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    The Chaos of Standing Still
    The Chaos of Standing Still
    The Chaos of Standing Still
    Audiobook10 hours

    The Chaos of Standing Still

    Written by Jessica Brody

    Narrated by Amy McFadden

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Over the course of one chaotic night stranded at the Denver airport, Ryn confronts her shattered past thanks to the charm of romance, the uniqueness of strangers, and the magic of ordinary places in this stunning novel from the author of Boys of Summer.



    Ryn has one unread text message on her phone. And it's been there for almost a year.



    She hasn't tried to read it. She can't. She won't. Because that one message is the last thing her best friend ever said to her before she died.



    But as Ryn finds herself trapped in the Denver International Airport on New Year's Eve thanks to a never-ending blizzard on the one-year anniversary of her best friend's death, fate literally runs into her.



    And his name is Xander.



    When the two accidentally swap phones, Ryn and Xander are thrust into the chaos of an unforgettable all-night adventure, filled with charming and mysterious strangers, a secret New Year's Eve bash, and a possible Illuminati conspiracy hidden within the Denver airport. But as the bizarre night continues, all Ryn can think about is that one unread text message. It follows her wherever she goes, because Ryn can't get her brilliantly wild and free-spirited best friend out of her head.



    Ryn can't move on.



    But tonight, for the first time ever, she's trying. And maybe that's a start.



    As moving as it is funny, The Chaos of Standing Still is a heartwarming story about the earth-shattering challenges life throws at us—and the unexpected strangers who help us along the way.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateMar 6, 2018
    ISBN9781977377630
    Author

    Jessica Brody

    Jessica Brody knew from a young age that she wanted to be a writer. She started "self-publishing" her own books when she was seven years old, binding the pages together with cardboard, wallpaper samples and electrical tape. Brody graduated from Smith College in 2001 with a double major in Economics and French and a minor in Japanese. She went to work for MGM Studios as a Manager of Acquisitions and Business Development, and then, in 2005, she quit her job to follow her dream of becoming a published author. Brody is the author of two novels for adults--The Fidelity Files and Love Under Cover--and the young adult novels The Karma Club and My Life Undecided. Jessica's books are published in over ten foreign countries including the U.K., France, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, Brazil, China, Portugal, and Taiwan. She now works full time as a writer and producer, and currently splits her time between Los Angeles and Colorado.

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    Reviews for The Chaos of Standing Still

    4/5

    98 ratings3 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I honestly can’t believe how quickly I devoured The Chaos of Standing Still. This was one of those reads that I picked up and was immediately sucked into the story. This is a heartfelt contemporary that deals with friendships, loss, mourning and trying to find your way back.

      How do you manage your life after losing your person? Ryn has lost Lottie, her best friend since childhood and she deals the best way she knows how. She avoids people, connecting, the truth and reading that one last message from her best friend. Ryn’s life seems to revolve around her phone, constantly “asking Google” various questions, and making sure that one message is still there to taunt her – unread.

      When Ryn finds herself stranded at the Denver airport because of a horrible snowstorm, chaos ensues. All Ryn wants to do is just go home but she can’t. She’s stuck in the airport and its the eve of the 1st anniversary of her best friend’s death. By fate or chance, Ryn’s world literally collides with Xander’s, someone who will have more of an impact on her than she is prepared to handle.

      Did I mention it is also New Year’s Eve?

      Each person, each character adds dimension, growth and oftentimes humor to Ryn’s story. Xander, Siri, Jimmy, Troy… While not each one was always the most like-able at all times, each individual character helps Ryn find her way. Actually, Siri reminded me a bit of Lottie. They are bold, fearless and everything Ryn is afraid to be. And to be fair, I found Troy, the boy prodigy, to be incredibly interesting! Xander, though… as Ryn gets to know more about Xander and his story, we learn that he’s pretty special and a bit unexpected.

      What I love most about The Chaos of Standing Still is that it tells Ryn’s story in two timelines: the present (under 24 hours) and the past. The present takes place in just one location – the Denver airport. The way author Jessica Brody weaves together the present and the past, Ryn’s own memories, is fantastic. Slowly building layer upon delicate layer, allowing us to become personally acquainted with the dynamic of Lottie and Ryn, we have a special seat to see how significant their relationship was and how essential one was to the other – exposing how painful the loss truly is. This method of storytelling makes for a fantastic read and gives a hint of mystery, great character development, and leaves the reader genuinely captivated.

      I absolutely enjoyed this book and I think it makes for a fabulous weekend read. Grab some hot cocoa, your favorite blanket and cozy up… The Chaos of Standing Still is a great, emotional journey.

      I gave The Chaos of Standing Still 4/5 stars!

      This review was a part of a Blog Tour. I received The Chaos of Standing Still from Netgalley and Simon Pulse in exchange for my honest feedback.
    • 4/5
      I read Jessica Brody's "52 Reasons to Hate My Father" years ago, so I was keen to try another novel written by her. "The Chaos of Standing Still" was a sweet story of grief, loss and moving forward.

      The story takes place in an airport over a 24-hour period and the author did a good job handling the short time span. It didn't feel rushed and there was enough happening to keep me reading. I also enjoyed the flashbacks which showed the friendship between Ryn and Lottie before Lottie's death, although it did annoy me how Lottie relied on Ryn for her happiness.

      My favourite character was Xander. I loved him! He was so much fun and so good for Ryn. I found myself laughing at his enthusiasm and antics, and he provided relief for Ryn's darker moods.

      Overall, this novel was both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and an enjoyable weekend read.
    • 4/5
      I always look forward to Jessica Brody books, and this one did not disappoint. Ryn really has some things to work through. Her best friend, Lottie, died in a car accident almost exactly a year ago, and Ryn is having a hard time coming to terms with it because she knows she should have been in the car with Lottie when it happened, but thanks to some food poisoning, she wasn't. Ryn doesn't know how to grieve her best friend, which ends up making her seem a little crazy. She copes the best way she can, and that's by carrying on conversations with Lottie in her head and constantly googling questions on her phone.

      There is a lot going on in the book. It takes place in 24 hours, which I always find fun to read. Ryn is stuck in the Denver airport thanks to a blizzard. There's an illuminati conspiracy storyline, there's the obvious dead best friend storyline and all that that entails with flashbacks of therapy sessions and moments with Lottie There's the Xander storyline, and then there's the Denver employee's who Ryn becomes friends with storyline. There's a LOT going on, but I never felt too overwhelmed with it. I think it helped break up the crazy grief-stricken storyline and made the book a little more fun.