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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
This book has received a lot of hype in the last month or so. Basically I was prepared for a very cute and adorable story of a girl and boy named Emmy and Oliver. What I didn’t expect is for this book to have a lot of deeper issues underneath the cute adorableness of it (of which there was plenty). With a very Sarah Dessen-esque feel, Emmy & Oliver captures young love despite some…extenuating circumstances.
First of all, let’s just talk about the two main characters: Emmy and Oliver. Emmy and Oliver grew up next-door neighbors and best friends…until Oliver’s father kidnapped him when he was 7 years old. For ten years, no one knew where he was or what he was doing. But Emmy has always held on to the hope that her best friend would one day come home. And then…he did. And he comes back and they have to face the facts that he isn’t the same kid he was 10 years ago. He had a life, he had friends…While Emmy thought about him everyday, he barely remembered her at all. That’s one thing I liked about this book. It was some romanticized thing where Oliver comes back and they immediately fall into each other’s arms declaring their love for each other. It took time and it felt like a natural progression instead of a forced relationship. As they both struggle to come to terms with all that life has thrown at them, they start to rely on each other. They grow from each other, and those are the best kinds of relationships.
And Emmy (the narrator) just feels so realistic. Her voice reminded me of Cath from Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl. Not necessarily that they’re similar people, because they’re not. But the voice. Emmy’s voice is really relatable and real and I just loved her. She has a bunch of parenthetical statements (this is a parenthetical statement right here, just in case you didn’t know) that are hilarious. I feel like they’re just these little asides to the reader. Like this one:
“I had checked my phone the minute I woke up, waiting to see a text or missed call or something from him, but I just had junk emails from SAT prep programs and a few ‘Don’t you want to apply HERE?’ colleges. (Those colleges were like clingy boyfriends or girlfriends. No one wants to go to school there when they’re so desperate to get people to do just that. They needed to start playing hard to get, I thought, or no one was going to ask them to prom.)”
Lol. They’re just these small moments randomly dispersed throughout the book and they made me feel closer to Emmy as a character and a person. I just wanted to be her best friend.
Also let’s talk about the moment when I realized why Emmy & Oliver is called Emmy & Oliver. You might be thinking: "Carlisa, it’s about a girl and a boy named Emmy and Oliver. Of course that’s the title." That’s what I thought, too. Until I read this line about two thirds of the way through:
“My dad set down his food, too, then hopped up on the counter next to me. ‘So. You and Oliver.’
I looked up at him, surprised. ‘Me,’ I said. ‘And Oliver.’
‘Those are two very different sentences, Emmy.'”
I read that and it really struck me. Emmy and Oliver have made it through a lot…and even though they were apart for 10 ten years. They’re in it together, you know? Emmy and Oliver. Emmy & Oliver. Also, I have this strange affinity for ampersands (&) so there’s that.
And their relationship was just super cute. Of course. They have a real chemistry and I loved to see it. And I was reading it at work one day just sitting there smiling like a fool. Emmy at one point says, “I might die of adorableness” and quite literally, that’s the entire book summed up into one sentence.
BUT there were much deeper topics throughout the book as well. This book, while pretty fluffy, is not purely fluff. It has substance. It really, really does. Without going too far into it, let me just list some of the messages portrayed throughout its pages:
-Friends matter. And it’s easiest to take your friends for granted…but they’re not always going to be there. So take advantage of them while you have them here and don’t just forget about them. Also, I’m not talking about how 7-year-old Emmy took 7-year-old Oliver for granted. Different friendship I’m talking about here.
-Sometimes things are complicated. Especially family things. It’s never just black and white. One side is right, one side is wrong. No. That’s not how it works. Relationships and family and friends–they’re all kinds of shades of gray (I kind of hate how I can’t say that without thinking of a certain erotica book…). There’s no line, no way to know for sure…But that’s just how it is. You have to take what’s there and just make it work. Take it for what it is: messy and complicated.
