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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
After years of enjoying Abbie Emmons’ YouTube videos and her debut novel, 100 Days of Sunlight, I was thrilled when she announced the release of her latest book, The Otherworld. However, the experience did not meet my expectations.
The Otherworld opens with a promising premise, introducing three protagonists — Orca, Jack, and Adam — in a way that effectively establishes their personalities and backgrounds. However, things take a nosedive as Orca nurses Adam back to health. While I have never been in love and can’t say I know what it looks like, I can say that the relationships in The Otherworld do not resemble true love. Throughout the book, Orca reminded me of Ariel from The Little Mermaid with how she fell in love with the first man she met and experienced the human world for the first time. Conversely, the males felt like Shere Khan from The Jungle Book, preying on Orca and taking advantage of her naivety. Orca’s father was over-protective and controlling, making his desperation to keep her isolated a big red flag. Adam was significantly older than Orca and should’ve had the maturity to not take advantage of the situation and groom her into thinking he was the “love of her life.” And Jack was a complete player with no respect or idea of what a real relationship or commitment should be.
Additionally, the lack of guidance and intervention from the real adults in this book was concerning. Just because you turn 18 doesn’t mean you magically become an adult and can make life-altering decisions. I don’t understand how anyone (except Jack, though he didn’t handle it well) didn’t question Orca’s father and his adamance that Orca remains far from civilization… Lastly, the frequent explicit language (mainly the s-word) felt unnecessary and further proved Jack’s immatureness.
While I hoped to love this book and promote Abbie’s work, The Otherworld wasn’t for me. If you’re still in the market for a fantastic YA contemporary romance, let me point you toward 100 Days of Sunlight — that book will surely live up to its name!
The Otherworld opens with a promising premise, introducing three protagonists — Orca, Jack, and Adam — in a way that effectively establishes their personalities and backgrounds. However, things take a nosedive as Orca nurses Adam back to health. While I have never been in love and can’t say I know what it looks like, I can say that the relationships in The Otherworld do not resemble true love. Throughout the book, Orca reminded me of Ariel from The Little Mermaid with how she fell in love with the first man she met and experienced the human world for the first time. Conversely, the males felt like Shere Khan from The Jungle Book, preying on Orca and taking advantage of her naivety. Orca’s father was over-protective and controlling, making his desperation to keep her isolated a big red flag. Adam was significantly older than Orca and should’ve had the maturity to not take advantage of the situation and groom her into thinking he was the “love of her life.” And Jack was a complete player with no respect or idea of what a real relationship or commitment should be.
Additionally, the lack of guidance and intervention from the real adults in this book was concerning. Just because you turn 18 doesn’t mean you magically become an adult and can make life-altering decisions. I don’t understand how anyone (except Jack, though he didn’t handle it well) didn’t question Orca’s father and his adamance that Orca remains far from civilization… Lastly, the frequent explicit language (mainly the s-word) felt unnecessary and further proved Jack’s immatureness.
While I hoped to love this book and promote Abbie’s work, The Otherworld wasn’t for me. If you’re still in the market for a fantastic YA contemporary romance, let me point you toward 100 Days of Sunlight — that book will surely live up to its name!
The Otherworld was exactly what I needed at in Autumn.
Such a cute and cozy read and so vivid even in its simplicity!
It had bromance, sweet kisses and humor even in the midst of tragedy. I loved it and am going to be reading it every year when the world outside becomes a little to loud.
Such a cute and cozy read and so vivid even in its simplicity!
It had bromance, sweet kisses and humor even in the midst of tragedy. I loved it and am going to be reading it every year when the world outside becomes a little to loud.
Lyrical, contemplative and evocative. These deeply realised characters will lure you into a piece of writing truly otherworldly. I loved this so much.
Also, the wisdom here! Some romance writers NEED to get on Abbie's nuanced level.
Also, the wisdom here! Some romance writers NEED to get on Abbie's nuanced level.
