this wasn’t for me, unfortunately. the idea of the protagonist getting stuck in an elevator with their past/ future selves could have had potential, but it falls flat as the character(s) lack depth and the writing is a little all over the place at times. the way the selves give each other advice and reflect on their past was felt too on the nose, so i got bored very quickly. this could be a improved a lot by some heavy editing though!

Great premise but poor execution in my opinion. Meeting Emilia at different ages in her life is a cool concept. However, it didn't flow for me the way it should have been. I DNFed around 16%.

This book was compulsively readable. The pacing and style of switching viewpoints and timelines kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen. I also really enjoyed the mini mystery of trying to discover the truth around Emilia's mother's death. The author treats the topic of grief in an interesting manner -- how it affects people at different ages and how some move through it and some stay in it.

However, I did not like the ending. I understand that ultimately the reader is not really supposed to know "the truth" of what happened (just as Emilia may never really know), so the lack of clarity on that level is fine. However, the wrap up and lack of clarity about how the three versions of Emilia exited the elevator did not make sense to me. The ending felt rushed and unbelievable. I wish a bit more time had been spent here exploring the characters' actual/physical resolution (as well as the emotional resolution) and I wish there were more coverage of what is next for Emilia.

2.5

Just Emilia is a speculative novel with an intriguing premise: multiple versions of Emilia, all from different points in her life, somehow coexisting and confronting the messiness of identity, grief, and regret. Unfortunately, the execution doesn’t quite live up to the potential for me.

The pacing is slow, which might work for a more introspective or character-driven novel, but here it tends to drag, making key moments feel less impactful than they should be. When the big reveal comes—that all the women are actually Emilia at different stages of life—it lands with more of a thud than a bang. There’s little excitement or emotional payoff, and instead, the characters (and readers) are left with a vague sense of disappointment.

Emilia herself feels curiously detached throughout the book. She acts more like a narrator than someone fully immersed in her own story, which makes it difficult to connect with her emotionally. This sense of distance undercuts the more dramatic or revealing moments—particularly in scenes involving Christopher and the night before her mother died.

That part of the plot also feels muddled. Emilia’s lingering resentment around Christopher is confusing, especially since it's made clear that he wasn't responsible for her mother's death. At the same time, the book frequently repeats that Emilia “killed her mom,” and she expresses frustration that no one believes her. Yet, it’s never directly stated—at least not clearly—that she was the one driving the car. That omission makes her guilt feel both misplaced and underexplored.

Ultimately, Just Emilia has a compelling concept but falters in the follow-through. The emotional stakes are there, but the lack of clarity and the protagonist's disconnection leave the story feeling more hollow than haunting.

I loved the premise of this book so much! It's a good and thought-provoking book. It's well written, but I wish there were more engaging moments in the story; it felt flat. The moment when they learn they're the same person wasn't very exciting, there wasn't a good build-up to that.

I thought it was beautiful that Emilia only needed herself to keep going.

Thank you to NetGalley and Regal House Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Just Emilia is a beautiful exploration of the internal self through the eyes of an older and younger self. I thoroughly enjoyed this unique approach to character development, and how the way we speak to ourselves affects so much of our quality of life. Fans of creative speculative fiction that helps understand identity will love this!

I was so excited to read this novel - I think I hoped for something like 'The Husbands', where a fantastical event forces a character to reevaluate their everyday life. Unfortunately, I found this book really slow - the character, despite spending so much time in her head, wasn't very relatable, and, like other reviewers, I found the occasional humorous scenes really at odds with the emotional response the author was looking for. Maybe this just needed more editing, but it was a pass for me.

I just adored this. Emilia finds herself trapped in an elevator with her past and future selves. The truths they are trying to ascertain and accept are poignant.

A thoughtful twist on the Scrooge effect, JUST EMILIA by Jennifer Oko offers a modern and introspective take on personal transformation.

Instead of an old man reckoning with mortality after ghostly visits from the past, present, and future, we meet Emilia, a 47-year-old woman confronting existential dread on the anniversary of her mother’s death. Rather than changing how she treats others, Emilia must learn to stop being so miserly toward herself. Instead of an old man reckoning with mortality after ghostly visits from the past, present, and future, we meet Emilia, a 47-year-old woman confronting existential dread on the anniversary of her mother’s death. Rather than changing how she treats others, Emilia must learn to stop being so miserly toward herself.