-Don’t let fear hold you back.
-People are who they are and that’s just wonderful. Don’t be ashamed or afraid to let it show. And if people care about you, they’ll love you all the same. And if they don’t react well…well, there are people who will.
Those are just a few. But it’s awesome. If I could rate it on the fluff-o-meter (with 0 being very heavy and serious to 10 IT’S SO FLUFFY fluffy)…it would probably be like a six or seven.
Okay here we go with some quotes:
"Sometimes love isn’t something you say, it’s something you do."
"Coming home is like being kidnapped all over again."
“'Wait, wait!' I whispered. 'Come here, your mouth.'" [lol]
“'Tonight sucked,' my dad said, and I started to laugh hearing him say that. 'What?' He smiled at me. 'Isn’t that the slang you kids are using? The lingo? Do I sound hip?'
I just shook my head. 'The only hip I hear is the sound of yours breaking.'" [Ohhhhhh burn. But seriously, I want to use this in real life]
“The only way I could describe what kissing him felt like was, like the last day of school, knowing that months of freedom and sunshine lay before you, the feeling that you could do anything you wanted and time stretched out in endless possibilities. That’s how I felt in his arms, like the future was limitless just because he was there. He was finally there."
So, all in all, I really loved this book. It was just perfect and if you’re a fan of Rainbow Rowell or Sarah Dessen, I think you’d really like this book, too.
On my island, you’d already be reading it. [Hint: You’d get this reference if you’ve read the book]
First of all, let’s just talk about the two main characters: Emmy and Oliver. Emmy and Oliver grew up next-door neighbors and best friends…until Oliver’s father kidnapped him when he was 7 years old. For ten years, no one knew where he was or what he was doing. But Emmy has always held on to the hope that her best friend would one day come home. And then…he did. And he comes back and they have to face the facts that he isn’t the same kid he was 10 years ago. He had a life, he had friends…While Emmy thought about him everyday, he barely remembered her at all. That’s one thing I liked about this book. It was some romanticized thing where Oliver comes back and they immediately fall into each other’s arms declaring their love for each other. It took time and it felt like a natural progression instead of a forced relationship. As they both struggle to come to terms with all that life has thrown at them, they start to rely on each other. They grow from each other, and those are the best kinds of relationships.
And Emmy (the narrator) just feels so realistic. Her voice reminded me of Cath from Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl. Not necessarily that they’re similar people, because they’re not. But the voice. Emmy’s voice is really relatable and real and I just loved her. She has a bunch of parenthetical statements (this is a parenthetical statement right here, just in case you didn’t know) that are hilarious. I feel like they’re just these little asides to the reader. Like this one:
“I had checked my phone the minute I woke up, waiting to see a text or missed call or something from him, but I just had junk emails from SAT prep programs and a few ‘Don’t you want to apply HERE?’ colleges. (Those colleges were like clingy boyfriends or girlfriends. No one wants to go to school there when they’re so desperate to get people to do just that. They needed to start playing hard to get, I thought, or no one was going to ask them to prom.)”
Lol. They’re just these small moments randomly dispersed throughout the book and they made me feel closer to Emmy as a character and a person. I just wanted to be her best friend.
Also let’s talk about the moment when I realized why Emmy & Oliver is called Emmy & Oliver. You might be thinking: "Carlisa, it’s about a girl and a boy named Emmy and Oliver. Of course that’s the title." That’s what I thought, too. Until I read this line about two thirds of the way through:
“My dad set down his food, too, then hopped up on the counter next to me. ‘So. You and Oliver.’
I looked up at him, surprised. ‘Me,’ I said. ‘And Oliver.’
‘Those are two very different sentences, Emmy.'”
I read that and it really struck me. Emmy and Oliver have made it through a lot…and even though they were apart for 10 ten years. They’re in it together, you know? Emmy and Oliver. Emmy & Oliver. Also, I have this strange affinity for ampersands (&) so there’s that.
