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A review by doriigil
The Otherworld by Abbie Emmons
3.0
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.