Thank you RB Media | Recorded Books for allowing me to read and review Olivetti on NetGalley.

Published: 03/26/24

Narrators: Christopher Gebauer, Simon Vance

Stars: 0

The synopsis does not prepare the reader for what they are going to tackle. This surpasses hurting someone's feelings (trigger warnings). The cover tells a story: a writer, happy. The synopsis relays a heartfelt debut -- not what I read.

The book opens with the talking typewriter (Vance). I laughed and was ready for a nice feel good story. Millington does capture human traits on the typewriter really well. Some things you just have to read for yourself: she clearly has talent. And I believe her storytelling will improve. My problem is with the synopsis.

Spoiler: A mother of three walks away from her family that is still hurting from a cancer diagnosis previously and their inability to communicate with each other adds to the trauma. Later on it is learned the cancer has returned in the mother. The bottomline is through a series of events the family finds the mother in what sounded like a position to unalive herself. Yes, the kids were there.

The story went unexpectedly dark. This is middle grade fiction. The synopsis needs to reflect the story.

The narration was good.

I'm finding it hard to be complimentary at all. I can't help but see an innocent child judging a book by its cover leading to a story with an abandoning parent, a loud grouchy parent left in the house and the humor of a talking typewriter. This feels wrong on many levels to me. NetGalley does not accept zero stars.

4.5 stars
This book reminded me a little bit of The Brave Little Toaster except mystery.
After Ernest's mom sells her old typewriter and goes missing, Ernest finds it in a pawn shop and it breaks the only typewriter rule and tries to help by talking (typing) to Ernest and showing him his mom's memories she typed on him. His name is Olivetti. Will the memories Olivetti provides become clues to find Ernest's mom?
Ernest was a very introverted kid, he had no friends and didn't even really interact with his family. This got worse after "the bad thing" that keeps being mentioned but is not revealed until later in the book. Then he meets Quinn who is the daughter of the pawn shop owner where Olivetti is found. She was so cute. She didn't care how introverted Ernest was, she was going to get all up in his business and help him. Because she knew he needed help even if he didn't want to admit it. The members of Ernest's family were a little self centered. His dad only cared about work, his brother only cared about the gym, his sister only cared about theater and her phone and his other brother only cared about his frogs. I think this was all of their coping mechanisms after "the bad thing." Olivetti had such a personality. Despite being an inanimate object, he cared deeply for his family and remembered the things that made them happy even if they forgot.
I was hooked from the very beginning. It was obvious that Ernest's mom didn't just disappear, she left, because she sold Olivetti and I really wanted to know why. The reason was very heartbreaking, though I don't know if I would ever be able to leave my family for days with no word at all just because of what happened. But it's never happened to me, so I don't really know what I would or wouldn't do. The way Ernest and Quinn used Olivetti and became his friend and became friends themselves in the process was so sweet. The way, despite Ernest thinking he was all alone, that an entire group of people ended up helping look for his mom was just so heartwarming.
The way this book deals with tough topics is very well done and something that I think can be digested well by the intended middle grade audience. It's very well done to me as an adult as well. It was a wonderful standalone that had a very uplifting ending.
There were 2 narrators of this book, one for Ernest and one for Olivetti. Olivetti's narrator was an older British man which I think fit his personality so well. If an old typewriter could talk, that's what I would imagine it sounding like. The narrator for Ernest was well done as well.

Well this is precious!

Olivetti is a typewriter who live most of his life in a family home. He loved his family even with all the sticky substances the children of the family dripped onto him.

Then one day something in the home changes and he’s no longer used, replaced by a laptop. He sits there, forgotten until the day the mom of the family packs him up and takes him to a pawn shop.

We get both Olivetti’s perspective and Ernest’s (one of the family’s children) as they begin the hunt for their mom and discover Olivetti’s secrets along the way.

Ultimately this is a great middle grade novel about how we all need help sometimes, even when it’s hard to ask for.

Also, love that typewriters hold a grudge against books for being more beloved.

I already had a crush on typewriters, but this book, and the witty typewriter contained within, sealed my fate. I will forever love and adore typewriters!!

This is also the story of a family, broken by life like all families are, but also finding resilience where they thought was none. It is about friendship and dictionaries and the unexpected.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the opportunity to enjoy this audiobook!

