Layoverland by Gabby Noone

Reviewed by Anna M.
Grade 9

Layoverland by Gabby Noone SHOULD HAVE been a great book. It had all the characters: the spunky and opinionated, not-like other girls, Converse-wearing main-character; the quirky best friend/roommate who doesn’t seem to know what personal space is; and the adorably stupid love interest that’s not “supposed” to happen but always does. Not only did the novel have all the characters…it also had an interesting plot as well. However, there is a reason why I wrote “SHOULD HAVE” at the beginning because even with all the story development…it was still just an incredibly “meh” book.

While most YA books begin with a teen’s life, this one began with death, the death of a seventeen-year-old girl named Beatrice Fox. After a huge argument with her younger sister, Bea dies in a car accident on December 12, 2019, 9:19 p.m., at the intersection of Huntingdon Pike and Susquehanna Road, Northwood, Pennsylvania. The big plot twist is even with her life being ended; her journey has really just begun. Bea doesn’t go to heaven, but she doesn’t go to hell either; instead, she goes to “the airport.” In this fictional world Noone created, good people go to heaven. Bad people go to hell. And in-between people go to the airport. The airport is where the in-between people watch their lives through a “memstractor” in order to find the reason they’re being kept out of heaven. Once they have a realization and a redemptive moment, they get to move on to heaven. Since Bea was such an unkind person on Earth, her punishment is to help 5,000 souls decipher through the “memstractor” why they’re being kept out of heaven. When she does this, she gets to move on herself. However, when she has to help Caleb Smith, her very own murderer, get to heaven, she decides to do whatever she can to make him suffer and keep him out of heaven. Though as she gets to know Caleb, she realizes he’s actually a really nice guy…and on top of that…begins to fall for him.

Sounds like a great book, right? Wrong. Very, very wrong. Layoverland was just boring, and I didn’t really find myself rooting or even sympathizing with ANY of the characters. All of them were really entitled and spoiled. Even though the plot was unique, reading this book just felt like reading any other teen drama/romance. Not to mention, Noone put many stereotypes in it, not trying to dismantle them in any way. I wouldn’t say it’s the worst book I’ve ever read, but I’d definitely say it’s exactly like ever other bad one I’ve read. It’s simply not special.

In conclusion, I would absolutely NOT recommend this book. I’m not trying to down the author or even the people who probably liked this story…that’s your own personal opinion. However, if you’re looking for a good book to read, keep looking! This is not the book for you!