rating: 3.2

*I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion*

I'm so torn

I was really excited by the first half of the book and leaning towards giving it five stars. But then my enthusiasm started trailing off, and by the 90% mark I was ready to be done.

The Good
- The aesthetics were great. I loved a lot of the descriptions (especially towards the beginning---quality seemed to trail off towards the end) They felt very vivid, and I was very impressed by how Abbie described the scenery and air pilot details with such specificity.
- The characters felt very distinct. Every POV had a clear voice and their personalities shone through. Jack's especially stood out to me.
- The chapters were compelling throughout almost all of the novel. It was a "fast-paced read" if you will.
- There were some good questions the book brought up that were interesting to think about. How ethical is it to keep your daughter on an island for her whole life? What responsibilities do we have to ourselves and others? Etc.
- I liked Adam's journal entries and found the philosophical ramblings rather interesting to read.
- I also liked the reveal with Orca's mom being alive, and learning the details of how her life turned out.

The Bad
- As mentioned earlier, the quality of writing/descriptions seemed to drop around the middle of the novel.
- Some parts of the novel didn't feel very realistic or ring true to me. I especially dislike the message of not being "whole" or "complete" without a romantic partner, or that having a romantic partner is going to be what gives you that "happily-ever-after", which is a message that is unfortunately already all-too-prevalent.
- I was not a fan of the twists and turns of the ending. It was a bit much for me when Orca's father had a heart attack, but I could understand the plot point's value. I started getting annoyed though when Orca "broke up" with Adam after all her talk for how much she loved him. I guess I'm just not a fan of naive, idealistic characters and unnecessary drama. Also, while it is entirely possible to meet someone for a few days and want to get married, it's important to note that this is not something to aspire to. I still find it a little uncomfortable that Adam's only known her for probably two weeks and is already planning to move to her small island where it will just be him, Orca, the dad, and the dog. How sustainable is that young love?
- Some of the lines were a bit cringy in my opinion. I will expound on specific ones below.

The Ugly
- I never want to lay eyes on Chapter 44 again. Please, someone tell me how this “Have you ever made love to a woman?” conversation contributes anything to the story? And then the talk of babies at the end made me want to vomit. This is probably more of a me issue than anything.
- There were "you're not like other girls" vibes throughout but then one of the brothers actually said it. "She's not like other girls" or something close enough to make me cringe. I hoped it was an ironic thing but I don't think it is unfortunately.
- Some of the dialogue felt very out-of-place (especially from Adam). Maybe it's because a large chunk of the book read more modern that a few lines thrown in there with more of an old-fashioned vibe pulled me out of the story. I would not be surprised if certain lines were directly inspired by Pride and Prejudice.

So there you have it. These are my honest thoughts on "The Otherworld". Though I believe my rating on "100 Days of Sunlight" was higher, I actually think this book is a step up and can see how Abbie has improved as a writer. It simply wasn't my cup of tea---maybe I'm a scrooge who hates happy endings, who knows.

If you're a fan of cozy romantic stories, maybe you'll enjoy it more than I did!

Thank you to Abbie Emmons and Netgalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was so, so excited to start this book. As someone who grew up on books like Island of the Blue Dolphins—and as someone who recently binged season 1 of The Summer I Turned Pretty with my mom—I was here for it. I was hyped. I was ready for a cozy, romantic read about Lighthouse Girl discovering the world, coming into her own, and falling into an emotionally complicated love triangle along the way.

Did I get that? Kinda!

Let’s start with what worked for me:

• The initial setting of this book lends itself to some really beautiful descriptive passages—I think descriptions are one of this author’s strengths, for sure.
• Emmons does a great job of immersing the reader. I felt like I was on the island; in the lighthouse; flying across the sea to the mainland.
• This is such a cozy read, in a way I didn’t realize I’d been needing until I began to read this. Lots of people have compared this to Tangled (which I love, obvi), which feels like a fair comparison, at least with regards to the initial premise. But fear not; this is not a Tangled copycat by any means. The actual substance of the plot is entirely different. Emmons did a great job of bringing those “girl grows up in a tower (lighthouse) and wants to see the world,” + sweet romance, + cozy vibes to this story while still keeping it wholly original.
• The emotional stakes landed for me pretty consistently throughout, to the point that I teared up and even fully cried on multiple occasions!
• As someone who is often lukewarm on alternative POVs, I thought they were done really well here. All 3 narrative voices felt distinct enough to justify their inclusion, and Emmons is consistently good at deciding which POV to switch to in order to further the plot.
• You always get extra points for a dog :) Lucius is a very good boy.

What didn’t work for me:

• the power dynamics at play
Orca’s primary traits—as described by the boys—are that she is 1. beautiful, 2. deeply innocent, and 3. deeply wise. All in all, it begins to feel after a while that what we are being presented with is the mind of a child in the body of a sexualized young woman.
That’s not to say I dislike Orca. She isn’t the one “Not Like Other Girls”-ing herself. But both of her romantic interests do ad nauseum, describing her repeatedly with words like "innocent," "pure," and even "unpolluted." I'm not against age gap romances, either, but the problem here is that it becomes a two-punch combo of the power imbalance caused by the age gap AND the power imbalance caused by Orca's extremely sheltered upbringing.