“Typewriters do not have the luxury of moving on. Remembering is the very language we speak. I'm a patchwork of past, stitched together with stories, a tapestry of tales.”

This book was a true jewel. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. The listening was short (less than 4h30) but intense, and left me full of feelings –of every kind.
Of course, first comes the POV choice. How fantastic to make an old (philosopher) typewriter speak first person AND to alternate with a boy’s voice? As I’m talking about the voices, I can’t forget to mention the audiobook’s readers. Both of them were incredible (how delightful was that English accent, and so was the young reader)!
But Olivetti isn’t only that little touch of magic with the conscious typewriter. Ernest’s character is so deep. I fell in love with his way of thinking and seeing the world. With short and simple sentences, A.M. delivers such a rich and poetic world (and words), such magnificent images, that I shivered, laughed, cried every second of my listening. The story (and the writing) hooked me, immersed me, since the first sentences and never let me go.
Olivetti is a book about memory, about words and their power (beyond their definition), about attachment and about trust. It’s a book about running away, about finding the strength to ask for help and face our problems. No matter how old (or young) you are, it’s a lesson we all need to hear.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Allie Millington and RB Media for the ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.


(posted on goodread but not via netgalley who couldn't find it)

What do we do when mom sells a treasured family heirloom, then goes AWOL?

Obviously, we overlook the parental toxicity and abandonment and go on an adventure to solve the mystery!

This fun middle grade features a typewriter as one of the narrators. Make sure you listen on audio to catch his phenomenal British accent. The other narrator is the antisocial, probably neurodivergent son of the missing person, who figures her disappearance is probably his fault.

While I’m not sure my middle grade reader would handle the dark content or nuance well, this reminds me of something I would’ve read growing up in the 90s. Super fun, lots of puns and SAT words (iykyk). There are a few nit-picky things that irritated me as a mom and nurse that kept me from giving it 5 stars, but they are not out of line with the perspective of an adolescent. And, as in most middle grade, there is a satisfying swing-up at the end. 4⭐️!

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, while I do review middle grade books I am very choosey with which ones I request. I am so glad I requested this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for approving my audio arc of Olivetti in exchange for my honest review.

This book was an emotional journey that underneath the main and sub plots has so many life lessons and can provide a connection to middle grade readers, particularly boys.

I listened to the audiobook which was very well narrated. I expect that this added to my enjoyment of the book more than I wouldn’t have had I read the digital Or physical copy. So
If you have trouble with a traditional
Read of the book, give the audio book a try as it brings it to life.
The book is half told from Ernest a young boy who has a special Interest in reading dictionaries. He uses words and definitions to control his anxiety.

The alternating half is told from the perspective of the families typewriter. Listening to the inner thoughts of a typewriter literally made me want to take my out of the attic and use it. That is how well written and expressive the prose was.
While it was age appropriate for a middle reader it also was perfectly enjoyable for an adult to read.

I don’t want to give any thing away so I’ll say that I highly recommend this book for any young reader, especially as a school reading choice. It’s a great book for parents to explore with their kids as well.

The only negative thing was with 20 minutes left as the book was wrapping everything up, the app crashed due to routine maintenance for NetGalley App and Webpage. That of course wasn’t the books fault. Yet it would have been nice to have a heads up about maintenance as I was so upset to wait for the ending! That’s how much I loved this book.
Rating
My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

A book of Magical realism — for middle graders — listened to as an audiobook — where the narrators of the story were enjoyable and easy to listen to as the story unfolds.
A young boy ( who is possibly neurodivergent ) `s mother goes missing and with the help of a sentient typewriter they search together to find where his mother has gone.
This is a heartfelt , heartrending, moving storyline and plot geared towards middle graders age group. I did have a hard time relating to most of the characters — my favourite was the typewriter which I was most invested in the outcome. — The concept of using the typewriter as a perspective is unique and creative.
This book at its depth is really about dealing with grief , uncontrollable change and life struggles— and how everyone deals with or reacts differently to coping with these things. The most important point of the book though is how communication is important in relationships of any kind.
Thank-you to Netgalley and RB Media for this ARC. This is my honest review.

What a charming, sweet little story this was! I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

I’m not usually a fan of middle grade books, but this was beautifully written and I can see how this will be enjoyable for both children and adults alike!

