A review by abbiemreads
Olive by Emma Gannon

challenging reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25


Olive was a book unlike anything I’ve read before. It covered the conversation of motherhood and expectations so thoroughly and filled me with uncountable emotions that snuck up on me out of no where as I read further and further. 
This book was leant to me by my 30 year old, and recent mother of a 2 year old, sister and I can’t help but think she must have been at the perfect cross roads in her life to read this. Despite the constant pregnancy announcements and the feeling of everyone I have ever been close to moving on with their lives, on crazy journeys and becoming more adult than I’ve ever felt, I think this book was a year or two early for me.
That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it, or that I couldn’t relate to the characters. If anything I found it resonated quite well, it was just asking questions and showing view points I imagine would hit harder in a few years time. (I did have a good sob at the first scene though - thanks to my sister not telling me it was friends leaving their uni house when I started reading this 2 days after I left mine) 
But I know it’s one that I’ll be thinking about for a while, and definitely a book I’ll be looking to reread when I reach those milestones. 
Olive, Bea, Cec, Isla and their friendship makes me so happy. Seeing genuine female friendships, with each character developed fully, warms my heart and seems to be everything I’ve been searching for in those 20-to-30-something novels about growing up. 
Even if some parts seemed cheesy or predictable it’s given me incredible food for thought, starting a discussion in my own mind that I’m sure I’ll extend to my friends soon. Olive is a talking point and something completely unique to my usual reads, which makes me glad to have stepped out of my comfort zone. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings