find myself just thinking about what's going to happen next! Overall, I really enjoyed Meant to Be, it has just the right amount of great aspects that makes me say this is definitely up there as one of favorite contemporary romance books!

As most of you know, I am a huge sucker for anything British..so I was so happy to see that this book took place in London! It was really fun to see Julia travel around my favorite city and see all the different sites. The fact that she was really into Shakespeare made me like her even more because I really do love Shakespeare. Anyways, the main character Julia is a really great main protagonist! I love how much she believes in love and how she wants to find the "one." I enjoyed seeing her out of her element, and seeing her experience different things that she would have never done at home. Jason (who is awesome btw) really brings out a different side of Julia that I really like. Yes, at times he can be a class clown and kind of a jerk to Julia, but deep down he really likes her and cares about her.

Another aspect of this book that I really liked was the writing style! Lauren Morrill writing style is perfect for this type of book and like I said early, makes the character relatable by making her voice sound like one that is of a typical teenage girl. I could totally see myself being friends with Julia, which is what I like to see when I read contemporary romances. The romance in this book was super sweet too, even though this book takes place over the span of ten days, I didn't think the relationship was rushed or anything. It felt very real, and it was sweet to see Julia and Jason together.

In the end, Meant to Be was a quick and adorable read! If you are looking for a fun contemporary romance check this one out!
1 people found this helpful
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MTB is, hands down, The Best Chick Lit I've read this year! Just So adorable!

I called it Chick Lit and not contemporary because it was very sweet, and romantic without any major angst or drama, and for me personally, that would be a Chick Lit even though the main character is a Junior in High School. It had that feeling that I can't describe. Meant to Be has been my most anticipated read, and it exceeded every expectation I had. It had the most weirdest yet interesting characters, and it was a good change after reading about all those bad boys, and whiny girls. I simply loved Meant to Be.

Julia is a very nerdy girl, she SAT smart, hyper organized, uses bazillion post-it notes, and highlighters, carries a pocket Shakespeare, and believes in serendipity kind of love, the kind that is meant to be. And for some odd reason, I instantly related to her. I'm none of the above things mentions except I'm smart, I've never read a Shakespeare play, though I admire his work, but I do believe in fated relationships. I do believe that whoever is meant to be your Mr. Right will meet you wherever your are when the time is right, so like Julia I'm not searching him, I'm waiting for him to find me, and that's why I connected with Julia, and loved her to bits. She reminds me of myself a lot.

Jason is the type of person who you don't expect to be a main lead of a romance novel. His character reminds me of Ashton Kutcher, he is a little boy in a man's body. He is smart, very charming when he wants to be, but he is very goofy, and does weird stuff in public that might embarrass other people. I wasn't sure about him in the beginning but as the story progressed he kind of grew on me, and I could see him genuinely falling in love.

I don't want to give anything away, so I'm not going to discuss the story. Trust me, it's much better when you figure it out as you read. It was surprising, a little shocking at the end, but it was the good kind of shock. If you like Sophie Kinsella, then you should definitely read this book. It is highly recommended to any romance reader. Meant to Be is my unforgettable read, and Lauren Morill surely hit a homerun with this one.
1 people found this helpful

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