Our story follows Ernest, a 12 year old boy on the search for his missing mother. The only substantial clue as to where she could possibly be is Olivetti, her sentient typewriter that she pawned. Both characters were very fun. I loved them and their voices, especially Olivetti.

This book did a great job touching on topics of family, worry, grief, and abandonment in a way that was heartwarming and compulsively readable. I think it was done very appropriately for the age of reader it is intended for. I will absolutely be recommending this one to younger readers in the near future.

A huge thanks to NetGalley, Allie Millington, and RB Media for sending me an advance readers audiobook in return for my honest review!

Title: Olivetti by Allie Milington
Publication Date- 03/26/24
Publisher- RB Media
Overall Rating- 5 out of 5 stars

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

First and foremost the audio production was spectacular. Very distinct voices between characters and performed in a way that the age group could hear without feeling bored.

Outside of that, I also felt this was a very powerful story. It’s heartbreaking at times and could lead to some tears. However, this is one of those stories that could spark a lot of conversation between families and answer questions that are often avoided. If I had a child I would read this with them and use it as a tool to answer questions about grief and anticipatory grief.

Not only is the story well written but the characters both main and side are very likable. Even as an adult reading this story I made notes of quotes that I appreciated.

All in all a very important story for young people and adults alike. Has some magical realism that made it more interesting and took some weight off the heaviness that comes with some of the topics discussed. Very cute and also thought provoking, a good balance between the two.

If you would have asked me what object would you like a perspective from in a book…not in a million years would I come up with a typewriter. I’m so glad I came across this magical gem of a book… meet Olivetti… a beloved typewriter to the Brindle family, who sadly has been forgotten with time and technology. Meet Ernest a lover of words… and one who keeps to himself often escaping to the rooftop deck. You are introduced to the rest of the Brindles but the story is told through Olivetti and Ernest’s perspective.

This is a sad but heartwarming story about family, friends, magical moments… & reflection. With mentions of bookshelves, pawn shops a kingdom of blankets “Narnia” and the brilliance of tapestries. This book captured my heart and imagination and I loved every minute of it.

It also had me reflecting on a typewriter my grandma had in her basement I use to love to sit at and hear the tap, tap, tap. I haven’t thought about that in years and I’m glad this story had me reminiscing!

Thank you RB Media 🎧 Mac Kids Books 📖
Releases 3/26

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Olivetti by Allie Millington is a wholly unique story told from the first-person perspectives of an Olivetti typewriter and an anxious, introverted, and sensitive 12-year-old named Ernest. In this story, Olivetti finds himself in the center of a mystery when Ernest’s mother goes missing. Breaking the rules of typewriter code, Olivetti begins typing back to Ernest and revealing the secrets he holds within him—secrets that provide the only clues to Ernest’s mother’s disappearance. And while the mystery is at the center of this story, I wouldn’t classify this story as a mystery per se. It’s so much more than that! It’s a story about love, family, relationships, grief, and the healing that comes with allowing all of it into your life. All of which we learn through a typewriter, which Allie Millington has managed to write as much life and personality into as one would a beloved family pet. The story is witty and heartfelt. The writing is gorgeous. The cover is beautiful. And without a doubt, Olivetti—a typewriter—is now one of my new favorite book POV characters.

Kind of boring but also a sweet story. A great interpretation of family and how everyone can be going thru the same thing but feeling different.

Alternating between Ernest, a 12-year-old boy, and Olivetti, Ernest's mother's typewriter, a story of family and new friends unfolds. Ernest blames himself for his mother's recent disappearance. But Olivetti, who does not speak but is conscious and holds memories, may hold the key to the real reason.

This is an imaginative and unique story that not only explores family dynamics, but also what it feels like to finally find your voice and be heard. Though the reader does not find out what happened until later, Ernest's family has clearly been through a difficult time and they are still feeling the effects when Beatrice, Ernest's mother, goes missing. Now the family is trying to deal with their current worry even though they still haven't necessarily processed their previous trauma.

Olivetti as a character is sincere and also at times funny, particularly its views on books and laptops. Ernest is an engaging character whose struggles will feel real to readers - as will the family's relationships with each other even though they aren't working together at first.