I. Am. Obsessed.

I had to get corrective eye surgery in the middle of reading this book and HAD TO WAIT THREE WHOLE DAYS until I could see again and keep reading.

In the beginning, the first 30% was torture to get through because of the lack of events. I had to force myself to keep going. Once I hit the 38%ish mark things picked up though and I enjoyed it.

The plot? Delicious. The characters? Wholesome. THE ENDING? ATE AND DID NOT LEAVE ANY CRUMBS.

The elephant in the room: the age gap. Orca is very obviously, very truly wiser and older than she really is, thanks to her secluded lifestyle on the island. Her and Adam are quite literally a perfect match, personality wise and mentally. I haven’t physically smiled and kicked my feet at a book in a really long time.

Also! There was no miscommunication trope! WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT? And the story was so intriguing I would NOT have guessed I’d enjoy it.

The characters are very lovable. Even Jack (shocking, I know.) His redemption arc was realistic, interesting, and tied everything together in the end. Everything was so coherent and … goodness. 10/10

The only thing I hoped was that the synopsis didn’t spoil the fact that Adam survives. I feel like it would have been exciting to live the “Is he alive? Is he dead?” Stress with Jack. To be fair I don’t know how the synopsis could be altered to exclude this piece of information so … compromise I guess.

I love Orca. I love how Emmons fleshed out her personality; wise beyond her years yet still malleable and has a boat-load of child-like curiosity. How she behaved with Jack (trying new things, exploring past her comfort zone) versus with Adam (finding someone on the same wavelength as her, relating to someone so wholly.)

I love the healthy family dynamics, the healthy relationship between the family members, and the realistic fleshing-out of characters, how people actually act their age. Sigh …

Recommend this book for any romance lover who’s so sick and tired of the cutout so-called “rom coms” trending nowadays. Abbie, I used to like you as a YT creator but now I like you as an author, too.

THANK YOU to the author and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review! This has been really fun (especially the honest review part lol)

A gripping tale with deeply considered characters and a strong message. The prose is the part of this novel that shines brightest.

Having followed Abbie Emmons on YouTube for a considerable amount of time I was very excited to read the The Otherworld. I will not have any spoilers In this review as I do not want to ruin the plot for anyone reading this as there is a dramatic and heartbreaking twist in the middle of the story and towards the end, Despite not being a fan of romance novels I really enjoyed this book. Abbie Sets up the beginning exceptionally well and dives straight into the plot. From the start I was asking questions, especially about Papa and his motives from keeping her from the mainland or as it is known in the book, the otherworld. The descriptive parts of the story are absolutely stunning and is beyond beautiful. I feel transported to this island with every word. The pain Jack and his family are going through is clearly one of the best sequences and she shows the frustration extremely well. I rooted for Orca and Adam from the start. The connection between them is striking and reflected well in the writing. Unfortunately the pacing seemed very fast which is likely why I finished the book so quickly. Also the blurb reveals quite a lot of the story. I enjoyed seeing the story through three different points of view. It's interesting to see how the other feels within the scene. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and I will happily give this book 5 stars.

I so wanted to love this story! I think Abbie is so amazing at analysing stories, and is so brilliant at teaching the craft of writing, however there was so much of this story I just couldn't get on board with! I don't want to delve too deeply in this review, as I'm sure others will be able to see past all the issues I had with this story, so I'll just say - this was not for me, but I wish Abbie the best, and I'm glad her author dreams are coming true.

i received an e-arc from net galley in exchange for a honest review. (spoilers below!)

this is really hard bc i love abbie. i was obsessed with her blog, and i love her youtube videos, and i adore 100 Days of Sunlight .

firstly, abbie is an incredible writer. i love her writing style, and how cozy the book is. she also did a great job with the three POVs. each character's voice was so unique, and i could tell the difference without even seeing the chapter indications. also the chapters all had titles! and i loved the rapunzel vibes. but, there were some aspects that i did not enjoy.

the age-gap romance. this was communicated up front, so i was aware of it going into the book, so i'm not reducing my rating bc of this alone. i personally am not a fan of age-gap romance, but i wanted to still give it a chance bc it's abbie. however, i still found the age-gap problematic, especially since orca is so naive. adam is fully an adult (28!), while orca (18) has had no experience at all with men other than her father. she doesn't even know how to kiss?? all of their scenes (especially the first kiss scene) were uncomfortable for me, as she would ask "am i doing it right" etc. 🥴 also, adam kept describing her as "pure" and "untouched", which is true (bc hello, real life rapunzel), but also gave me uncomfy vibes.

