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    Emmy & Oliver
    Emmy & Oliver
    Emmy & Oliver
    Audiobook8 hours

    Emmy & Oliver

    Written by Robin Benway

    Narrated by Phoebe Strole

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    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?

    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 had 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.

    Readers who love Sarah Dessen will devour 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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJun 23, 2015
    ISBN9780062398178
    Author

    Robin Benway

    Robin Benway is a National Book Award–winning and New York Times bestselling author of nine novels for young people, including Far from the Tree, Audrey, Wait!, the AKA series, and Emmy & Oliver. Her books have received numerous awards and recognition, including the PEN America Literary Award, the Blue Ribbon Award from the Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books, ALA’s Best Books for Young Adults, and ALA’s Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults. In addition, her novels have received starred reviews from BookPage, Kirkus Reviews, ALA Booklist, and Publishers Weekly and have been published in more than twenty-five countries. Her sixth novel, Far from the Tree, won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the PEN America Award and was named one of the best books of the year by the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, NPR, PBS, Entertainment Weekly, and the Boston Globe. In addition to her fictional work, her nonfiction work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Bustle, Elle, and more. Her newest book, The Girls of Skylark Lane, will be in stores in Fall 2024. Robin grew up in Orange County, California, attended NYU, where she was a recipient of the Seth Barkas Prize for Creative Writing, and is a graduate of UCLA. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her dog, Hudson.

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    Reviews for Emmy & Oliver

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    • 4/5
      *RECIEVED AN ARC FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*
      This book fits the sweet YA mold, but has unique features that add intensity and angst. The story is based around a web of lies. It is our job as readers to reveal the truth and unveil the secrets. It is a wild ride that has an ending you will never expect...

      Emmy and Oliver share a bond even after being apart for 10 years. It isn't an instant reunion, but slowly the old feelings form again. Everyone expects Oliver to be excited about being found, but deep down he feels as though he's been kidnapped all over again. Everything he knew is erased when he is thrown into a new life, with new siblings. He struggles to grasp the present and push away the past... Emmy tries to be the listening ear, but it's hard when she is faced with what brought her so much pain all of those years ago.

      Was this story predictable? Maybe at times, but overall no! I was blindsided by the ending and couldn't believe how everything unfolded. I loved the romance and the cute additions that made this a swoon worthy read... Add in the mystery and I am hooked!