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Cute romance
I really enjoyed this book! The atmosphere was so lovely, the characters were excellent and their arcs masterful, and the plot was lots of fun to follow.
I don’t have many complaints about this book because it was generally very well done. My only critique is the timeline which I felt unrealistically compressed. I would have loved a little bit more time to develop the characters’ complex relationships rather than having everything happen within the span of two weeks. Really, though, everything else was excellent!! Much higher quality than most books in its genre. (And I feel like it would make such a sweet, cozy movie!)
Abbie Emmons does not disappoint! Can’t wait to see what she writes next.
I don’t have many complaints about this book because it was generally very well done. My only critique is the timeline which I felt unrealistically compressed. I would have loved a little bit more time to develop the characters’ complex relationships rather than having everything happen within the span of two weeks. Really, though, everything else was excellent!! Much higher quality than most books in its genre. (And I feel like it would make such a sweet, cozy movie!)
Abbie Emmons does not disappoint! Can’t wait to see what she writes next.
DNF 60%
Thank you to Abbie Emmons and NetGalley for giving me this book in exchange for an honest review
Thank you to Abbie Emmons and NetGalley for giving me this book in exchange for an honest review
Really good writing, but a problematic plot
Disclaimer: I got an ARC from NetGalley for this book.
I really wanted to love this book, especially after having loved 100 Days of Sunlight, but it didn’t quite let me love it when there were so many things that I found problematic. I love Abbie’s writing and worldbuilding, but I didn’t really like most of the characters in The Otherworld and I couldn’t fully enjoy the romance due to the big age gap.
Abbie’s writing is very accessible and I really enjoy her descriptions of both character’s emotional experiences and settings/worldbuilding. I particularly loved the greenhouse scenes, all of them completely immersed me and got me wishing I could visit this beautiful greenhouse and see the orchids in real life! I also liked the parallel between the memory of Jack flying alone for the first time and taking off now in search of Adam, it was a very effective way of showing us a good memory and contrasting it to the present. It also showed us just how important Adam is to Jack. Abbie is certainly good at showing us instead of telling us.
But Jack made me so angry so many times! I really didn’t like him most of the time. He was so terrible and in complete disregard of his mom's feeling so many times. I knew he’d get a redemption arc so I kept holding on to that hope, but I think Abbie went a bit too far with his anger problems making him a bit too dislikable to the point his redemption didn't even feel that good.
I felt so many times that everyone in Orca’s life was terrible! Even Adam wanted to make decisions for her (ie. not giving her a change to be with him) and Jack who kept insisting he let her make her own decisions never took her to see the things she wanted and asked for, opting instead to show her the things he enjoyed. And her father also took away her agency by going behind her back to demand Adam and Jack stay away. Overall, Orca was the only character I liked throughout.
--- SPOILERS for the love triangle in this paragraph ---
I did not like the age gap romance. I couldn’t forget about it and was really hoping that Jack would win Orca’s heart in the end. The book starts on the day Orca turns 18. Then she goes and falls in love with the first man she ever meets which I find problematic on it’s own but then you add the fact that he’s 10 years older than her… I did like their relationship but I just couldn’t remove myself from the fact he was so much older. I think the book would’ve been much more enjoyable if he was say 20/21. And nothing else would’ve had to change. To make matters worse for the age gap, Adam was self aware of this problem and it was part of the reasons he backed off for a time, it made me feel like it was known this was problematic and we went ahead anyway… And lastly, her mother was also 10 years younger than her father, and they also got married when she was very young, therefore it’s all well and fine, right? Another problematic thing in my view that this plot point was made, all to make it be okay and justify the fact that he was so much older than her.
But I really enjoyed their discussions about philosophy and their life views. These were some of the scenes I enjoyed Orca and Adam's relationship the most.
Regarding the love triangle, I didn’t really think there was one at all! There was no tension, Orca always knew it was Adam… So it didn’t feel like a love triangle in the least, it just felt like a romance between Orca and Adam and an unrequited love on Jack’s side.