i will say, the insta-love makes sense in this book bc of orca's character and her secluded life on the island.

i also really did not like orca's dad, and how adam (and his parents!) kept defending him. yeah, he may have a good reason to keep orca secluded on an island, but it's still wrong to shelter her that much, especially without any explanation. and of course orca is going to want to experience the real world. it's perfectly natural. idk, just really didn't like how adam kept defending her dad despite jack making some valid points.

i also was very team jack for the first half of the book (until he became a jerk), bc he felt the most normal? like, he met a girl secluded on an island who desperately wanted to experience the real world, and he wanted to help her. i feel like that's a very natural reaction?? <spoiler> but then he became a jerk and a douchebag when he tried to 'make' orca fall in love with him. also, kissing her without her consent? not cool, especially since he thought it was the first time she kissed anyone. like, dude, ask her first. c'mon. </spoiler>

lastly, this is a major spoiler so i'll mark it w/ tags, but <spoiler> i really did not like how orca's mom was portrayed as a villain merely for wanting a career. like yes, she was cold and cruel to orca when she came to see her and that's wrong, but miriam's implication that orca's dad basically tricked her into having a child? idk if that was how it happened, but that's what i got from it. and that is not okay. and orca kept saying that her mom was unhappy and unfulfilled, merely bc she decided she didn't want to live as a recluse and instead wanted a career? not okay. </spoiler>

all in all, i was not a huge fan of this book, which is really sad bc i wanted to love it. but i will continue to read abbie's other works, as she is an incredible writer. and just bc it wasn't my cup of tea doesn't mean it's not yours!

Abbie Emmons’ The Otherworld about Orca Monroe who has grown up in a lighthouse on an island her whole life. One day she finds a cellphone washes up on their beach and she has a phone conversation with Jack Stevenson and after a few days, Jack’s brother Adam, collapses on Orca’s doorstep and she nurses him back to health. The rest of the story forms the love triangle between Jack, Adam and Orca.

The strongest part of the book was Abbie's writing. It maintained a perfect balance between lyrical and descriptive and purple prose. The pacing was fantastic. There was not a single moment where I felt like the speed was going up or down.

The characters and their internal conflicts are very clearly portrayed which makes them very realistic and layered, adding more depth to the story. And Orca's confusion with respect to the Stevenson brothers seems to mirror her internal conflict and this was done brilliantly. While I am not usually a fan of love triangles, I found Orca to be very clear headed in this aspect thus making the trope good. Her forays into the Otherworld and her own past was interesting and I wish this had been explored more.

Coming to the other side, I found the insta love to be a little too quick in this story. Her father's justification to keeping Orca away from the mainland, and Orca's inconsistent understanding of things from the mainland were some other minor issues I had with the story.

While 100 Days of Sunlight remains to be my favourite book by the author so far, this was still a great story. I enjoyed many parts of it and I gave it four stars. I thank the author and Netgalley for providing me with an E copy to read and review. As someone who has been following Abbie’s Youtube channel for a long time, I am thrilled that “The Lighthouse Book” (as it was originally nicknamed) has finally found its way to the world!

I have a more detailed and elaborate review on the same on my blog and I've linked it here, so do read that!

SOOOOOOOOOO… my heart is so full of joy and warmth.

15% of the way into this book i already knew i would adore it. orca is one of the sweetest and most likeable protagonists i can remember reading about in the past several years. if rapunzel is your favorite disney princess, you’ll like orca monroe. :)

also, it has been a long time since i was actively anticipating/excited for a book that promised a love triangle… BUT IT WAS SO GOOD, it was handled beautifully, each character is unique and grows immensely from the beginning of the novel to the end. especially jack. my sweet jack :,,))))

this is the first book by abbie emmons i’ve read but i’m excited to read more. her style is whirlwind, captivating, and beyond beautiful. 5/5 10/10 100/100

*thank you so much to netgalley and to the author for the advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review!! ♡*

Abbie Emmons has given me so much valuable advice on her YouTube channel. Based on her masterful understanding of the craftsmanship that goes into structuring a novel, I was SO excited to receive an ARC copy of The Otherworld.