• some general clunkiness throughout
Without spoiling anything: there were a few characters throughout that felt a bit flat. Our three primary POV characters are pretty well fleshed out, at least, but that just makes the weaker characters stand out even more. Some scenes (mostly in the middle of the book) felt a bit rushed. Instances of "telling, not showing" throughout. And the dialogue across the board often felt oddly formal—Jack suffers from this the least, but even he has a few lines that don't quite feel like actual human speech. It's never egregious, but it happened often enough to distract from the story.

To sum up:
Did I enjoy reading this book? Yes. It was the perfect cozy escape I needed, and I can definitely see myself rereading parts of it in the future whenever I want to return to that sweet, romantic, cozy energy. However, the above points—combined with a drag in pace around the 50% mark (it picks back up later)—brought it down for me overall. I’d give it somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars.
That said, I’ve seen reviews from people who love this author’s other works who also had mixed feelings about this one? So I’m curious to read more from Emmons. Maybe her other books will land more for me.
Overall, glad to have read it!

I love reading books and understanding a little bit about other people's worldviews. This book was no different. I know Abbie through her YouTube channel, which has always provided me with valuable writing tips. I was so honored when she was chosen me to read the ARC of The Otherworld, and I can say that it was a completely different experience from her debut novel.

The book tells the story of Orca, an innocent girl who knows nothing about the world as we know it. Orca lives on a small island with his father, the lighthouse keeper. On the journey to protect her daughter by preventing her from leaving the refuge they created, Orca feels she is missing something, and she dreams of knowing what the world has to offer. Her story changes when a part of this other world ends up invading the bubble she lives in.

This book has a touch of drama, romance, intrigue, and a few twists. The reading experience was lovely, even if it wasn't my favorite book. It is clear the growth in Abbie's writing. The story was well-written, and the plot was well-developed. Abbie has an incredible power to make us see images as we read. I could practically see a movie in my head. I loved the simplicity of Orca, although, for me, it wasn't something constant from the middle to the end. Jack was the most rational of all the characters and the most confident in times of crisis, even if a little immature. I identified myself more with Adam and his morally correct spirit.

Although it was a pleasant read, it was not fully satisfying. I was particularly bothered by some of Orca's decisions, the harmful behavior of the parent figures, the slowness of the most relevant events, and a journey of shallow self-knowledge. These points made it difficult for me to keep reading.

I recommend the book, as long as it's an unpretentious read. I recommend it for lovers of cute and heart-warming novels, without intending to read something deep and extremely moving. Abbie has a lot of skill with words, and I think she has a lot of space to be amazing. My favorite is still 100 Days of Sunlight, but The Otherworld needs a chance to be read and enjoyed.

I think that the prose in this book was excellent. Initially I loved the way the story was starting out. I liked the FMC, I liked the mystery of the brother missing. It was setting up for something great.
Where that came for a halt for me was just everything about the romance. I understand that Emmon's tried very hard to make it work, but it just wasn't doing it for me personally. Something felt off about an eighteen year old girl who has been sheltered her entire life ending up with a man ten years older than her who spends the entire book worrying about ruining her purity. Despite efforts, it still just felt predatory to me.
Obviously that wasn't an issue for a lot of other reviewers that loved this story, so I think this feeling will vary greatly between readers. It may even be the very reason someone loves The Otherworld if age gap romances interest them. (I don't mind age gap romances--I just prefer them to be between older characters).
I recommend this book for anyone who loves a great setting, good dialogue, and happily ever afters.

Starting off with a thank you to NetGalley and Abbie Emmons for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I can say with full confidence that I still think that Emmons is a talented writer and I would give this book a 2.25 stars out of 5. It's not a 1-star book for me which comes from the actual prose that is present in the story. There were several moments toward the beginning of the book when I was able to just enjoy the language that she used to tell the story and how Orca sees the world and expresses it in a way that is completely unique to her.

That said... It's not a 5-star book either.

I will do everything I can to avoid spoilers and only pull specific details that appear in the summary here on Goodreads.

As I said, the start of the book was really well written, and I had thought that I would be able to anticipate where the story would go because of the kind of writing that Emmons has done in the 100DOS series so I didn't allow myself to be bothered by some of the plot points until they became very solidly the direction the story was going at about 40% of the way through the book.

I feel like Orca had a lot of personality in the beginning of the story, and then when the two brothers were introduced to her world, her character fell flat. Orca becomes this "pure and untainted thing" to the men in the story in a way that makes all of the interactions feel dirty. That combined with the fact that Jack seems to be the male equivalent of a Manic Pixie Dream Girl and Adam has barely any personality besides being plagued-by-philosophy and thinking too much. All of the characters slowly devolve into these tropes that are easy to predict and also a bit (if not a lot) problematic.

Putting a young (barely legal - 18-year-old) girl into a position where she has to choose between someone age-appropriate and someone who is, on multiple occasions and affectionately, described as a father figure to someone her age is not something that I would have ever expected from Emmons. But who am I to say, this is only her second world that has been published.

