‘Emmy & Oliver’ by Robin Benway is a beautiful, poignant story of friendship, truth, and how love has the power to both benefit and hurt relationships. Main characters Emmy and Oliver, seventeen-year-old neighbors, were separated ten years prior when Oliver’s dad, Keith, kidnapped him and took him to Chicago, where they started their life away from Oliver’s mom and his dad’s ex-wife, Maureen. The reality of a scenario like this actually occurring is truly frightening and beyond comprehension, but the fact of the matter is that it likely happens more often than people might think.

The raw and realistic emotions that Benway was able to inject into her characters’ dialogue and into Emmy’s inner thoughts, since the story was narrated by her, proved incredibly touching. Oliver’s return brings out a variety of responses from people who live nearby as well as those who were once close to Oliver and his family when he was young. Emmy and her friends Caroline (better known as Caro) and Drew try to help Oliver come to terms with being home, but the fact that he loves his dad despite the fact that he kidnapped Oliver all those years ago takes a toll on Oliver’s ability to assimilate himself back into his former life.

Making matters more complicated are Emmy’s parents – especially her mom – who have been more overprotective than Emmy feels should be possible, since Oliver went missing. As a result of this, she feels the need to keep secrets from them about her life, including her desire to attend college out of town and surf as often as she can.

Besides a spot or two where continuity of plot details were not perfectly followed, the story was well-written and engaging. Set in a contemporary high school and suburban neighborhood, ‘Emmy & Oliver’ shines a light on an issue that is scarily relevant in society nowadays, while at the same time showcasing the beauty of reconnecting with your past and learning how to cope with the future that is still to come.

You can find ‘Emmy & Oliver’ by Robin Benway here.