What I liked:
Emmons really understands how to structure a novel well, and she has a gift for creating unique metaphors in character voice. I read the book in about a half day and I enjoyed seeing how Emmons uses the techniques she teaches online.

What I didn’t:
I wanted to love it. But I had some issues that I couldn’t overlook. The protagonist, Orca (I didn’t like her name, but that’s just personal taste) is extremely sheltered and it is explicitly indicated that her only significant relationship is with her father. She has no friends, male or female, and knows nobody her own age. This is a setup with great dramatic promise. I was eager to see her develop friendships, learn more about the world, develop some deep, powerful platonic friendships, and above all explore what it really means to be an adult. These things would have given her the tools necessary to enter into a healthy romantic relationship.

Unfortunately, Orca barely has any really conversation with anyone other than the two love interests. Her aunt didn’t really take the time to get to know her, and the brothers’ mom seemed interested only in encouraging a romance with her older son rather than learning about Orca and offering her either friendship or mentorship. I found it inappropriate that Jack is the one to take Orca shopping for a red bikini rather than his mom taking her to a store and allowing her to pick something that made her feel comfortable. It felt predatory, with him assuring her that “everyone does it” so that she’d get basically naked for his enjoyment. I also don’t believe that a highly sheltered girl of 18 could strip down to a bikini and indicate that she felt mostly naked, but also just fine with it… people tend to hang on to what they were raised with, even if it’s only in the form of guilt. Orca struggling with a sense of doing something inappropriate or wrong and then gradually ignoring it, etc. would have felt truer to the character for me.
Orca seemed to have no choice between total rebellion against her dad and total acceptance of his overly controlling attempts to keep her permanently isolated. I wish I could have seen a more nuanced response to this dilemma.
A number of other reviewers have said it already, but n an age gap romance is actually dangerous for Orca, given how extremely sheltered she is. The power dynamic will always skew in favor of the man who has 10 years greater life experience and 100% greater worldly knowledge. It’s also not clear to me that she understands the mechanics of sex (I’m not looking for explicit content, but she didn’t know that she was feeling attraction initially and described it in a way that suggested this conclusion). She can’t give full consent to an engagement when she doesn’t understand what she’s agreeing to. Adam and her father should support Orca traveling to the mainland, maybe to get a job and live with her aunt for a while. She needs a mentor (preferably female) to help her gain both independence and information so that she can give informed consent to any romantic relationship.

I am grateful to have received an ARC copy of this book. I am giving an honest review that reflects my impressions of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley and Abbie Emmons for this ARC.

Let me start by saying that I love Rapunzel (especially Disney’s Tangled). This book was like a retelling of the story in a more modern version. I feel that it was too obvious and it took away some of the originality. I found myself comparing the 2 stories too many times.
I loved the worldbuilding and Abbie did an amazing job here. The description of the Island made me feel I was there and I had a smile on my face imagining all the beauty.
I don't want to give away a lot of spoilers, so try to be vague.
Orca wants to see the ‘Otherworld,’ which is the mainland. There were some pretty funny moments her discovering it. The love triangle between her and brothers Adam and Jack....what to say about that. I didn't like Jack (sorry). I loved Adam, so team Adam it was for me. I don't mind age gap at all, probably as I can relate to that. There were some moments that I thought: that's not really how love works.
There was some ‘bad language,’ in the book (which Abbie disclosed in the content guide). It didn't bother me, but it might not be for everyone. If you can't handle bad language or if you are very Christian and don't like ‘GD,’ you better skip the book.
Overall I enjoyed reading the book. I also want to say that I love the cover!!

Thank you Abbie and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Abbie Emmons for giving me an ARC of this book in advance.

Note: this review was also posted on Goodreads.

Orca Monroe is a 18-year-old young woman who has lived all her life isolated on an island with her overprotective father. She has only wanted one thing: to discover what she calls "the Otherworld" - the mainland across the sea that her father has always forbidden her from visiting.
One day, she finds a backpack and a phone. This is when she gets in touch with Jack Stevenson whose older brother, Adam, has gone missing after crashing his plane. One night, Orca finds Adam collapsed on her doorsteps. This sets in motion a chain of events that will introduce her to the Otherworld.