She is guided not by spirits but by two selves: Em, an angry and sullen 17-year-old who’s still grieving, and Millie, a wiser 77-year-old who’s tethered to the past. The suspenseful narrative invites the reader to suspend disbelief and follow Emilia on a metaphysical elevator ride that lurches through seven decades of her life. The journey is frightening and exhausting, an emotional rollercoaster filled with sharp turns and sudden drops. As a reader, you’re left wondering what her life will look like if she ever makes it out. And when you turn the final page, you may find yourself changed..

3.5🌟 ~ 4 🌟

I liked the overall concept of the book + premise was intriguing and promising.
I enjoyed the flashback parts and the theme of dealing with grief & trying to accept it.
What took me out of the flow, was the sometimes overly descriptive parts in the elevator that made me want to skim it.
The characters were greatly fleshed out with their own distinct traits even though they were the same person.


-Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review-

This was such a great idea! Meeting yourself at other points in life really hooked me from the back cover synopsis. However, for me, the overwhelming grief in the book was a little too real thanks to their being three of our FMC and it wasn’t something I could continue reading. I DNF’d when the book started taking over my mood, That said, later in life when I’m not as close to grief, I’d love to read this again. I think a wide audience is going to love this one and will recommend to my audience!

Emilia gets the chance we all hope to have one day, she meets her younger and older self. Stuck in an elevator the three women talk about the one defining incident in their common past, the death of Emilia's mother.

I liked the idea, but just didn't like the writing. I couldn't connect with the three different Emilias and also didn't have the feeling that the Emilias really connected with each other in that elevator. And for a book with less than 250 pages this felt like a very long and slow read.

Just Emilia examines the enduring effects of grief, complicated mother-daughter dynamics, and the way unprocessed trauma can silently shape a lifetime.

The premise starts off very interesting: what would you do if you found yourself stuck in an elevator with your past and future selves? The unprocessed grief that all three versions of the main character, Emilia, carry grounds the story into a cohesive emotional journey. Although the flashbacks and shifts in point of view sometimes give the novel a fragmented feel, the major themes remain consistent throughout.

I initially took a liking to the way Oko wrote her younger characters, especially in how she breaks or justifies common stereotypes. Sonya is empathetic, standing apart from the usual portrayal of pre-adolescents as distant or moody. Em’s anger also feels justified, allowing her to be more than just the typical “rude but secretly struggling” teenager. However, the older characters felt more detached, even indifferent, toward their other selves. Millie, in particular, seemed so defeated from the beginning, even when literally confronted by her younger selves. Emilia was more bearable—comforting young Em and trying to ease their situation—but I found her too judgmental of her future self. Perhaps these flaws were meant to highlight their character growth, but everything felt too rushed toward the end for that growth to fully land.

There were a few powerful moments in the book, lines that struck deeply, and scenes that pulled me in. However, those moments were often sandwiched between slower sections that felt like fillers. The story started strong, then slowed down significantly, before everything was dropped like a bomb in the final chapters. By the end, the emotional payoff felt hollow.

That said, part of my disappointment may have been due to my own expectations. I picked up this book thinking it would be similar to the cozy, character-driven magical realism stories from Asian literature that I’ve loved in the past. Instead, it turned out to be heavier and more emotionally distant.

Still, Just Emilia offers valuable takeaways. Grief can weigh down a person’s existence for decades if left unaddressed. Healing must be an intentional choice, something that comes from within. And often, our own stubbornness—the refusal to accept help—is what prolongs our suffering. Even at 76, you can still learn something essential from your 17-year-old self.

Thank you to NetGalley and Regal House Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Just Emilia publishes on June 10, 2025.

Dnf at 60%. This book had such a great premise but the execution wasn’t great for me. It was very interesting to see Emilia’s life and her experiences from different ages while interacting with those versions of herself. I just found the pacing to be extremely slow. For me to be a little over halfway in the book it didn’t seem like she was learning too much about herself in terms of growth so it felt like “what’s the point of this”.

Yet another case of interesting concept but a boring execution. I haven't been gelling with speculative fiction these days.

Intensely emotional and introspective, and incredibly well written. The writing was propelling and made me just want to keep reading.

A really unusual and engrossing story of three women who find themselves trapped in a lift together, in the Metro, Washington DC. A 17-year-old, a 47-year-old, and a 77-year-old who - at first - seem to have nothing in common, but it gradually expires that they have all suffered the same trauma.
The story takes place entirely on the same day, October 12th, and there is a hint of time travel involved. However, the psychological theme is what is most interesting, self-examination and different viewpoints of the same event. I cannot say more without giving the story away, but it’s a thoroughly interesting read, with insightful character portrayal and it illustrates how incompatible people can come together in times of stress to support each other. An ultimately uplifting tale.

