Monday 8 June 2015

Review: Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway



Emmy’s best friend, Oliver, reappears after being kidnapped by his father ten years ago. Emmy hopes to pick up their relationship right where it left off. Are they destined to be together? Or has fate irreparably driven them apart?

Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life.

She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents’ relentless worrying. But Emmy’s parents can’t seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared.

Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart.

He’d thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing and his thoughts swirling.

Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy’s soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together?

Readers who love Sarah Dessen will tear through these pages with hearts in throats as Emmy and Oliver struggle to face the messy, confusing consequences of Oliver’s father’s crime. Full of romance, coming-of-age emotion, and heartache, these two equally compelling characters create an unforgettable story.


Kindle Edition, 352 pages
Expected publication: June 23rd 2015 by HarperTeen

Terri's Thoughts

**I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is June 23rd 2015**

The synopsis for this story captured my attention and I was not disappointed.  I am not sure if I am feeling nostalgic for stories about young love and such but this was exactly what the doctor ordered.

The concept behind the story is simple.  A boy is kidnapped and separated from his best friend, fast forward ten years and he returns.  His best friend is still there waiting for him and now that they are older there are additional feelings leading to romance.  Then there is the emotional issues of trying to heal and move on from what happened.  Do I really need to say more?

In many stories there are characters that stand out on my all time favorite list.  More often than not they are the male characters as they (in my historical reading experience) are usually more dynamic and charismatic.  This book is an exception.  The stand out character to me was Emmy hands down.  I just loved her sense of humor and dry/quick wit.  She reminded me of myself when I am on my A game (which isn't a lot).  She was the glue that formed the foundations of this story.

Another interesting aspect to this story was the occasional exerts of the younger Emmy & Oliver.  It was adorable  as we caught a glimpse of the younger versions of them and the more innocent dynamic to their friendship.  This to me added a crucial element to the story as I felt it told the story of the innocence lost due to the situation and aging.

Anyone who can remember that best friend from their youth that may or may not be still in their life will really appreciate this story.  I recommend this story to those who can look back fondly on the crazy things they did as a child with their equally crazy BFF's.  Oh yes....and fans of romance will also appreciate this story.  And people with extremely strict parents....the list goes on.  I just simply recommend it!


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1 comment:

  1. oh, that is so sad, I hope that Oliver is not too emotionally scarred for this

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