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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
Seeing Abbie ramble about her new book baby is so cute <333 Just finished her 100DOS and the sequel and can't wait for this one. The vibes are so different but cool, love the teaser and blurb and 100% the cover. The butterfly looks elite! Now gonna hang in there for three weeks for the ARC to release and try to get my hands on it...
Read this book in less than two days. I am in love. Though I was Team Jack the entire time, I can't say that I didn't love Adam and that ending! 10/10 recommend to literally anyone. I hate any books without magic, but this one. This one was amazing.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
Disney's Rapunzel but on the Pasific Coast. Loved the vibes. Abbie is a master of her craft, and it shows.
4.5 stars
If not for the foul language in this book it would've been a five star read for sure. But there was an unnecessary amount of cussing in this book.
I loved the characters because I saw bits of myself in all their characters: orca with her need for adventure but also her love of home, Adam's constant fight between logic and his feelings, and Jack's constant but rocky love for his older sibling.
I also loved how it just felt like I was getting a glimpse into their life that will keep living off the last page.
In reading other reviews after reading it myself, I was surprised at how mixed the arc. Some people complain about the age gap but to me it didn't even strike me as a problem or unnecessary, it made sense. Adam knew what he wanted in love and orca is wise beyond her years. They just fit.
I also see that people think the story should've talked more about abuse but I think the story showed a good instance of a loving well-intentioned parent missing and realizing it by the end. He truly did love orca and was doing what he thought he should to protect her and himself.
One thing that did annoy me a bit was the "not like other girls" theme. In some parts it was alright, she grew up on a secluded island so she won't really be like anyone else. But in other ways it got on my nerves especially the part where it talks about orca eating pizza. it also made me a tad uncomfortable how possessive the boys were of her but I think that was now it was supposed lo be.
If not for the foul language in this book it would've been a five star read for sure. But there was an unnecessary amount of cussing in this book.
I loved the characters because I saw bits of myself in all their characters: orca with her need for adventure but also her love of home, Adam's constant fight between logic and his feelings, and Jack's constant but rocky love for his older sibling.
I also loved how it just felt like I was getting a glimpse into their life that will keep living off the last page.
In reading other reviews after reading it myself, I was surprised at how mixed the arc. Some people complain about the age gap but to me it didn't even strike me as a problem or unnecessary, it made sense. Adam knew what he wanted in love and orca is wise beyond her years. They just fit.
I also see that people think the story should've talked more about abuse but I think the story showed a good instance of a loving well-intentioned parent missing and realizing it by the end. He truly did love orca and was doing what he thought he should to protect her and himself.
One thing that did annoy me a bit was the "not like other girls" theme. In some parts it was alright, she grew up on a secluded island so she won't really be like anyone else. But in other ways it got on my nerves especially the part where it talks about orca eating pizza. it also made me a tad uncomfortable how possessive the boys were of her but I think that was now it was supposed lo be.
I tried - and I may still go back and try again to finish reading this - but after a few attempts, I DNF'd at 18%. I really enjoy Abbie as a YouTube content creator, but I just couldn't get into this story.
A few examples/reasons:
- Orca's isolated upbringing was just not believable and the relationship with her dad seemed overdone.
- While everyone deals with grief and trauma in their own way, Jack's behavior felt frenzied and his explosive anger didn't seem to fit. The extremism of his character from his anger to the idolization of his brother without much else to develop his character was just too much for me.
- This one is petty and I recognize that, but the extreme overuse of ellipses to demonstrate pauses drove me bananas. It got really distracting very quickly.
There were other things here and there but what it boils down to is that I'm sure there are plenty of people who will make it all the way through this book and love it, but it's just not for me.
A few examples/reasons:
- Orca's isolated upbringing was just not believable and the relationship with her dad seemed overdone.
- While everyone deals with grief and trauma in their own way, Jack's behavior felt frenzied and his explosive anger didn't seem to fit. The extremism of his character from his anger to the idolization of his brother without much else to develop his character was just too much for me.
- This one is petty and I recognize that, but the extreme overuse of ellipses to demonstrate pauses drove me bananas. It got really distracting very quickly.
There were other things here and there but what it boils down to is that I'm sure there are plenty of people who will make it all the way through this book and love it, but it's just not for me.
