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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
"Love isn't something you say, it's something you do."
Hands down I read this book for it's cover, I've been doing that lately and really I have no idea why. I know I know your not technically suppose to judge a book by it's cover but I'm only human and sometimes pretty things excite me. Go on, judge me for my good taste in book covers.
Where do I begin? Emmy & Oliver is a story about a boy and a girl who are not only neighbors but best friends since they were little, sadly when they are 7 years old Oliver goes missing, he's kidnapped by his own father and nobody knows if he's dead or alive but Emmy never lost hope, in fact she thought about him every day and even held on to a private note they shared the day he went missing. Fast forward 10 years and the phone call finally comes, they found Oliver across country alive in New York and they are bringing him home to California. This book is about the hardships of starting a new life three times over, creating friendships with the ones you left 10 years prior and finally falling in love with the girl next door.
Even with all the seriousness, this book was freaking hilarious, I caught myself chuckling randomly and now have a new insult word to use on family and friends. I recommend this book for people who will openly accept the new word douchecanoe and i do not recommend this if young adult romances and struggles are just not your thing, oh and you refuse to read books with simple and beautiful covers. (that should be a crime, just saying....)
I didn’t even realised I like this book, until I notice how conversational the book can be. It felt natural and not choppy. It almost felt like watching as oppose to reading. To be honest, I didn’t even expect to like this book, it sounded too predictable, but I thought I needed a light book to get me out of my reading slump. I’m not saying that a light book is not a good thing, sometime you can get the most out of a light book, because it’s just so simple that it resonates well with you. I wish there had been more YAs like this book. You don’t need to have an uber evil character, there’s a lot of aspects in being a young adult that an author could explore without having to have a typical bullying gone wrong as one of them. The struggle of keeping your friendship tight, of loving something you know your parents won’t approve, of choosing where to go to school; that’s problematic enough, if you ask me.
The story in this book was so simple that it became not predictable, and I like that. Sure you have the typical “oh my parents are out of town so I’m going to throw a party and my brother will bring the booze” and what have you. But ordinary predictable YA storyline would go around the theme of (1) the party went absolutely wrong because every teenage kids available in this entire story just got drunk; (2) the main characters got so drunk they just start doing or saying embarrassing things, and the reader dies from second hand embarrassment; (3) the party scene became the climatic point of the story where everything starts to unfurl into chaos, only to have it cleared up as the ending of the book. Thankfully, the book didn’t choose any of that route; the party became just a party, a filler. It was not the high point of the movie. I like the fact that all my predictions went off every time some cliche scenes pops up in the story.
Now let’s talk about the character. It’s sort of is weird for me to read a book and feel nothing for the characters. Really, I don’t hate nor like any of the characters. I feel no attachment to any of them. But that’s alright, somehow. I thought it was going to be an annoying aspect, but as I finished the book, it didn’t bother me that I felt nothing. I thought I was going to hate Emmy for sounding annoying and complaining all the time, but she didn’t bother me, because she seems cool and she seems to know what to do with her life, which I can’t speak for myself when I was her age. I thought I would fall head over heels with Oliver, being all mysterious and all, but I felt more like, meh towards the end of the book. I thought I would despise Emmy’s and Oliver’s parents, but Oliver say it best, you can’t hate your parents entirely, because they’re your parents, no matter how horrible they could be. This is where I feel like, even though I have no attachments whatsoever with the characters, I feel like some of the things they said resonates well with me, even what Emmy’s mum had said about parents wanting to keep their children close to them.
That being said, this is such an entertaining read. It’s not adventurous or gripping or anything, but once you get the hang of the story, it’s hard to put the book down. You’re just so curious as where the story will go, and what will become of the characters. Although, if I’m being completely honest, I don’t really think Emmy’s storyline is a bit bland compared to Oliver’s, but I’ll let you be the judge. Give this book a go if you’re looking for something light on the surface but with substance underneath it all.
The story in this book was so simple that it became not predictable, and I like that. Sure you have the typical “oh my parents are out of town so I’m going to throw a party and my brother will bring the booze” and what have you. But ordinary predictable YA storyline would go around the theme of (1) the party went absolutely wrong because every teenage kids available in this entire story just got drunk; (2) the main characters got so drunk they just start doing or saying embarrassing things, and the reader dies from second hand embarrassment; (3) the party scene became the climatic point of the story where everything starts to unfurl into chaos, only to have it cleared up as the ending of the book. Thankfully, the book didn’t choose any of that route; the party became just a party, a filler. It was not the high point of the movie. I like the fact that all my predictions went off every time some cliche scenes pops up in the story.