      Overall, I really enjoyed this story... At times it was a tad slow, but in the end I was quite satisfied with what the Author gave us.
      Highly Recommend to YA fans.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Great dialogue, witty; great premise, climax and resolution was somewhat predictable.
    • 5/5
      Here is a summary of what the book is about. 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?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 a good guy. He never knew that it was his father who had 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.Readers will devour theses 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.Wow what an amazing story. I thought it was written very well. I found this book to be a real page turner. It was cute and sweet. I couldn't put it down.My husband bought this book for me as a gift and I fell in love with the cover.I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.Happy Reading Everyone!
    • 5/5
      What a delight! Loved this coming of age story about friends navigating through the last year of high school, first loves and budding independence. Loved all the voices of the narrator, esp those of the twins (ahem, individuals).
    • 3/5
      If there’s anything you’re going to take away from this book, or a few other Robin Benway books, is that family is number one. Always. (I really hope most of you can relate to that, because if not, it really breaks my heart).Many times, and I’m talking about most of this book, I wanted to get up and go hug my parents or my brother. The sense of familial warmth seeped out of this book. Out of Emmy and Oliver’s families. That this books emotional level was so real and down to earth that I couldn’t help but get choked up.This isn’t your regular best-friends-fall-for-each-other type of romance. It has a small twist.And when I say small twist, I mean one of our best friends was kidnapped by his father when he was younger and isn’t found until 10 years later.Yeah, not your average YA novel, eh?And I was expecting so much! I was ready to be blown away and dig into this kidnapping scenario.Nada.Oliver coming back and his submersion into high school was heavily blanketed by Emmy’s minor issues. Like, a boy has just returned home to his mother who hasn’t seen him in 10 years and you’re complaining about how your parents are too protective of you?! Appreciate the family you have, girl!! (Yeah, I may have over thought this, but it irritated me nonetheless).The kidnapping fell in second to the romance, but I’m okay with that. I still appreciated this book.It was extremely cute and, as always, hilarious!I will always expect simultaneously grinning and crying in any one of Robin Benway’s books. They are seriously so adorable!Emmy & Oliver is going to be the book to impact you right where it matters. A book about all sorts of relationships that really hits close to home for most of us (minus the kidnapping).Reviewed at yabookscentral.com
    • 4/5
      Emmy and Oliver had been best friends since they were born, but in second grade, Oliver’s divorced dad picks him up from school and doesn’t bring him back. Oliver is in hiding with his dad for ten years, but is found and returned to his mother when he is seventeen. Emmy tries to reconnect with her old friend without knowing anything of his past, and is feeling something more than friendship. Fenway’s writing style is very realistic and engaging; it’s tempting to try and read this book in one sitting!
    • 5/5
      One of the defining events of Emmy's life was ten years ago, in second grade, when her best friend and next-door neighbor Oliver went to his father's house for the weekend . . . and never came back. After the kidnapping, Emmy's parents became smothering and overprotective, and of course Oliver's mother fell apart. And then, life went on. Emmy always wondered about her friend, where he might be, what might have happened to him, and whether he ever thought of her the way she was thinking of him. And now, Oliver is back. Those ten missing years have turned him into a stranger, but Emmy sometimes sees flashes of her old friend, and she's looking forward to getting to know him again. As the two fumble their way back into a friendship, Emmy can't deny that she's attracted to this grown-up Oliver -- but Oliver is still working through a lot of issues regarding his feelings for both of his parents. Is a romance between Emmy and Oliver really a good idea?I found this a highly enjoyable read. The characters are great and the plot is interesting without being too farfetched. I'd recommend this to fans of YA realistic fiction.
    • 5/5