I have to applaud the writing style, which was very poetic and revealed a beautiful imagery.

I was really enjoying the read for the first third of the book, thanks to the poetry of the writing style in particular. However, it quickly turned out to be cliche and tropey: the insta-love and the predictable love triangle negatively impacted my reading experience.
The story is told via the 3 POVs, and if I enjoyed each character individually in the beginning, they each slowly turned into tropey version of themselves.

The romance felt rushed and forced. It is hard to see what they exactly like each other for. And the age-gap, which is recognised as a problem by the love interest in his POV chapters, felt predatory. This could have been easily solved if the author had aged up Orca by a few years.

If Orca had her own agency in the first act, her character took a more passive role the further we advance in the story, and was reactive most of the plot. Further down the line, it becomes harder to care about the character the less proactive she becomes.

I also have to point out the subtle sexism that unfortunately impacted my enjoyment of the book and without which my rating would have been higher. The two male protagonists several times would applaud Orca as being "not like other girls" for doing basic things like eating pizza or "not wearing make up". In some chapters (especially in Jack's POV), Orca would also be described in very objectifying terms which was uncomfortable to read. I feel this promotes harmful stereotypes about women and girls which is a pity for a novel advertised at young adults.

Loved the book. It is really good. A story settled in the late 90s with the plot of Rapunzel. It’s a masterpiece. Orca is my favorite character through the book. I love the love triangle trope that the book uses. When I am reading this, I feel myself being the character. The language is fairly impressive. I think this is a good book and I can recommend it. Four stars cause she is with the wrong character.

Thank you NetGalley and Abbie Emmons for giving me an ARC of this book in advance.
I was not paid for this review and all opinions are my own.

Set in Washington in the summer of 1997, eighteen year old Orca Monroe lives with her father on an island guarded by a lighthouse. She has lived here all her life, never once visiting the mainland, which she calls The Otherworld. And she hopes to someday see it. One day, while on one of her regular walks across the island she encounters a backpack… and a phone.

Which starts ringing.

On the other line is eighteen year old Jack Stevenson, looking for his brother Adam who went missing days ago on his plane. When Orca’s father goes on a trip to the mainland the next day, she sees this as an opportunity to search for 28 year old Adam, who might have crash-landed into her island. When she does find him, he’s in bad shape. She nurses him to health and learns more than she ever has before.

From there begins a story of family, learning and developing new experiences, as Orca’s life on the island and her backstory mix with Jack and Adam’s. Brotherhood ties are put to the test as romance develops and tensions rise, family secrets are revealed, and everyone learns what they really want and the lengths they will go to get them.

Overall, I did have a good time reading The Otherworld. I have been in a creative slump recently and I was really hoping to have ARC access to this book, as the plot was intriguing and I really admire Abbie’s channel.

I really enjoyed the world that Emmons created. The characters are interesting and have their purpose, the love story is very enjoyable. My biggest critique is the feeling that the main character was only valued for her innocence and “purity” by the male characters, which is a bit of a red flag for me. But she does learn, grow and change, and she is still valuable in the eye of the narration, so it’s not so bad that I had to DNF this book.

If you want a very immersive world and a cute love story with an age gap element, this is absolutely a book you should pick up.

What a beautiful story. It was elegant, if I ever have to describe it one word. The writing style perfectly reflects the elegance of the plot. It reminds me so much of The LittleMermaid and Tangled. If those two had a mashup, it would be this book, but this is also unique in its own way.nI truly, truly enjoyed the way it was written, especially Orca’s point of view. I could see pieces of Abbie in the main character’s personality and those tiny moments meant so much to me. My favourite scene will always and forever be when Adam and Orca visit the greenhouse together. It is so simple but so pretty. The imagery is everything, and that’s something I’d like to talk more about.

The imagery is beautiful and it is so evocative, I could hear the waves of the ocean outside my window while reading. All that aside, I do think the internal thought processes of each of the main characters start sounding monologue-y and those are the points where I wish there were more descriptions of the outside world, like the environment or the things they are seeing. Maybe it’s just me because I did feel like I would be more immersed if the story was in third POV. Sometimes I felt too close to these characters for comfort, Inhope that makes sense!