I gave this book 3 stars mostly because of the 10 year age gap romance that I could not look past. It took away from my enjoyment of the book greatly. The other major reason was that I was promised a love triangle and felt like it was nowhere to be seen. But to focus on some of the positives, I really liked the writing, the descriptions and I did like the plot with her family history. I also did enjoy the romantic scenes with Orca and Adam on the moments when I managed to forget the age gap.
Disclaimer: I got an ARC from NetGalley for this book.
I really wanted to love this book, especially after having loved 100 Days of Sunlight, but it didn’t quite let me love it when there were so many things that I found problematic. I love Abbie’s writing and worldbuilding, but I didn’t really like most of the characters in The Otherworld and I couldn’t fully enjoy the romance due to the big age gap.
Abbie’s writing is very accessible and I really enjoy her descriptions of both character’s emotional experiences and settings/worldbuilding. I particularly loved the greenhouse scenes, all of them completely immersed me and got me wishing I could visit this beautiful greenhouse and see the orchids in real life! I also liked the parallel between the memory of Jack flying alone for the first time and taking off now in search of Adam, it was a very effective way of showing us a good memory and contrasting it to the present. It also showed us just how important Adam is to Jack. Abbie is certainly good at showing us instead of telling us.
But Jack made me so angry so many times! I really didn’t like him most of the time. He was so terrible and in complete disregard of his mom's feeling so many times. I knew he’d get a redemption arc so I kept holding on to that hope, but I think Abbie went a bit too far with his anger problems making him a bit too dislikable to the point his redemption didn't even feel that good.
I felt so many times that everyone in Orca’s life was terrible! Even Adam wanted to make decisions for her (ie. not giving her a change to be with him) and Jack who kept insisting he let her make her own decisions never took her to see the things she wanted and asked for, opting instead to show her the things he enjoyed. And her father also took away her agency by going behind her back to demand Adam and Jack stay away. Overall, Orca was the only character I liked throughout.
--- SPOILERS for the love triangle in this paragraph ---
I did not like the age gap romance. I couldn’t forget about it and was really hoping that Jack would win Orca’s heart in the end. The book starts on the day Orca turns 18. Then she goes and falls in love with the first man she ever meets which I find problematic on it’s own but then you add the fact that he’s 10 years older than her… I did like their relationship but I just couldn’t remove myself from the fact he was so much older. I think the book would’ve been much more enjoyable if he was say 20/21. And nothing else would’ve had to change. To make matters worse for the age gap, Adam was self aware of this problem and it was part of the reasons he backed off for a time, it made me feel like it was known this was problematic and we went ahead anyway… And lastly, her mother was also 10 years younger than her father, and they also got married when she was very young, therefore it’s all well and fine, right? Another problematic thing in my view that this plot point was made, all to make it be okay and justify the fact that he was so much older than her.
But I really enjoyed their discussions about philosophy and their life views. These were some of the scenes I enjoyed Orca and Adam's relationship the most.
Regarding the love triangle, I didn’t really think there was one at all! There was no tension, Orca always knew it was Adam… So it didn’t feel like a love triangle in the least, it just felt like a romance between Orca and Adam and an unrequited love on Jack’s side.
I gave this book 3 stars mostly because of the 10 year age gap romance that I could not look past. It took away from my enjoyment of the book greatly. The other major reason was that I was promised a love triangle and felt like it was nowhere to be seen. But to focus on some of the positives, I really liked the writing, the descriptions and I did like the plot with her family history. I also did enjoy the romantic scenes with Orca and Adam on the moments when I managed to forget the age gap.
Characters: 8/10
Romance: 8/10
Writing: 7/10
Adam: 100/10
I INHALED this book in one day, three sittings.
Let me just start off by saying the vibes in this book are IMMACULATE! Seriously, the way this is written, with the lovely descriptions and metaphors, really sells the whole seaside vibe of this book, which I adored. I loved Orca and Adam's relationship, and though it was corny, it's a breath of fresh air to read something that's so sweet and light compared to other romance books out there.