I found it very difficult to enjoy the story after the romance between her and Adam is introduced, especially with the way that Adam's internal monologue was telling him all of the reasons that it would be inappropriate. With his internal monologue reflecting my own personal views, it became more of a problem when there seemed to be a lot of justifications coming from other adult characters (I say "other" because Adam is in some ways on a similar level to the parental figures in this story) that were inappropriate and unsettling.

Outside of the romantic part of Orca's story, I thought all of her ~side quests~ were pretty interesting and gave way to the potential to make her a much more engaging character, but there wasn't as much effort put into those as I would have enjoyed.

There are several small details that I think could have made this story more digestible in the grand scheme of things.

For one - 10 year age gaps are not exciting. Especially in a YA story. They're predatory. Even if you make your character out to feel bad about doing something predatory, and "they don't mean to be bad" they are being predatory. I think a simple change that would have made this way more manageable and still give the same kind of drama is to make Jack 19/20 and keep Adam 28, but age up Orca to be in between at 24/25.

Her character would not have changed just because she wasn't "barely an adult" she would have just had to spend a few more years begging her dad to go to the mainland. And although that would move this story out of the YA category, it would be monumentally less detrimental to the young adults who could read this and think that if a man 10 years older than them thinks they're special, it's true love. It's been proven that the brain's decision-making processes aren't fully developed until age 25, so that would at least give her more autonomy over not diving headfirst into something she can't fully comprehend.

Another small detail would have to do with Orca's parent's relationship which ties back to the justifications I mentioned before. To avoid spoilers - I don't think that it needs to be as closely tied to Orca's story as it is.

I continue to be proud of Abbie for all the work that she puts into creating content, supporting other writers, and developing her own stories. I look forward to her next book still...but this one is not it for me. I don't think she'll read my review, and that's totally fine, but I hope that there are some other readers out there who take a peak at this and think slightly more critically about the work that's in front of them rather than the person that created it.

First and foremost, I want to express my thanks to Abbie for letting me receive this ARC copy to read. I do apologize it took me a while but I want to say I burned through this book in probably a span of 3 days. I have been following Abbie personally for a while on her YouTube channel and I really appreciate all of her hard work of helping us aspiring authors so I wanted to take a look on the person that writes their craft. Granted there are many things that I liked about the book and there are things I am concerned about.

To get things out of the way, I do not believe I am the target audience for this book. I am not someone that seeks out this type of contemporary romance, maybe I would if I was much younger, but I think personally this isn't something I would be in to. But that doesn't mean there weren't some parts I didn't enjoy.

Things I liked:
- Ms. Abbie if you are reading this I need to let you know your writing is absolutely amazing. I love reading all of your descriptions it provided so much of the world building making the otherworld so beautiful and colorful. I love the contrast between all the characters' places (The Lighthouse, Stevensons' house, that one Seattle apartment, San Juan Island, etc.). I also love the usage of similes and metaphors to describe the emotions. This is going to be the one thing I will look after when studying sentence construction.
- Along the lines of description I love the feel of the lighthouse. I have been dying for a cottagecore-like book and this book really did satisfy that need. I wasn't expecting that all and I can totally feel myself immersed in Orca's lighthouse, island life. It almost makes me feel I want to live a beautiful romanticized life like that too.
- The romance was so cute and after reading this book I realize I am such a huge sucker for romance. Some of the things The main couple do together was so so cute like this one line about how Orca wants to have babies with Adam and that line for some reason just made me gush.
- The pacing was pretty good, the middle part was probably the best part of the whole book which usually people say that was the slump. And coming from someone who isn't the target audience, Abbie really got me because that part made me stay up all night just to find out what was going to happen next when Orca was meeting that special person in Seattle.

Things I didn't like:
- My biggest concern is the age gap. At first I thought it was absolutely ridiculous that Orca and Adam had this romance with a huge age difference. Since I am close to Adam's age and I have been a high school teacher I just find it odd and a bit inappropriate I get it's probably supposed to illustrate the themes of forbidden love and fate and such but I just wish the characters were either not that age or just shorten the age gap.
- Orca's age and incompetence. Sure, I do buy that she is intelligent by reading all kinds of books and learning how nature works by immersing herself every single day. But I find it really hard to believe that she is able to make a decent conversation with a stranger that crashlanded in her lighthouse from not conversing with anyone except her dad. I just think she would have some kind of lack of social skills? That's just what I get again I just find it hard to believe that suddenly she has a sparkling romance with a handsome man from not talking to anyone else after 18 years.
- I think a lot of people would agree on this but the insta-romance was unbelievable to me. That was the moment I was starting to question it a bit. I understand this is supposed to fit with the themes of the butterfly effect but I just felt like it came on way too fast.
- Jack annoyed the hell out of me I knew from the start there was no way he was going to get the girl. But I think this is also coming from someone that also likes reading about emotionally intelligent gentlemen type of leading men. I get Jack is supposed to be an immature teenager but damn he was so annoying.
- Some of the dialogue and lines were just really cheesy but most of that stemmed from Jack and Orca at the beginning but I got over that when I realized that's probably going to be how the book will be.
- I mentioned the pacing was fantastic but I felt like the ending with Papa kind of came out of nowhere but I also kind of see how it ties the themes all together.