Other than that the only thing I didn’t like was the interaction with her mom. It was too short and it happened too fast. I sort of wish the book was longer so there could have been more space to explore that aspect of the journey because it does feel rushed. Just a bit. And also, I’m not a fan of age gap romance so I rooted for Jack for the first half of the book, but then Adam grew on me and I kind of let him in. Part of that has to do with Orca’s determination to pursue him, which I adore. It’s very cute of her haha. His character is so fleshed out and well written. That’s the case for all the characters though, but Abbie is amazing at character voice is my point.

The relationships explored in this book are so fragile and they’re handled with so much care, I am in awe. Although, I would say that the family dynamics felt a bit congested for me? I feel like that’s pretty much all the boys lives that are seen in the book- oh and they go to work but I wanted to see more of their own individual lives as separate from the family. Their thoughts were constantly attached to just each other and that made me wish they had more to them you know?

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to go on a roller coaster of emotions. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! I’m proud of you Abbie and I wish I had requested an ARC for 100 days of Sunlight and the Christmas spin-off. In short, this book filled me with coziness and butterflies :)

This review is based on an ARC.

The story of Orca Monroe was a fascinating look into someone raised away from modern society. Orca is both incredibly knowledgeable about the ocean and the natural world and yet incredibly innocent about inter-personal interactions and how to be "human" in the modern world.

Into Orca's cloistered existence come the Stevenson brothers, Adam and Jack. They literally crash into her world: Jack through a cellphone that Orca finds in a lost backpack and Adam when she discovers him on the tiny island on which she and her father live alone.

The story spun out beautifully and fairly believably. Some things were romanticized a bit, but I didn't find that they detracted from the overall enjoyability of the story. And, let's be honest here: the idea of a young woman raised alone on an island her entire life suddenly meeting and falling in love with a man is, in and of itself, a very romanticized idea.

Abbie Emmons has crafted a beautiful, heartfelt story of figuring yourself out and learning to live in a world you can't predict, about finding someone perfect for you and figuring out how to accept that you're perfect for them, and about letting go of a dream.

I loved all the main characters and found myself a little sad when I finished the book. I missed visiting with Orca, Adam, and Jack. Their twisted and intertwined lives were fun to poke around in.

This is a wonderful story well-worth the time it takes to read it. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Abbie Emmons, romance, or getting lost in a story for awhile.

Abbie Emmons' "The Otherworld" takes readers on a captivating journey filled with mystery, romance, and self-discovery. Set against the backdrop of a remote island and the allure of the forbidden mainland, this novel weaves a spellbinding tale of love, family, and the pursuit of one's dreams.

At the heart of the story is Orca Monroe, a young woman who yearns to experience the Otherworld—a mysterious mainland forbidden by her father. Living in isolation on a remote island, her world expands when she discovers a washed-up cell phone and begins a conversation with Jack Stevenson, whose brother Adam has gone missing after a seaplane crash. As Orca becomes Jack's lifeline and partner in the search for his brother, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and resilience, determined to prove her strength to her father.

Emmons skillfully depicts the evolving relationship between Orca and Adam as she nurses him back to health. The undeniable chemistry and connection between them captivate both characters, despite the ten-year age gap and her father's protective nature. Their shared moments of vulnerability and mutual admiration ignite a deep longing, making their love story both tender and heart-wrenching. The author's portrayal of their relationship is infused with emotion and depth, allowing readers to become emotionally invested in their journey.

As the story unfolds, the complexities of Orca's relationships with both Adam and Jack come to light. Emmons explores themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the consequences of secrets. The tension builds as Orca grapples with the realization that her actions may inadvertently tear apart the very people she brought together.

Emmons' writing effortlessly transports readers to the island setting, immersing them in the beauty and isolation of Orca's world. The allure of the forbidden Otherworld adds an air of mystery and intrigue, drawing readers further into the narrative. The author's descriptive prose brings the settings and characters to life, creating a vivid and engaging reading experience.

In conclusion, "The Otherworld" by Abbie Emmons is an enchanting tale that blends romance, mystery, and self-discovery. The exploration of forbidden love, family dynamics, and the desire to pursue one's dreams creates a compelling narrative that resonates with readers. Emmons' evocative storytelling and well-developed characters make for an engaging read, drawing readers into Orca's world as she navigates the complexities of love, loyalty, and personal growth. "The Otherworld" is a delightful and thought-provoking novel that will captivate fans of heartfelt and introspective storytelling.