Honestly, I think this was mismarketed as a love-triangle romance. I'm sorry for saying this, because every other character was loveable, but anytime Jack's name popped up I wanted to put a bullet through his skull. If that was Abbie's intention, she did it amazingly.
God, he was such a manipulative asshole who I felt saw Orca as so much of an object- a collectible- and his feelings towards her were so shallow. He was willing to have her destroy her relationship with her beloved Papa just to drag her out somewhere she was reluctant on going when he asked. Seriously, I could go on about my intense hatred for him for another three paragraphs, but I'll just list his horrible traits. He's manipulative, impulsive, violent, selfish, arrogant- ugh. I liked that he acknowledged how much of a jerk he was at the end, but I honestly still hate him. He was…okay, in the first few chapters.
The first few chapters! Another thing I'd like to talk about. I felt (and I'm sorry for this, but I promised an honest review) that this book began in a way that made me cringe pretty hard. The way she kept repeating how much she wanted to see the outside world and everything- it's probably just me, but I felt that she came off as a five year old in a Disney show who's trying to be cool but is not. I also felt that the pacing was slow, but the amount of time the story itself took place within was incredibly little. I'm swooning over how sweet and how in love Orca and Adam are, but I felt it happened extremely quick. This book would've definitely had a higher score for me in terms of writing had the events developed a little less quick, as I felt it was unrealistic to catch such strong feelings. Not just Adam and Orca, the way Jack talked about her around chapter 10 I believe. Where he kept gushing about how smart and strong and funny she was- but they had only talked over the phone, like, once? Another thing I noticed was how often the characters' names and last names were said (not in the narrative itself, in the dialogue). Honestly? It degrades the quality of Abbie's pretty writing- and makes everything feel as though it was written for children. Dialogue I also felt was unrealistic and clunky at times.
While I understand Orca didn't have prior experiences with dating, and she didn't really know what she was doing- I don't like how she sort of lead Jack on. That was another thing I kind of frowned at.
I loved that this book had a small cast of characters; that made it feel very cozy and closed off. A lot of books have my brain working overtime with a LOT of characters every which way, and it's a pain to remember who did what and what's going and blah blah blah. Just a personal preference, but I liked it :).
This book was not perfect, but a good, enjoyable read and an experience that'll leave a fuzzy feeling in your chest afterwards. I'll definitely be buying a physical copy when it comes out, and rereading it some time. One of my comfort books, now!
Compared to other books I've read, the amount of things that pissed me off was relatively low. Pat on the back to the lovely Abbie.
Plot was a little lacking, not much going on externally, but a book that was more character driven was nice!! Oh, and I forgot to point out: I LOVE ADAM. ADAM #1 FAN FOREVER.
Seriously, he's so considerate and sweet and caring and lovely- I can see how Orca fell for him quickly. Did I mention how poetic he is? That's lovely, as well. Not everyone wants a man that's like
Romance: 8/10
Writing: 7/10
Adam: 100/10
I INHALED this book in one day, three sittings.
Let me just start off by saying the vibes in this book are IMMACULATE! Seriously, the way this is written, with the lovely descriptions and metaphors, really sells the whole seaside vibe of this book, which I adored. I loved Orca and Adam's relationship, and though it was corny, it's a breath of fresh air to read something that's so sweet and light compared to other romance books out there.
Honestly, I think this was mismarketed as a love-triangle romance. I'm sorry for saying this, because every other character was loveable, but anytime Jack's name popped up I wanted to put a bullet through his skull. If that was Abbie's intention, she did it amazingly.
God, he was such a manipulative asshole who I felt saw Orca as so much of an object- a collectible- and his feelings towards her were so shallow. He was willing to have her destroy her relationship with her beloved Papa just to drag her out somewhere she was reluctant on going when he asked. Seriously, I could go on about my intense hatred for him for another three paragraphs, but I'll just list his horrible traits. He's manipulative, impulsive, violent, selfish, arrogant- ugh. I liked that he acknowledged how much of a jerk he was at the end, but I honestly still hate him. He was…okay, in the first few chapters.