      When Oliver disappeared that day when he was seven, it affected more than just his family. Although it was known that Oliver's father had been the one who kidnapped him, all the parents clung tighter to their children, some never let go, smothering their children in fear that they too would disappear. After no word or sign of them for ten years, Oliver is all of a sudden home and everyone has to readjust to the boy coming home who is no longer the seven year old they all remember, but a stranger. His mother has remarried, with a new family that Oliver can't seem to fit into. His best friend Emmy, who lived next door with only the memories of their first seven years as best friends, has only one thing in her possession that was a reminder of him. This is Oliver's coming home story, of his trying to adapt to his new life that again feels like he was kidnapped, from his father this time, the only parent he had for the last ten years. He loves his father, has endless memories of their life together, yet hates the man who took him from his mother. From school he missed to the friends he had as a child, it's all new to him, it's like someone else's life. The group of four friends; Oliver, Emma, Caro and Drew became a triangle 10 years ago, they had a whole lot of memories and experience with just the three of them that he wasn't a part of. This is also Emmy's story and how her life changed the day Oliver disappeared. Her parents in fear suffocated her with the rules and limitations. Her whole life she accepted it but with Oliver's return, she no longer wanted to be the bird in the cage, she wanted freedom to make the choices she wanted to make, be who she wanted to be. And although this was the only life she had known, I could never imagine being that obedient and well behaved, I don't know how she didn't snap before then. She was just such a funny person, her way of conversation and thoughts was sometimes hilarious, she's a loyal and giving person, I would love to be her friend. While the main focus is the return of Oliver, there's so much more going on in this book. This is the first book of Robin Benway's that I have read and it won't be the last. I love her storytelling, it has an easy flow, the writing so compelling that you just have to keep reading. I love her characters, they are so real and a little flawed as we all are, but they are people I would love to know. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
    • 4/5
      "Emmy & Oliver" turned out to be a really sweet story. From the title and front cover it looked like just another romance, but it was so much more. It was about the importance of friends, family relationships and finding your own path in life. Benway could have made this a real drama fest, but she didn't. I just loved Emmy and Oliver, they were both very appealing characters and their romance was both gentle and believable. I also liked Caro and Drew, Emmy's closest friends, who brought some humour to the book. Whilst I didn't always agree with what the teenagers did, I did appreciate Emmy's narration and I loved the glimpses of Emmy and Oliver's friendship before he was kidnapped. Overall, an easy, touching read with heart.
    • 5/5
      4.5 reviewThis book is probably one of the cutest books I have read this year. You would think it is a romance-filled story but it so much more than that. It also focuses on friendship, family, self-discovery and growing up.Emmy and Oliver had been the best of friends when they were kids—they were inseparable. One day, Oliver’s father kidnaps him which leaves the town, especially Emmy, distraught. They stay hopeful that one day Oliver will appear. This kidnapping left many scarred especially Emmy’s parents. They are very protective her. Her mom doesn’t even want Emmy to move away to college, saying that Emmy is better off at a nearby community college. What no one knows is that Emmy has applied to a college 2 hours from home, where she will be able to join the surf team, another secret she has been keeping from her parents. Ten years later, Oliver returns and everyone is so happy about the news but Oliver feels like he has been kidnapped all over again. Will Emmy be able to rekindle their friendship?This story is complex and sensitive, yet beautiful. Every relationship was much highlighted in the story with nothing left to the imagination. We get to read about Emmy, Drew and Caro’s friendship, which has to be by far the best friendship ever. There is so much witty banter that will leave you laughing out loud and wanting a friendship like they have. We also get to read about the relationship that Emmy has with her parents, which isn’t an easy one. Her parents are overprotective and they treat her like she is a child. I mean, she has to be in bed by 10pm! Like…what?! I related to Emmy and her parents because mine can get protective at times but never to that extent. Let’s not forget about Oliver’s half sisters! They are so cute and very, very hyper. Emmy babysits them to help Oliver’s mom, who doesn’t know how to work with Oliver. She feels like Oliver’s ignoring her and doesn’t want to have a relationship with her but then Emmy comes to the rescue and:“I’m actually legally obligated to ignore her [Emmy’s mom]. The other teenagers and I made a pact. There were lawyers involved; it’s a whole thing now.”I love all of the characters, especially Emmy and Drew. They are so funny and amazing. Oliver is a complex character that the reader will love. At first, I was skeptical about his character but my love for him grew. I must say, while I did laugh for the majority of the book, I was a ball of emotions, too. We get short chapters on Emmy and Oliver as kids, which had me a mess. I would tear up at every chapter that was written in their past. And the last chapter? Wow! That one did bring the tears. I’m so glad I read this beautifully written story with funny and relatable characters.