(Cross-posted from Goodreads)

I received The Otherworld as an ARC from Abbie Emmons and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

This book was a delight to get lost in. The prose was gorgeous, drawing me into the setting and atmosphere almost immediately, and the character voices distinct, as each of the main characters have their own ways of speaking and viewing things. I quite liked Orca as a protagonist, and I loved the detail given to flight and aviation.

Unfortunately, I wasn't sold on the romance -- for both of the brothers. I felt that both Jack and Adam had a tendency to put Orca on a pedestal where she's a damsel in distress and/or a perfect angel (and not like other girls). Because of this, I ended up rooting for Orca to reject both of them -- or at least wait until she's thought about the matter a little more. I think I would probably have appreciated a moment for the brothers to see Orca as the flawed human that she is rather than a pure, sheltered girl who can do no wrong. [SPOILER: I also felt that Jack ended up being shoved to the side near the end of Act 3 to make way for Orca and Adam, which while understandable, was a bit of a shame.]

Despite my criticisms, I was pleasantly surprised to call the twist near the end of Act 2 and I liked how easily it fit into the overall story. I also cannot stress how lovely I found the atmosphere and prose, and how much they added to my enjoyment of the book. While the story may not have been entirely for my liking, I still had a great time with it and it definitely held my attention the whole way through. I will be thinking about eating that prose with a teaspoon like it's sorbet.

I went into this book blind, having seen only the cover and genre. Within the first ten pages, I was intrigued. By the time I got past 25 pages, I was hooked.
This story follows coming-of-age Orca Monroe’s situation being isolated from the rest of the world raised by her father on an island off the PNW coast. Her heart longs for the “Otherworld,” (her name for the rest of the world she has yet to experience).
This book tackles family systems in a way I found both tasteful and thought-provoking. I loved the way Abbie didn’t shy from going “there.” Family dynamics were addressed, tackled, and wrestled to the ground. Characters were given the time (great pacing) to come to their own conclusions. In my experience with fiction books taking on family dynamics, conclusions feel rushed to me, if not forced. That was not the case with this book.

I’ve been sitting on this for several days, thinking about how to best summarize what it was Abbie Emmons did to capture my heart with her story, because this story profoundly impacted me in a way I can’t quite put my finger on. Her characters lift up off of the paper—they feel so real. Paired with great dialogue, Orca, Jack, and Adam felt like friends of mine.

I hope readers will go in blind as I did. The romance component of this novel unraveled so beautifully. I’m so glad I didn’t have any insight as to what type of romance was unfolding (love triangle!). All I know is, I didn’t know how it was going to end, and Abbie didn’t disappoint.

The Otherworld, in many ways, is more than just a love story between two people, but a love story between brothers, and a love story between a daughter and her father. After reading this book, I hope readers can love a little deeper. And go give their Dads a big hug!

Orca is an 18-year-old who has lived in a lighthouse on a remote island her whole life. She hasn't ever interacted with any other people except her father, who refuses to let her go to the "otherworld" aka the mainland. Then she finds some belongings of Adam, a man who crashed his plane near her island. She finds his phone and uses it to contact his brother, Jack, who encourages her to search for Adam, who she eventually finds.

I struggled with this one for a multitude of reasons. I felt like Orca had very little agency as a character, and the boys were mostly telling her what to do while constantly talking about how they were only doing what SHE wanted to do, even though she rarely seemed to know what she wanted at all. Then there's the matter of the age gap. While I understand fiction is a safe place to explore fantasies, I don't think YA is the place to do it. I really thought this book was going to build to some kind of point where Orca would realize what a red flag Adam was (Han and Anna from Frozen style), but instead we were supposed to root for this couple.

Adam as a character just didn't do it for me. He was a 28-year-old man who lived with his parents and must have taken one Intro to Physics class because he was constantly trying to be philosophical and deep, and it got a bit insufferable. He read like a much younger person in those instances. Don't even get me started on how he only found Orca attractive because of how childlike and virginal she was. He even respected her less the one time she wore a bikini. The purity culture this book was pushing gave me major ick. I almost wonder if it was set in the 90s just so it would have an excuse for how problematic it was.

Jack was fine, I guess. He acted like a real person, so that was something. Even though he only liked Orca because she "wasn't like other girls." I get that she really wasn't like other girls because she was kept captive her whole life, but this could have been shown without also having to bash other girls, becoming the trope we all know and hate.