The first few chapters! Another thing I'd like to talk about. I felt (and I'm sorry for this, but I promised an honest review) that this book began in a way that made me cringe pretty hard. The way she kept repeating how much she wanted to see the outside world and everything- it's probably just me, but I felt that she came off as a five year old in a Disney show who's trying to be cool but is not. I also felt that the pacing was slow, but the amount of time the story itself took place within was incredibly little. I'm swooning over how sweet and how in love Orca and Adam are, but I felt it happened extremely quick. This book would've definitely had a higher score for me in terms of writing had the events developed a little less quick, as I felt it was unrealistic to catch such strong feelings. Not just Adam and Orca, the way Jack talked about her around chapter 10 I believe. Where he kept gushing about how smart and strong and funny she was- but they had only talked over the phone, like, once? Another thing I noticed was how often the characters' names and last names were said (not in the narrative itself, in the dialogue). Honestly? It degrades the quality of Abbie's pretty writing- and makes everything feel as though it was written for children. Dialogue I also felt was unrealistic and clunky at times.
While I understand Orca didn't have prior experiences with dating, and she didn't really know what she was doing- I don't like how she sort of lead Jack on. That was another thing I kind of frowned at.
I loved that this book had a small cast of characters; that made it feel very cozy and closed off. A lot of books have my brain working overtime with a LOT of characters every which way, and it's a pain to remember who did what and what's going and blah blah blah. Just a personal preference, but I liked it :).
This book was not perfect, but a good, enjoyable read and an experience that'll leave a fuzzy feeling in your chest afterwards. I'll definitely be buying a physical copy when it comes out, and rereading it some time. One of my comfort books, now!
Compared to other books I've read, the amount of things that pissed me off was relatively low. Pat on the back to the lovely Abbie.
Plot was a little lacking, not much going on externally, but a book that was more character driven was nice!! Oh, and I forgot to point out: I LOVE ADAM. ADAM #1 FAN FOREVER.
Seriously, he's so considerate and sweet and caring and lovely- I can see how Orca fell for him quickly. Did I mention how poetic he is? That's lovely, as well. Not everyone wants a man that's like
I really wanted to like this book. I thought I was going to love it. I watch Abbie’s videos on YouTube, I was obsessed with 100 days of sunlight (her previous novel), and I really wish I loved this one as well.
It’s romantic, and at the beginning, it feels magical. I couldn’t wait to meet all the characters, to love the adventurous brother, the sensitive brother, and the mysterious girl who wanted to see the world.
To start off with my complements for the book, the writing does make it feel magical. The emotions are written well, and the characters are distinct. My favorite parts were reading Adam’s journal, the poem, and of course, the Greek mythology tidbit. Great additions!
My real problem with this book is that it feels like the movie Tangled if there was no magic, and Flynn Ryder met Rapunzel, instantly fell in love with her, left her, and then his brother came to rescue her. (Orca basically quotes Tangled at the beginning of the book when talking to her dog which I find hilarious)
The analogy may seem a bit extreme, but Orca’s father is just a terrible character. The end helps him a bit, but this is a bad situation for Orca, since she’s 18, and her father is holding her in a lighthouse against her will, where everything she gets and learns comes from him. And throughout the entire book, no one is concerned by this! The characters only care about keeping the peace, whether it’s good for Orca or not. And she is blamed for fighting with her dad when he was keeping her trapped on the island! And still, he is painted just as a sad father, though all of his actions are selfish! He just thinks of himself and not what Orca wants. And I get that he wants to protect her, but he’s shielding her from living life!
Also, Mrs. Stevenson annoyed me so much as a character. She, an adult, didn’t see the dangers of a father keeping his daughter in a lighthouse, and instead of being a loving mother when her son is experiencing grief of losing his brother, she guilt trips him basically saying that HE needs to comfort HER. Also, at one point, when Orca is having a hard time, Adam stays and helps her. Mrs. Stevenson says that since it was Adam who helped Orca in her time of need, not Jack, then Adam is clearly right for her, but then we find out not long later that Mrs. Stevenson told Jack to leave Orca alone? Like what? Anyway, she bothered me.
Overall, I think this book moved a little slow (over the first fourth of the book was written on the back) and the characters fell in love way too fast. Like scarily fast. And Adam at the beginning was a bit of a creep with some of the things he said. (He didn’t want to pollute Orca’s innocence and instead keep her on the island away from the world. Yeah creepy since she’s 18 and he’s 10 years older than her). Also, Adam kind of told Orca what she wanted since he thought he knew better than her in every way. Which was annoying. And the one thing I was really excited for, when Orca got to live her lifelong dream of seeing the world, she seems to be having fun in Jack’s pov, but then her own pov included almost none of it. And the father sucks, did I mention that?
It could have been worse, but it also could have been better. It might just not be my type of book as I’m looking into the characters like a therapist rather than a book lover, so if you can sit back and relax while reading this, then you might love it. For me, I’m sorry to say I couldn’t enjoy it in that way. Still love Abbie though :)
It’s romantic, and at the beginning, it feels magical. I couldn’t wait to meet all the characters, to love the adventurous brother, the sensitive brother, and the mysterious girl who wanted to see the world.
To start off with my complements for the book, the writing does make it feel magical. The emotions are written well, and the characters are distinct. My favorite parts were reading Adam’s journal, the poem, and of course, the Greek mythology tidbit. Great additions!
My real problem with this book is that it feels like the movie Tangled if there was no magic, and Flynn Ryder met Rapunzel, instantly fell in love with her, left her, and then his brother came to rescue her. (Orca basically quotes Tangled at the beginning of the book when talking to her dog which I find hilarious)
The analogy may seem a bit extreme, but Orca’s father is just a terrible character. The end helps him a bit, but this is a bad situation for Orca, since she’s 18, and her father is holding her in a lighthouse against her will, where everything she gets and learns comes from him. And throughout the entire book, no one is concerned by this! The characters only care about keeping the peace, whether it’s good for Orca or not. And she is blamed for fighting with her dad when he was keeping her trapped on the island! And still, he is painted just as a sad father, though all of his actions are selfish! He just thinks of himself and not what Orca wants. And I get that he wants to protect her, but he’s shielding her from living life!
Also, Mrs. Stevenson annoyed me so much as a character. She, an adult, didn’t see the dangers of a father keeping his daughter in a lighthouse, and instead of being a loving mother when her son is experiencing grief of losing his brother, she guilt trips him basically saying that HE needs to comfort HER. Also, at one point, when Orca is having a hard time, Adam stays and helps her. Mrs. Stevenson says that since it was Adam who helped Orca in her time of need, not Jack, then Adam is clearly right for her, but then we find out not long later that Mrs. Stevenson told Jack to leave Orca alone? Like what? Anyway, she bothered me.
Overall, I think this book moved a little slow (over the first fourth of the book was written on the back) and the characters fell in love way too fast. Like scarily fast. And Adam at the beginning was a bit of a creep with some of the things he said. (He didn’t want to pollute Orca’s innocence and instead keep her on the island away from the world. Yeah creepy since she’s 18 and he’s 10 years older than her). Also, Adam kind of told Orca what she wanted since he thought he knew better than her in every way. Which was annoying. And the one thing I was really excited for, when Orca got to live her lifelong dream of seeing the world, she seems to be having fun in Jack’s pov, but then her own pov included almost none of it. And the father sucks, did I mention that?
It could have been worse, but it also could have been better. It might just not be my type of book as I’m looking into the characters like a therapist rather than a book lover, so if you can sit back and relax while reading this, then you might love it. For me, I’m sorry to say I couldn’t enjoy it in that way. Still love Abbie though :)