A review by steph01924
Emmy & Oliver, by Robin Benway
4.0
I read this just after I read [b:The Night We Said Yes|23287168|The Night We Said Yes|Lauren Gibaldi|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1412947397s/23287168.jpg|25804003], and this is infinitely better.
It was such a sweet, quiet story. When I first started it, I think I was over-excited because of the let-down I'd just finished, and I was fist-pumping everything. Emmy had me in her grip. She felt like a real teenage girl. By the end of the book I wasn't completely wowed anymore, and I can't exactly put my finger on why, but I still finished it up with a little smile on my face.
Oliver was harder to get to know than Emmy, but he did have a pretty rough go of it, and by the end you felt that he'd turn out OK. I totally felt for his situation, because he was stuck between a rock (his mom) and a hard place (his mother-cusser dad). His relationship with Emmy was sweet, if a little easy and light on the tingles, but like I said, I was falling in love with Emmy right along with him.
She definitely didn't feel blah and one-dimensional like some other main characters in the book I should stop comparing this to. Emmy's dialogue was funny and felt so realistic (in fact, everyone felt like real, complex human beings that could actually exist in the outside world. Imagine that!). She had her issues and doubts, but she was a good kid with a big heart. She had way more patience with her parents than I probably ever gave my own, so although I'd like to say I see a bit of me in her, I think she's way nicer than I.
I really loved the friendship between Emmy, Caro, and Drew. I'd be friends with these people. I don't think I always get other people's friendships where they don't conduct at least 70% percent of their conversations in sarcasm, quips, and gentle mocking. So I felt right at home during their hangouts.
In summation, this book isn't going to blow you away, but it is going to tug at your heartstrings a bit and make you grin. It felt a little Sarah Dessen-esque, which I consider high praise. I may need to check out what else Ms. Benway has in her repertoire!
It was such a sweet, quiet story. When I first started it, I think I was over-excited because of the let-down I'd just finished, and I was fist-pumping everything. Emmy had me in her grip. She felt like a real teenage girl. By the end of the book I wasn't completely wowed anymore, and I can't exactly put my finger on why, but I still finished it up with a little smile on my face.
Oliver was harder to get to know than Emmy, but he did have a pretty rough go of it, and by the end you felt that he'd turn out OK. I totally felt for his situation, because he was stuck between a rock (his mom) and a hard place (his mother-cusser dad). His relationship with Emmy was sweet, if a little easy and light on the tingles, but like I said, I was falling in love with Emmy right along with him.
She definitely didn't feel blah and one-dimensional like some other main characters in the book I should stop comparing this to. Emmy's dialogue was funny and felt so realistic (in fact, everyone felt like real, complex human beings that could actually exist in the outside world. Imagine that!). She had her issues and doubts, but she was a good kid with a big heart. She had way more patience with her parents than I probably ever gave my own, so although I'd like to say I see a bit of me in her, I think she's way nicer than I.
I really loved the friendship between Emmy, Caro, and Drew. I'd be friends with these people. I don't think I always get other people's friendships where they don't conduct at least 70% percent of their conversations in sarcasm, quips, and gentle mocking. So I felt right at home during their hangouts.
In summation, this book isn't going to blow you away, but it is going to tug at your heartstrings a bit and make you grin. It felt a little Sarah Dessen-esque, which I consider high praise. I may need to check out what else Ms. Benway has in her repertoire!