Overall again, I am grateful to receive this early copy and I am glad to have read this. I would recommend this book to others that I think may enjoy, it's just not the book for me. But congrats Abbie for publishing a wonderful story overall!

4.5 STARS this was BEAUTIFUL. I loved 100 Days of Sunlight and could not wait for this one to come out. Thanks so much to Abbie and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this early and give an honest review!✨

The first thing I noticed was Orca’s character voice- it was simple, old fashioned in terminology, and almost childish. At first I interpreted this as an odd writing style, an eighteen year old girl saying “truly” “oh,my!” Etc., but then I realized this was actually a clever writing technique. She’s never been around people her age. The only other human she’s ever heard talk was her dad, so of course her wording would be subtly “off” from what you’d normally hear. (I’m not talking about WHAT she was talking about, but the WAY she communicated with words I guess). Once I recognized that, I actually really appreciated it and I got immersed in the story and characters.
Also, I was #TeamAdam from meeting numero 1😉
Also, by far the dialogue was great in this book, but the BEST dialogue? Pages 179-180 in my personal experience. GAAAHHh I was locked in the MOmEMT it played like a movie in my mind and I felt the slap of her words. It was incredible.
The .5 stars I knocked off were really just the father’s character and the heart attack at the end. I understand what Abbie was doing here and it played out, but it just felt so random I was like “heart attack!?”. It would have been nice to have had some subtle foreshadowing that didn’t make it feel so random, like maybe she would always make him a special tea for his chest pain, lol. And maybe when Adam was at the lighthouse and her dad was gone she found herself accidentally making it out of habit, and didn’t realize till she started walking to his room. He’s gone. Lol idk something like that sort of hint. And then memories flashing back to it when she hears it’s a heart attack.
Also the dad’s personality just felt underdeveloped and while, artfully incongruent, I felt there was much lacking to be explained about him. He didn’t feel real to me.
ASIDE FROM THAT, I sincerely loved every chapter of this book, so many details I will totally be geeking over in the weeks to come, after I take a day to mentally digest this beautiful journey I just went on. The trio of MC’s were so beautifully developed and interacted with each other on such a raw, human level. They are real to me. I cannot WAIT for Abbie’s next book!!!✨💛✨

Thank to you Netgalley and Abbie Emmons for this arc!! (Also spoilers start about halfway through my review.)

This book was an interesting read for me in so many ways. There are many things I loved about it, and I genuinely enjoyed the act of reading it, but multiple things made me uncomfortable, which is why I could not rate it higher or enjoy it fully.

Let's start with the positives... This book is so incredibly cozy. Like it made me want to curl up and read it all day (which I did). Yet, it doesn't have winter vibes. I've never read a summer-type, beachy book with these vibes before, and I loved it.

Secondly, the prose is beautiful. Emmons is an amazing writer. I could visualize almost everything written, which is not normal for me while I read. Lastly, as a Washington native, I love reading about places I'm familiar with. So the setting and time period were just wonderful. The aesthetics in general were just amazing, and readers can tell how much thought Emmons put into this.

Okay, now for the negative stuff. Let's talk about the first big and obvious one: the age gap. I feel like I saw NO ONE talking about this in the other reviews. But the main character, 18, is interested in a 28 year old man?? I get it, they're both adults making adult decisions, and they both seem rational and well-matched. If he were like 22 I'd be fine with it. And possibly, it would be fine either way.

But Orca has grown up isolated. Adam is right to be wary of having a relationship with her. Does anyone else remember some of the comments on the book Everything Everything. How the main character would have fallen in love with anyone who would take her out of isolation? I feel like that is the case here. And also, I am 18. The thought of me dating someone that much older than me makes me want to retch. Also further proof of the above is that they want to get married after only a week and a half. I don't like the fact this is marketed for teens because I really don't like the way people could use this as an example of romance.

Now let's talk about my second big problem: almost every character is an asshole or manipulative. Jack is a jerk. Not a fan of him. He starts out nice, but obviously that changes. He also promoted a lot of behavior I am not a fan of, like saying that when women want to be left alone, that's code for them wanting attention. I mean, maybe in some cases, but I really don't like that being pushed into a narrative.

Orca's father does so many manipulative and terrible things, and it is passed off as love. Yes, it is love, but it is also controlling. He's a messed up human, and though his actions may come from loving Orca, they are messed up. They can be both at once.

Lastly, Adam never sides with Orca enough. He defends her father. I get wanting to repair her relationship with her father, but Jack is right when he identifies it as toxic. He also doesn't realize at times that Orca needs to make her own decisions. He only takes her emotions and is like uh oh, I messed up. But she is going through things. It's not all about him. I know he is being selfless when he lets her go, but he also is putting her in a situation that is terrible for her.

And now for my final issue. Drumroll please... The fact that this novel holds very stereotypical gender roll views!!