And their relationship was just super cute. Of course. They have a real chemistry and I loved to see it. And I was reading it at work one day just sitting there smiling like a fool. Emmy at one point says, “I might die of adorableness” and quite literally, that’s the entire book summed up into one sentence.
BUT there were much deeper topics throughout the book as well. This book, while pretty fluffy, is not purely fluff. It has substance. It really, really does. Without going too far into it, let me just list some of the messages portrayed throughout its pages:
-Friends matter. And it’s easiest to take your friends for granted…but they’re not always going to be there. So take advantage of them while you have them here and don’t just forget about them. Also, I’m not talking about how 7-year-old Emmy took 7-year-old Oliver for granted. Different friendship I’m talking about here.
-Sometimes things are complicated. Especially family things. It’s never just black and white. One side is right, one side is wrong. No. That’s not how it works. Relationships and family and friends–they’re all kinds of shades of gray (I kind of hate how I can’t say that without thinking of a certain erotica book…). There’s no line, no way to know for sure…But that’s just how it is. You have to take what’s there and just make it work. Take it for what it is: messy and complicated.
-Don’t let fear hold you back.
-People are who they are and that’s just wonderful. Don’t be ashamed or afraid to let it show. And if people care about you, they’ll love you all the same. And if they don’t react well…well, there are people who will.
Those are just a few. But it’s awesome. If I could rate it on the fluff-o-meter (with 0 being very heavy and serious to 10 IT’S SO FLUFFY fluffy)…it would probably be like a six or seven.
Okay here we go with some quotes:
"Sometimes love isn’t something you say, it’s something you do."
"Coming home is like being kidnapped all over again."
“'Wait, wait!' I whispered. 'Come here, your mouth.'" [lol]
“'Tonight sucked,' my dad said, and I started to laugh hearing him say that. 'What?' He smiled at me. 'Isn’t that the slang you kids are using? The lingo? Do I sound hip?'
I just shook my head. 'The only hip I hear is the sound of yours breaking.'" [Ohhhhhh burn. But seriously, I want to use this in real life]
“The only way I could describe what kissing him felt like was, like the last day of school, knowing that months of freedom and sunshine lay before you, the feeling that you could do anything you wanted and time stretched out in endless possibilities. That’s how I felt in his arms, like the future was limitless just because he was there. He was finally there."
So, all in all, I really loved this book. It was just perfect and if you’re a fan of Rainbow Rowell or Sarah Dessen, I think you’d really like this book, too.
On my island, you’d already be reading it. [Hint: You’d get this reference if you’ve read the book]
Actual rating: 4.5*
I love love love this book. I read it in one day, I read it in two sittings. I read it during the day, I read it during the night. I struggled with this book, I struggled to put it down. It was such a cute read.
Emmy was such a likeable character, which is a rare find these days, I wanted everything to work out for her, I wanted her to be happy and I usually never want that with fictional characters. I'm horrible I know.
Full review on my blog:
http://originalbooker.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/emmy-oliver-robin-benway.html
I love love love this book. I read it in one day, I read it in two sittings. I read it during the day, I read it during the night. I struggled with this book, I struggled to put it down. It was such a cute read.
Emmy was such a likeable character, which is a rare find these days, I wanted everything to work out for her, I wanted her to be happy and I usually never want that with fictional characters. I'm horrible I know.