    • 5/5
      I loved EMMY & OLIVER. It is a story about friendship and family and parental kidnapping. Emmy and Oliver were best friends since birth. They share the same birthday. They live next door to each other. But just into second grade, Oliver is kidnapped by his father and disappears. That changed everything for Emmy, her friends Caro and Drew, for Oliver's mother Maureen and for Emmy's parents. Emmy's parents became overwhelmingly protective. Even though Emmy loves them she has learned that to do what she wants she has to lie to them. She sneaks out to surf and she secretly applies to UC San Diego. Her parents want her to live at home and attend Junior College for two years after she graduates. Then the thing that they have all been hoping for happens and Oliver comes home. He didn't know that his father kidnapped him. His father told him that his mother left them. He and Oliver traveled from place to place and his father homeschooled him. Oliver never went to the doctor or the dentist. It wasn't until he Googled himself that he found out his mother had been searching for him ever since he was taken. Now Oliver is back home and everyone is trying to adjust. Oliver is torn between the love he feels for his father and his hatred of what his father did. He is also thrust back into a life that is totally new to him. His mother has remarried and he has young twin sisters. Oliver also has to adjust to a new school where he is an object of interest because of his story.Emmy and Oliver resume their friendship and even fall in love but both have been forever changed because of the kidnapping. Emmy helps Oliver deal with his feeling for his father and his mother. Oliver encourages Emmy to tell her parents what she wants out of life. Oliver's presence is also putting pressure on Emmy's friendship with Drew and Caro. Oliver feels like an outsider because the three have all their in-jokes and shared memories. Emmy wanting to be with Oliver especially hurts Caro. I very much enjoyed this story of parental kidnapping because of the emphasis that was placed on how it changed things for those left behind. I could also understand Oliver's conflicted feeling about his father and his mother. I loved Emmy's relationship with her parents and her very snarky sense of humor too.I can't wait to share this story with my students next year.
    • 4/5
      I wanted to read Emmy and Oliver because it sounded like an emotionally charged book, and that is something that I normally gravitate towards. Emmy and Oliver were best friends at a young age, and we do get a small piece of time in the before, setting up that they were close and grew up together. Until the day that Oliver disappeared. He got into the car with his dad, and had no idea that his life was going to change, and Emmy had no idea that she wouldn't be able to tell him what she tried to get his attention to tell him before he got into that same car. I quickly saw that the effects of being so close to Oliver's mom, and wondering where Oliver could be has had an effect on Emmy. She has to sneak around to surf, and she understands their over protectiveness, but she still wants more freedom. Her best friends Caro and help her to have her freedom, and cover for her parents. Even though it was a two girl and one boy, he has come out as gay, so its not quite as strange about the allowance of him sleeping over with the girls. This was pretty much a very realistic feeling story. There was of course the cliche high school party with alcohol and weed. And let me just say that when I was in high school we didn't have drugs, and most of the alcohol was pretty scarce. But the friendships, the parents who are involved and gives out curfews, and consequences. They are also dealing with very real issues like classes, pressures of college. I liked how Emmy and Oliver had to learn all over again how to be friends, and share life with one another. He finds a safe place where he could talk about some of the things he was afraid to say for fear of hurting or disappointing his mom. Which I get, and its sweet, but I did like that he found that outlet. The chemistry between the two was nice as well. There was the flirting, moments of vulnerability and their bond that even though there was a gap, some things translated over time. They had fun together and had an easy banter. One thing that I wanted to know that I wasn't sure I was going to get answered (I write this at about 50%) is more answers about his dad. What made him run with Oliver? Where did he disappear to? The motivations behind it, especially since it seemed that Oliver was relatively well adjusted. He was home schooled and they moved around a bit, but he had a relationship with his dad, and it didn't seem to be any sort of sexual or predative motivation. I appreciated that the drama that was present in this book was real and it was over meanwhile issues. For example her friend Caro felt pretty left out because and felt like her two best friends were moving on and that she wasn't as much a part of their life as she used to be. and I mean that a huge issue especially when they're best friends of the number more than two and even with just one best friend like if you're all the sudden dating someone. It