Lastly, the part that upset me the most, was the portrayal of the mother. SPOILERS HERE. It's 2023. Can we stop villainizing women who don't want kids? Especially when she makes the accusation that the father tricked her into pregnancy? We never learn if this is true or not, but this is a huge deal if it is. Orca could have still understandably been hurt to hear she wasn't wanted, but she could have also realized that, if her dad did what her mom claimed, it's the same kind of manipulation and emotional abuse that he's inflicted on her, forcing her to stay and love him. It could have been a really powerful moment between these women. Yet the dad is given empathy and understanding, and the mother is immediately dismissed. Smells like misogyny to me. The lack of any strong female interactions in this book was disappointing.

I think the main issue of this book is it lacks nuance. It claims to be literary while having nothing important to say at all, never building to any kind of point. Many of the controversial parts of this book could have been amazing, but fell flat and only led to a disappointing, predictable ending that should have been left in 90s literature.

As a fan of Abbie's YoutTube Channel, and a teenager of the 90s, I was excited to read this one. And as a sweet, YA romance, this book delivers and will leave you with a feel-good vibe.

Although the book started slow for me and its premise reminded me of The Little Mermaid rather than Rapunzel, as noted by many reviewers, it did pick up and the second half was a quick, exciting read. The back-half action, romantic moments, and twists were well-plotted.

The characters of Adam and Jack were likable (although Adam seemed almost too perfect) and Jack's voice came through strong during his POV chapters. I had trouble believing Orca's character the most. Given her sheltered upbringing and having only one person for company throughout her 18 years, she would have felt much more overwhelmed by the people, noises, and new experiences of civilization.

The general premise of this book: Orca lives with her dad on an isolated island, and has spent her whole life there. She has never been to the mainland 'The Otherworld'- and has been living in this bubble her dad created for her. Things change when a phone washes up on a beach, and Orca calls a man named Jack Stevenson. Jack Stevenson informs Orca that his brother, Adam, is presumed dead after crashing his plane and being missing for days. Orca promises Jack that if Adam is on her island, she'll find him. From there- we are introduced to a love triangle plot & get to see Orca explore the otherworld, along with uncovering some family secrets. (I don't want to give too many spoilers).

This book gives me little mermaid vibes. Until you've read it, I don't think this analogy will make any sense- but it is SO LITTLE MERMAIDY. I love it.

Characters were loveable, and the plot was interesting. There was clear character development, and Abbie's writing has developed further from 100 Days of Sunlight. Don't get me wrong, I adored 100 Days of Sunlight- but I think Abbie's writing is better suited in this genre.

Now- my critiques. They are that 1) some dialogue felt quite forced, which made sense for Orca since she hasn't interacted with anyone and is super sheltered, but less so for the parents, Jack and Adam. It's more so the internal dialogue, or the scene in the beginning where Orca is talking to Lucien. 2) This book moves FAST, and feels like parts are convenient. I genuinely would have read another fifty pages of suspense building for the hunt for Adam. Another fifty pages of Orca and Adams first nights on the island. I wish Adam didn't have a phone charger, so that there was more tension on the family's side too. I love me a thriller, or a mystery- so I just wish there was a little more tension and suspense built up. I'm also a SUCKER for a slow burn romance.

I know that those are kinda nitpicky and just matters of preference, but thats it for critiques. I genuinely adore this book and I want a hardcover on my shelf like yesterday. You know the book is good when my biggest critique is that it was too short. I adore this book. Another very wholesome, and heartwarming book from Abbie Emmons that is worth your time reading. My favourite moments from this book had to do with the hunt for Adam and the mystery in the first part of the book, Orca experiencing the 'Otherworld' for the first time, Lucien- because cute lil doggo, and Adam as a character. He was a highlight for me, and I wish we got to spend more time with him!

Overall, a fun and easy to read book that you will find yourself smiling along too. I had a really hard time putting this book down- I read it in less than 24 hours- because of how interesting the general premise of this book is. I also feel like this book will relate to a lot of people- I think a lot of people have been isolated on their own 'islands' and experienced the complicated nature of familial relationships explored in this book.

I want to give a big, big thank you to Abbie Emmons for letting me on the ARC team for this book.