The beginning was promising, but the huge age gap between the love interests was problematic. The fact that the author keeps emphasising that the protagonist is technically 18, while at the same time acting like a child 90% of the time, doesn't help either. The love interest (who's almost 30) also keeps saying Orca is pure and innocent which gives major pedo vibes. Both brothers go on and on about how Orca is "not like other girls" (whilst being conventionally attractive and as bland as the food she eats), which is a sexist trope I dislike intently. The protagonist seemed nice at first, but ended up being an annoying pick me who used one of her love interests. We're also supposed to believe Orca's the strongest woman Adam has ever met because she nursed him and grows vegetables?! As a whole, the story started off like an interesting retelling of The Little Mermaid, and ended up being a Mormon's fantasy.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I would love to say that this book came close to being good, I love Abbie Emmons and her writing is absolutely beautiful, but the story just was not there. I doubt this book passes the Bechdel Test, and it's even worse when the male characters are all horrible.
This whole book is full of overprotective men controlling Orca and her just 'taking it' because she's "pure and innocent and not like other girls" who is seemingly incapable of caring about anything that's not due to a man. Her lifelong dream of visiting the Otherworld came true and the entire time she was sulky and whining that Adam wasn't 'into' her. She could have had such a strong personality, but all of her decisions are the result of men and I hate it.
You've got her father who manipulated her for her entire life to keep her trapped on the island with him so she doesn't leave like her mother. No matter what Adam says, none of that can be justified because he "didn't want to lose her" - he's just selfish and Adam is too. Adam says he wants her to make her own decisions yet constantly tells her to forgive her father even though he's genuinely just strange. Don't try and understand his weirdo behaviour he's just WEIRD. Jack wants her to be free to do what she wants but what he really means is free to do what HE wants. Trying to alienate her from her father (fair) but also her mother just so she can be with him for the rest of her life. Don't even get me started with the blatant forcing himself on her which is just plain weird. There is no male character in this book who actually cares about Orca and what she wants and she's too spineless to realise that.
Her father's 'change of heart' at the end literally felt like it came out of nowhere. Not seeing his POV when she was on the mainland literally just makes it read like, oh he is very overprotective, oh he's good now. Very jarring. Very disappointed.
This whole book is full of overprotective men controlling Orca and her just 'taking it' because she's "pure and innocent and not like other girls" who is seemingly incapable of caring about anything that's not due to a man. Her lifelong dream of visiting the Otherworld came true and the entire time she was sulky and whining that Adam wasn't 'into' her. She could have had such a strong personality, but all of her decisions are the result of men and I hate it.
You've got her father who manipulated her for her entire life to keep her trapped on the island with him so she doesn't leave like her mother. No matter what Adam says, none of that can be justified because he "didn't want to lose her" - he's just selfish and Adam is too. Adam says he wants her to make her own decisions yet constantly tells her to forgive her father even though he's genuinely just strange. Don't try and understand his weirdo behaviour he's just WEIRD. Jack wants her to be free to do what she wants but what he really means is free to do what HE wants. Trying to alienate her from her father (fair) but also her mother just so she can be with him for the rest of her life. Don't even get me started with the blatant forcing himself on her which is just plain weird. There is no male character in this book who actually cares about Orca and what she wants and she's too spineless to realise that.
Her father's 'change of heart' at the end literally felt like it came out of nowhere. Not seeing his POV when she was on the mainland literally just makes it read like, oh he is very overprotective, oh he's good now. Very jarring. Very disappointed.
What a lovely story! I was truly swept off my feet by the setting/atmosphere, and these two brothers, especially Adam. :) The 90s PNW vibes were immaculate! I even teared up a few times.
The only thing that kept me from giving this five stars was the occasionally melodramatic dialogue/inner monologue of Orca and Adam, and how Orca’s naïveté seemed too convenient for the plot at times. Jack’s chapters were very believable, even if he did annoy me at a few points.
Overall, I really enjoyed this!
The only thing that kept me from giving this five stars was the occasionally melodramatic dialogue/inner monologue of Orca and Adam, and how Orca’s naïveté seemed too convenient for the plot at times. Jack’s chapters were very believable, even if he did annoy me at a few points.
Overall, I really enjoyed this!
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My favourite quote from this book:
"I think of the butterfly effect. How something small and seemingly insignificant can spark a sequence of events that lead to a massive disaster. Chaos. [...] Perhaps we are all butterflies, and the world is our hurricane."🦋(The Otherworld by Abbie Emmons)
"I think of the butterfly effect. How something small and seemingly insignificant can spark a sequence of events that lead to a massive disaster. Chaos. [...] Perhaps we are all butterflies, and the world is our hurricane."🦋(The Otherworld by Abbie Emmons)