begins the start of a shift and you can feel left out. but this is such a universal theme because everyone has felt what its like to have a friendship change or feel left behind when other parties are changing and it feels like one person still has the same goals and dreams and there's nothing wrong with that its just different dynamics. I liked the ending, and I got some answers, but I don't think you can ever understand a parent's desperation and things they do sometimes. I could almost understand why his dad did it but it was from a huge bad place from him and did irreparable damage. I also loved the growth in Emmy, that she finally talked to her parents, and even though part of it was done in teenage drama, the rest, she made adult points, and accepted her punishments for lying. Emmy and Oliver were left in a good place but I always wanted more with them. I loved their chemistry and connection, as well as their past and a second chance to fall in love. Bottom Line: Great premise and loved the characters of Emmy and Oliver.
    • 5/5
      I started this book 5 hours ago and could. not. stop. reading. Definitely a different kind of love story.
    • 4/5
      Emmy and Oliver were best friends since birth. They were born on the same day in the same hospital (their basinets were next to each other) and they lived next door to each other. Their bedrooms faced each other and at night, they would each blink their light when it was bedtime. Emmy, Oliver, Caro (Caroline, but no one ever called her that) and Drew were an inseparable quartet.When they were seven years old, Oliver disappeared. His father, Keith, kidnapped him. His mother, Maureen, was frantic and tried everything she could to find him, with no luck. After the initial news media frenzy, the public lost interest and things got back to normal, as normal as they could be under the EmmyAndOlivercircumstances. Emmy continued being friends with Caro and Drew. However, Emmy’s parents became over protective of their only child, prohibiting her from doing many things young kids did, forcing on her an early bedtime. As a result, she ended up hiding a lot from her parents.When she was 17, Oliver returned. The problem with that was several fold: (a) Maureen had remarried and had twin girls, (b) she remembered Oliver as a seven year old boy and that’s who she expected to return and (c) Emmy and Caro and Drew had 10 years of memories, inside jokes and dreams of which Oliver was not a part.Robin Benway covers a lot in Emmy and Oliver. Most people think of the anguish of parents losing a child to kidnapping. And when we think of kidnapping, as in the news media, it is always children hidden away and brutalized. In Emmy and Oliver, Keith treated Oliver well and after Oliver got over the initial shock of a missing mother, he had a relatively normal life. Yet, thrust back into his mother’s life and home was traumatic for both parent and child.Benway does a great job of verbalizing the impact of Oliver’s return on everyone, Maureen and her young twins, Emmy, Caro and Drew and especially Oliver. I’m not giving anything away by saying the Emmy & Oliver is a love story. There are some loves that do stand the test of time and separation. But it’s more than that. It’s the story of awakening from a 10 year slumber to find out that things aren’t the same as when you drifted off to sleep…for everyone, not just Oliver. I liked every character in Emmy & Oliver, even Keith. I can understand everyone’s actions and motives. Other than Keith’s actions at the end, I thought everything rang true (not that I was ever involved in the situation described in the book).I know describing a book as a ‘beach read’ may be the kiss of death, but I don’t mean it to be. Had I received the book when it is issued in June 2015, I can see me sitting under a big shade tree on Cape Cod, listening to the sound of the bay and the seals, reading Emmy & Oliver. So maybe I’ll amend my statement to say it’s a good summer time, feel good, read. I do highly recommend Emmy & Oliver
    • 4/5
      What happens when someone who disappeared suddenly is found? What is the aftermath like? This book takes a look at the emotional impact of a child spirited away by the non-custodial parent and "found" as a teen. The most interesting thing about this novel is how Ms. Benway manages to hit all the emotions - relief, awkwardness, ambivalence, anger, mistrust. Oliver's disappearance doesn't just affect him or his family - his friends left behind also struggle with the repercussions of fear that ripple through the community. It's a great and nuanced story.
    • 2/5
      By chapter 20 I was waiting for this book to be over. I listened to the audiobook for Emmy and Oliver, and one thing I must say is that it was well read. The contrast between voices was noticeable and good, and the male voices, since done by a female voice, was not cringey. However I found myself annoyed by the main characters because of how ungrateful they were to their parents. As I teenager I couldn’t relate to that. I understand that teens tend to want to let go of their parents, and that this theme was necessary to tie in with the loss of a child by a parent. But I thought that it was overdone. Like an old person writing a book about a ‘typical teen’.

