Book Review: Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

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Emmy & Oliver
Author: Robin Benway
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: June 23, 2015
Review Source: Harper Teen

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.

Oliver, after being kidnapped and hidden away for ten years, is now back. His childhood best friend, Emmy, is stuck in a protective cage that her parents put her in. When Oliver returns, Emmy is determined to connect with Oliver again.

Emmy & Oliver is a story where there's more than meets the eye to it. There is romance, yes, sweet romance, but it is so much more than that. We go on a journey of what a kidnapping does to a town. Parents grow overprotective. Then, when the person who was kidnapped comes back, well… how do you begin to understand what he's going through? How he feels?

It was a tiny bit hard for me to get into the story, but once I did I was truly sucked in to the book. Robin Benway teaches us, through Emmy & Oliver, about family, friendships, loss and gain. It's what makes this story a powerful one. The characters were brilliant and each shone on their own. I loved Emmy and I loved Oliver. (ps I LOVE their names too.)
Overall I would definitely recommend this book, especially because it is a deep read, and has some strong messages that need to be shared.