Review: Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

Emmy & Oliver

Author: Robin Benway

Series: -

Pages: 352

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release date: 23 June 2015

Amazon

Synopsis: (Goodreads)

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

Review: 3 out of 5 stars

I love books where childhood friends become more so I was really eager to read Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway.

Emmy & Oliver were seven year-old best friends and neighbours until a day when Oliver was kidnapped by his own father and didn’t reappear until ten years later. A piece of Emmy’s heart was lost that day and she always lived in hope that he would return and things would be just as they were.

Emmy’s life since then had changed, no freedom, strict parents and decisions being made for her. She wants to surf, attend college away from her hometown and live a life without her parents constant worry but all of them were changed the day Oliver was taken.

Oliver was sweet but to me he lacked emotion, admittedly he was confused; he had been betrayed by someone who had meant the most to him and he was thrown back into an unknown life with a new family. My heart honestly broke for him but there was no oomph to his character, I found him to lack depth.

I liked the side characters, they were believable in their actions and their reactions – they were portrayed perfectly.

The writing was truly wonderful, there was some great dialogue and banter with a bit of humour thrown in. The storyline kept me entertained and I couldn’t help but hope for some normalcy for Oliver and some independence for Emmy; it’s great she had such loving parents but their restrictions were over the top - for good reason of course but I felt for her.

Overall, a sweet romance, great characters and an engaging and emotional storyline; I was satisfied with how this all came together.

Thank you to HarperTeen via Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review Emmy & Oliver.

About the author: I'm the author of "Audrey, Wait!", "The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June", and the AKA series. My new book "Emmy & Oliver" will be released on June 23, 2015. I live in Los Angeles with my extremely stubborn shih tzu, Hudson. I've gotten a lot better at cooking. I still love coffee. We should be friends.

Also, I never use this Goodreads account, so if you'd like to contact me, feel free to find more info at my website! www.robinbenway.com