Full review on my blog:
http://originalbooker.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/emmy-oliver-robin-benway.html
3.5. Still processing the things that I just read.
Emmy & Oliver is a lovely book about friendship, family and love. What I most liked about this book were the characters, especially Drew, he gained all my love. Still, I feel it wasn't the right moment to read this book or I maybe I was very hyped because of my friends opinions, but I didn't cry nor was shocked/impressed with the ending. I felt it was meh, I was waiting for more. The big problem with this book was that I couldn't believe some things, so that explains why I wasn't impressed by the ending. Things seemed unrealistic to me and that's why I didn't like it that much. But anyways, it was a nice book! It has a lot of positive things <3 Wait for my full review in my channel www.youtube.com/alenapriorbooks
Emmy & Oliver is a lovely book about friendship, family and love. What I most liked about this book were the characters, especially Drew, he gained all my love. Still, I feel it wasn't the right moment to read this book or I maybe I was very hyped because of my friends opinions, but I didn't cry nor was shocked/impressed with the ending. I felt it was meh, I was waiting for more. The big problem with this book was that I couldn't believe some things, so that explains why I wasn't impressed by the ending. Things seemed unrealistic to me and that's why I didn't like it that much. But anyways, it was a nice book! It has a lot of positive things <3 Wait for my full review in my channel www.youtube.com/alenapriorbooks
Normally I would rarely pick up YA because I sometimes feel like I've reached the stage in life where I've outgrown these types of novels. I read [b:Emmy & Oliver|13132816|Emmy & Oliver|Robin Benway|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1414589813s/13132816.jpg|18309264] on a whim, and I can safely say I really enjoyed this book.
Emmy & Oliver dealt with some real issues, about growing up and realising that perhaps childhood can not last forever. It had some real, personable and relatable characters, that maybe everyone could somehow relate to when they were/or if you still are in high school.
Like some other reviewers mentioned, the cover was a bit deceiving, because although it had a smidgeon of romance, I too wouldn't really shelf this as a romance. It was more about family, friendships and how these relationships change throughout time.
In regards to the plot, I can empathise in the desperation behind the reasoning as to why Oliver's father kidnapped him, even though it was terribly wrong. Working in the family courts would suck big time, huh?
All in all, a great read.
Emmy & Oliver dealt with some real issues, about growing up and realising that perhaps childhood can not last forever. It had some real, personable and relatable characters, that maybe everyone could somehow relate to when they were/or if you still are in high school.
Like some other reviewers mentioned, the cover was a bit deceiving, because although it had a smidgeon of romance, I too wouldn't really shelf this as a romance. It was more about family, friendships and how these relationships change throughout time.
In regards to the plot, I can empathise in the desperation behind the reasoning as to why Oliver's father kidnapped him, even though it was terribly wrong. Working in the family courts would suck big time, huh?
All in all, a great read.
I liked this one but didn't quite love it. Although the plot was interesting and the characters were pretty well fleshed out, I couldn't really lose myself in this one. I kept relating to the parents in the book instead of the teenagers which doesn't happen often with YA novels for me as I have a tendency to get swept up in books and kind of forget myself as a reader. So good - but not quite great.
Interesting. This would be a good book to recommend to someone who liked Sara Zarr's book "Sweethearts."
Quick summer type read that left me wanting to keep reading.
Looking for your next fluffy book? Stop right there. Emmy and Oliver melted my heart.
Ever since I read [a:Stephanie Perkins|3095893|Stephanie Perkins|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1407443106p2/3095893.jpg]'s books I've had cuteness withdrawals. I want something that's really funny, romantic with a sprinkle of seriousness. This book is perfect.
Emmy and Oliver were best friends when they were younger, up until the day Oliver’s dad took him and never came back. Ten years later, Oliver is found and returns to his hometown.
Emmy isn’t sure if he’ll be the same.
They try to fill the 10-year gap of what’s been missing, not just in Emmy and Oliver’s lives, but the whole town who have been involved in the case for a decade.
This book is about dealing with change and growing up and wanting.
It has beautiful friendships and witty dialogue, there's just something very likable about it. I'm not one to go for types of books, but this had a perfect mix of depth and fun.