So let's get this straight: I think if you want to be a mom, then should be able to do that and be happy and not shamed. If you want to be a business woman, do that. If there's something else, then do that. But this book really promotes the home life stereotypes and flat out shames a woman for getting out of a toxic marriage. I get it, Orca's mom needed to take responsibility, but the way she described her husband makes me realize how messed up the full situation is. Like he literally got her pregnant to force her to stay on the island. And that was just ignored????

Additionally, Orca is a manic pixie dream girl, and this novel does not pass the Bechtel test. I don't think that always has to be criteria for a good book, but it is just further proof of why this book is very traditionally focused. I'm fine with people being parents. I'm fine with them girlbossing to get a magazine job. But I wish they wouldn't be shamed for this.

So in conclusion, this book was an interesting read. I think Emmons is a good writer, but I just did not agree with her storyline. I likely still will try out other books of hers, but if they have issues like this, I may end up parting ways with her writing.

“Perhaps we are all butterflies, and the world is our hurricane.”

Such beautiful prose. Felt a swarm of butterflies in my stomach reading this para.

I have watched Abbie’s videos on YouTube and am a follower of her. When she released a video for the book blurb. I was hooked.

Now moving forward to the story. The story was good and well-written. I liked how the characters are portrayed. They have their own strength and flaws. Which made them relatable. I liked how their internal conflict is shown. How the characters progressed throughout the story. The brothers bond. How their love was shown. How mature Orca was for her age. How the philosophical muses are shown. It made the story more beautiful and unique.

What I disliked was how she was described by one or more of the brothers ( not relieving it, as it will ruin the story beat) as someone pure, untouched, and unpolluted. How she didn’t eat pizza like other girls. Seriously. Is she an object or what?

But at the same time, I can see why she wrote that. To make the characters realistic as it's our human tendency to compare. I can be wrong though.

Overall the book is 3.5- 4.0-4.5. I really liked this book and am planning to buy a physical copy of it, when it releases.

I definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to the author, Abbie Emmons, and NetGalley, for providing the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Perhaps we are all butterflies, and the world is our hurricane."

I have a lot of mixed thoughts about this book, so please bare with me as I try to unpack them in a way that isn't just complete chaos.

Overall
The Otherworld is a beautiful book. Abbie's writing has improved so much since 100 Day of Sunlight. From the lush prose to the effortless worldbuilding and character banter, this book is really just the best, most cozy little book that made me want to sit with Orca inside the lighthouse drinking tea while we watched the rain outside. And, guys, I don't even like tea, so that should be a pretty good indicator about how much I wanted to crawl inside the pages of this book.

But, even amidst those feelings . . . I have to admit that this book does have some problems. So, let's get into the details, shall we?

What I Liked
-Orca. I know some people have expressed irritation with her, but I actually really liked her. She was a bit immature for an eighteen-year-old, but that didn't really bother me since it fit with her character and background. I think that her internal conflict and personality were well-written, and I genuinely just wanted to sit down and hang with her for a while.
-The BANTER. If there's one thing that Abbie has always done incredibly well, it's banter. Orca, Jack, and Adam all had such comedic moments that left me wondering how Abbie comes up with this stuff and MAKES IT SO ORGANIC.
-Sibling energy. Adam and Jack's interactions were incredible, and I will always be jealous of the way that Abbie writes brothers.
-The worldbuilding. I already touched on this, but seriously, it's so good. I cannot emphasize enough how much this made me want to LITERALLY JUMP INTO THE BOOK. It's been a long time since I've felt that way about a book, so if worldbuilding is important to you, this book will not disappoint.

What I Didn't Like
-The insta-love. I don't remember Abbie pitching this as an insta-love, so it caught me really off-guard when characters were confessing their love after only knowing each other for like, three days. I did enjoy the romance, but it definitely required a certain level of suspension of disbelief that was, at times, a little annoying.
-The predictability of the story. I called the major plot twist at about 30%. I know that this might just be because I understand Abbie's tendencies and how a lot of plot twists work, but it did take away a little from my ability to be surprised by the latter part of the book.
-The age gap romance. I've never really read an age gap romance before, but it generally just gives me big "ick" energy. I will say that I think Abbie handled it better than I expected, but it's still not totally something I liked.
-The way every single character seemed to take the Lord's name in vain every 5 seconds. If this was written by someone else (or most other people), I probably would just roll my eyes and be like "Yeah, of course they did that." But, I thought Abbie was a Christian . . . and Christians are called to a higher standard. As a writer and a Christian, I cannot condone this kind of swearing because it goes against what we, as Christians, are called to do. Abbie's other characters in 100 Days of Sunlight did the same thing, but I guess I was hoping that she wouldn't do it here . . . and unfortunately, I think she did it more in this book.
-The ending. Don't get me wrong: I did enjoy the ending. But . . . it felt rushed. Everything wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly for me. I would have loved an epilogue or something to give things a chance to slow down and really soak in those final moments.

At the end of the day, this was a solid 3.5-3.75 stars for me. It had its moments that made me want to scream at the characters for being idiots and whisper "please, Abbie, don't." But, it was also delightful, fun, and ultimately felt like watching a trainwreck that made me giggle with evil reader glee.

