Olive

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Olive

Emma Gannon 410 pages | Published by HarperCollins

US Pub Date: March 9, 2021

This book tells the story of Olive and her three best friends - all at very different places when it comes to motherhood. Olive is sure that she doesn't want to have kids, and feels that creating a wedge in her friendships. She is sure that choosing not to have children isn't a defect, but proving it to others is a bit more difficult.

Have to start off by saying that I absolutely LOVE Emma Gannon and am so happy to have been able to read her debut novel. Her style was simple and inviting and I really hope she writes more novels in the future.

I felt so connected to Olive in the way that she doubts her place in life and if she is doing what she should be. I think we all can relate to that feeling, and Emma wrote about it beautifully. It can be very hard to compare your current stage of life with that of your friends - from group hangs that feel a bit forced to flawless Instagram pictures - we all play the comparison game from time to time.

What I really appreciated about the story was the varying generations and types of female relationships - Olive and her three best friends, her elderly neighbor Dorothy, Olive's sister, and then eventually even Olive's relationship with Marcus' family. It was a beautiful showcase of how different relationships can serve us differently depending on what we need at the time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!