      I thought that the relationship between the two could have been built up a little more before they got together. And also, other than Oliver’s conflict, I felt as though he had no personality. I didn’t know anything much about him, and so I wasn’t particularly rooting for him. Some parts of the book were boring, and then intercepted by long , drawn out mental breakdowns of either Emmy or Oliver. And some of the dialogue was quite cliche.

      This book is average. I don’t think that I would recommend it. I wouldn’t tell people not to read it either— the ending was satisfactory, but overall it wasn’t very exciting.
    • 5/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: An adorable childhood romance wrapped in the aftermath of a kidnapping.Opening Sentence: Oliver disappeared after school on a Friday afternoon, way back when we were in second grade, and small things seemed really important and important things seemed too small.The Review:I don’t read much contemporary romance but let me tell you, I thought Emmy and Oliver was a fantastic read. Ollie is kidnapped by his father when he is seven years old, and for ten years his friends, family and neighbours’ search for him. Until one day, he’s found and brought home but life isn’t what you think it will be, everyone was so focused on locating him for ten years that no one considered what would happen after, and that’s what this story is about.Sometimes I think that all superstitions-crossing your fingers, not stepping on cracks, shrines like the one in Oliver’s room-come from wanting something too much.Emmy and Oliver is told through Emmy’s perspective, as Ollie’s best friend from childhood and his next door neighbour, his disappearance affected her the most (after his mother of course). I loved her character, she’s so honest, witty and down to earth that it’s hard not to. Her emotions feel all too real, what if Ollie doesn’t remember her anymore, and what if they can’t rebuild their friendship, what if he’s changed?“Do you think he even remembers us?” Drew asked. “It’s been ten years.”“Don’t say that,” I snapped before I could stop myself. Drew’s fork froze in the air as he stared at me. My mom was watching me across the kitchen, too. I had seen that look too many times over the years, the “oh my God, is our child damaged beyond repair?” look and I was in no hurry to see it again. “Of course he remembers us,” I said. “Why wouldn’t he? We remember him. How could he forget us?”I sympathized with Emmy because of her over protective parents. They freaked out so much with Oliver’s disappearance that they ended up suffocating their only daughter in response. When they weren’t wrapping Emmy up in bubbletape they were actually quite funny (Oliver’s mother-not so much!)I looked up at my dad. “Tonight, when Oliver and I were talking, I said I’d still love you, even if you kidnapped me. I really would. I get how he feels.”My dad smiled. “That’s the nicest and most sociopathic thing anyone’s ever said to me.”Oliver’s character is heavily burdened by the past 10 years because as far as he knew, his mum left him whilst his dad brought him up in New York. And he was mostly happy, something that everyone else finds really hard to believe and Oliver feels guilty about once he learns the truth. Not only that, we get to see Oliver’s anger too, at how everyone’s lives changed without him. He’s heard about their worry and the panic that followed after his kidnapping but as far as he’s concerned, in the last ten years no one ever found him and when he returned, even his mother re-married and had two kids. So the reader can see why Oliver feels out of sorts. It’s really hard on Oliver and he doesn’t know how he fits into this ‘new’ life of his, and the author describes his problems perfectly.“I just don’t want the next time I see my dad to be in a courtroom,” Olive sighed. “Or through a plate-glass window whilst he’s wearing an orange jumpsuit.”I just hugged him and didn’t say anything. There wasn’t anything to say. Sometimes there just aren’t enough words to fill the cracks in your heart.Their romance is adorable, it’s cheesy at times but it starts off steadily, with uncertainty, which was cute. I was a little wary to begin with because it was clear that Emmy felt strongly about Oliver and I thought as soon as he returns there would be love at first sight and full on soppyness but I’m glad that wasn’t the case. Their struggle over getting to know each other again, starting over, rather than picking up where they left off, was real and I liked it.“After your dad kidnapped you,” I echoed, but the words sounded a lot sadder coming out of his mouth than they did coming out of mine. “Me and Caro and Drew, we all went, but then one of them made Drew cry-I don’t remember what he said, exactly, but he said something-and so Caro kicked the therapist and then I kicked him and we didn’t have to go anymore.”“Why’d you kick him?”“Because I,” I said, placing my hand over my heart,” am a very loyal friend, Oliver.”My favourite part was Emmy’s surfing. It was both her strength and her weakness because she had to go to extreme lengths to hide her hobby from her parents, but it was also her strength because it was the thing that helped define her character. Oliver was a crucial part of her life but he didn’t define her and I loved Emmy’s independence in this story. If nothing else, that’s one reason why I would recommend this story, because it’s not just a love story, it’s so much more.Notable Scene:But now Oliver was standing too, his napkin balled up in his hand. “Do you really think he’s gonna kidnap me again? Is that what you think?”“I don’t know!” Maureen yelled, and now she was standing, too. My mom sat back down reluctantly, then reached for my hand under the table. “I didn’t think he would take you the first time, but guess what? He did!”“I’m almost eighteen!” Oliver said. “What, do you think he’s just going to drag me away somewhere? I’m five inches taller than him!”“You are?! Maureen blinked. She seemed to sag a little and her lower lip trembled for a second, but then she regained her composure. “Oliver, listen to me. Keith committed a crime, a big one. He is a criminal. He is not to be trusted. You need to accept that.”“Stop talking about him like that’s all he did!” Oliver shouted. “He raised me, okay? He taught me how to ride a bike, he took care of me when I was sick!”“He was an alcoholic!” Maureen cried. “I had no idea if you were hungry, if you were starving…”“Dad never drank!” Oliver said. “You think you know everything and you don’t! I was fine!”“What if you got sick? Do you think he would have taken you to an emergency room or a hospital? He didn’t even take you to the goddamn dentist!”“He and I were there, Mom. You weren’t!”FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Emmy & Oliver. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 5/5
      This book had me smiling like crazy one minute, and then have me crying silent tears the next. Such an excellently written book, and the story line just had me hooked. I can definitely see myself re-reading this book again just for the heartwarming feelings it invoked.
    • 5/5
      Ever since her best friend and next door neighbour, Oliver, was kidnapped ten years ago, Emmy's parents are extremely overprotective of their only child. At seventeen she feels as though she's not allowed to grow up. But now Oliver has returned home. After being picked up by his father from school one day, Oliver spent the last ten years with him, not knowing he was kidnapped and thinking his mother didn't want him anymore. With Oliver back, Emmy hopes to get to know him again and see where their friendship takes them.