So, if you like gorgeous prose/worldbuilding, angsty YA energy, brotherly bonds, dreamer girls, insta-love, and wanderlust, definitely check out The Otherworld.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Content warning: Abandonment, alcohol, cursing (strong and frequent, including taking the Lord’s name in vain), grief, injury/injury detail, medical content, medical trauma, and sexual content (there is a lot of kissing, and some of the kisses are a bit more sensual/descriptive).

I think Abbie Emmons has turned into my favorite author. As with 100 Days of Sunlight and Tessa and Weston: The Best Christmas Ever, she’s created another fictional masterpiece with The Otherworld that I didn’t want to put down.

Because I loved her previous books so much, I was worried that I wouldn’t feel the same about this one, especially since it’s completely different, with it's own unique storyline and characters. Rest assured: it’s incredible. I often read books that I feel mediocre about, whether they are too long, too dry, or, unfortunately, just forgettable. The Otherworld is none of that: it’s a feel-good story that has you rooting for the characters, thinking deeper about love and life, and leaves you feeling happy and light after reading.

The plot was well-paced, the events were interesting from beginning to end, and there were a ton of moments throughout where I couldn’t wait to read what happened next. If you’re unsure about starting this book- take the plunge. You won’t regret it.

Thank you, Abbie Emmons and NetGalley for sending me a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

The novel is about Orca, a girl who lives alone with her father on an island where there is a lighthouse. Her father is the lighthouse keeper. Orca has never known terra firma, what she calls "The otherworld." But they alter her surroundings when a person from that otherworld arrives there by accident and she becomes involved with him.

The novel exhibits excellent writing. The author handles suspense effectively. Emmons' skillful handling of suspense in the first act creates excitement until the inciting event is revealed. Orca's decision in the second act creates suspense as it can finally lead her to the world they have forbidden her from since childhood.

The third act involves another type of conflict. A conflict of emotions, but this time of the heart. The secrets that are crucial to the life of the MC are revealed in this segment. Also, here, Orca must decide very important matters for her existence. She seems unprepared to make that choice. Perhaps her unpreparedness to decide is because of her upbringing on the island. After all, it is not she who decides, but they decide for her. Somehow, this becomes problematic for the plot and the theme of the narrative.

Another success of the work is to choose several points of view to tell the story, Jack's, Orca's and Adam's, a trio of characters very relevant to the story. This gives an air that the narrative has several ways of being seen. Although there is no version of other characters that could have been important.

The author's portrayal of the workings of a lighthouse was impressive and contributed to the overall setting. Also, the information about flying airplanes that the author deploys is impressive and you can tell she has researched it thoroughly.

For me as a reader, the only problem with the novel lies in the MC's relationships with the male characters and with some of the female characters. I think there is a gender problem here.

The novel seems to want to move somehow into the mythic forum. But even at this level, there is a problem with gender. It might have been approached from a different perspective.

Read this text for its clever language, exciting plot with unexpected twists, and high entertainment value.

*4.5*

First, thank you so much Emmons for this opportunity to read and review The Otherworld as an ARC reader. I enjoyed every bit of the process.

Secondly, I am in awe of how incredible it was. The story was well thought out and absolutely stunning. The characters were dynamic and exciting to read about. I loved every bit of this story from the characters’ internal struggles, development, and drive, to them navigating their way through relationships, unlike those they have ever experienced. This book had a beautifully written love triangle that had me switching sides from one to the other (which rarely ever happens). However, I must highlight Emmons did a wonderful job creating characters that focus on so much more than just their romantic relationship. We saw Orca Monroe handling her relationship with her father as well as the overwhelming feelings of The Otherworld. The brothers, Adam and Jack, focused on their relationship with each other and their parents. I found that this truly added to the experience of reading about these characters. It made them feel more human, more real.

Let me just add that Orca’s personality throughout the novel was amazing. She’s like sunshine bottled up. A fun-loving, headstrong, responsible girl who loves the ocean, and her father. A girl who is curious about everything. She reminded me of Anne from Anne of Green Gables and I loved that. Orca’s energy throughout the novel was unmatchable. It made me want to go to a small beach town, sit in a coffee shop and read this book. She’s bubbly and excited all the time. It made me happy to read about her.

In addition to the character development and construction, the plot was engaging. There was always something happening externally that drove an internal shift in mindset. This feedback loop between the two was wonderful to see and made the story seem all the more alive.

All around, I would 100% recommend this book. It is a beautifully written beach romance with so much to offer and I would recommend giving it a read.

If I could give this book a zero, I would. It's so dramatic and badly written.

Orca is too emotionally immature even for a recluse, she doesn't know simple things (eg she didn't know what flirting meant) though she was mentioned to read books on the island. She calls the mainland, the otherworld, which is so corny I can't help rolling my eyes everytime she mentions it.

It’s so cringe how a 28 year old man is catching feeling for a recluse 18 year old after meeting her for a day. How could he have never met anyone to talk butterfly effect and multiverses with in his whole life? Come on! Then suddenly, this self-educated 18 year old is the intellectual conversation partner he’s been searching for? I literally cringed while reading this.