Emilia faces the worst nightmare of many people: being trapped in an elevator without a way to call for help. The more unexpected turn of events is that the two women she finds herself trapped with are versions of her from different points in her life. Emilia, her teenage self, and her elderly self, are forced to unpack their mother’s death and what really happened that night, and why the universe has brought them together on the anniversary.

The point of Just Emilia from my perspective is to demonstrate how we view events in our past in different lights influenced by the experiences we’ve had since then. Emilia’s three selves are separated from each other by decades and, despite having guilt in common, they all view the accident that killed their mother differently. I think the concept of this book is very smart and a great way to explore this idea. You can also tell the author had fun playing with characters from different eras and the challenges they face in conversation.

Unfortunately I really struggled to keep picking this book up despite being relatively short. I think the cuts between perspectives could’ve been improved because it felt too choppy for no good reason. I would also say that if you’re interested in this book solely for the time travel element, I would give it a miss as there is no REAL explanation and there are a few holes if you think about it too closely. I do enjoy it as literary fiction, but wouldn’t recommend it as a sci fi. There were also a few moments that felt really unrealistic and some of the breakthroughs shared between the Emilias felt forced.

I still think this is a good book! It just could’ve been made better in editing in my opinion. My favourite part was seeing current Emilia on the cusp of divorce meet a future Emilia where that decision has been made and how that impacts her. Plus the ending was great! It’s definitely a conclusion some would find unsatisfying but I loved it.

An engaging read with complex emotions, fine structure, and a love letter to D.C. and Maryland. Grief is actualized in an evolving and profound tone. I didn’t care for the political parts just because it’s too close to reality but it’s sparse throughout the book. Emilia is a stunning character to honor the weight of her thoughts. Every character has a complete arc.

Just Emilia by Jennifer Oko

Are there not many instances where we wish we could guide our past selves to do better? Or want for our future selves to tell us that everything will be okay! That everything worked out just fine. So, imagine finding yourself stuck in an elevator with your past and future selves - what would you do?

This sounds unbelievable and ridiculous, right? But it is not so unbelievable, ridiculous, or senseless, when our main character Emilia, 47, finds herself stuck in an elevator on a particularly important date after a rough start to the day. Her company, a 17-year-old teenager who looks like she might be in her rebellious era, and an elegant 77-year-old woman, who reminds her of her dead mother-- doesn’t sound exactly fun, does it?

But what happens when they realize that they’re the same person? Will it be like fictional movies where they will sort out things, change their future, and hug each other for being so strong? This I can’t tell you. You will have to read the book to find out what happens to three stubborn versions of the same person, tangled in the past, refusing to forgive themselves, and wanting to go through life without changing, all while being stuck in an elevator where the overhead light decides to shine based on its mood!

I love reading about obstinate characters, and the way their inflexibility makes things worse before they can grow and maybe heal. And this book did not disappoint. When you believe or know something that everybody refuses to believe or accept is not an easy thing to live with. Yet, even when enough time has passed, we still keep twisting the knife inwards. Emilia was one such character, and her relationship with her daughter and husband was shown as realistically as it is possible to show. It infuriated me, made some sense later but equally made me sad.

Her relationship with her mother, who was a celebrated anchor, was more of one-sided unconditional love with moody reciprocation. This story beautifully highlights the harsh reality of growing up with an emotionally unavailable parent, where you end up loving them and craving their attention by trying too hard. And when unexpected tragedy strikes, you are left grappling with the threads of something you thought you knew.
The premise of the story was interesting and fun. The comically complicated and realistic situations that arise due to being stuck in an elevator for a long time are humorous. You can’t help but crack a smile or laugh a little at the witty banter, some classic references (books and music alike) and a whole lot of moodiness are sure to keep you hooked on this book. The book is set in DC and has lots of references to places within the city. This was not relatable to me and kind of threw me off track. So, if you are from DC, you are bound to enjoy these references even more! I do wish that the ending was explored a little more, it felt kind of rushed.

Overall, I loved this book. I devoured it. If you love books that cover the themes of loss, finding yourself, growing, and healing with a touch of magical realism without being too long then this book is for you.
Thank you Netgalley, Regal House Publishing, and Jennifer Oko for providing ARC in exchange for an honest review!