      The whole book came together so well - the pacing, the characters, the writing - everything was so, sooo good. It didn't lack anything. There were no slow parts. I loved Emmy. I loved Oliver. I loved Emmy and Oliver together. I loved her relationship with her best friends Caro and Drew, their bond felt strong and genuine. Caro and Drew themselves were three-dimensional with their own joys and problems. Her relationship with her parents was frustrating but realistic. Even the ending was great. There's nothing about this book that I disliked.
    • 5/5
      This is a nice story of Emmy and Oliver who grew up as neighbors and best friends. However, when Oliver was a child, his father kidnapped him. After ten years, Oliver returns home to his mother, his stepfather and twin sisters, as well as to Emmy and his friends from that time period. This book reflects on how everyone has changed during that time period even as no one forgot Oliver. It also shows how tough it was for Oliver, who still loves his dad, no matter what he did, especially when one understands why he did it. There are some wonderful insights into a tale where no one is truly evil and how we can make mistakes because we love someone.
    • 4/5
      I really liked this book --- but more in a quiet kind of way rather than, like, a shout-it-from-the-moutaintop kind of way. Does that make any sense?Like, there's a lot of hype around this book, so naturally I had pretty high expectations. And while I thought the idea was super interesting --- the whole there's two sides to every story thing --- it didn't quite grip me the way that I thought it would.That being said, I absolutely LOVED the characters in this book! Emmy, Caro, and Drew have the best friendship EVER, Emmy and Oliver are too cute for words, and I really appreciated Emmy's relationship with her parents.In fact, I kind of loved that Emmy's family unit was so tight. So often in YA books the parental units are not involved and/or completely oblivious to what their kids are running around doing, or just plain horrible at their job.Sure, Emmy's parents were a bit overprotective at times, but can you really blame them? The kid next door was kidnapped after all. But, overall, they were supportive and caring and THERE. It was really refreshing.
    • 5/5
      The author takes some liberties in logic and there are a couple of “he did not just go there” moments, but his style overcomes any of that kind of criticism. Great job!. I want you to know, there is a competition happening right now until the end of May on the NovelStar app. I hope you can consider joining. You can also publish your stories there. just email our editors hardy@novelstar.top, joye@novelstar.top, or lena@novelstar.top.