They think they are in love after a couple days 🙄 talk about insta-love. And Orca's dad not wanting her to have relationships reminds me of Lot and his daughters (in the Bible) does the man want to impregnate his own daughter?

I prefer Jack a thousand times to Adam. Despite being younger, he doesn't smolder Orca with promises of love so soon. At least he let's things flow.

We are constantly told that Orca is not like other girls who whine and can't eat a whole pizza because they are on a diet. Good grief! I thought we left this in 2010? "She's not like other girls" is directly said or implied at least 50 times in this mess of a book.

I retched when Adam thought that the bikini made Orca look like everyother girl. Boo hoo, his innocent, pure, pristine, untouched flower is getting corrupted.

The insane purity message in this book is disgusting even to me, a Christian that's waiting for marriage.

The level of entitlement and ownership that Adam feels over Orca despite not spending up to a week with her, is giving serious psycho vibes.

It was so comical when Adam was giving Jack the "she's not like the other girls. Don't force yourself on her" talk. After he, a 28 year old man kissed an 18 year old recluse two days after meeting her, knowing he's the first man apart from her father that she's ever met.

Lol and don't get me started on the proposal at the ending.

I regret reading this book about two immature, infatuated people.

Wow! This book is absolutely amazing. The descriptions are so touching and vivid. As soon as I started reading it I couldn't put it down. I recommend this book to every other reader out there.

I received this as an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are completely my own.

You know that feeling where you're overcome with nostalgia and feel a deep sense of peace? The kind of peace that makes you feel like a kid again and like you are totally safe? Yep, this is what reading The Otherworld did to me. It brought me back to the safe place I felt as a kid.

The Otherworld is a lovely story that transports you to a place of wholesomeness, innocent love, and relatable struggles. Emmons never fails to craft a story that captures vulnerable aspects of the human heart and emotions.

For Orca, living on her island home with her father feels like a bubble secluded from the world and with no contact allowed. But a mysterious bag on the beach leading to her first phone call and a collapsed pilot on her doorsteps sets in spin a series of events leading to Orca's greatest dream.
For Adam, stepping inside of Orca's world feels like stepping into a time capsule, to a place in time where peace was obtainable and innocence bliss. Adam is charmed by Orca's untainted view of the world and the beauty that surrounds her. He never imagined that crashing his plane would take him to the one person he wants to make his world.
For Jack, well, he is caught between the worlds of two people he deeply cares about. His emotions struggle to make the right decisions but often fall for wrong choices to soothe the pain. But maybe these events in life happen for a good reason and as a wake-up call that life can have beauty and purpose, no matter where you are or who you are with.

While I loved the aesthetic of this book and the beautiful characters, I very much dislike language in a book. I'm disappointed by how much the young male characters in this book cuss. I believe it is very overrated to make guys only cuss and overrated to use language in a book in the first place. It cheapens the quality of the story.

Besides that, this is a fantastic book to read on the beach or during a stormy day.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author, Abbie Emmons, for providing an ARC copy of The Otherworld in exchange for an honest reveiw. I was not compensated for this, my thoughts are my own.

This book! From page one, the story oozes off the page, full of heart and emotion. It's cozy. A feel good read that plucks your heart strings apart and pieces them back together again. It is more than a romance read—though don't get me wrong, the love triangle is well done and bitterswseet. Emmon's does a good job keeping that trope fresh. The characters are well developed, the pace is good. I struggled to find stopping points. Thats a plus.

My only complaint...and its minor, mind you, comes with the setting. Even though the book takes place in the 90's its still not enough of a time lapse to create the overly isolated island in the sound that Orca lives on. In the early pages, where she speaks of having only her father in her life...that the only other people she has ever met in her lifetime come to deliver supplies infrequently...isnt realistic. She mentions looking through her Papa's spybglass and only seeing endless ocean. The islands in the sound are close together. At the very least, she would be able to make out Mt. Constitution from anywhere in the sound, from any other island in that area. The ocean itself would be teaming with boats. People easily move from island to island to visit them. 100 years ago, that isolation would work...but then...it would be a totally different story. Having intimate knowledge of the area made it challenging for me to suspend disbelief and fall into the setting 100%. I found myself wishing that she did not specifically name any of the islands...that she left them all unknamed, and created them fresh and new and made up. When actual, specific places are name dropped...I expect to explore that reality, that realness, from the comfort of my recliner and not actually traveling to said location. I want to experience a vacation in my mind. Every time she mentioned never meeting another man in her life...never seeing boats or planes. Being so very excluded from the world...I sighed. That said, Emmons writing style is evocotave. Lyrical. Lovely. The islands depiction is beautiuful. In the end, most readers are not going to have a clue that the setting doesn't mesh fully with the story in a truthful, realistic manner. Only those with intimate knowledge of the Pacific Northwest will truly know. It's okay. The rest of the book made up for it. The parts where the characters explore Whidbey Island and Seattle and surrounding areas of the Mainland were fine.

