Emmy and Oliver by Robin Benway

Pages: 320
Publish date: July 16, 2015
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 9781471144134
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Emmy and Oliver:

I received a review copy of Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway from Simon and Schuster in exchange for a review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I heard about this book for a while. It sounded interesting and I was hearing really good things about it. So when it arrived in my PO I couldn’t wait to read it.

Emmy & Oliver follows Emmy as she deals with the return of her best friend Oliver after he was kidnapped all those years ago. They were best friends before he disappeared and as the years went on they could have been something more. But when he returns he is a stranger – a very hot stranger at that.

If you are looking for a not so dramatic contemporary that will put a smile on your face, than this is the book for you.

I first thought that this book would be full of drama, a book full or running from the bad guys, guns, police, but it wasn’t and It’s what I liked about it. It was a fun read that had me smiling way too much and I am going to admit there was some tears shed as well.

“The more you start to love someone, the more you ache when they’re gone, and maybe it’s that middle ground that hurts the most, when you can see them and still not feel like you’re near enough.”

One of the things that I liked about Emmy & Oliver is that it all felt real. I truly liked Emmy as a character, like the story, she felt real. She was fun to read. She had this nature about her that I just loved. She was easy to read.

From the get go we see a strong friendship between Emmy and her two friends. It’s rare that we see such a strong bond in YA, but their friendship is also real. They have their fights but they are also there for each other. But there is something missing. It’s like Oliver is the missing piece of the puzzle.

When he returns everything doesn’t just go back to normal like a snappy romanced novel, it’s real. Everything is awkward, they don’t know how to treat each other, and they don’t really know who the other is. I loved seeing their friendship grow, between both Emmy and Oliver and the group of 4 friends.

The book was honest with everything. The way that the friends interact, the way that Emmy and her family are with each other, how Emmy and Oliver are with each other.

He looked like a stranger, and then he met my glance, and it was like I had never stopped seeing him.

Robin Benway is a brilliant writer. Emmy & Oliver took me away. It was such an easy read that I was able to read it in a day. She was able to capture what it was like for a teenage who both has protective parents and wants to be free. I connected with Emmy in that way; I just wanted to hug her and tell her that everything is going to be alright.

The romance was just so cute. It was the slow burning kind that I love – Emmy and Oliver have known each other for years but when he comes back and they have to start from the start all over again. It’s sweet seeing them interact with each other.

Even though this book seems light hearted most of the time, it’s not. Oliver was kidnapped as a child and he has to come to terms with that most of this life was a lie. There are some pretty heartbreaking scenes that had me chocked up, especially the ending.

That’s when I first learned about true frustration, that wrenching ache when the thing that matters most to you barely makes a ripple in other people’s lives.

Emmy & Oliver is full of feels. It will take you on a journey that makes you laugh and cry. You will want to hold both Emmy and Oliver in your arms and you will want a friendship that they have within their groups of friends. Emmy & Oliver is honest, real and bittersweet. It tells an important story of growing up, friendship and family. This book is for every contemporary lover and those who are not.