The best thing about Emmy and Oliver is without a doubt the characters. They feel and act like real teenagers. Robin Benway gets it. The dialogue isn't just ’’umm’’ ’’ok’’ ’’yeah like sure’’
May I call myself an expert on this topic, since I am a teenager? Sometimes we ask deeper questions than you’d expect, and sometimes we behave like actual 5-year-olds. That’s what being a teenager is like, moving somewhere between adulthood and pre-school. Sometimes you tip over to one side or the other. Some days I want to get all philosophical and think about life, and a few hours later I wanna sit on a swing. Finally someone understood that.
Here’s something I don’t see much of: A YA book where the parents are actually relevant.
You can’t write a book about teenagers without parents, right?
Emmy’s parents reminded me so much of my own, you know how they try to act laid-back and modern by getting involved in your life but look ridiculous doing it, when really it’s a cover up for their worry.
Oh my gosh, Emmy's dad trying to be cool? THAT’S TOTALLY MY DAD.
In other words, this book is realistic as fuck.
We have a wonderful cast of characters. Emmy, Caro and Drew’s little trio was amazing. They’re hilarous and shine with their own personality and make each other even better.
Also it has amazing friendships and promotes healthy relationships. WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK FOR?
It’s all kinds of charming and cute. I haven’t had this much fun reading a contemporary in a long time. It’s perfectly balanced with enough drama and humor to make for a well-rounded book, it’s fluffy but not so much that it gets to the point of silly. We also have a few very serious plot lines and issues. Despite its light tone and cute cover, the book tackles very common topics.
About parents who won’t accept who you are, about friendships and plans and letting go and starting new.
I adored it.
Ever since I read [a:Stephanie Perkins|3095893|Stephanie Perkins|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1407443106p2/3095893.jpg]'s books I've had cuteness withdrawals. I want something that's really funny, romantic with a sprinkle of seriousness. This book is perfect.
Emmy and Oliver were best friends when they were younger, up until the day Oliver’s dad took him and never came back. Ten years later, Oliver is found and returns to his hometown.
Emmy isn’t sure if he’ll be the same.
They try to fill the 10-year gap of what’s been missing, not just in Emmy and Oliver’s lives, but the whole town who have been involved in the case for a decade.
This book is about dealing with change and growing up and wanting.
It has beautiful friendships and witty dialogue, there's just something very likable about it. I'm not one to go for types of books, but this had a perfect mix of depth and fun.
The best thing about Emmy and Oliver is without a doubt the characters. They feel and act like real teenagers. Robin Benway gets it. The dialogue isn't just ’’umm’’ ’’ok’’ ’’yeah like sure’’
May I call myself an expert on this topic, since I am a teenager? Sometimes we ask deeper questions than you’d expect, and sometimes we behave like actual 5-year-olds. That’s what being a teenager is like, moving somewhere between adulthood and pre-school. Sometimes you tip over to one side or the other. Some days I want to get all philosophical and think about life, and a few hours later I wanna sit on a swing. Finally someone understood that.
Here’s something I don’t see much of: A YA book where the parents are actually relevant.
You can’t write a book about teenagers without parents, right?
Emmy’s parents reminded me so much of my own, you know how they try to act laid-back and modern by getting involved in your life but look ridiculous doing it, when really it’s a cover up for their worry.
Oh my gosh, Emmy's dad trying to be cool? THAT’S TOTALLY MY DAD.
In other words, this book is realistic as fuck.
We have a wonderful cast of characters. Emmy, Caro and Drew’s little trio was amazing. They’re hilarous and shine with their own personality and make each other even better.
Also it has amazing friendships and promotes healthy relationships. WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK FOR?
It’s all kinds of charming and cute. I haven’t had this much fun reading a contemporary in a long time. It’s perfectly balanced with enough drama and humor to make for a well-rounded book, it’s fluffy but not so much that it gets to the point of silly. We also have a few very serious plot lines and issues. Despite its light tone and cute cover, the book tackles very common topics.
About parents who won’t accept who you are, about friendships and plans and letting go and starting new.
I adored it.