I greatly enjoyed the family dynamics. The personalities of the brothers are well fleshed out. The romance elements are good, but the relationship between the brothers is GREAT. When Jack thinks Adam is dead...and is curled on the floor...oh my heart. Emmons gutted me. Tears may have welled. ;) I truly loved the family drama the most. Its what drove the romance, the story. Be it the conflict and tention between Orca and her father, the brothers, Orcas other family discoveries...those were the deep, delicious nuggets I loved unearthing. Toss in whales and philisophical conversations about life, love, the universe...the butterfly effect...and I was hooked.

Now, the romance. I don't normally care much for love triangles, but both love intererests were so likeable, it was difficult not to be sucked in. I love how both brothers see different sides to Orca. How both are exactly what she needs...both bring out elements inside her that she didn't know existed. It made it hard to choose who to root for, there was not just one clear cut choice as there often can be in those pesky love triangles. One brothers strength was the other brothers weakness and vice versa. Quite interesting.

The only parts that made me cringe were at the end. I am fine with the age gap. I am fine with her chosing Adam. The whirlwind "lets get married although we only met two weeks ago and you have NEVER HAD A BOYFRIEND BEFORE" just made my old fart brain sigh. Younger me would have devoured this with no issue, licked the bowl clean, and asked for more. It did remind me, however, of young, first love. My own age gap romance when I was a teenager (younger than Orca), and how that did feel like the end all, be all, in a short period of time even though I had little experience prior to said older boyfriend. So it works, it just didnt end as satisfying for the me of today. However, most will love it and eat this up so please, don't let the words of an old, jaded gal disuade you from reading. This story has all the good feelz. All the warm fuzzies. The writing style is evocotive and beautiful. The characters richly developed. Well done, Abbie.

I absolutely fell in love with this book from the opening pages! The Otherworld is like an enchanting fairytale, urging you to lean in closer and listen to its whispered magic. It’s one of those rare books that’s luxuriously relaxing and cozy, yet so mysteriously intriguing I stayed up WAY past my bedtime reading it. I had to know what would happen as one chapter pulled me into the next!

Even though it’s set in the realistic world of the Pacific Northwest during the 1990’s, the story loosely echoes aspects of Rapunzel and The Little Mermaid in a way that feels fresh and creative. Since childhood, Orca Monroe’s father has kept her isolated in their lighthouse home, nestled on a remote island paradise, hoping to protect her from the dangers of “civilization” and humanity’s less savory side. When a cell phone washes up on the beach after a plane crash, Orca’s quiet life is changed forever. The phone connects her with Jack, who desperately needs her help finding his missing brother. Until now, she’s had no contact with the “Otherworld” (aka the cities and suburbs across the ocean from the island) and everything from pizza to swimsuits holds a foreign fascination for her. I had so much fun seeing everyday items and foods from “our world” through Orca’s point of view!

Abbie’s writing talent shines, showcasing her gift for crafting emotionally gripping characters, well-paced plots, and gorgeously described, atmospheric settings. The island, with its idyllic beach views, cottagecore vibes, and glimpses of whale pods swimming through the ocean, reminded me just how wondrous nature can be when we pause to notice.

As for the romance, even readers who claim they’re “over love triangles” would struggle not to be invested in this one! I honestly couldn’t decide which brother I was cheering for until more than halfway through the book and, even then, I was in constant suspense over the outcome! The book rotates among all three points of view, so I enjoyed the chance to dig into their distinct personalities and understand what they were thinking as events and feelings unfolded.

Yet, the romantic tension is only part of what makes The Otherworld engaging. It’s a philosophical character study, exploring deeper questions about life, love, family dynamics, and the ways in which the choices we make cause a chain reaction that effects the people around us. It’s one of those books I didn’t want to end and I’m excited to revisit it when I want to escape into an immersive comfort read!

***Thank you to NetGalley and Abbie Emmons for providing an ARC copy of The Otherworld in exchange for an honest review.

The Otherworld by Abbie Emmons transported me to a beautiful all-encompassing environment. The descriptions of the natural environment only served to create a specific place and time in which the characters could be explored. The story that unfolds in this novel is touching and emotional on many levels.

Orca is a girl who longs to discover herself outside of the confines of her lighthouse home. She has spent her whole life wondering what life would be like in the "Otherworld"--mainland Washington state in the 1990s. Her deep love for her father is clear, but it is also apparent that she has deep wells of curiosity within her. She is finally able to learn more about the outside world and its inhabitants upon meeting the Stevenson brothers, Adam and Jack.

All three characters have distinct personalities that allow each of them to shine throughout the novel. I really enjoyed how different relationship dynamics were explored: familial, romantic, platonic, and even the relationship of knowing oneself and how that knowledge can change over time based on new experiences. Each character grows through challenges over the course of the book, and I loved every minute spent with them. I particularly enjoyed the discussion of Heart versus Head that was interwoven throughout the novel, specifically in regards to the character Adam.

The Otherworld transports the reader to a nostalgic time and a rapturous place, and you get to know heartwarming characters along the way. The friendships and relationships that are built along the way draws the reader in and makes them care about what happens to the characters. Also, any romance that occurs was sweet and focused on how such moments can be meant to showcase the bond building between characters rather than being exploitative. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone interested.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read a review copy early.

It was a very deep and an intense read for me. As it made me emotional quite a number of time amidst reading it. I love it