Now let’s talk about the character. It’s sort of is weird for me to read a book and feel nothing for the characters. Really, I don’t hate nor like any of the characters. I feel no attachment to any of them. But that’s alright, somehow. I thought it was going to be an annoying aspect, but as I finished the book, it didn’t bother me that I felt nothing. I thought I was going to hate Emmy for sounding annoying and complaining all the time, but she didn’t bother me, because she seems cool and she seems to know what to do with her life, which I can’t speak for myself when I was her age. I thought I would fall head over heels with Oliver, being all mysterious and all, but I felt more like, meh towards the end of the book. I thought I would despise Emmy’s and Oliver’s parents, but Oliver say it best, you can’t hate your parents entirely, because they’re your parents, no matter how horrible they could be. This is where I feel like, even though I have no attachments whatsoever with the characters, I feel like some of the things they said resonates well with me, even what Emmy’s mum had said about parents wanting to keep their children close to them.
That being said, this is such an entertaining read. It’s not adventurous or gripping or anything, but once you get the hang of the story, it’s hard to put the book down. You’re just so curious as where the story will go, and what will become of the characters. Although, if I’m being completely honest, I don’t really think Emmy’s storyline is a bit bland compared to Oliver’s, but I’ll let you be the judge. Give this book a go if you’re looking for something light on the surface but with substance underneath it all.
DNF'D AT 68%
I'm really disappointed with this book. I've wanted to read it for so long, since before it was published and now I wish I hadn't even picked it up. The writing is nice, poetic and I love the awkward relationship between Emmy and Oliver, however, I felt zero connection with any characters in the book. They weren't relatable at all, Caro and Drew, Emmy's friends were just...annoying. They were too over the top, too boring, plain.
I'm really disappointed with this book. I've wanted to read it for so long, since before it was published and now I wish I hadn't even picked it up. The writing is nice, poetic and I love the awkward relationship between Emmy and Oliver, however, I felt zero connection with any characters in the book. They weren't relatable at all, Caro and Drew, Emmy's friends were just...annoying. They were too over the top, too boring, plain.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Homophobia
3.5
The story could have been longer, and I think it would have really benefited from a dual point of view, but I enjoyed it anyway. I cried a lot at the end, and the relationship between the characters and the parents was done really well.
This book isn't really heavily focused on the kidnap that occured, and also not super focused on Oliver only. It's more about Emmy's perspective, and how everyone moves on. I liked that about the book.
It kept me engaged and I really like the characters and main couple, although near the ending I did wonder where the story was going since most of its premise plot was resolved. I like where it went, though.
The story could have been longer, and I think it would have really benefited from a dual point of view, but I enjoyed it anyway. I cried a lot at the end, and the relationship between the characters and the parents was done really well.
This book isn't really heavily focused on the kidnap that occured, and also not super focused on Oliver only. It's more about Emmy's perspective, and how everyone moves on. I liked that about the book.
It kept me engaged and I really like the characters and main couple, although near the ending I did wonder where the story was going since most of its premise plot was resolved. I like where it went, though.
To me this was a fun, quick read with nothing particularly memorable about it. A neighborhood boy is returned to his mother as a teenager after being kidnapped by his father as a child.
A fine read. Really interesting in the beginning, a bit unrealistic in the middle, and too rushed at the end. Side characters either needed more or less.
Rainbow Readathon 2.0: Indigo.
This book was so good. The cute, light contemporary read that everybody needs in their lives every once in a while. With just the right amount of drama. Perfect for when you want to read something quickly :)
3.5 stars.
This book was so good. The cute, light contemporary read that everybody needs in their lives every once in a while. With just the right amount of drama. Perfect for when you want to read something quickly :)
3.5 stars.
Inner Editrix wanted to slash out a bunch of the slapstick dialogue between the four main characters with the note, "Doesn't move the story along!" It dragged for me a bit and, like I said, I felt like some scenes could have been exchanged for ones more central to the plot. At its core, however, EMMY & OLIVER has a good heart. Benway has a history of writing extremely realistic characters, especially YA parents (and YA parents are NOT easy to write with nuance). The friendship at the core of the novel is one to be envious of. I would have liked for the main conflicts in the story--Oliver's torn feelings about being slotted back into the life he was torn away from, Emmy's growing tension with her parents--to have been developed more deeply; that would have elevated the book from a light read into a true heart-wrencher. As such, EMMY & OLIVER gave me a few smiles and sighs, but ultimately no book hangover.
fast-paced