Robin Benway

Starting with the positive:

Compelling story about three biological siblings (Joaquin, 17; Grace, 16; Maya, 15) whose mother gave them up for adoption when they were small. They meet for the first time, get to know each other, and help each other work out their issues. It's interesting how they've had very different lives, but still have similarities, like how they eat french fries with mayonnaise and how they aren't good at sustaining romantic relationships.

There have been a lot of good books recently about the effects of growing up the in the foster care system, and you can add this one to the list.

It's also harrowing in its depiction of teen pregnancy resulting in adoption. It made me so, so sad.

Now the negative:

I can't believe this won the National Book Award! This is written in the third person so there is no forgiveness from me for the misuse and overuse of "literally" and some super lazy descriptive similes. This is a solid book, sure, but I'm baffled by it taking home a big literary prize. The ending was way too tidy. The message seemed to be that connecting to your biological relatives can heal the pain of being adopted -- which may very well be the case if every single bio relative you meet happens to be very caring and amazing, but it felt a bit shallow to me. Especially Joaquin being miserable over not having any baby pictures and then being given his baby pictures in the end. Too good to feel true. … (mer)

Actual rating: 4.5/5

This was an incredibly cute book! I was kinda scared going into this because of all the hype that surrounded it. I mean, I read a ton of glorious reviews and I just started thinking it couldn't possibly be as good as I was starting to expect it, could it? Well, turns out it TOTALLY could. Granted, my expectations by the time I actually picked it up had shot way over the roof, and the book did turn out to be slightly different than I had thought, but still this was a really good read.

For starters, I really liked the characters. All of the characters had their own personality and unique traits, even the secondary ones. So often I find books in which secondary characters just all feel like they could very easily fade into the background and I would hardly notice. Not this time. Every character had a personal story to develop, some issue to face, some obstacle to overcome, and they all did it in a very realistic way. I particularly liked the fact that the parents were present, and they behaved surprisingly like normal people, facing their fears and making mistakes no doubt, but ultimately trying to do the best by their children.

I also enjoyed getting to know the group of friends. Caro and Drew didn't seem to be there just to fill in the gaps left by Emmy and Oliver's story. They were as much a part of the story as the main characters, and they are just the kind of friends every teenager (and let's face it, every adult) would wish for. They're the kind of friends you can always count on, no matter what; the ones you can argue with, and laugh with; share your joys and your troubles. But they don't just fall in the typical YA "supportive-best-friend" category. They have their own issues to face and their own lives to figure out, and that was just incredibly refreshing.

As for the main characters, well, Emmy and Oliver are definitely the centre of the book (guess the title kind of gave that away). Emmy has been waiting for her best friend to return ever since he disappeared, cherishing the last memories of him that she made. Oliver has no idea who is anymore. His whole life has been turned upside down, and he has to start building it again, without really knowing whom he can trust. I liked the way their relationship built up slowly, and how it developed after that. Honestly, these two were SO incredibly cute!

I also liked the way they worked to solve their issues, and they did a lot of growing up by the end of the book. They're trying to figure it all out as they go along, when they have had some really unusual and scarring experiences, and it is great. Oh, and Emmy's sarcasm and wit were just THE BEST!

Overall, this is really good read. I did have some issues with the plot (which I won't go into because spoilers!), but it was pleasant to read, had some adorable characters and was just the right mix of sad and funny. Definitely a must-read if you love YA contemporary!… (mer)