Jun 23, 2015

Review: Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

Title: Emmy & Oliver
Author: Robin Benway
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: 6.23.2015
Pages: 352
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Favorite
Series: N/A
Source: ARC from publisher

Rating: 5 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):
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?

Review:
I had never read a Robin Benway book before picking up EMMY & OLIVER. The premise intrigued me and it was one of those books I went into with minimal expectations. I guess that's what made it all the better when this book completely captured my attention and then ensnared my heart.

Emmy and Oliver have a wonderful story (minus the 10 year kidnapping). They were childhood best friends and then watching them reconnect as teens and find their way back to each other truly makes you wonder about fate and destiny. These two are literary perfection. They're a little broken but very open. They grow and learn and love in an organic, realistic way that keeps the story grounded.

I love the friendship in this book. The dynamic between Emmy, Caro, Drew and Oliver was the heart of it all, and their loyalty and connections were so great to watch. There was no drama for the sake of drama, but these 4 created a tight unit that I desperately wanted to be part of.

The writing has a simple beauty to it that makes the story flow perfectly. Benway is careful with her words, arranging sentences artfully and skillfully for maximum impact. I loved every page of this book.

This book absolutely surprised me. I wasn't expecting to fall in love with it, but I already know it's one I will be re-reading annually because the story of Emmy and Oliver will never lose its sparkle.

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