The novel, People we Meet on Vacation, by Emily Henry is a progressive friends-to-lovers romantic comedy. It follows from the perspective of Poppy, a young and outgoing travel writer, with a passion for entertaining her wanderlust. In her freshman year of college, she meets a geeky, yet broadly handsome, creative writing major named Alex. The two instantaneously form a connection. Despite living far apart, Poppy and Alex dedicate one week of every summer to going on a spontaneous vacation with one another. This trend, spanning over a decade, came to an abrupt halt, after a prideful disagreement between the two best friends. However, a few summers later Poppy misses Alex so much that she puts fear aside, and messages him, hoping to catch up. After various white lies, Poppy convinces Alex to take a final vacation with her, dedicating herself to making it just as meaningful as the trips used to be. An overall theme conveyed through this fiction work is that of not dwelling in one’s past traumas, seen through the development of both main characters. Personally, Alex’s character was appealing to me. His dorky persona mixed with a love for occasional spontaneity combined well with Poppy’s ambition. On the other hand, I felt as if Poppy on her own, embodies the basic millennial stereotype. From Henry’s language, Poppy is whiney and mostly dependant on the people around her, specifically men. People We Meet on Vacation, is a relatively light and easy read, so there were no intense or world bending issues incorporated into the plot. However, what I was able to take from the romance aspect of the novel was how a person can love several different people at once but be completely different versions of themselves with each one, although picking your soulmate from the bunch depends on the kind of individual you want to be. In my own life, Alex and Poppy’s outgoing attitude filled me with motivation to continue working hard for the goals I have set for myself, along with their romance with surprisingly I saw peeking through in my relationships. Henry’s use of abundant descriptors makes you feel like you are tagging along on vacation with the two. The build up of tension between the best friends keeps you on the edge of your seat, and in suspense to when Poppy and Alex finally will make a move on one another. If you enjoy reading easy, light-hearted fiction, sprinkled with romance and comedy, then People We Meet on Vacation, will appeal to you. When you are finished, you will be itching to go on a spontaneous vacation too.
Alle B.
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